Creative Economy Agency

With a belief in the multifaceted and intriguing aspects of Thai content, foreseeing diverse pathways for exploration ahead and acknowledging that Thai content creators possess exceptional talent comparable to their global counterparts — requiring only opportunities for skill development and learning from experienced professionals, to deeply inspire the creation of content in their own unique styles, addressing the demands of both the Thai and global markets — the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA, partnered with PTT Public Company Limited to organize the “Content Lab: Creating Thai Contents for the World” project for the first time in the fiscal year 2023. The project ran from March to September 2023.

Content Lab was an initiative aimed at propelling the Thai content industry onto the global stage. The objective was to develop and promote the creation of content in the realms of film & series and digital content, showcasing Thailand's potential for export to international target markets. The project focused on elevating the skills and expertise of participating teams through in-depth training, insightful lectures, and practical experiences. Furthermore, it provided the teams with opportunities to present their projects to potential investors, paving the way for future business opportunities.

Content Lab comprises two distinctive programs:
1. Film & Series Program run by the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA 
2. Digital Content Program run by PTT Public Company Limited

Program: Film & Series 

The Film & Series Program featured rigorous training courses designed to enhance essential skills for film and series creation. It targeted producers, directors, and screenwriters with real-world experiences in commercial film and series content creation. Participants were required to form teams and present their content for preliminary evaluation by the committee, which served as a basis for further development during the training.

Upon opening the application process, more than 90 teams registered. After careful consideration, 20 teams were selected to proceed, comprising 13 teams for the Film Track and seven teams for the Series Track.

Key Activities of the Film & Series Program under the Content Lab Project  

1. Lecture & Workshop:
22 April - 25 June 2023

Hosted by leading experts from both the Thai and international film and series industries, the Lecture & Workshop involved 18 in-depth lectures and workshops aimed at developing projects in close collaboration with seven esteemed mentors. The program was led by Kriangkrai Wachirathamporn (Ping), Head of Content Lab.

Head of Program: 
Kriangkrai Wachirathamporn (Ping)

Mentor:     
Industry professionals and experts in the film and series 
industry:
- Warunpon Trithepwijit
- Jirassaya Wongsutin
- Soros Sukhum
- Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
- Damisa Ongsiriwattana
- Sompoch Chitkesornphong
- Chayanop Boonprakob

Lecturer:
Over 20 experienced individuals from the film and series industry contributed their knowledge and guidance during intensive lectures.

2. Proposal Pitching
30 June 2023

After completing the intensive lectures and workshops, the 19 participating teams presented their project proposals. This served as the platform for teams to compete for funding support to produce sample video content. The activity held great honor with the participation of mentors, experts in the film and series industry, representatives from PTT Public Company Limited, and representatives from the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA, all contributing as the selection committee.

List of Selected Teams:
Out of the 19 participating teams, 13 teams were selected to proceed:

Film Track (8 Teams): 

(1) PLOYDREAMROSE

(2) LOOP

(3) 789

(4) ตามล่าไอ้หน้าหนวด

(5) T2K

(6) SKIN

(7) BABEL KARAOKE

(8) A26

Series Track (5 Teams):

(1) คืนนี้ไม่ต้องนอน

(2) POWERPUFF GRUMPY GIRLS 

(3) THERE'S A PICTURE IN THE LAUNDRY

(4) XING-YUN-BAO-XIAN

(5) SSK

3. Final Pitch Event & Business Matching
28 August 2023 

The culminating event of the project provided each team that received funding for their production of sample video content a unique opportunity to present their completed works to industry professionals, including representatives from studios, film and series production companies, and leading streaming platforms. The presentations were conducted through on-stage pitching sessions, encompassing various pitch deck formats, such as presentations, video pilots, and budgets. The participating teams and those interested had the chance to engage in in-depth discussions during the business matching session to explore potential collaborations and partnerships with industry experts.

Content Lab: Creating Thai Contents for the World Recap Video

Program: Digital Content 

The Digital Content program featured a comprehensive training course designed to enhance skills in utilizing cutting-edge technologies for creative work and future business development. Covering areas such as virtual production, AR/VR, CG, and 3D modeling, it targeted content creators, students, and anyone interested. The program was supported by PTT Public Company Limited, the main partner of the Content Lab project and the key organizer of the Digital Content program.

The 13 selected teams underwent intensive training, completing more than 12 courses and practical sessions hosted by experts in various fields. They gained hands-on experience working in the country's leading XR studio. Subsequently, these teams had the opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge to developing their works and participate in the Proposal Pitching round to seek support from PTT in terms of both knowledge and funding for developing demo works under the theme “Meaningful Travel,” aimed at promoting Thai tourism and creating new experiences. Demo works were divided in three categories: Location Base & Platform, Games, and Film & Advertising. This year, out of the initial 13 teams, six teams successfully passed the Proposal Pitching round.

The six finalist teams successfully developed demo works, receiving valuable feedback from mentors before presenting them to the final judging panel and representatives from leading organizations in Thailand during the Final Pitch round. The winning team was LocalXplorer in the Location Base & Platform category, which created an application for tourism that connected travelers with the stories and cultural values of local communities. They utilized AR technology and an Ask Bot to overcome communication barriers. The team was awarded a prize of 50,000 Baht to further advance and innovate their work on a global scale.

The announcement of the overall success of both the Film & Series and Digital Content programs was officially revealed during the Content Lab project's concluding news conference held on 9 September 2023.