Indonesian streaming platform Vidio has reset its approach to local originals, beginning with crime action series "Ratu Adil" in February and teen drama "Santri Pilihan Bunda" in March. The new slate takes a ‘less is more’ approach, with bigger production budgets, more A-list talent and a tighter focus on stories that aren’t being told anywhere else.   

When Vidio premiered crime action series, "Ratu Adil", at the end of February, the Indonesian streaming platform not only upped its game in the genre, but kicked off a whole new less-is-more original premium production era. 

The 2024 slate, unveiled at a Hollywood-style showcase entitled “House of Star-Studded Stories” in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta follows significant behind-the-scenes changes at the Emtek-owned platform. 

The re-org included the arrival of content boss Mark Francis, the quiet exit of Vidio managing director, Monika Rudijono, and a staff restructure that insiders say involved the exit of about 50 people. 

All are part of a low-key, hopefully-high-impact, rethink of the whole approach to streaming in Southeast Asia’s largest market.

During the showcase in Jakarta, Vidio bosses spoke about launching more than 15 original series this year. 

In numbers, this seems like a long way from the 40-something titles the six-year-old platform presented during a regional industry showcase in Singapore only a few years ago. In streaming years, it’s a lifetime. 

The new targets have been set in a very different environment to way back when, both for the global industry and for Vidio’s parent. 

Not long after the Vidio showcase, Emtek’s Suria Citra Media (SCM) reported plunging profits for 2023, from Rp679,875,021,000/US$42.8 million in 2022 to Rp155,865,216,000/US$9.8 million. SCM owns just under 80% of Vidio.

Seven of the titles scheduled for 2024 were unveiled in Jakarta during the February showcase. The seven series include both new and returning shows. 

Vidio CEO, Sutanto Hartono, said during the event that release strategies had been adjusted based on evolving consumer behaviour and engagement.

Streaming platforms are “still kind of guessing what’s the right business model…we want to be as flexible as possible,” he said.

“In the past, we were thinking about releasing one new episode per day (365 episodes a year or 45 titles with eight episodes each, or four titles a month).

“In 2022, we launched 31 original Vidio series… we were struggling a bit, releasing four titles in one month. So we went back and asked ourselves, ‘is this the right quantity?’ We decided to spend more time developing the titles and increasing the budgets, so now our formula is 20-22 titles a year,” he said.

Hartono added that the new slate involved bolder storytelling and plot lines that were closely related to social issues facing Indonesia.

Although he didn’t discuss production budgets, part of Vidio’s strategy is higher spend/production values and differentiated story telling. 

Vidio’s latest approach is built upon experience gained over about 80 original series released since 2019.

Hartono said of the 77 titles released over the past five years, 51 titles (406 episodes) were released in 2022-2023.

“Vidio’s success in being able to beat the dominance of global and regional OTT as the platform with the most subscribers in Indonesia has inspired us to provide… the best and highest quality shows,” he said.

Vidio closed 2023 with more than four million paying subscribers, making it Indonesia’s top SVOD platform. 

The production re-direct involves more A-lister involvement in front of and behind the camera. 

Frontier Pictures’ eight-episode "Ratu Adil" is produced by Timo Tjahjanto ("The Big 4") and directed by Tommy Dewo ("Serigala Terakhir") and Ginanti Rona ("The Raid").

“As a crime action series, "Ratu Adil" represents a new genre for Vidio. We need to manage the drama, action, sequence, and storyline carefully. Working within limitations and featuring a cast of A-listers, it’s crucial to plan the scripting well to bring each character to life,” Rona said in the run-up to the show’s premiere. 

Portraying Lasja Seoryo, a tough housewife protecting her family from Jakarta’s ‘9 Dragons’ underworld bosses, Dian Sastrowardoyo ("Gadis Kretek") said the role offered her the opportunity to work in a genre she has never done before.

”I’ve been waiting for this kind of opportunity, a break away from the highly emotional drama I’ve been doing... with elements of action and crime. The perspective from a female point of view, particularly that of a jealous wife, offers a unique and rare viewing experience for audiences,” Sastrowardoyo said. 

Besides having a unique storyline, the key [to today’s streaming environment] is viewer engagement, enticing them to want to watch from the beginning to the end, Ratu Adil’s co-director Tommy Dewo, added.

For "Ratu Adil" producer Timo Tjahjanto, perhaps best known for his theatrical features, working on the TV series opened new ways of thinking and being more adaptable to evolving environments.

“The concept of cinema has changed over the past 10 years or so. Initially I felt that everything you watched should be enjoyed on the big screen first. But now having accessibility to all of it now, you can’t deny it’s much more convenient. As a filmmaker, be it producing, directing or writing, you just want to grab as much audience as possible. Streaming has changed that a lot for the better,” he said. 

In addition to "Ratu Adil", new Vidio series include thriller "Ular Tangga Dara(h)" by Sky Films and three Screenplay Films: romance/teen drama "Santri Pilihan Bunda", which premiered on 16 March; mature drama "The Perfect Strangers" adapted from a Wattpad story; and zombie series "Zona Merah".

"Zona Merah", an eight-episode series, mixes horror, thriller and action genres. The series is based on a “mayit” (the undead) story about a female worker struggling to find her missing sibling with the help of a journalist. The pair race against time as an epidemic of the undead threatens to engulf them.

Directed by Sidharta Tata and Fajar Martha Santosa, "Zona Merah" involved thousands of extras and special effects. 

Tata ("Ali Topan") described the series as his most challenging project to date. “Imagine destroying the entire city...we’ve never done as much damage as this,” Tata said. 

The two returning titles unveiled at the showcase are a second season of adult comedy "Open BO Lagi", and a third season of romantic drama, "Suami-Suami Masa Kini". 

MVP Pictures’ "Suami-Suami Masa Kini" returns with Yuda, Raka, Ical and Toby facing complicated personal problems, including relationship, business, a test-tube baby and Toby’s sudden marriage. The eight-part series is directed by Ody C. Harahap. 

The eight-episode "Open BO Lagi: Semakin Panas, Semakin Ganas" is about Gina, who is trying to help her family, and politician Billy, who faces issues with his fiancée. The series is directed by Monty Tiwa ("Hidayah'), who returns to comedy after a break of three years, and is produced by production house Amadeus Sinemagna.

“Comedy has always been my weapon of choice when making content,” Tiwa said, describing season two as all about “pushing the envelope in terms of storyline, acting, visuals... because we realised in season one we hadn’t gone far enough”.

“Open BO covers quite a range of topics; most are pretty sensitive in terms of sensuality and what not. It’s quite a challenge for us to portray some scenes, while at the same time asking ourselves, ‘did we go too far, can we push it a little bit more’,” he says, adding: “It’s basically finding that balance to make it work with the audience and ensuring it will be allowed to be shown on screen”.

▶ Published in ContentAsia April 2024 magazine