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[iCONADA Research Team] Malaysia’s Film and Television Production Models and Affective Strategies in the 2035 Era

Within the context of the rapid transformation of East Asian film and television cultures around 2025, the production models and affective strategies of China, Japan, and South Korea offer Malaysia’s film, television, cultural creative industries, and education systems a highly inspiring mirror. These insights are not only related to industrial development, but also involve the construction of cultural identity, innovation in emotional storytelling, and the need to rethink the very nature of “creation” in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. From the perspectives of cultural production, affective structures, and educational transformation, Malaysia is currently positioned at a critical moment with significant potential.

I.Cultural Position: Multilingualism and Multiethnicity as Creative Resources Rather Than Limitations

Malaysia’s film and television industry has long faced a structural challenge: the market fragmentation caused by its multilingual environment (Malay, Chinese, English, Tamil) and multiethnic society (Malay, Chinese, Indian, and others). This phenomenon has often been regarded as a reason why the industry struggles to achieve scale. However, from the perspective of East Asian experiences, such “fragmentation” may instead be transformed into a creative advantage.

Japanese works such as Long Vacation continue to attract audiences not because of the universality of their language, but because of the authenticity of their emotions. Korean works such as The Glory demonstrate that even highly localized social issues can become globally resonant texts when effectively translated through emotional structures. Meanwhile, China’s The Long Season shows that local narratives can achieve universal meaning through sophisticated temporal structures and deep character development.

From this perspective, Malaysia’s cultural diversity is not an obstacle, but rather an underdeveloped “narrative resource.” The key lies in transforming multilingual and multiethnic experiences into stories with emotional depth and resonance, rather than allowing them to remain merely at the level of cultural representation.

II.Affective Strategies: Moving from “Cultural Representation” Toward “Emotional Co-construction”

One of the major limitations of Malaysian film and television lies in the overemphasis on “cultural representation” while relatively neglecting the design of “emotional mechanisms.” Many works focus on presenting local landscapes, festivals, or ethnic differences, yet often lack sufficient tension in narrative progression and character emotions.

East Asian experiences demonstrate that successful cultural export does not come from cultural elements alone, but from the effective operation of affective structures. Korean dramas achieve this through intense emotional engagement, quickly immersing audiences in the story. Japanese dramas rely on subtle emotional aftereffects, allowing feelings to continue developing after viewing. Chinese film and television works often create connections between grand narratives and individual emotional experiences.

For Malaysia, the future key is not simply “what stories to tell,” but “how to make people feel.” For example, identity anxiety within a multiethnic society, emotional differences created through language switching, and experiences of movement between urban and rural spaces can all be transformed into universal emotional themes. These experiences themselves reflect contemporary realities. Through precise storytelling, they have the potential to become points of connection for audiences across Southeast Asia and even globally.

III. Industrial Models: Platform Strategies within a Small Market

Compared with South Korea’s industrialized system and China’s advantage in scale, Malaysia’s film and television industry is relatively small and operates with limited resources. However, in the era dominated by streaming platforms, market size is no longer the decisive factor. The key lies in how content and audiences are positioned.

South Korea has achieved global distribution through platforms such as Netflix, while Japan has gradually introduced its high-quality productions to international audiences. For Malaysia, streaming platforms provide an opportunity to “bypass the limitations of the local market.” As long as works possess clear affective strategies and distinctive storytelling characteristics, they can directly reach transnational audiences.

In addition, short-form dramas, web series, and cross-media content (such as combinations of film/television with music and games) represent possible directions. These formats require lower production costs and align more closely with younger generations’ viewing habits. If Malaysia can establish a distinctive presence in these areas, it may develop differentiated competitiveness within the regional market.

IV.Artificial Intelligence: From Technology Adoption to Creative Integration

As an AI-driven cultural production environment gradually takes shape in the 2030s, Malaysia faces a choice: should it simply become a user of technology, or should it become an integrator of creativity?

AI can assist with script generation, editing optimization, and audience analysis, lowering production barriers. However, if content relies solely on AI generation, works may become increasingly homogeneous. The true value lies in treating AI as a “creative partner” rather than a replacement.

Malaysia’s advantage lies in its cultural diversity, which can provide AI training environments with narrative patterns and emotional structures that are less commonly represented. By combining local experiences with AI tools, Malaysia may actually develop a unique creative style within the global content market.

V.Implications for Cultural Creative Education: From Skills Training to Affective Literacy

The transformation of the film and television industry presents new demands for cultural creative education. Traditional education has often emphasized technical skills (cinematography, editing, script structure), but in the contemporary environment, technical ability alone is insufficient to respond to a complex cultural market.

First, education needs to introduce the concept of “affective literacy.” Students should not only learn how to write stories, but also understand how emotions are constructed, transmitted, and received. For example: What narrative rhythms create emotional resonance? What character designs generate audience identification? These questions should become central components of education.

Second, interdisciplinary integration is essential. Cultural creative education should not exist in isolation within art schools, but should connect with sociology, anthropology, psychology, and data science. Only by understanding social structures and audience behaviors can creators produce works with a genuine sense of the times.

Third, “local research” should be encouraged. Malaysian students can use methods such as field research and oral history to discover local storytelling resources. This not only strengthens cultural confidence but also provides authentic materials for creative production.

Finally, AI education is indispensable. Students must learn how to use AI tools creatively while also understanding their limitations and ethical issues. Future creators will become designers of human–machine collaboration, rather than merely technical operators.

VI. Conclusion: The Possibility of Moving from the Periphery to a Cultural Node

Overall, the future of Malaysia’s film, television, and cultural creative industries does not lie in copying the successful models of China, Japan, and South Korea. Instead, it lies in redefining pathways of cultural production based on its own conditions. Its multicultural environment, multilingual experiences, and flexible industrial scale give Malaysia the potential to become a “cultural node.”

In an increasingly competitive global audiovisual landscape, the true advantage is no longer the amount of resources available, but whether creators can produce works with unique affective structures. For cultural creative education, this means shifting from “training technical professionals” toward “cultivating cultural creators” — individuals who can understand local realities while engaging with the world.

Looking back at the development trajectories of East Asian film and television, we can see that every breakthrough has emerged from a renewed understanding of one’s own cultural conditions. For Malaysia, such a moment may now be gradually approaching.(Reviewed & Verified by: Dr.Tan Beng Huat, Founder of iconada.tv)