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NEWS 4 Thursday 17 October 2019
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MEDIA MASTERMIND KEYNOTE
ASIAN ACADEMY CREATIVE AWARDS
ITV Studios’ Ruth Berry
The evening in pictures
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JED MERCURIO Winner of the World Screen Trendsetter Award
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Factoring in multiple devices now part of the job, ITV’s Berry says ONE OF the biggest challenges for the global TV business is the growing number of people consuming content across different devices, according to Ruth Berry, managing director of ITV Studios Global Entertainment, in her Media Mastermind Keynote. “TV viewing stands at a very healthy two hours 55 minutes per day,” she said, “but audiences consume in so many ways that part of our job now is helping buyers find the kind of programming that their audiences can relate to across platforms.” An example is reality hit Love Island, now adapted for 13
countries and selling well as a completed show. “In the UK, 20% of viewing is via devices,” she said. “Globally, there have been 1.5 billion views on YouTube. One of the big successes is the positive feedback it created between TV screen and social media.” In Berry’s opinion, the key to competing in the digital media landscape is harnessing “the power of creativity... finding shows that stir audiences”. In the scripted arena, she points to ITV Studios’ MIPCOM headliner Noughts + Crosses, based on Malorie Blackman’s novel. A love story set against the back-
drop of an apartheid-style world where blacks are the rulers and whites are the underclass, Berry called it “a brilliant show for us to be able to bring to market. We’ve already had some sales for this brand-defining show”. The company is also extending its footprint in factual, she said, with natural history a priority. Wildlife titles include India’s Wild Karnataka, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and Wild Borneo Adventure, fronted by actor Judi Dench. On the eve of MIPCOM, ITV Studios restructured its business, putting Berry in charge of a new dedicated distribution
Moral dilemmas of Bodyguard writer JED MERCURIO, the British award-winning writer/showrunner famous for the highly acclaimed international series, Line Of Duty, was confronted with a moral decision when his TV career first kicked off. During Wednesday’s Media Mastermind Keynote interview for winning this year’s World Screen Trendsetter Award, Mercurio explained how he started his career as a medical doctor but ended up as an in-demand screen dramatist. Having been an adviser on medical series Cardiac Arrest in the Award-winning writer/showrunner 177_ALL3MEDIA _N4 content_COM 1990s, he soon found himself as Jed Mercurio
the key scriptwriter. “In a rather Machiavellian turn, I ended up taking over the writing,” he said. Making such a life-changing decision was similar to some of the more suspense-filled conundrums faced by the protagonists in Line Of Duty, which has been BAFTA-nominated 10 times, and political thriller Bodyguard, a Golden Globe Awards-winner. “My dramas explore the characters’ consciences, especially where they have to make plausible moral decisions,” he said. “The health and the criminal justice systems tend to fail because they are reluctant to admit their
ITV Studios’ Ruth Berry
division. She said the new structure is “a way for us to get closer to buyers and grow our hitbased portfolio”.
errors, which then create ethical dilemmas for characters who’ve committed some misconduct.” When asked about his methodology for developing the five- to six-episode seasons for Line Of Duty, for example, he explained there is an editorial team, but he is the only writer. “I hand in the script for the first episode before I start working on the next one. I never reveal what happens in the future episodes.” He added: “Avoid doing the same things again by thinking of the stories you’ve told in the past. Then find an angle that has a critical mass, that catches the audience’s attention in the first 10 minutes and has future consequences.”
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China session highlights host of deals, projects and partnerships
Luo Yi of Shanghai’s Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism: important role in China’s media landscape
CHINESE online video platform Youku this week inked a deal with Viacom International Media Networks to develop new content based on a traditional Chinese story, while Mango TV and Sky Vision Media announced an agreement to co-develop formats. These were among a host of new deals between Chinese and international partners announced at
Zhou Jihong of National Radio and TV Administration: sharing beauty to achieve unity
Chinese companies participating in MIP markets over the years. Leading Chinese companies introduced their latest collaborations with international partners, and indicated the kinds of projects they will be developing with global partners in the near future. These included: Jeff Han, vice-president of Tencent Video and senior vice-president of Tencent Pen-
the Focus On China sessions this week, along with presentations from some of China’s top drama producers. The Focus On China consisted of two parts. In the first session, the China Network Audio-Visual Industry Forum, Reed MIDEM’s director of the entertainment division, Jerome Delhaye, pointed out the great progress he’s seen in
Country Of Focus celebrates success AS ONE of the four Countries Of Focus, China was feted throughout MIPCOM for its remarkable contribution to the industry. “The China Pavilion has been a constant presence for over a decade,” said Luo Yi of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, noting that the Country Of Focus recognition followed “the huge success of serving as Country Of Honour in 2018”.
“By showcasing their newest content, Shanghai enterprises look forward to sharing outcomes with other film, television and media organisations from around the world, to encourage exchange and co-operation in the future,” Luo Yi said. Nearly 60 Chinese film, television and media organisations came to Cannes with a view to building valuable bridges for future collaboration. During MIPCOM, Genius Brands MIPCOM News 4 •
unveiled a strategic co-production partnership with Youku to co-produce new animated series Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten. BBC Studios also tied up a content collaboration deal with Youku. Animaccord’s Russian animation hit, Masha And The Bear, announced it was looking forward to launching in China. Elsewhere, Endemol Shine presented non-scripted format Sing Or Spin co-developed in partnership with Hunan TV. Hunan 6
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guin Pictures; Carly Lee, chief operating officer and vice-chairman of the board of directors of online video platform Bilibili; and Huaijun Cai, general manager of Mango Excellent Media and president of Mango TV. Zhou Jihong, deputy director, department of international co-operation at the National Radio and Television Administration, said the Chinese Network Audio-Visual Industry has been developing very well. “Find your beauty, that of others, and share it together to achieve unity,” she said. The deal between Youku and Viacom International Media Networks was inked at the end of the session, and the agreement between Mango TV and Sky Vision Media for co-development was also announced. In the second session, TV Fantasy From Shanghai China, Luo Yi, deputy director general of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, highlighted the importance of Shanghai in China’s media landscape. Several of Shanghai’s top drama production companies presented some of their work, including Oriental Pearl Group, Shanghai Media Group, Limon Pictures, Croton Media and Youhug. The session was moderated by Zhou Yu from SMG Pictures and Wings Media.
executive vice-president Xiong Zhou said that he was looking for more high-quality IP in general, following deals with BBC Studios, Nippon TV and Armoza Formats. The company will become the first major Chinese broadcaster to sponsor the MIPFormats International Pitch next year. Leading online content platform Mango TV, which is backed by Hunan, showcased its vibrant appeal as part of MIPCOM’s Streaming Offensive strand. Mango’s Huaijun Cai confirmed the platform was “looking for super partners”.
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MIPTV 2020: the global content market for the future
Laurine Garaude, director of the television division at Reed MIDEM: “more flexible and cost-effective”
A NEW market experience, more curated content, supercharged networking and an expanded hosted buyers’ programme are set for a reimagined MIPTV in 2020, taking place March 30 to April 2 in Cannes. Plans for a reimagining of the show, billed as the global content market for the future, were unveiled on Wednesday morning at MIPCOM by Laurine Garaude, director of the television division
Lucy Smith, deputy director of the television division, Reed MIDEM: “we want to work together”
evolve. The worlds of distribution and content development are expanding. We need more scalable, more flexible and more costeffective options for taking part in MIPTV. We are aware budgets are an issue and it was important to take that into account. “The industry needs more effective ways to navigate the complex international marketplace and more help to connect with new people. MIPTV will provide the very best
at Reed MIDEM. She said that the plans had arisen in response to a wide-reaching industry survey conducted by Reed MIDEM, discussing the needs of distributors, buyers and producers. “This consultation found that MIPTV is very important to you — it’s the second largest market in the world,” Garaude said, addressing industry representatives. “But its users have asked MIPTV to
GETTING TO THE TOP MEDIACLUB’Elles held the third edition of its MIPCOM mentoring breakfast yesterday, attended by some 65 women from across the international television industry. Entitled Getting To The Top, the event aims to share tips from women in the media with women in the media. “What’s special about the MediaClub’Elles mentoring breakfast is that it brings together successful, generous, seasoned women professionals with younger members of the community to offer practical, hands-on advice,” said Laura Lemens Boy, MediaClub’Elles’ director of international business development, who organised the event with president Florence Sandis. “For me, this year’s take-aways were: don’t undervalue yourself, believe you’re as good as the next man, don’t beat yourself up because you’re a mother — and keep smiling. Humour is a great way to diffuse tensions and conflicts.” This year’s Media Club’Elles mentors were twofour54’s HE Maryam Eid AlMheiri, producer and writer Bunmi Akintonwa, France Televisions’ Caroline Behar, animation producer Chrissy Metge, All3Media International’s Louise Pedersen, Cartoon Network’s Adina Pitt, RMC Decouverte’s Guenaelle Troly and Kaha Software’s Sam Witters.
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market intelligence and curation to help put the spotlight on the best content and help accompany the industry into the future.” Lucy Smith, deputy director of Reed MIDEM’s television division, said that physical changes would create “a new market experience”, with exhibitors in the Palais concentrated on the premium halls in Riviera 7 and 8, as well as in a newly designed level -1, where In Development will also be located. “The new schedule will feature twice-daily ‘exhibition only’ time slots, with the conference programme in morning, lunchtime and evening slots only, thus optimising the marketplace and facilitating greater face-toface networking,” Smith added. Meanwhile, MIPTV’s to-beexpanded production forum, In Development, will now focus on factual and formats, as well as drama and kids’ content. The forum acts as “a gateway for international financing” and new projects looking for funding will access a thriving market of buyers, commissioners, distributors and co-producers, Smith said, adding that its closer integration with the rest of the event would “foster more partnerships than ever”. She said: “We want to work together to make this a big success.”
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THE WATCHERS WILL SOON BE WATCHED LOOK out, Simon Cowell: the days of audience-voting in TV talent shows may be coming to an end. “We can replace real-time voting by measuring facial expressions,” according to Xavier Fischer of French research company Datakalab. At present the techniques are used to test content before transmission. “We measure viewers’ conscious and unconscious reactions to help creatives make improvements,” Daniel Ramos, international marketing director of Spanish company Sociograph Neuromarketing, said. For decades, audience-testing has relied on viewers’ opinions to make films funnier or more exciting. But the new audience researchers go beyond what people say to quantify their emotions, filming viewers and measuring microscopic movements of their eyes and head. AI (artificial intelligence) then automates the process. They can screen some clips, film 200 people watching them in a viewing theatre, crunch the data, and report back in 24 hours. “The hardware is getting smaller and less costly,” Fischer said. “We’ll start to see interactive technology installed in home television and the movie theatre that could be used to modify content in real time.” Creatives have nothing to fear, he said. “We are objective. We offer the data and let the creatives decide what to do with it.”
Datakalab’s Xavier Fischer
Drones the latest technology to shape the BBC’s nature output ELEPHANTS don’t like drones: fact. But knowledge like this comes only from pushing the boundaries of filming the natural world — which the BBC Natural History Unit (now part of BBC Studios) does with every landmark series. The latest David Attenborough-fronted project, Seven Worlds, One Planet, was previewed in the NHK 8K Theatre at Wednesday’s BBC Studios: Busy In 4K session. “There are seven episodes, one per continent,” Gavin Boyland, head of development at BBC Studios, said. “It’s a new approach to showing how each continent is special.” A core team of 30 in Bristol in the UK co-ordinated 1,500 people — filming units, scientists, boat teams — worldwide to realise the project, amassing a petabyte
BBC Studios’ Gavin Boyland
(around a million gigabytes) of data. “Our default now is to acquire footage at between 7K and 8K,” Boyland said. This is for editorial and technological reasons: much
natural-history filming happens from afar, with long lenses, and filming at higher resolutions allows directors to crop into the picture and still output 4K. Technology always shapes nature programming, Boyland said. Blue Planet II, for example, was characterised by 4K underwater shots and half-above, half-underwater filming with the “megadome”. “On Seven Worlds, it’s drones that have driven the look,” he said. “We’ve always used them, but smaller, lighter, quieter drones carrying higher resolution cameras have shaped the look and feel.” Which means more opportunities to film bee- (and therefore drone-) averse animals like elephants. He continued: “The last thing we want to do is film unnatural behaviour.”
Showcase for Turkish drama Hercai THE CAST and leading crew members of the hugely popular Turkish drama Hercai are in Cannes to showcase the production to the international markets. Leading actors, producers and directors of Hercai, a love story born out of a revenge drama, appeared at a special session at MIPCOM on Tuesday evening, to discuss the show’s appeal both inside Turkey and internationally. Hercai tells the story of a young man sworn to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of a rival family. In seeking revenge the man, played by Akin Akinozu, falls in love with the daughter of the rival family, played by Ebru Sahin, after romancing her as a way of getting close to the people who killed his parents. The series, produced by MIA Yapim with ATV Distribution leading on international sales, is directed by Benal Tairi and Cem Karci, who were both at the MIPCOM News 4 •
session, alongside Akinozu and Sahin. The show has been a major hit in Turkey since being released in March this year, and is scheduled for its first international airing in Spain, following the acquisition of the rights to the show by Atresmedia Television. Addressing delegates on Tuesday, Jose Antonio Salso Baratas, head of acquisitions and inter-
national sales at Atresmedia Television, said: “We’ve been following the success stories from the Turkish markets and now our audiences are demanding Turkish shows. “Hercai is the perfect match for our channel and we’d like to continue this success. It has incredible ratings in Turkey, and with such a brilliant plot and cast it made our decision for us.”
Hercai director Cem Karci (left); with stars Ebru Sahin and Akin Akinozu; director Benal Tairi; and Atresmedia Television’s Jose Antonio Salso Baratas
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RUSSIA MAKES A SUCCESS OUT OF A MELODRAMA ART IMITATES life in Russian comedy series Melodrama, a show focusing on the world of TV production from Russia’s Friday! channel. In the first season of the slapstick drama (9 x 30 mins), a group of hapless TV executives appoint a ham-fisted petrolpump attendant as CEO of the station to try and drive down its share price, as part of plans for a secret company buy-out. But nothing is at it seems, as the unlikely channel boss invents a new comedy format with the maverick creative team he assembles and his show becomes the surprise hit of the year. “The first season premiered in Russia in February and was a huge success, becoming the country’s most watched show,” Svetlana Krasova, sales and acquisitions manager of Friday!, said. “Lead actor Sergey Burunov won the TEFI for best actor, the Russian equivalent of the Emmys.” “At the moment we’re mostly in negotiations with Eastern European countries and ex-Soviet states, as well as Italy and Spain,” said Marina Zvonareva, also sales and acquisitions manager for Friday!. “We know that humour travels, but it can depend on the territory.” The second season of Melodrama returns to Russian TV in November, with another eight episodes.
Marina Zvonareva (left) and Svetlana Krasova from Friday!
Diverse and inclusive content increases audience demand DEBORAH Williams, CEO, The Creative Diversity Network, led a panel on Wednesday that highlighted the way diverse and inclusive content increases audience satisfaction and ultimately financial success. Titled Measuring The Impact Of Diversity On Audience Potential, the conference panel was part of MIPCOM’s Diversity And Inclusion Programme, and included experts and contentmakers from 3Vision, Parrot Analytics, A+E Networks and AMC Networks International. Ashley Alleyne-Morris, North American insights director, Parrot Analytics, presented analysis of the impact of black and transgender characters on audience demand. She detailed data that maps different responses to authentic stories told by black women, for example, as opposed to projections of the ideas of black women — a view also expressed by AfricanAmercian film and TV actress,
Tonya Pinkins. While people of colour often make up a single supporting role in a production, Alleyne-Morris noted that content that includes “multiple roles of authentic people of African descent … almost doubles demand”. So too “when transgender people played transgender roles it increased demand by 25%”, she said, adding “real stories resonate”. Hayley Bull, director of
international content consultancy 3Vision, confirmed that “diverse and inclusive shows are getting out to market”, in part because of the growth of local SVODs and a “mixed economy for programming”. An example, she said, was New York-set comedy-drama The Bold Type that features a diverse cast and is streaming on non-linear channels around the world, including SVT Play in Sweden.
Mark Garner, executive vice-president licensing and business development, A+E Networks (left); Patrick Connolly, senior vice-president programming and marketing, AMC Networks; 3Vision’s Hayley Bull; arrot Analytics’ Ashley Alleyne-Morris; and The Creative Diversity Network’s Deborah Williams
Media waking up to esports’ potential THE WORLD of professional competitive gaming was also on the agenda at MIPCOM in a session Why Brands Are More And More Investing In Esports, moderated by Barrick Prince, founder of Enigmedia. By 2021, it’s predicted that there will be around half a billion people watching esports on a regular basis. “It’s a no-brainer right now. We have an ecosystem that is growing by two digits every year,” Samy Ouerfelli, head of new business at Freaks 4U Gaming, said. “Esports is already filling stadiums at an international level and it is also starting to be attractive at the verygrassroots level.” Dmitriy Karpenko, chief business development officer, WePlay! Esports, added: “If you take the whole entertainment industry,
you will see that gaming-video content is huge. Brands are always looking for new opportunities where their consumers are, where their attention is. Gaming is something that is really native to the millennials … games are a part of their lives.” Romain Cousi, head of content at Webedia, talked about the challenges for the big media agencies. “Esports is definitely a buzzword, but media agencies don’t know how to handle it, so they need to rely on third parties like our companies,” he said. Ouerfelli added: “To be authentic the brand must learn the ecosystem and learn the games. Because the games are different. You need to deep-dive into this community and then you can work on the ads.” Cousi hailed the impact of
MIPCOM News 4 • 10 • 17 October 2019
Fortnite: “It’s not just about gamer addicts: it’s about everyone, from nine years old to 45.” That might open up esports much more to brands, he suggested.
Dmitriy Karpenko, WePlay! Esports (left); Samy Ouerfelli, Freaks 4U Gaming; Romain Cousi, Webedia; and Barrick Prince, Enigmedia
news
ABC adopts ‘TV with purpose’ to shine light on social issues
Josie Mason-Campbell, head of entertainment and factual, ABC
“CONTENT is alive and well at MIPCOM,” Josie Mason-Campbell, head of entertainment and factual at ABC in Australia, told
MIPCOM News. “It’s really exciting, the number of passionate producers that are breaking new ground in terms of content.” Representing the Australian public broadcaster in Cannes, Mason-Campbell is on the lookout for content that is both entertaining and “shines a light on issues in society”, she said. As part of the “trend of television with purpose in the non-scripted space”, she referred to the hit series produced by Shine Endemol, Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds, a unique social experiment that brings together elderly people in a retirement community with children. The format is one way of addressing a broader aged care crisis by nurturing “intergenerational connection”, she said. Echoing the theme of diversity and inclusiveness at this year’s
MIPCOM, Mason-Campbell described upcoming ABC TV series Love On The Spectrum, a four-part documentary in which young adults on the autism spectrum explore dating and relationships, and which debuts late October in Australia. At a time when, according to Mason-Campbell, it’s important “to reaffirm our important connection to the natural world”, ABC Commercial has been selling several natural history-focused programmes in Cannes. Wild Wars Australia, a four-part series looking at the battle for survival in the Australian wilderness, and Wild Australians, which explores the animals that have evolved to thrive in the diverse Australian landscape, have attracted major interest across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.
Rising star promotes Love In Chains THE STAR of a hit Eastern European period drama is in Cannes to showcase the series as it nears its third season of production. Katerina Koval-
Love In Chains star Katerina Kovalchyk
chyk, star and lead actor in the series Love In Chains, is at MIPCOM to promote the show, which has just hit Amazon Prime in the US.
Set in the 1850s, the show tells the story of a maid raised as a noblewoman by her godmother who becomes the slave of a controlling man whom she does not love. Speaking to MIPCOM News, Kovalchyk said: “It’s amazing to be here and see the poster for the show on the front of the Palais. The show has been a great success in Poland and Ukraine. “My character is a strong young woman who has been through a lot of troubles in her life. She’s been through some big dramas and big dramatic events in her life. She is used as a slave by everyone around her.” Love In Chains is a co-production between Ukrainian studio Film.UA and StarLight Films. It is directed by Felix Gerchikov and Maksym Lytvynov, and the producers were Vladimir Borodyansky and Victor Mirsky.
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POWERLESS FORMAT SOLD TO IMAGO TV SMALL World IFT has sold social-experiment format Powerless (aka Blackout) to ITV Studios’ German production company, Imago TV. Originally produced by SVT Sweden, Powerless debuted in January on the SVT Play digital platform, before the main channel. The series seeks to answer the question: as the global climate crisis intensifies and the world becomes ever more dependent on technology, would what happen if all the power we take for granted suddenly went down? “Powerless was a sensational success in Sweden,” Tim Crescenti, president and founder of Los Angeles-based Small World IFT, said.
Small World IFT’s Tim Crescenti: “a sensational success”
HOLOGRAMS SET TO ENHANCE CONCERTS OCTOPUS TV’s Andrew Eborn is seeking strategic alliances with producers, artists and rights-owners interested in exploring the potential of holograms to generate new revenue streams. One such alliance has been struck with Amos Rozenberg, CEO of Paramax Films, which has produced and distributed more than 100 concerts over the past 20 years. The two companies are working on a concert featuring hologram performances from, among others, San Francisco rapper Lil Pete.
Octopus TV’s Andrew Eborn
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Alessandro face the press: Italia’s Devils y Sk ey of ps s ar em D st The trick utniak and Pa (left), Kasia Sm
Borgi
The stars of Be Hamilton arriv ta Film’s Agent e at the MIPCO World Premie M re TV Sc Oftebro (left) reening: Jakob and Nina Zanj ani
Takako Tokiwa, star of MIPCOM World Premiere TV Screening The Return
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news Jennifer Wenger and Casper Van Dien, stars of Imagicomm Entertainment’s The Warrant
Jiro Sato, in Cannes for Th e Samurai Dram a Channel’s The Return
Molly Windsor, star of Red Production’s crime thriller Traces
While in Cann es for Sky Italia’s Devils Patr Dempsey acce ick pted the 2019 Exce llence Award from th e festival CANNESERIE S tner, in TV legend William Sha series A+E Cannes to promote his ed Networks’ The UnXplain
host of Boat Mary Berg, TV chef and chen Crush Kit ry’s Ma Rocker Media’s
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30 March – 2 April​ Cannes, France
new connections new business new experience introducing the global content market for the future
MIPTV 20.20
REIMAGINED
drama. formats. kids. factual.
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New sales of Sunny Bunnies as Disney picks up show for Korea DISNEY Channel Korea has picked up pre-school animation sensation Sunny Bunnies from London-based distributor Media IM Incorporated. Under the deal, Disney Junior and the Disney Channel will air the show in blocks every weekday, with Disney Junior also committing to weekend slots. In a separate deal, Media IM has appointed Asiana Licensing to manage the Korean L&M rights for the show, which has now sold into 160-plus territories. In two other significant Asian moves, Media IM has closed deals with Vietnamese MCN operator Yeah1 Group and kids’ online network and studio WildBrain. Under the non-exclusive deal with Yeah1, which owns the largest digital-media platform in Asia, the first three seasons of Sunny Bunnies will air on Yeah1’s children’s channels across the region. The WildBrain pact extends Media
IM’s co-operation with the DHX Media-owned company for a further three years. WildBrain will remain the distributor’s exclusive MCN in South-East Asia. Irina Nazarenko, co-founder and joint managing director of Media IM, said: “It’s no surprise that we are intensifying our push into South Korea and South-East Asia with Sunny Bunnies. Not only does the region have a vast and eager audience for premium kids entertainment, but the show’s non-dialogue format and its universal message of love, fun and friendship makes it an ideal vehicle for export.” Nazarenko said the deal with Disney Channel Korea puts Sunny Bunnies on one of the most prestigious broadcast platforms in the region, while the partnership with Asiana — Korea’s leading L&M company — ensures that the roll-out of Sunny Bun-
nies merchandise “is in the safest possible hands”. She added: “With digital and L&M revenues beginning to overtake traditional broadcaster licence fees, we feel confident that we’ve got the combination exactly right.”
Sunny Bunnies: bouncing into Korea
Diamond is prize piece for co-pro team
Star Entertainment Worldwide’s Rahul Aggarwal: mixing history with fiction
HIGH-end scripted web drama Curse Of The Kohinoor was launched at MIPCOM and marks a unique co-production between newcomer Amara Raja Media & Entertainment, S tar Entertainment Worldwide (producer of over a
dozen TV productions including the Indian adaptation of US reality series T he Biggest Loser) a nd Contentflow Studios, owned by renowned Indian producer B obby Bedi (Bandit Queen). The project marks the further announcement in Cannes that Amara Raja Group, one of India’s largest industrial corporations, has launched a new New Delhi- and London-based entertainment division to develop and produce blue-chip dramas for international markets. First up is a heist thriller series telling the story of a plot to steal the storied Kohinoor diamond, centrepiece of the British crown jewels. According to Rahul Aggarwal, director of production Star Entertainment Worldwide, the Kohinoor has long been regarded as a “cursed diamond — every
king who has ever worn it has seen his dynasty fall”. Curse Of The Kohinoor intertwines the history of the iconic diamond that travelled from India to Britain in the colonial era, and the fictional story of a daring robbery attempt. Shot on location in India and the UK, the 8 x 50 mins series is directed by Colin Teague of the BBC series Dr Who. Bedi said that while the series is initially pitched at streaming platforms including Amazon and Netflix, the producers are also expecting interest from UK broadcasters since the diamond is newsworthy due to ongoing Indian and Pakistani restitution claims. “Theoretically the most important diamond in the world could be reclaimed and returned to India,” he said.
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NETFLIX READY FOR MORE DARK DRAMA WITH SECOND BABY IF THE first series of Baby represented a radical departure for Italian drama, the second promises to be even more hard-hitting. Set in Rome’s posh Parioli neighbourhood, Baby follows Chiara and Ludovica, who live as students by day and escorts by night. The second series examines the consequences of their actions as told in the first six episodes, of which Andrea De Sica directed four. “The story is something we could only have done on Netflix in Italy,” said De Sica. “Sky Italia is comfortable with crime drama and Rai is more traditional. We chose to explore not the underbelly of Rome but under-age sex in its bourgeois ranks, which really struck a nerve.” De Sica said winning the directing job aged just 35 also broke the mould. “Fabula Pictures gave me the chance after seeing my indie film Children Of The Night, which touches on similar themes.” They deliberately sought out people who hadn’t acted before, combing Instagram and other leads. “We shot it incredibly quickly. I also directed four episodes of the second series, which gets darker and even more disturbing.” The second season of Baby launches tomorrow on Netflix.
Director Andrea De Sica: striking a nerve
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Contenders in the second annual Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA) gathered at a cocktail party at the Carlton hotel on Tuesday evening, to find out who will be going through to the Grand Awards and Gala Final being held during the Singapore Media Festival in December
Dinesh Pasrasurum (left) and Pei Xuan Lee of IMDA, with Fiona McKay and Michael McKay of the AAA
Ho Jin Kwon, of SBS Korea (left), with Kay Jung and Yirae Lim of CJENM
Dinesh Pasrasurum, IMDA
Donald Lopez (left) of Verite Entertainment, with Darran Kuah of Chips and Toon, and Rene Veilleux of Verite Entertainment
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Original content flourishing on Russian digital platforms
Dyatlov’s Pass: Premier Studios’ new drama
FOLLOWING the global success of in-house production Gogol, the lavish literary thriller series that first aired in cinemas, Russian mystery/crime broadcaster TV-3 has launched Premier Studios as a production hub and later a streaming platform. Looking to the digital content future, Premier Studios is at the forefront of a movement towards high-end original content that could feed into associated digital
platforms. TV-3 marketing director, Lili Sheroziya, told MIPCOM News: “We decided that we are not just a TV channel, but we are more like a production studio.” As part of the Made in Russia stand, Premier Studios is presenting four projects at MIPCOM that will find their first home on the Premier streaming platform, including psychological thriller series Six Empty Seats (8 x 48 mins); post-apocalyptic drama
The Horizon; Nazi Hunters, the story of a woman who goes after the Nazis responsible for killing her family; and Dyatlov’s Pass, based on the story of nine skiers who mysteriously died in the Siberian wilderness. Yellow, Black and White, one of Russia’s biggest production companies, has also launched its own VOD platform, Start.ru. “Start was founded two years ago and became a pioneer in creating original productions for the Russian audience,” said Julia Mindubaeva, CEO of Start.ru. “Producing drama for our digital direct-to-consumer service Start.ru gives more freedom to our talents to present frank and sharp portrayals of society,” added Daria Bondarenko, executive vice-president, global sales, Yellow Black and White. Meanwhile, Yandex.Studio, recently created by Russian IT giant Yandex, is also investing in original content while developing its own streaming service, Kinopoisk HD.
ORF taps into Studio 100’s new Pincode FUN UNION, part of Russia’s Riki Group, has sold the first season (52 x 13 mins) of edutainment animation Pincode to ORF, Austria’s national public broadcaster. Pincode is a spin-off of the Kikoriki series. It helps kids explore the world of innovations and technology, and engage with science and programming. Each episode tells the story of a different invention or discovery, brought to life by cute animated characters. Pincode is already distributed in more than 50 countries and has received more than a billion views on YouTube. The deal, which will see Pincode air in Austria and the Italian Alto Adige territory from 2020, was concluded through German dis-
tributor Studio 100 Media. “We are happy to help bring Pincode to Austria — not only to ORF but also to our own pay-TV channel Junior,” said Dorian Buehr, head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media. “We are convinced that the TV series will engage
families there just as it did in Russia and China.” Diana Yurinova, CEO of Fun Union, said: “Pincode is already showing good results in Germany, so we are excited that it is expanding its presence in the German speaking territories.”
Pincode (Studio 100 Media)
MIPCOM News 4 • 17 • 17 October 2019
THE VOICE GETS STRONGER IN POLAND AND NIGERIA POLISH broadcaster TVP has confirmed three seasons of three formats of Talpa Global’s The Voice franchise. Poland is the 11th country to take The Voice Senior, which will make its debut later this year on TVP2. The Voice has been a steady pillar in the broadcaster’s schedule since 2011 and a 10th season is now airing. A third season of the kids’ version is scheduled for January 2020. All shows will be produced by Rochstar. “This step-up in TVP’s long-term relationship with Rochstar and Talpa Global in a growing Polish media landscape attests to the strength of the shared brands, the high quality of the productions and their intrinsic connection to the Polish people,” Sebastian van Barneveld, senior vicepresident, licensing, at Talpa Global, said. The Voice Kids and The Voice have also been licensed by Fame TV in Nigeria. Both formats will air on multiple free-to-air and pay-TV platforms. This will be the first time The Voice Kids will air in Nigeria, bringing the number of territories to 40. Previous seasons of The Voice were recorded in Johannesburg but both shows will be recorded in Nigeria, produced locally by Un1ty.
The Voice Poland (Talpa Global)
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“It’ll make you smile” CAN YAMAN arrived at the Global Agency stand at MIPCOM fresh from a promotional tour that has seen screaming crowds besieging him at airports and hotels in Italy, Greece and beyond — all territories where his new show Daydreamer has been a hit. In fact, TV’s top leading man of 2019 (according to E! News), has two big shows on the Global Agency slate. “I can’t choose between them, they’re like my kids!” he said. In the first, romantic cheffing drama Bitter Sweet, he takes on the role of clean-cut businessman; whereas in Daydreamer, a dramedy, he plays a free-spirited, rugged photographer who is forced home to Istanbul to look after his ill father’s business — only to fall in love with independent, adventurous Sanem (played by Turkish actor and model Demet Ozdemir). Debuting in 2018,
Daydreamer doubled its Turkish channel’s audience share, and has now sold widely through Europe and the Middle East. At MIPCOM he is very much in Daydreamer mode, hirsute and dressed like his character, also called Can. “He’s an original character in terms of styling,” Yaman said, adding that man buns, beards and cowboy boots had become popular in Turkey thanks to the show’s success. But despite the character’s maverick air, he attributed the show’s popularity to its good old-fashioned love story, its sense of humour and the clever, nuanced script. “It’s a real romcom, a love story of the kind that you don’t get much on TV these days,” he said. “People miss watching them. Plus, it’s a lot of fun, it’ll make you smile.”
MIPCOM News 4 • 18 • 17 October 2019
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Window opens Fuji Television’s co-pro relationship with ZDFE A HIGH priority for Fuji Television at MIPCOM was the introduction of soccer-based drama series The Window (10 x 45 mins), developed and produced by Berlin-based production company Boogie Entertainment and co-produced by Fuji TV, Germany’s ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) and Velvet Films in Belgium. International distribution will be handled by ZDFE and Fuji Television. The series, an example of Fuji Television’s push into drama,
begins at the end of the English Premier League season when the transfer window opens, and The Window charts 10 tense weeks in the life of a 17-year-old star in the making. Shooting begins soon in the UK, with locations in Belgium and Malta to follow. Senior executive managing director of Fuji Television, Toru Ota, said: “How can we create new stories that will be noticed, connect with our audience, move them emotionally and give them joy? Our solution is
the co-production with ZDFE. We thought up the idea here in Cannes three years ago. We are extremely proud of the fresh new challenges ahead.” Fred Burcksen, president and CEO of ZDFE, added: “The series goes behind the scenes and highlights both the strengths of football as a worldwide sport and its weaknesses. We are honoured to be partnering with Fuji TV on this first-ever European-Japanese scripted co-production.”
LAST WORD ON 8K THIERRY Fautier, vice-president of video strategy at Harmonic Inc and president of the Ultra HD Forum, outlined the challenges of shooting the 2019 French Open on 8K at the session 8K: The Last Word In Image Quality. NHK is airing 18 hours of 8K programming a day, and Mika Kanaya, senior producer at NHK, showed examples ranging from drama and firework displays to sport and music.
Harmony’s Thierry Fautier
MAGIC ADVENTURES ACROSS THE WORLD
Soccer drama co-production kicks off in Cannes: ZDFE’s Fred Burcksen (left); Fuji Television producer of The Window Yuri Akimoto; ZDFE’s Robert Franke; and Fuji Television’s Taka Hayakawa and Toru Ota
SOUTH Korean production independent HongDangMoo wrapped up a Memorandum of Understanding at MIPCOM with Italy-based entertainment-production company Showlab, which has acquired the MENA, Italy, Spain and Portugal rights to kids animation series Magic Adventures: The Crystal Of Dark.
Fox finds perfect partner in Propagate FOX ENTERTAINMENT has entered into a partnership with Propagate, under which the content creation and distribution studio will represent Fox Entertainment’s unscripted programming and format rights worldwide, excluding the US and Canada. The distribution deal includes the sales and format rights to Fox’s unscripted series First Responders Live and upcoming
competition format Ultimate Tag, hosted by NFL superstar siblings JJ, TJ and Derek Watt. Also included in the agreement are the programme sales rights to music game-show sensation The Masked Singer, produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment. Los Angeles-, New York- and Paris-based Propagate was founded by format industry pioneers Ben Silverman and Howard Owens in 2015. Its recent
credits include November 13: Attack On Paris and Haunted for Netflix, Lore for Amazon, Charmed for The CW and Planet Of The Apps for Apple. Amy Carney, chief operating officer of Fox Entertainment said: “Ben, Howard and their team have such a thorough understanding of the overseas market. It was important for us to find a partner that shared our entrepreneurial spirit.”
MIPCOM News 4 • 19 • 17 October 2019
Sealing the agreement were HongDangMoo CEO Karen Kang; Hong Ju Lee, CEO of co-production partner Studio W Baba; and Alfio Bastiancich, general manager, animation & youth programmes, Showlab
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Actor Genevieve Barr, at MIPCOM for All3Media’s new drama series The Accident
US actor Patrick Demp sey, at MIPCOM to promo te his new series, Sky Ital ia’s Devils, was also presen ted with the 2019 Excelle nce Award from the festival CANNESERIES
Lebanese TV host Tony Baroud
MIPCOM News 4 • 20 • 17 October 2019
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British actor Laura Carmichael was in Cannes for Network Ten Australia’s The Secrets She Keeps
Actor John Lynch, in town for Mediapro’s thriller series The Head
Maimie McCoy , stars of All3M one of the ed cop reboot Va ia’s classic n Der Valk
Ebru Sahin and Akin Akinozu, two of the stars of Turkish drama series Hercai, brought to MIPCOM by MIA Yapim and ATV Distribution
MIPCOM News 4 • 21 00 • 17 October 2019
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TOKAI’S HOSPITABLE APPROACH TO TV TOKAI Television Broadcasting in Nagoya, Japan, made its debut at MIPCOM to introduce its hospitality-themed dramas to the European market, said Naochika Ichino, the broadcaster’s production manager/TV drama series producer. In Cannes with Eriko Fujitomi, sales executive, worldwide production and sales/licensing division at the company’s content business centre, Ichino hopes European buyers will make purchases in time for next year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo. “Tokai first introduced the half-hour daytime dramas in 1964, the first time Japan hosted the Olympic Games,” Ichino said. They have already sold successfully in other Asian countries and North America. “We’ve since produced about 200 daytime soaps including several with the hospitality theme and we believe European viewers and visitors to the 2020 Olympics will love that part of the Japanese culture.” Japan’s unique approach to hospitality, called “’omotenashi’, is depicted in local hit Mother-in-law Vs. Daughter-in-law, which starred the late veteran actress Yoko Nogiwa. “She used to say Japanese hospitality is centred on our generosity and kindness, as demonstrated in the way we pulled together after the devastating 2011 earthquake,” Ichino said. “I want to share that in creating this type of drama for the world to see.”
Tokai TV’s Naochika Ichino: sharing generosity and kindness
TBS serves up international co-pro strategy at breakfast MORE than 100 people attended Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS)’s MIPCOM breakfast presentation to showcase to the global market its new format, Time Is Money: The Celebrity Life Hack Show. The company has also been using its time in Cannes to communicate a change in strategy in its international business, with an emphasis on growing its presence and developing co-productions and partnerships. TBS is famous for programmes such as Takeshi’s Castle, Funny Home Videos and Ninja Warrior, which has sold in 25 countries worldwide. “Using this very valuable experience, we’d like to meet new companies to collaborate with,” said Yayoi Nakatani, division president of TBS’s media business division. She explained that the company had created a new research and development division specifical-
ly to encourage co-productions across formats and drama. He also pointed to affiliated companies like Tyffon (virtual reality) and Placeholder (live events) as other avenues through which to engage with TBS. Time Is Money benefited from the input of format consultant Dave Winnan, founder of
Global Creatives, to broaden its international appeal. He added a competitive element and brought members of the public into the contest. “The mix of celebrities and civilians is important,” Shinichi Mishiro, deputy director of its international business centre in TBS’ international distribution department, said.
Shinichi Mishiro (left) and Yayoi Nakatani of TBS: change in strategy
Golden age calls for global perspective WHEN Taka Hayakawa started his career, Japan’s TV industry was entirely focused on making domestic shows. Now, the Fuji Television vice-president is contacted by a Chinese or Korean producer asking him to partner on a show for Amazon Prime or Netflix virtually on a daily basis. “Two decades ago, I could never have imagined this kind of cooperation between East Asian countries and US platforms,” said Hayakawa, who shared his insights at MIPCOM’s Production Funding Forum. “In 2022, 43% of global SVOD subscribers are forecast to be in Asia so we’re at the beginning of a golden age of storytelling for East Asia,” he said. “And in this golden age, a global perspective
will be critical to survival.” Referencing the global success of Fuji Television’s reality franchise Terrace House, distributed by Netflix, he added: “Our hope and vision is to create shows that work for Netflix, Amazon, Alibaba, Tencent and more. This is the way Japan will survive in the 21st century as a small country.” Given claims that some 10,000 drama series are released worldwide every year, Hayakawa said: “The fundamental question is how can we create new stories that will be noticed among those 10,000 works, connect with our audiences and move them emotionally? I’ve told our producers we’re not Gucci or Chanel on a fancy high street, but a shop in Tokyo’s Ura-Harajuku.
MIPCOM News 4 • 22 • 17 October 2019
The shops in this district go beyond borders and cultures and inspire people all over the world. I see Fuji Television’s DNA there.”
Fuji Television’s Taka Hayakawa: “beyond borders and cultures”
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