MIPTV 2019 FOCUS ON FRANCE

FOCUS ON

NEWS April 2019 www.m iptv.c om

FRANCE

• The essential guide to the audiovisual industry in France

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C O N T E N T S

‘ Fra nce inv ent ed 8 the moving picture’

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TV France International is partner with MIPTV for France Country Of Honour

12 The French T o u ch

What is it about the French touch that is making the country’s content so popular?

22

Getting down to b u s ines s

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Making French connections

31

How to stand out in a cro w d

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An essential guide to the French audiovisual industry

Why international companies like doing business with France

French broadcasters are upping their game in a crowded marketplace

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for 36 evSomething ery o ne

Who is watching what in France?

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T he o nly way is u p

France sets a new record for programme exports

‘ W e s ho u ld help each 46 other t o ris e t o t he t o p’ MediaClub’Elles teams with MIPTV to mentor women in the industry

// DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS // Paul Zilk // MARKETING DIRECTOR // Mathieu Regnault / EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT E d it o r in C hief Julian Newby D eput y E d it o r Debbie Lincoln S ub E d it o r Joanna Stephens C o ntr ib ut o rs Marie-Agnes Bruneau, Andy Fry, Gary Smith Editorial Management Boutique Editions H ea d o f G ra phic S tud io Herve Traisnel Graphic Studio Manager Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designer Carole Peres / PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT / Publishing D irect o r Martin Screpel Publishing Manager Amrane Lamiri Creative and Production Officer Yovana Filipovic P rint er Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France).

Reed MIDEM, a joint stock company (SAS), with a capital of €310.000, 662 003 557 R.C.S. NANTERRE, having offices located at 27-33 Quai Alphonse Le Gallo - 92100 BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT (FRANCE), VAT number FR91 662 003 557.

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Focus On France •

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• April 2019

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TVF I

‘ Fra nce inv ent ed the moving picture’ T he series of events marki ng France as M IP T V C ountry O f Honour is organised by M IP T V in partnership with T V France International - TVFI. The organisation’s directorgeneral Sarah Hemar and president Herve Michel, spoke to J ul ia n N ew b y What is the key mission of TVFI? Herve Michel: The key mission of TV France is to support French soft power through the export of French TV programmes in all genres.

That is why our main financial support comes from both the Ministry of Culture, through the CNC, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

years ago, our role is to give French companies all they need to make French content travel. Concretely it means taking them to all key markets around the world — MIPTV and MIPCOM of course, but also the ATF and a number of the genre-focused markets, for example Sunny Side of the Doc. We also provide them with Screenopsis, an online library that makes the programmes of our members available to buyers worldwide, 24/7. And, importantly, we organise our own events, branded Les Rendez-Vous. The biggest of those takes place in Biarritz every September. It gathers around 500 people, two-thirds

Sarah Hemar: Created 25

Sa r a h H e ma

r:

“We are all consuming much more content than we used to. And more content means more business” Focus On France •

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• April 2019

of them buyers, in a very special setting to do deals.

The international marketplace for French drama is very strong. Why is this happening now? What has changed?

HM: What has changed really is that French professionals have integrated international dimensions into their programmes.

They have evolved a lot in how they develop an idea, finance it and even produce it in terms of style, volume, and so on.

SH: There is probably also a generational dimension to it.

The Erasmus generation, which has been educated while traveling the world, has been exposed to different cultural trends and is now moving into responsible positions. They are thinking global from the start. And the VOD platforms have opened a completely new market for niche and exotic content. We can now enjoy Spanish or South Korean content in France, while a French drama can find an audience in India or in the US.

French content aimed at kids is particularly strong on the international market.

Why is this is the case?

SH: Because France excels at kids content. Because we have a network of talented professionals at every step of the process: writers, animators, producers, distributors. This probably has roots in the French tradition of

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TVF I ‘bandes dessinees’ with writers who had already conquered the world a long time ago, creating the right conditions for both new talent to emerge and travel the world. France also has a good network of schools for animation. All of this creates the right environment for success.

HM: Animation has been the driving force of French audiovisual exports for years. In 2017, again, animation was the Nº1 exported genre with more than one-third of all sales valued at €75.6m. Moreover, the diversity of style and format is striking.

We are starting to feel the emergence of adult animation again, which we hope can be a new area for growth.

Historically French cinema has punched above its weight across the world, in part because of government support. Has television benefitted in this way also?

SH: Yes, sure. There is a great tradition in storytelling, inherited from French literature, from which both TV and Cinema have benefitted. The technical quality of French cinema, the talented crews and most recently, actors and directors, are all now crossing the frontier between cinema and TV much more easily. At the end of the day, it’s all comes down to the great story everybody wants to tell.

HM: The French government — through the same institution, the CNC — also supports television financially. And this support is key for producers to be able to grow innovative ideas all the way to making sure the finished programmes travel the world — with the help of TV France for TV and Unifrance for cinema. France invented the moving picture, and so has

a reputation to live up to, whatever the format or channel of distribution.

What challenges has the changing media landscape presented to TVFI and its member companies?

HM: I think we all face the same challenge globally. And a challenge that is also a great opportunity: the digitalisation of media consumption. It both opens new markets with local platforms being very hungry for original and different types of content, while at the same time it makes the business more complex and difficult to navigate, with multiple stakeholders.

SH: But, hey! At the end of the day, we are all consuming much more content than we used to. And more content means more business. And more business means more opportunities for French programmes. The SVOD landscape is in the making. It will be interesting to see what the new coming competition will bring and how it will reshape the ecosystem. I expect the power balance to come back to more… balance, I hope.

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by PACT and launched last MIPCOM. This network aims enable project holders and project financers, to find each other online to kick-start international collaboration. We hope this project is a first step to intensify worldwide collaboration around audiovisual content.

There are subsidies and incentives available for production companies wishing to film in France. How do non-French companies access these?

SH: That is true and France is a very attractive territory to many international producers.

But alongside the financial incentives that are available, such as the tax-credit system, international companies should also consider the diversity of locations France can offer, and the quality of the technical teams who are recognised worldwide for their excellence.

Our colleagues at Film France are the right partners to help in

What kind of support and assistance can TVFI — and the French industry in general — offer to international companies wishing to work in France with French partner companies?

HM: First, we can explain our market, which is not always easy for newcomers — and also introduce them to the partners that would suit them best. And just as we facilitate access to international buyers for French distributors, we are willing to assist potential financers and/ or producers to find the right partners to develop great content. For example, we are the French representative and manager of the Global Alliance netFocus On France • 10 • April 2019

that regard. Film France is the one-stop-shop for all projects in France. This agency promotes France for filming, animation, VFX and post-production.

Film France also assesses the eligibility of projects for the French Tax Rebate for International Production (TRIP). Like TV France and Unifrance, Film France is funded by the CNC. France’s strong reputation in the sphere of audiovisual content is there for a reason. And we are very generous in sharing this excellence with the world.

H e r v e Mi c h e l :

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TALKING FRENCH

The French T o u ch

Why is it the right time to celebrate France as Country Of Honour? What is it about The French Touch that is making the country’s content so popular around the world? Julian Newby spoke to a number of leading executives to hear their views on why French content is becoming so popular around the world

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French L o v ing ( AP C )

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HE APPETITE for content in France is huge,” according to Celine Payot Lehmann, head of ARTE Sales, the international distribution for European cultural channel ARTE. “And while this entire landscape is undergoing a revolution with the appearance of new international players and end-user consumer habits are changing, the French cultural exception remains,” that cultural exception based on the relationship between creativity and the state. “The French state invests heavily in the production of content and helps support the livelihood of the creation industry and preserve its singularity and different voices. This remains extremely important for the French.”

Yet until quite recently, not all French content has travelled so well. So what’s changed?

“I believe that the quality of French production is recognised internationally and offers a different perspective from the all-American or British voices,” she says. “The skills of French producers have also increased drastically as there has been a common will among producers, distributors, filmma ers and the state to export better around the world.”

“Global successes can come

Focus On France • 12 • April 2019

from anywhere in the world and French programming is of great quality in scripted as in non-scripted with budgets and know-how among the highest in the world,” Vivendi Entertainment executive vice-president, international and development Matthieu Porte says. “Broadcasting as well as production groups have realised they can export a lot more than they did.

Today you will see more and more shows and formats from France airing abroad.”

Groups like Canal+, through Vivendi Entertainment and Studiocanal, invest a lot in creating series in scripted and non-scripted, which can resonate both locally and globally, Porte says. “We worked on formats like Guess My Age and Facing The Classroom because they could be relevant from a French point of view and then adapted with participants from totally different cultures, but with the same emotion, surprise or suspense.”

Alongside its well-documented success with Versailles, Banijay Studios France has built a strong reputation for high-level drama. It is behind the French remake of Norwegian teen drama Skam, and Mouche, the local version of All3Media International’s Fleabag, which was written by Phoebe Waller-

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Bridge, produced by Two Brothers Pictures and co-produced with Studiocanal Original. “This is not to mention the countless conversations underway with the country’s leading networks,” CEO of Banijay Studios France, Francois de Brugada says. “In addition, new buyers in the market are heavily going in search of new ways to service and entertain their audiences, which means they rely on a number of markets like France to bring original IP, local storytelling and local knowledge,” he adds. “All-in-all, it is a great time to be in the content market and we couldn’t be happier to see the country’s creative expertise increasingly recognised by the global market.”

“In France, US series once dominated the top-10 in primetime,” Lagardere Studios Distribution managing director Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet says. “Content coming from the US declined over recent years and French broadcasters had to look for alternatives and probably rethink their offer a little bit. We had a history of procedural series such as Julie Lescaut or Navarro and we are continuing with those of course. But we initiated high-end serialised series that anal first developed, with Spiral and Les Revenants. And

K w a nz a ’ s B enja m in T erny nck

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then ARTE, TF1 and France Televisions followed. It is now an amazing period for French content.”

Bouilhaguet reports “a growing catalogue of uropean fiction from Lagardere. “At MIPTV we are launching the amazing new TV series Apnea, also known as ne e, from afiosa producer Nicole Collet,” she says. “This thriller series, with a fantasy element, includes Laetitia Casta as one of its principal cast members, which renders, among other elements, the series glamorous and sexy. A must-screen series.”

Justine Planchon:

“France is a country o ation an om For Justine Planchon, director of programmes and development at TV production, theatre and film company Troisieme Oeil Productions, “France is a country of creation and freedom — in two words: French touch. The French touch in the media world embodies quality, but also — and above all — the originality of French talent that has always been exported by different industries and especially in the media.” She adds: Focus On France • 14

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“At a time when competition is increasing, French originality remains a strong brand with true hope for the future.”

Among new productions brought to Cannes by Troisieme eil is its first original creation for et ix, a documentary about French national soccer player Antoine Griezmann, co-produced by Mediawan Rights, Max Motion and Amaro.

International, with distribution

by Mediawan Rights.”

Benjamin Ternynck, CEO and founder of factual producer and distributor Kwanza, echoes Payot Lehmann’s point about the benefits of state support in France — particularly in recent years. “Since the 2008 Economic crisis, the financing of T content has been under considerable pressure around the world, while in France, thanks to very proactive policies from the government, it has been somewhat maintained,” he says.

“A set of laws and subsidies and great effort from French channels to support French creation, allowed for the protection and preservation of the industry in France. So I think that was the moment when France started playing a bigger role in financing projects on a global scale.”

At the same time, he adds, “French producers have switched to a very international • April 2019

mindset. Bigger and bigger projects are existing at a French and European level and that’s promising for the future.”

For Julia Schulte, senior vice-president, international sales, France tv distribution, “French production has made huge steps forward in recent years. The producers of factual programmes and drama series became aware that the engagement of international partners can have a positive effect on production values and that projects need international appeal.” This international focus strengthens the development process as well as upping competition between national broadcasters and other platforms in France. And such an environment brings to international attention the talent, the original stories, and the creativity in the country, “which in turn helps us, of course, to find international attention”.

The international markets are opening up for European programmes generally, Schulte says: “But French exports have grown in particular, as TVFI research shows. Drama grew by 28% between 2016 to 2017, in part because of demand for European drama in general, coming from the SVOD players.

Also the regular broadcasters have become aware of the fact

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that it is not only about local or English-speaking productions.”

Julia Schulte:

“ n h o tion has ma h s s o a in recent years But there is still a long way to go with the export of French drama, she says. “International buyers have long been aware of France’s strengths in documentary and animation and over some years we have developed a solid network of buyers internationally who trust our producers and programmes.”

For Payot Lehmann, this strength in documentary sales internationally is in part down to local appetite for factual.

“France has two main terrestrial cultural channels, France 5 and ARTE, that broadcast at least 50% of documentaries or magazine programmes,” she says. “In addition, the other terrestrial channels all have an important factual strategy, including on primetime.

There are also several factual pay channels, including Ushuaia TV, Planete, Histoire and Toute l’Histoire. That shows the French appetite for doc-

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umentaries and real stories in general.”

France has become “a partner of choice on the international market, both in distribution and co-production”, according to Chloe Persyn-Preljocaj, head of sales and acquisitions at factual producer-distributor Zed. “And the results generated by the export of French productions abroad are excellent — and documentaries represent a large proportion of the best-selling French programmes.”

The strength of French factual programming is, in part, “thanks to France Televisions and ARTE, two French public television broadcasters who aim both to inform and educate the audience”, according to Balanga president Christophe Bochnacki. “France has always had amazing talent in animation, documentary and drama.

In terms of documentary, it’s probably one of the liveliest places anywhere. With its colourised archive footage, Apocalypse revolutionised the history genre. Earth From Above by Yann-Arthus Bertrand shows the future of discovery filming. Can you imagine a travel or adventure show without aerial shots these days? Then, investigative films have always been one of the strengths of French producers, with very personal angles aiming at searching for

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the truth, uncovering taboos, and being whistle-blowers.

French investigation documentaries are appreciated by foreign buyers, because they offer an alternative to the Anglo-Saxon perspective.”

And the audio-visual industry is very diversified in France, Bochnaki says. “On one hand you have big integrated groups able to compete with the biggest global players. And on the other, you have a large array of independent producers and distributors that provides a rich choice of quality content.”

“French producers are capable of producing well-made, highend documentaries and offer an incredible variety of content,” Persyn-Preljocaj adds. “We have boosted our presence on the international market and strengthened the independence of production. And we’re fortunate here to have TVFI, which supports us in our everyday mission to promote the sales of French TV programmes worldwide and facilitate the presence of French companies on the international scene.”

Meanwhile, About Premium Content (APC), an independent company in the development, co-production, financing and distribution of TV programmes targeted at the international market, may serve to

Focus On France • 16 • April 2019

break down some of the more negative French stereotypes that exist in the media around the world — particularly, perhaps with some affection, in American comedies.

French Loving — which gets its World Premiere TV Screening at MIPDOC this year — is a documentary that reveals the origins of common French stereotypes. Featuring the views and opinions of the famous, as well as references to history, current affairs and pop culture, it builds a picture of France and its people that questions, contradicts or explains the sometimes negative world-view of the French. It tells the story of the complex relationship between France and the rest of the world, a story where stereotypes say as much about the people and countries who perpetuate them, as they do about the French.

The film is directed by Audrey Valtille, who started out as a journalist, moved from radio to television and ultimately to film.

“It’s a smart programme, unpacking stereotypes of French people, produced for Canal+,” APC co-founder Emmanuelle Guilbart says.

And while the film is rich in humour and irony, the premise for French Loving has a serious element: November 13, 2015.

After the terrible attacks that hit

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Paris, it was as though all these French stereotypes had never existed as the whole world expressed its solidarity in red, white and blue.

APC is also launching “a strong and topical current affairs programme called Moon Wars, produced by B films for A T , says Guilbart, who also stresses the ongoing success of French animation, which like factual, has been way ahead of drama in terms of its acceptance on the international market.

“France’s animation success has never been stronger,” according to Philippe Soutter, founder with Guillaume Soutter of PGS Entertainment, established to provide producers and rights owners an environment dedicated to the financing and brand-management of kids entertainment franchises. “Across the world, including the US, French-exported content is ubiquitous. As an example, Alvinnn!!! And The Chipmunks from Bagdasarian Productions, co–produced in France with Technicolor, has been on Nickelodeon since 2015 and became the second most-aired show after Sponge Bob in the US.” Another PGS property, Miraculous Ladybug “also produced in France, has been a major success all over the world and was recently ad-

roisieme Oeil Productions ustine Planchon

PGS Philippe Sou er

vertised by et ix as being one of their top-10 best-performing shows”, Soutter says.

Philippe Soutter:

“ an s animation success has never n s on “The French animation industry’s success derives mainly from its numerous talents,” according to Mediatoon Distribution managing director Jerome Alby. “We are lucky enough to have some of the best animation schools in the world, such as Gobelins and La Poudriere. We also have many successful local studios that are very creative and offer a strong alternative to animation from the US or Japan.”

Alby reiterates the importance of a strong funding system: ”Productions receive various support from both regional and European funds, and from state-owned fund the CNC.” He adds: “The country is therefore very productive in terms of kids’ content, and has a true passion for entertainment and youth programmes.”

Mediatoon’s The Fox-Badger Family was officially launched in October during MIPCOM

ivendi s Ma hieu Porte

and has already been acquired by more than 10 broadcasters.

While Martin Morning, originally produced in 2003 by Les Cartooneurs Associes, has been translated into more than 18 languages and sold to over 150 territories.

In comparison with the US and parts of Asia and some northern European countries, France is not so well known in the area of unscripted formats.

“While the French TV and distribution market has long been producing successful formats for the global market, it is only now that the country’s producers are truly being recognised, as buyers li e et ix go in search of new IP and local stories with both local and global appeal,” Banijay’s de Brugada says. “Now in its 30th year, Fort Boyard has sold in more than 30 territories, and was picked up recently by Banijay Productions Germany. But the tide is certainly changing with the proliferation of new platforms.

As the SVOD services start to plunge into unscripted and focus on rolling out their own formats on a global scale, there has never been greater demand for new and innovative formats that speak to a multitude of audiences and local partners that can re-craft existing formats for local audiences.”

For example, Vivendi Enter-

Focus On France • 18 • April 2019

tainment is bringing to MIPTV The ecret ong, a shiny- oor format launched on TF1 in primetime, in which singers, actors, TV hosts, athletes and comedians are unwittingly persuaded to participate in various sequences of the show. “It was France’s most successful new format in 2018 and has been re-commissioned,” Vivendi’s Porte says. “The format has been optioned by Endemol Shine Group in Italy, Spain and Portugal and is in development in Finland for MTV3.”

For Simone Halberstadt Harari, president of French production house Effervescence, “France has a long tradition of creativity in film and T storytelling, a resourceful well-recognised pool of talent serving a passionate audience and a financially-stable industry. From T series to feature films, its characters are memorable and endearing and well-suited to adaptations in other languages internationally.”

Original French productions have been finding new audiences worldwide in recent years “thanks to international streaming SVOD services and their new acceptance of subtitled content”, she says. “All over the world, people are discovering a very unique, fresh French voice — and a sophisticated culture in its light romantic stories, its

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uni ue high-concept sci-fi and distinctive police dramas. It has never been a better time to re-discover France.”

Among the wide range of content, broadcast-ready or currently being produced by Effervescence are two projects in development targeted at international audiences: Cyberwar, a thriller series about the lawless frontiers of infotech; and The Survivors: Hannah’s Redemption, a historical series about the search for justice after WWII. Effervescence positions itself as genre-agnostic, tailoring its output to the requirements and economics of the channels and platforms it targets. “We are producing game shows, current affairs programmes, documentaries and TV movies for public channels, drama series for commercial outlets and, in addition, short-form informative segments for our own YouTube channel String Theory, focusing on innovation and nature,” Halberstadt Harari says. “Our focus is on nurturing new talent and emerging platforms are ideal to encourage bold concepts or to develop original compelling stories and characters.”

Among the France Country Of Honour sessions at MIPTV, two under the Talent To Watch label are doing exactly that — focusing on new talent, in the key genres of animation and drama.

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Aurelie Meimon, producer at Frenchkiss Productions, part of the Makever Group, a subsidiary of Mediawan, is on the French Drama: Talent To Watch panel. Frenchkiss was born of the desire of its two producer-founders, Meimon and Noor Sadar, to showcase new French writers and to promote them and their work internationally.

French drama is doing well worldwide because of an increased focus on creativity, Meimon says.

“We’re putting writers at the centre of the developing process more than ever before. And we’ve been paying more attention to filming and art directing.

Away from the MIPTV conference stage, Meimon says the company has a number of projects “with strong and ambitious artistic visions. We want to take new French authors’ voices abroad with stories that can travel. We are interested in meeting producers looking for partners in France with whom we share the same vision of the market.”

German-born Iris Bucher – who moved to Paris in 1994 – created, with friends Alban Sauvanet, Philippe Alessandri and Pascale Borenstein, European Writing School of Paris, the CEEA, a highly regarded incubator of screenwriting talent.

Today she heads up Quad Television, part of the Quad

rench iss Productions

Group, created in July 2011.

The company started out with an instant hit, Murder In Saint-Malo, a France 3 Movie Of The Week — such a success France 3 subsequently launched the popular collection of Murder in... movies.

“International competition from ambitious, strong, original drama series and high production values, was some kind of wake-up call for French broadcasters and producers,” Bucher says. “There was only one way to survive in this ocean of great content coming from all over the world to French audiences: do the same as they do. So we upgraded our standards, on all levels.”

Quad Television is currently producing The Bonfire f estiny — set in Paris at the end of the 19th century — for TF1 and et ix, a big step towards Bucher’s ultimate goal: “Our ambition is to become a first-choice partner for other, non-French, production companies, in order to build up partnerships together for high-quality, outstanding international drama shows.”

Another panel session, French Animation: Talent To Watch, includes Eric Garnet, founder and producer at Go-N productions. For Garnet, French animation is strong thanks to a combination of various elements. “Firstly, talent, with a

Focus On France • 20 • April 2019

urelie Meimon

strong network of schools of graphic design, illustration and animation having created an incredible pool of artists over the years,” he says. “Secondly, public support: thanks to the CNC and available tax credits, French animation companies have managed to develop and grow.” And thirdly, the support of broadcasters. “French channels have to invest a small percentage of their turnover into animated TV series, which has allowed producers access to finance for their shows.”

The consequence of these three elements is an animation industry that has been “sustainable for the past three decades and which has given a chance to two or three generations of producers, artists, animators, designers and technicians to develop a unique and widely recognised expertise in animation production.”. o- is bringing its first series My Dear Gnome to MIPTV. A series of 26 x 2 mins shorts, it’s developed with two young directors from the advertising industry, Emmanuelle Leleu and Julien Hazebroucq, with animation production studio ChezEddy.

• French Animation: Talent To Watch, Tuesday, April 9 at 15:10; French Drama, Talent To Watch, Tuesday, April 9 at 16:25 , both in the Esterel

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IN D U S T R Y E V O L U T IO N © Photo: Fabien Malot/Telset/TF1

Getting down to b u s ines s

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N AN industry shake-up across France, business moves have included telco and media group Altice entering exclusive negotiations to buy OTT live-streaming channel and on-demand service Molotov. M6 is diversifying into the kids and youth arena with exclusive talks to acquire Lagardere kids channels Gulli, Canal J and Tiji, along with MCM music channels and Elle Girl TV.

This is all against the backdrop of the development of regulations across the broadcast sector, in process at government level, for delivery next year. It has already been decided that France Televisions will have to undergo major reform, with the goal of reducing costs and personnel, and to develop in the digital space. Also on the agenda is the implementation, last year, of the European parliament directive, Audiovisual

N ew en is enjo y ing s uc ces s w ith its series Demain ous ppartient

D isrupted b y global digital devel opments and political moves the French audiovisual landscape is currently going through deep transformation with consolidation and partnerships dominating the business landscape M a rie- Agnes B run ea u reports Media Services (SMA), which implements local content obligations to SVOD platforms.

But it is in content where most of the action is taking place. As though in a gigantic multi-player Monopoly game, French and international groups have for the past two years been acquiring companies that hold key strands, genres or shows, and also new players have entered the content market, with moves recently intensifying.

Focus On France • 22 • April 2019

March 2019 saw a number of announcements. Digital media group Webedia entered the TV-production arena, buying 51% in one of the very few remaining big French independent production houses, Elephant. Elephant has been looking to diversify into international drama, setting up Elephant International with Sandra Ouaiss, formerly with Newen.

In another move, Webedia’s shareholder Fimalac bought 6%

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N ew en’ s B ib ia ne G o d f ro id

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of Stephane Courbit’s holding company Financiere Lov. And Courbit’s Banijay Group is still reported as being in the running for the acquisition of Endemol Shine, with possible backing from 26.2% shareholder Vivendi.

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“T he best way to grow is to expand in nationa a a s has n h oa Also in March, Group Newen, now fully owned by TF1, acquired 60% of Belgian producer De Mensen. In the same month, Mediawan, a relatively new but already significant player, was finalising its first international deal that will see it take 73% of Italian company Palomar, producer of Inspector Montalbano and The Name Of The Rose. Mediawan was created only three years ago by a trio of media entrepreneurs: founder of IPTV operator Free, Xavier Niel; TV producer Pierre-Antoine Capton; and investor Matthieu Pigasse, growing in a very

short time, buying in broadcaster, producer and distributor AB Groupe, along with archive documentary Apocalypse producer CC&C, animation company On Kids & Family, and a number of drama producers, including Makever. Mediawan also ac uired the T assets of film giant Europacorp when it was sold to Storia Television, 20% owned by Thomas Anargyros and 80% owned by Mediawan.

De Mensen was not Newen’s first international move, the group having bought last year into Danish company Nimbus (The Bridge), and acquired in an earlier move Tuvalu in the Netherlands, which since took 60% of scripted producer Pupkin. “Our international expansion is currently our priority,” says Newen chair and CEO Bibiane Godfroid. “That does not mean we won’t look at very specific niche companies that could complement our slate, but we are already the leading group in France in number of hours. So the best way to grow is to expand internationally. It always has been the goal, and this is precisely the reason why TF1 acquired Newen. Our prime focus is scripted companies, preferably in Europe, and Focus On France • 23

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companies with whom we can develop synergies, partnerships and co-productions, or share formats.” she says. “When Fabrice Larue created Newen, he never hid the fact that he might sell it one day. Now that we are fully owned by TF1, the mindset is not the same, our shareholding is here long term. That makes a difference for international acquisitions.”

The acquisition of Newen by TF1 two years ago made noise at the time, with France Televisions its main client. “But everything has changed, now other broadcasters are building their production activity,” Godfroid says. “My challenge was to get Newen to work with every channel, which is the case today — we also have shows on the SVOD platforms.”

In addition to France Televisions’ high-rating shows Plus Belle La Vie and Candice Renoir, Newen is enjoying success with its TF1 daily access primetime series Demain Nous Appartient, introduced last year; and was responsible, together with Bavaria Fiction, for the first Amazon French series Deutsheles- andes, along with et ix s recently launched Osmosis.

Other recent developments have included France Televi• April 2019

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sions growing its production subsidiary MFP, re-branded France TV Studio, and producing the recently launched France 2 daily soap Un Si Grand Soleil.

Canal+’s Studiocanal has been moving further into TV drama, taking shares two years ago in a number of international companies, including Urban Myth Films and Bambu Producciones and more recently setting up a French scripted division in France which is already producing a French adaptation of British comedy-drama series Fleabag for Canal+.

In October 2018, indie Federation took a majority stake in Italian company Fabula, which produced et ix teens-on-thedark-side drama series Baby.

The company also recently created an LA-based joint-venture with Picture Perfect Federation’s Patrick Wachsberger.

“We are not strictly speaking looking to build worldwide operations,” Federation Entertainment president Pascal Breton says. “These are originally all artistic encounters. We keep our focus on teaming with talents, that is, either in attracting them in-house, or through partnerships. Our answer is not a capitalistic, but a commercial and

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artistic one, and when we find a great producer, we are happy to associate. That’s what happened in Italy; and we also have talks in Spain and Germany. In France, we won’t buy any companies, but we can never have enough talent, so are open to 50/50 partnerships. We currently have projects under way with about 10 companies.”

In France, Federation has already diversified activities across genres, in drama, animation, documentaries and also formats through a joint-venture with former Shine France managing director Bouchra Rejani.

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partnering on third-party shows or buying into companies.

“With the rise of SVOD platforms, the animation market is currently moving towards more globalisation, that is a shift,” Xilam CEO Marc du Pontavice says. “It is not so new in animation in the sense that the international kids channels have been global players for a long time. But the new platforms are coming with financial means that are far above those of our national broadcasters. The development of the streaming plat-

Picture Per ect ederation s Patric

forms means that shows do not just compete locally anymore, but are facing the world’s best productions every single day.”

Xilam, whose productions range from evergreen property Oggy & The Cockroaches, to a recent Mr Magoo reboot, has lately grown in size. “Between 2015 and 2020 we’ll have tripled our yearly deliveries, from about 30 yearly half-hours to 100 next year. This is a big effort, but there is a limit to what can be done organically,” du Pontavice says. New platforms represent new potential clients, but he

stresses that to work with them some additional expertise is required, technical and artistic, as well as negotiation.

An issue is that the new platforms’ original commissions restrict rights to producers.

“Our business model at Xilam is to be the sole owner of the IP, which we do by funding ourselves with gap financing. e will see if the SMA directive will regulate negotiations with the platforms. This is the struggle between big and small. If you are a bigger group, then you are in a better position to negoti-

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“We k eep our focus on teaming with a n s i h in in ho s o h o h a n shi s So far, consolidation is mostly concerned with unscripted and drama producers, but there could be some action in animation. Stock-market listed animation studio Xilam has unveiled expansion plans, raising money to develop either by

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INDUSTRY EV OLUTION ate. The platforms have a huge appetite, and more are coming and their need for content from independents is going to grow.

It is up to us to be able both to satisfy the demand, and fight for our rights,” du Pontavice says.

The cards have also been reshuf ing among the production players, with yet more to come as the major entity Lagardere Studios is currently up for sale.

Whatever happens, it will represent access to a prominent position in France, both in non-scripted and scripted. The group comprises some 20 companies, responsible for several ongoing shows on French channels and a major drama producer. Lagardere Studios has also built international operations, buying into Spain’s Boomerang, Finland’s Aito Media and the Netherlands’ Sky High TV. Merger and acquisition moves two years ago saw the entertainment and format space restructured. Following a Talpa Media deal, ITV Studios took a key position in France, taking over from Shine with TF1 top-rated show The Voice, and now reviving I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here for the channel.

In a separate move, ITV Studios acquired French scripted production group Tetra Media Studio, which was behind Les Hommes De l’Ombre, Le Village Francais and ongoing TF series rofiling, and also in animation through subsidiary Monello.

Following its merger with Zodiak, Banijay considerably improved its position in France, gaining access to ALP’s hit primetime adventure game shows TF1’s Koh Lanta (Survivor) and France 2’s Fort Boyard, and La Carte Aux Tresors, which France 3 wants to grow.

It was already holding access primetime strands at Canal+’s

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C8 with talk show TPMP; France 2 with Don’t Forget The Lyrics; and ARTE with 28 Minutes. Last October Banijay made its first move into scripted, acquiring producer Terence Films, active in both light scripted series with France O’s Cut! and in primetime drama with the high-rating French remake of Nordic Noir drama Eyewitness (Les Innocents) on TF1.

Endemol Shine France has also been looking to develop in drama, adapting The Fall for TF1 last year and hiring indie producer Benedicte Lesage for the second season of Canal+’s Guyane (Ouros). In the unscripted area, the group continues with solid game shows on French networks, including the midday daily top-rated TF1 show, Les 12 Coups De Midi, and Pointless in the afternoons on France 3.

A new international player, Warner France has also made a noticeable entrance into the market. Headed by former BBC Worldwide France head Jean-Louis Blot, it has had a major hit with an adaptation of a ZDF auction format as Affaire Conclue, daily on France 2; and is now adapting CBS’s Million Dollar Mile also for France 2.

Focus On France • 25

Th ie r r y La c h k a r :

“ i ha h is oom o sma in i s o in mo i o ti ho s Despite the power of the big groups, some indies are making their mar . A significant recent pick-up by TF1, Masked Singer, is being adapted by independent producer Herve Hubert. And Thierry Lachkar, who formerly set up and headed Shine France, has resurfaced with his own company Deeply uperficial. As with hine, where he sealed a deal with Talpa, Lachkar has secured at launch an exclusive agreement with Armoza Formats to adapt its formats in France — with the possibility of future co-creations and co-productions. eeply uperficial will be active both in scripted and non-scripted, original creations and format adaptations, and is currently focused on development. It is working on the French adaptation of All3Media factual format Se• April 2019

cret Mayor; along with Be Entertainment’s Make Belgium Great Again; the adaptation of Armoza’s singing competition The Four; and of Armoza’s legal drama Red Lines.

“My background is with Endemol and Shine, I was ready for a new kind of adventure,” Lachkar says. “I believe that there is room for smaller indies, working more like boutique hotels. Remaining independent enables more exibility you don t have to go for size, that’s the big advantage. You can spend more time developing good shows for good homes, either channels or platforms, and find the best talent to do so.”

“These are very exciting times,” says Federation Entertainment’s Breton. “Competition is playing its part. We can see that demand for drama is also accelerating with traditional players, including more modern drama. Audience targets are becoming more precise, and there is even demand for horror series. I don’t see a bubble. I have been doing the job of producer for the past years and this is the first time I am being contacted by broadcasters. The relationship is more interesting than before; everyone is looking for success.”

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Making French connections

With its skilled crews, globally famous talent, endless supply of historical locations and generous subsidies not to mention world-class directors and writers it’s no wonder that everyone wants to do business with the French, writes Ga r y Sm it h

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T’S WELL documented that an increasing number of producers in France are thinking internationally early in the life of a project.

Writers and showrunners have become more open to ideas that can grab the attention of international audiences and broadcasters have opened up to international co-production in all genres. And in the last three years, the growing global presence of new and highly dis-

ruptive players including et ix and Amazon, with their slates of strong, well-financed shows, has accelerated this change and galvanised the French audiovisual sector into leveraging its talent pool and upping its game — to the point where a series like Canal+’s Versailles was shot entirely in English.

That was a good example of the way things are going now,” says Patrick Nebout, founder, chief creative officer and exec-

utive producer at Dramacorp, a joint venture with Jan Mojto’s Beta Film formed in 2016. “It’s true that, in the past, the French audiovisual sector was somewhat insular, because it was big enough to be able to get on without foreign partners. But a series like Versailles is indicative of a new spirit born out of the realisation that France is part of a global industry. The show was written and shot in English, but with a French crew and director.”

Focus On France • 26 • April 2019

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“A series lik e V ersailles is in i ati o a n s i i o no o h a isation ha an is a o a o a in s h

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sho as i n an sho in n ish i ha n h an i o Dramacorp starts shooting high-concept survival thriller The Head, a co-production with Spanish company Mediapro and an as-yet unnamed partner, in July. Nebout, who describes it as “The Thing without The

Thing”, says the series is likely to be premiered at MIPTV 2020. irected by brothers Alex and David Pastor, who produced Incorporated for Sci-Fi Channel, The Head is set in a research station. “The story is told in multiple timelines,” Nebout says, noting that the series also confirms the enormous creativity currently coming out of Spain. “We are also in pre-production on an as-yet unnamed series set here in Cannes, which will include the city authorities as a production partner,” he adds. They have expressed their willingness to allow us to use a lot of unique and previously inaccessible locations.”

Alongside the country’s track record in entertainment for older demographics, France also has an enviable reputation in the ids field, especially animation.

“Where France is today in terms of cartoons is very much down to the legislation put in place in 1981, which among other things provided for the foundation of animation schools,” says Pierre Sissmann, chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios. “They have helped France become a leader in animation and resulted in a constant stream of artistic, creative and directorial talent coming through.”

Sissmann, however, does not subscribe to the notion that France has become more outward-looking, believing instead that the proliferation of channels in the first decade of the millennium meant that more content was needed. “The globalisation of the TV industry provided significantly more opportunities for production, especially for co-productions,” he says. “Then, of course, in 2012, Despicable Me was a huge hit and undeniably made France even more of a global animation player.”

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Cyber Group Studios currently has eight series and two feature films in production, and five series in development. “We are working on three projects with Italian companies, a further four with Indian companies, a series with a Canadian producer PVP, and [new kids’ animated series] Sadie Sparks with Irish/Canadian producer Brown Bag Films and Disney,” Sissmann says. He adds that, before entering into a co-production, Cyber Group Studios looks at two things: “Firstly it’s the creative, but also you have to consider the financial and efficiency aspects of a partnership. The simple fact is that things go faster when you are co-producing.”

According to Sissmann, the reason the French TV industry engages with so many projects as a co-producer is simply because it can: “Our local

Focus On France • 27 • April 2019

industry is very strong, but now we also have to factor in the tax credit being raised to 30% [from 25%], which is attracting more foreign productions to shoot in France.” He also points to the fact that MEDIA, a sub-programme of Creative Europe, which provides financial support to the s film and audiovisual industries, actively encourages co-productions between member states.

At MIPTV, Cyber Group Studios is premiering Sadie Sparks, and rolling out Gigantosaurus outside the US, where it is already airing successfully. Other launches include Purple Turtle, a co-production with Ireland’s Tele Gael and Indian studio Aadarsh, plus the company s first ever venture with a Russian producer: Orange Moo Cow with oyu multfilm.

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Orion Ross, The Walt Disney Company’s vice-president of content, animation, digital and acquisitions, says France is a key player on the global scene: “It’s no coincidence that a lot of our slate has French elements, because France is a major partner for us on our animated channels, which is partly down to its excellent ecosystem of talent and subsidies. In fact, France has so much talent that you find French people working at all the major US studios.”

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“ an has so m h a n ha o n n h o o in a a h ma o s ios Disney’s current co-production slate includes Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug & Cat Noir with French companies Zagtoon and Method Animation; PJ Masks with e ne and Frog Box the

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FRANCE’s Tax Rebate for International productions (TRIP) applies to projects wholly or partly made in France and initiated by a non-French company. TRIP was increased in 2015 to 30 of qualifying expenditure incurred in France, to a maximum of €30m per project.

Foreign production spending in France increased by more than €130m in 201 , says Valerie Lepine- arnik, CEO of Film France. The spend came from 7 foreign production companies

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previously mentioned Sadie Sparks with Brown Bag Films and Cyber Group Studios; and Vikingskool, a co-production between Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon, France’s Samka Productions and Norway’s Storm Films.

“Wherever we take on the role of co-producer, we feel we have a duty of care,” Ross adds. “We are involved at every stage of the process, plus we always want to ensure that any series we’re involved in re ects isney s values. For example, when we saw Best Bugs Forever, which is now a co-production with Je Suis Bien

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working on film and television series, as well as from animation and VF .

Lepine- arnik reports that series produced for television and the web — especially the OTT pla orms contributed significantly to this increase “Between 2015 and 2017, the number of days of TV or web-programme shooting increased by 200 , and it’s not just foreign projects French productions are tending to shoot here more than previously. Examples include Riviera and Death In Paradise.

Among the OTT series that have recently shot in France are Unrated Studios’ The Hook Up Plan, Telfrance’s Germani ed and Capa Drama’s Osmosis. The second series of American Patriot for Ama on was shot entirely in France, Lepine- arnik adds.

And international series such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, illing Eve, The Romano s and Jack Ryan have also shot scenes here.

The Chinese series Crocodile And Toothpick Bird for Hunan TV was also shot in France in 201 .

Focus On France • 28 • April 2019

ontent and atch ext edia, we found it charming right from the beginning. But at that stage, the series was called Roach Motel, which we felt needed to be changed. Then, when the pilot is finished, you always learn a lot and often make the sorts of changes that will end up in the finished version.

In terms of France’s potential for format imports, Jacob de Boer, senior vice-president of international production and formats at BBC Studios, sees a shift: “France has been a strong importer of non-scripted formats, working with international partners including BBC Studios for many years. But over the last year or two, we’ve also seen an increased willingness to collaborate on international scripted formats as well, despite having a super-strong tradition of producing locally developed drama.” e Boer cites nfidele, based on Drama Republic’s BBC hit Doctor Foster, as a good example of this trend. nfidele is a great collaboration between TF1, local producer Storia Television and the French BBC Studios production team,” he says.

The BB s aris office produces formats and original programmes spanning entertainment, factual and scripted. The team’s successful primetime entertainment formats include

DOING BUSINESS W TF1’s Danse Avec Les Stars (Strictly Come Dancing), M5’s Le Meilleur Patissier (Bake Off) and RMC’s Top Gear France, as well as TFI factual shows La Vie Secrete Des Chats (The Secret Life Of Cats) and Sans Collier.

“We also develop and produce original local documentaries, including RMC’s Le Mont St Michel and Le Viaduc Millau, A T s rient xpress and France 5’s Concorde,” de Boer adds.

Adam Bishop, senior vice-president of content sales, Western Europe, for BBC Studios, agrees with de Boer’s assessment: “The French market has shifted towards more international and European co-production — Planet Animale and The Mallorca Files are excellent examples plus we’re seeing US/TF1 collaborations alongside the pan-European alliance, which is being led out of France. It will be interesting to see if the market can keep up

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with the pace of commissioning, co-production and acquisition that we see in the US. To compete for the most creative output in a global market, we have to collectively be far faster at taking decisions, with less view of the finished content.

That said, Bishop points out that, in fiction, France has undoubtedly ramped up its local productions with high-performing crime series including Capitaine Marleau, the Meurtres A... collection and The Bureau, along with comedies such as Call My Agent!, which is also doing well internationally.

At French pay-TV operator Canal+, the decision to make shows with universal appeal was taken some years ago. “It was partly a simple strategic move, but also to some degree inspired by the success of The Revenants, which was broadcast in the US on the Sundance Channel in its original

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BETA Film is co-operating with Banijay on Norwegian teen web drama Skam (Shame), which is currently in its third season on France Televisions’ online pla orm Slash. In addition, the German distributor has just sold the remake rights to the Spanish drama Grand Hotel, from Bambu Producciones, to French commercial broadcaster TF1.

Beta Film has been involved in several French productions over the years, including The Count Of Monte Christo, Napoleon and, mostly recently, Victor Hugo Enemy Of The State, which premiered at MIPTV 201 .

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version,” says Pierre Saint-Andre, Canal+’s joint director of French fiction and international co-productions. “So to decide to make Versailles in English was simply not an issue, and the show has now been sold to 120 countries. Equally with Borgia, which is a very European story with global appeal. We regarded being involved in the series as an opportunity to team up with et ix, F, F, y talia and others, in order to have the budget to allow us to make a high-quality show, as well as a chance to work with highly talented showrunners such as Barry Levinson and show creator Tom Fontana.”

Francoise uyonnet, executive managing director of TV series at Studiocanal, takes up the story of Versailles: “It was really when we met the two writers, David Wolstencroft and Simon Mirren and heard their ideas and understood their vision of the show that it all started to come together. Also, both creatively and financially, it made sense to shoot in English.”

Guyonnet also references Midnight Sun (Jour Polaire) as another example of anal s “organic, global approach”.

The co-production between Canal+ and Swedish broadcast-

Focus On France • 29 • April 2019

er SVT has now been sold to more than 100 territories. “The story features a female French detective investigating a brutal crime in Sweden,” she says. “In the scenes where French and Swedish characters are interacting, they speak English, as you would in everyday life.”

Another English-language series in the pipeline is Shadow Play, co-produced by Studiocanal-owned Tandem, ZDF and Viaplay. “In general, being involved in more co-productions is our strategy for the coming years.” Guyonnet adds, citing upcoming series Zero Zero Zero, from the team that produced Gomorrah; The New Pope, the follow-up to the hugely successful Young Pope featuring Jude Law and John Malkovich; and a new version of HG Wells’ War Of The Worlds, starring Gabriel Byrne.

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057_RM MIPMARKETS_PV_TV

Driving the content economy

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BROADCASTERS

How to stand out in a cro w d V erno n S ub

Facing an ever-c hanging audiovisual landscape French broadcasters are ne tuning their programming strategies in order to maintain their place in a competitive marketplac e. M a rie- Agnes B runea u reports

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UBSCRIBERS to Netflix reached five million in France last year, similar numbers, though not at the same price point, as France s leading payT channel anal . n addition to this growth, both et ix and Ama on have started commis-

sioning more French dramas. n response, in arch ivendi s anal roup launched anal eries, its new offer with subscription rates comparable to et ix at . monthly for a single user. The new platform is at present series-strong, and has

stated that it plans to follow a policy of uality and exclusivity rather than volume. hat we see is that series are bingewatched very uic ly, and then forgotten just as uic ly. e consider it is our responsibility to guarantee our audience series that will be memorable, says anal roup s chairman and axime aada. anal eries will build on content from anal reation riginale series and on the international shows ac uired at group level, including new seasons of illing ve and omorra, as well as on the deals

Focus On France • 3 1 • April 2019

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the pay-T group has with F and howtime, and series from tudiocanal including The awyer and oscow oir. anal eries will also have a few further ac uisitions and originals, starting with yFy s eadly lass and will also carry some documentary series. espite appearances, anal eries is not our answer to etix but to piracy, which cost us , subscribers, says aada. ur answer to et ix is anal itself, and our y anal on-demand service. anal roup has been rewor ing its business model recently, build-

BROADCASTERS TVF I ing more affordable offers, which can lead to more expensive and extensive pac ages. anal also pushed major investments into its catch-up platform y anal. e had million single visitors last year, up from million in , aada says. y anal is our shift from the old traditional television model and we will introduce it to all the countries where we operate in urope and Africa.

The roup furthermore managed to strengthen the supply of fresh films to its premium anal channel, having negotiated shorter movie windows of six to eight months after theatrical release, previous windows being to months.

The number of original series will also increase, as well as the commissioning budgets, with a target of eight per year, an increase of two. e have plans to grow to and we are loo ing to build our entire onday strand with commissions and co-productions by , anal head of drama, Fabrice de la atelliere, says.

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“De spite appearances, C anal+ S eries is not our answer to i eanwhile the free-to-air broadcasters are busy wor ing on their TT offer. TF , and France Televisions are together on the platform alto and there are big plans in the free space at pubcaster France Televisions, encouraged by the government to drive major reform and embrace the digital world. ar et changes are also forcing broadcasters to become more sophisticated in targeting their respective audiences.

France Televisions elphine rnotte has told the French press that alto will wor and that while et ix puts lots of money on the table , France Televisions is wor ing to develop uropean co-productions with other

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1 3 .5

France 3

9 .4

M 6

9 .1

France 5 ( factual channel)

3 .5

T M C (T F1 group)

3

C8

3

W

( Ca nal+ group ) 9 (M

2.6

6 group)

BFMTV (news channel group Altice)

2.6

A rte

2.4

RM C Decouverte ( factual channel/ group Altice)

2.2 Figures: Mediametrie

E C

O

E

GE

consumption (% )

G enre

o er

Drama

21 .0

23 .4

M agazi nes

1 9 .1

1 6 .5

Documentaries

1 7.2

1 0 .2

Advertising

1 1 .1

1 0 .7

Y outh/ Ch ildren

9 .0

3 .4

E ntertainment

7.8

3 .4

V arious

5 .5

3 .1

M ovies

3 .3

5 .2

Game shows

3 .1

9 .3

N ews

1 .9

1 0 .7

Sports

1 .2

4.1

Fra nce T elevis io ns ha s s uc ces s f ul ly a d a pt ed N R K ’ s s cript ed s eries S k a m

Focus On France • 3 2 • April 2019

E

S ource: Mediametrie

BROADCASTERS

rance elevisions CEO Delphine Erno e

Canal head o drama Fa b rice d e la P a t elliere

broadcasters, enabling them to pool their efforts. rnotte still has a dream of a pan- uropean public platform that will allow participants to monetise their content while retaining a strong brand and audience loyalty.

The purpose of our transformation is to put audiences first, says France Televisions managing director, content, Ta is andilis. This is the reason we have moved away from channel-specific organisation and have built, instead, genre-specific programme departments, to ensure that each genre is properly targeted to the right audience, he says. e are currently wor ing on new audience-mapping tech-

Canal Group s chairman and CEO Ma ime Saada

ni ues, he adds. e will continue to address mass audiences, but alongside that will divide the audience into a number of specific demographics, according to their linear and non-linear habits. From that standpoint we will be able to build a truly complementary schedule across our linear channels. Together with an enhanced France.tv online offer, France Televisions will be introducing changes to its France , France and France channels according to new plans later this year. e estimate the competition now comes from the TT world, rather than from the traditional broadcasters, andilis says. e want to become the

artistic director Sophie L ev ea ux

leading linear and non-linear provider in France and will develop our online offer accordingly. e are going to upgrade our video platform France.tv further as the place for live and catch-up viewing for all France Televisions shows and genres. e have negotiated more exibility with producers for offering shows online, and some shows will be commissioned as digital-first in all genres. e will launch our ids platform in ctober, a year ahead of the extinction of the linear TT channel. For alto, we are awaiting for the competition authority s decision, and will then move forward.

Fra nce T elevis io ns ’ L a D erniere V a gue

Focus On France • 3 3

• April 2019

Fra nce T elevis io ns ’ m a na ging director content a is Candilis

Ta k is Ca n d il is :

“

stima h om tition no om s om h o a h han om h a itiona oa as s

igital developments are also meant to target more efficiently the digital natives, for whom the pubcaster has already successfully adapted s scripted series am, now in a third season online. To get young people to come bac to linear T from time to time, we need to eep the connection with them where they are and on the devices they are using, andilis says. igital will also be a way to explore more innovative drama, freed from the constraints of broadcast T . France Televisions put out a bid to producers for digital-first serialised drama, including esterns, fantasy and musicals. The first green-lit project is arliament, a half-hour comedy series about five young people wor ing as assistants in the uropean arliament, from French producer ineteve, ermany s tudio amburg and All edia s tories.

As drama series that generate audience loyalty are proving to be the biggest on-demand driver, the genre has become stra-

BROADCASTERS

Fra nce 2’ s P hilha rm o nia

tegically important to French broadcasters. They have all successfully managed to modernise their line-up of French drama over recent years, but in the new high-end drama-driven climate, are pushing themselves even harder in this area.

After some success with a number of thrillers, including serial iller series a ante, free-toair mar et leader TF is revisiting costume drama with e Baar e a harite, by atherine amberg and arine preu ous i with Antoine ulery and ulie de Bona, in which et ix has just ta en rights over four years. TF is also loo ing at sci-fi and supernatural content, a genre A T has been addressing already with shows including Ad itam, directed

by Thomas ailley and starring van Attal and arance arillier, following a police investigation in a world where death has almost disappeared, but teenagers are committing suicide.

Also in this genre, France Televisions a erniere ague follows a community that experiences a gigantic cloud that

causes the disappearance then the reappearance of a group of surfers. The broadcaster is also featuring the adaptation of n i Bilal s futuristic graphic novel Bug. n an attempt to popularise cultural programming, France succeeded in producing a plot-twister of a series highlighting the world of classical music, with hilharmonia. ew developments among FTA channels also include , which is now commissioning primetime drama, starting with thrillers and dramedies. n-demand viewing now ma es up of the audience for series on anal . hat is happening is that we give access to past seasons, so viewers can catch up and binge, and that grows the shows total numbers, Fabrice de la atelliere says. ompetition from etflix forces us to multiply and diversify our offer, ma e it more remar able and stronger, he adds. There is so much content available now, that we need to give our audience a clear proposal, which in our case does Focus On France • 3 4

not mean mainstream, but a strong universe, a catchy pitch, and attractive casting. e have been forced to go in that direction, but that suits us well. e la atelliere says the channel s new seasons of e Bureau es egendes and ngrenages piral , along with new medical drama ippocrate, together achieve the stated goal. n e Bureau s fourth season series creator ric ochant has reached new heights, and with ippocrate, we have managed to turn out something that does not loo li e any French or series, he says. And we are also developing more atypical fare, such as ernon ubutex, adapted from irginie espentes boo , which is a little jewel. anal is adapting British series Fleabag e are currently in need of a bit more femaleand youth-appeal, de la atelliere says. e are also loo ing to renew the crime genre. e are wor ing on one that is at the crossroads of costume and crime. e also have comedy projects, esterns, sci-fi and we are considering T -movie an• April 2019

thologies.

Another way to stand out is with bigger-budget international co-productions The new season of The oung ope has very rich production values and we are currently shooting ero ero ero, from the same team as omorra both created and produced by oberto aviano, and both high-end productions. And we are on board with a new eight-episode adaptation of The ar f The orlds from isfits creator oward verman.

And the free-to-air services are in on the act too. A T has wor ed for some time with ordic and uropean co-producers, for example on anish screenwriter Adam rice s ide pon The torm and upcoming thriller den produced by A T France and A T eutschland, ,A egeto, upa Film, agardere tudios Atlanti ue roductions and ort Au rince Film. nder new leadership France Televisions has ramped up its international drama ambitions in a big way, for efficiency rea-

BROADCASTERS sons putting together drama ac uisitions and co-productions in a single department, headed by athalie Biancolli and with ederic Albouy loo ing after co-productions. e are loo ing to build a wee ly primetime strand on France with our international dramas as from , andilis says. n ay last year, France Televisions formed The Alliance together with fellow pubcasters F and A , aimed at see ing out and funding major dramas and sharing projects in a firstloo agreement. France Televisions and F have partnered on the thriller irage, set in ubai, from incoln T , ineix and ild Bunch ermany and A and France Televisions are on board uxvide s eonardo, an eight-part series about the life and wor of eonardo da inci, as well as thriller ternal ity, produced by Aurora T , Fearless ind and Banijay tudios France these three partners also recently teamed up on ules erne s Around The

orld n ays, from Australia s even est edia, ondon s lim Film and aris Federation ntertainment. Among major France Televisions projects in development is cosse Films and Federation ntertainment s osephine And apoleon, starring Berenice Bejo.

For its part, leading French channel TF teamed up four years ago with ermany s T and B nternational Television roduction, in a co-production pact designed to initiate -style procedural dramas, which the uropean broadcasters were missing. The trio gave birth to one, a -episode procedural drama series starring The ood ife and ex And The ity actor hris oth. ropped after a first series, it was created by att ope The orcerer s Apprentice and based on helsea ain s novel ne ic . TF artistic director of ac uisitions and international development, ophie eveaux, says the three partners still meet, but are loo ing at other inds of projects, with TF

and T currently considering a mini-series together.

Soph

“

ie

Le v e a u x :

an ha anno sim replicate US a os in nationa e learned that we cannot simply replicate fare to succeed internationally, so let s get more agile and loo at projects because they are extraordinary, eveaux says. verything is opportunity-driven and international partnership models evolve. hat, for instance, is the frontier nowadays between what is considered as a co-production, versus a pre-buy n other international drama partnerships, TF enjoyed a hit last year with s The Truth About The arry uebert Affair, starring atric empsey

X x x x x x x x ippocrate a ne

medical drama or Canal

Focus On France • 3 5

• April 2019

reys Anatomy . The channel partnered on the script through a pre-buy including artistic partnership. ean- ac ues Annaud was also on board, it was based on a best-selling novel. e learned a lot, eveaux says. veryone got so involved that success was even more rewarding. e definitely will loo again at projects from or ean- ac ues Annaud. nternational mini-series of six, eight or episodes have become more of a focus at TF .

They are less committing than a - or -episode series and they wor for us as mini-events, eveaux says. Because the ris is more limited, that enables us to explore more ris y universes that are event-driven. e are facing competition in France from channels, we need shows capable to connect immediately with our viewers to get them to plan their evening n addition, we now have competition from streaming platforms and the studios are also now creating their own platforms. That can change the business rules we have to remain alert we need to find our place in this new dynamic.

Towards the end of last year TF anounced the ac uisition of panish series The ier, from the creator of the a asa e apel, consisting of two seasons of eight episodes. t also ac uired T s The ar f The orlds, the first-ever British T adaptation, produced for BB ne by T -bac ed ammoth creen. eveaux adds e currently have seven international projects in development, mostly from urope, with partners from ermany, candinavia and the . ven more unusual for France s leading channel was its ac uisition of the ovistar romantic thriller The ier. e are surfing on the a asa e apel wave it will be the first time TF will run a panish drama in primetime.

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AT C H E S WH

AT ? n Si Grand Soleil an access primetime hit or rance

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N EXAMPLE of audience unpredictability came in September 2018 when a wave of panic shook the French TV industry. Figures showed that daily viewing had fallen by nearly 20 minutes per person, per day, on the same month the previous year, as

A udience be haviour is changing across the world. B ut as viewers everywhere are moving increasingly towards on-de mand content, there is still strong demand for linear broadcast in France especially where it still o ers stand out content — and br oadcasters are proving that variety is key. M a rie- Agnes B runea u reports

fewer viewers returned to their traditional TV habits following the cyclical drop in TV consumption over the French summer months.

Growing competition from et ix in France was blamed.

But ratings body Mediametrie provided some other, more pragmatic explanations a de-

layed school year and a period of especially warm weather had also encouraged people to do things other than watch TV. And then, as if to prove that television had not lost any of its power, viewing time rose again, especially in November, driven by the news coverage of the

Focus On France • 3 6 • pril

Gilets Jaunes movement, members of whom were organising political demonstrations across France. The speech from French president Emmanuel Macron on December 10 reached a record 23 million viewers across channels, the strongest audience of the year. In the end, daily TV viewing lost just an average of

WH

O

W

AT C H E S WH

AT ?

speech rom E m m a nu el M a cro n o n December reached a record million vie ers six minutes a day last year, to a still-high average of three hours and 36 minutes of viewing time per person, per day. iewing figures fell again during an especially warm February this year. “The weather is one of the criteria affecting TV viewing and 2018 was an atypical year as the warmest since , executive director of digital and TV at Mediametrie Julien Rosanvallon says. “But that is not to say that there was no SVOD effect. It is a fact that these platforms experienced significant growth. The figures, however, need to be tempered and put into perspective.”

According to Mediametrie, the number of people watching SVOD platforms grew to

rance

had a hit on MC

ith the revival o

an average of 4.6 million per day last year, doubling viewing time. “That is considerable, but wrapped into total TV viewing, it remains small,” Rosanvallon says. “The SVOD platforms have a bigger impact on younger audiences, a demographic that has always had its own media habits. Also, so far

s top rated series Capitaine Marleau

rench comed game sho

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drama is the most prominent content on these platforms, and drama accounts for just about 30% of total viewing,” he adds.

“The platforms’ business model does not, for example, include sports.”

He points to another fundamental trend, which is the growing number of viewers watching linear TV channels online, on their computer, tablet or smartphone. “That amounted last year to 4.5 million people daily, which is also very significant, he says. Internet TV viewing represented an additional 10 minutes per person, per day — that is more than traditional TV viewing has lost. Mediametrie will soon release a pilot for a new TV-measurement tool that will include these new viewing habits — all screens and on-the-go. “This is a very important step for us,” Rosanvallon says.

The availability of catch-up TV is also changing viewing habits, with an average of 7.2 million people watching TV shows on-demand for an hour, daily.

Drama was on-demand’s

Focus On France • 3 7 • pril

ui

main driver, representing 50% of catch-up viewing time last year. TF1’s US series Good Doctor gained an average 1.1 million viewers, representing an audience increase of 19% on the live audience. France 3’s top-rated series Capitaine Marleau was watched by 846,000 people on catch-up, representing an audience increase of 13%.

J u lie

n Ros

a n v a lon

:

“T he S V O D a o ms ha a i im a on o n a i n s At pay-TV channel Canal+, the complete new season of hit series Le Bureau Des Legendes was made available for streaming which meant that 58% of the audience for episodes one and two watched it live, while a massive 48% watched in catch-up.

The evolution of household T e uipment both re ects and facilitates the increase in on-demand viewing. Some 66% of

WH French TV households had connected TV sets last year, 3.1% up on 2017. A large majority now receives TV through IPTV or cable connections, bringing the figure to of French T households last year, 6.7% up on the year before, with DTT reception down 5.6% to 50%, and DTH by a more marginal 0.45% to 23%. At present some 36% of the French population receives DTT only. ive audience figures have been affected by changing viewing habits too, especially in primetime. Last year, however, for traditional players the increase in catch-up viewing equalled the decline in live linear viewing.

million vie ers atched the rance vs Croatia nal on

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In June and July 2018, the FIFA World Cup audience predictably brought huge numbers of viewers with a total of nine games attracting over 10 million viewers each, while a massive 19 million viewers — an audience share of 82% — watched the France vs roatia final on TF .

Outside of sports and news, French drama drew the biggest audiences last year, the result of broadcasters’ and producers’ efforts to renew the genre in recent years.

The best-rated drama with nearly nine million viewers was TF1’s cast-driven show Jacqueline auvage, the latest example of an event-TV movie inspired by the true story of the trial of a woman who shot her abusive husband. TF1 was the leader in this genre, regularly attracting audiences of seven million for a number of home-produced drama series. These included a returning hero, Balthazar, a

air

a racting up to

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charming but irreverent forensic pathologist, alongside remakes of NRK Norway’s series Eyewitness, known as Les Innocents in France; and the Catalan series The Red Band Society, which became Les Bracelet Rouges, which was popular among younger audiences, and has been renewed.

But the winner by far in the hearts of French viewers’ was France 3’s 90-minute episode series Capitaine Marleau, featuring a somewhat eccentric female cop, known for her unconventional dress and speech.

In the series’ best-rated episode she got the chance to practice her Franglais, as it welcomed as guest star the British actor David Suchet, best-known worldwide as Hercule Poirot. Since its launch three years ago, Capitaine Marleau’s audience has grown from 4-5 million viewers to 7-8 million in 2018.

Last year drama was France 3’s

million vie ers

Focus On France • 3 8 • pril

66%

o rench households had connected sets in best-rated programming, with hits including local murder-mystery series Murder In…, and crime drama Cassandre, about police commissioner Florence Cassandre.

France 2, meanwhile, has enjoyed the loyalty of some 4-5 million viewers for a number of returning drama series, including Candice Renoir and Les Petits Meurtres D’Agatha Christie, herif, Alex ugo and all y Agent!, as well as thriller mini-series Maman A Tort.

Another significant drama trend was the successful introduction by the mainstream channels of original daily half-hour series in access primetime. The end of 2017 saw the launch of Demain Nous Appartient, on TF1 at , which was watched by an average 3.9 million daily viewers last year, according to Mediametrie. Matching that success, France 2 introduced in August its own half-hour series, Un Si rand oleil, at , as a leadin to primetime. It was an instant hit, averaging 3.8 million viewers.

The two new series did not effect existing long-running series lus Belle La Vie on France 3, which posted 3.8 million viewers, and M6 comedy series Scene De Menage, with four million viewers daily.

Last year also marked the return of a number of top-rating US and international series to TF1. ABC’s Good Doctor was being watched by some 7.6 million viewers, while MGM’s The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair was attracting up to 6.7 million.

WH

O

W

AT C H E S WH

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a German format, while in access primetime, the daily game show Don’t Forget The Lyrics also improved its performance last year.

L’Amour Est Dans Le Pre (The Farmer Wants A Wife) remained M6’s strongest performer, next to the channel s Top Chef, La France A Un Incroyable Talent (Britain’s Got Talent) and Le Meilleur Patissier (The Great British Bake Off). M6 was also successful in re-launching Dutch racing entertainment format e in xpress.

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ui Parlaient u Ciel One Planet

TF1, the principal broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup, strengthened its position as the country’s most-watched channel last year, with an increase of 0.2% to 20.2%. In entertainment, The Voice, Koh Lanta and Dance Avec Les Stars franchises, although a little down, continued to rate well. TF1 group also had a hit on one of its DTT entertainment channels TMC, with the revival of French com-

Canal made the complete ne

edy game-show format Burger Quiz — formerly on Canal+ — in primetime. This built strong audience loyalty with over one million viewers, high for a small channel.

Flagship French pubcaster France 2 was also solidly up, by 0.5 points to 13.5%, thanks to the restructuring of its long-troubled afternoon schedule. It introduced auction show Affaire Conclue, adapted from

Movies proved strong performers on the smaller and more niche DTT channels.

Cultural Franco-German pubcaster ARTE, which improved its share by 0.2 points last year, was successful with its classics and author-driven content topping the charts. In drama, the channel passed the million-viewer mark with some its distinctive original drama and author-driven fare, especially one-off TV movies, including L’Adultere (1.4 million) and Jonas from France, alongside German title Toute La Verite, as well as up to one million for Bruno Dumont’s new se-

season o hit series e ureau Des egendes available or streaming

Focus On France •

• pril

ries Coincoin, the futuristic Ad Vitam and acquisitions from Sweden, including Meurtres A Sandhamm (Morden i Sandhamn).

There were strong performances on other DTT channels too, with 1.2 million viewers for Harlan Coben’s Safe on Canal+ FTA channel C8; and for MGM’s hit series The Handmaid’s Tale on the smaller TF1 Series Films.

In documentary the million mark was passed by several shows on ARTE, including Le Monde Selon Xi Jinping from France, Secrets Of China’s Forbidden City from the UK and, more recently, 1.5 million saw Religieuses Abusees, L’autre Scandale De L’Eglise. Starbucks Sans Filtre tripled its audience figures to two million viewers, thanks to catch-up TV,.

France 5 reached over one million viewers with primetime documentaries, including its consumer-oriented shows in the food and health strand, but also in science, with 1.2 million viewers for French doc Nazcas, Les Lignes Qui Parlaient Au Ciel. Other hits included Les ervers arcissi ues, sislea s Inside The Monster’s Mind, and European history series, La Guerre Des Trones.

Group Altice’s factual documentary channel RMC Decouverte was for its part up 0.1% last year.

Alongside its military and historical documentaries, the channel found success with its factual format adaptations including Top Gear, and another UK spinoff, Wheeler Dealer France.

million people atch on demand or an hour dail

E X P O R T S

T he o nly way is up I

N 2017 France generated €205m in content sales — with animation, drama and factual the strongest genres.

Add in pre-sales and co-productions and that figure bumps up to an impressive €325m.

Unusually, compared with other leading TV economies, animation accounts for the biggest slice of the French exports pie (€76m/37% share). This is largely down to support from the CNC and a solid history of

I n la te 2 0 1 8 , new data from the National Centre for Cinema and the oving mage and export trade body T France nternational reveale d that France set a new record for programme exports in And y Fry nds out why

Focus On France • 4 0 • April 2019

E X P O R T S

Fo rt B

content creation in this genre, which has fostered the development of formidable rights-owners including Xilam Animation, PGS Entertainment, Mediatoon istribution, illimages, yber Group Studios and Federation Entertainment — and producers, for example TeamTO. Xilam has around 2,000 animated episodes including the classic franchise Oggy & The Cockroaches. This has set the company in good stead as the

o y a rd ( B a nija y R igh ts )

number of digital platforms streaming animated content has increased. To put it in perspective, revenues from ouTube accounted for 10% of Xilam’s entire turnover in 2018.

French studios also continue to be adept at securing slots for their content on both domestic free-to-air channels and global kids pay-TV platforms. Xilam’s reboot of r agoo, for example, will air on Turner and Discovery channels around the

world — as well as CITV in the UK. For Morgann Favennec, Xilam’s executive vice-president, global sales development, deals like these are “testament to Mr Magoo’s universal appeal, and we re confident the show s warmth, humour and antics will strike a chord with a new generation of kids, along with fans of the classic series”.

Mediatoon is similarly high-profile, with , hours of well-travelled content including arfield, Tintin and ode Lyoko. More recent additions include animation series The Fox-Badger Family, presented at MIPCOM 2018, and Minimighty Kids, which has aired on TF1 in France and Clan in Spain. Martin Morning, a classic animation series that sold into 150 territories from 2003-2007, is now in production with a new season of 52 x 13-minute episodes.

At yber roup tudios, meanwhile, senior vice-president sales, acquisitions and new media, Raphaelle Mathieu declared MIPCOM 2018 “a dealmaking milestone for us”. Especially strong have been adie par s, Gigantosaurus and The Pirates Next Door, the latter picked up

by T pain and A taly, among others. Mathieu also revealed OTT content package deals with US platforms Playkids and Future Today.

Of course, France’s strength in animation is not a new story. ore current has been a sudden surge of interest in France-produced drama, which accounted for €64m of the total outlined above.

Ra ph

a e le

Ma t h ie u :

“M I P C O M 2 0 1 8 was a dealmak ing milestone for us” Historically, French drama was

Focus On France • 4 1 • April 2019

regarded as too insular to travel and was not helped by commissioning patterns that limited the amount of hours available to international buyers. But in recent years this has changed. Spiral, Braquo, Les Revenants and Witnesses were early examples of this revolution but the French drama wave has continued and is now a much more prominent element of the global drama business. At the end of , for example, Studiocanal was able to report new sales in entral and Eastern Europe, the Nordics and Spain for Nox, a Gaumont production for Canal +. There were also continued sales for political thriller Baron Noir (8 x 60 mins), acquired for the Nordics and Spain.

Coming into MIPTV, Francoise Guyonnet, executive managing director, TV Series, Studiocanal, is bringing ernon ubutex, starring internationally-renowned French actor Romain uris. uyonnet describes the series ernon ubutex, an unemployed former owner of legendary record shop Revolver, is evicted from his apartment. In his search for a place to stay, he contacts his former friends who were involved in the music world with him in the 1990s. One of them is rock star Alex Bleach, who shortly after they meet dies of an overdose and leaves behind three mysterious video tapes. Vernon then slips anonymously into the city where he becomes the most wanted man in Paris.”

Guyonnet says Studiocanal has benefited greatly from being part of Canal+ Group. Being part of a larger group enables us to work closely with our production company partners, allowing them time to develop stories with leading writers and talent”. The company is one of several internationally-focused French studios that also includes TF -owned ewen istribu-

E X P O R T S

Media an ights recentl sold sci

tion, Gaumont, Banijay, APC, Federation Entertainment, Mediawan and Wild Bunch. While none of these groups centres their business specifically on French content, the fact that they have roots in France has clearly helped raise the profile of shows from that market.

On Banijay’s drama slate for MIPTV, for example, is Les mbres ouges. Also called The Red Shadows, this is a six-part thriller from H2O Fictions and Geteve Productions,” says Caroline Torrance, head of scripted, Banijay Rights. “It tells the story of a woman kidnapped 25 years ago and presumed dead, but who returns home causing family con ict and revealing dark secrets.”

A new-found dynamism at TF1owned Newen is symptomatic of the shift in France’s relationship with the international maret. ewen istribution managing director ali a Abdellaoui identifies police series andice Renoir as one of the company’s most successful franchises, having sold it into more than 70 territories. Another 10 episodes of the show are now scheduled

series lice evers to Discover in tal

to air in 2019 (season seven) making it one of the most significant high-volume French series in the market. The company also has another female-fronted cop series in its portfolio, Cassandre, which enters its fourth season on France 3 in 2019. n ecember , Abdellaoui also reported a new brea through for itnesses, the France drama created by Herve Hadmar and Marc Her-

e en is distributing the

poux that Newen has sold to 103 territories. According to Abdellaoui the show is entering “a new chapter” following the news that it is being adapted for the

by Fox. ewen previously did a deal with Fox Networks Group Italy for TF1’s hit thriller series Tomorrow Is Ours, produced by Telsete and ewen Group. That show, which explores the aftermath of a deadly explosion at a boat marina, was

ormat eaut Match

Focus On France • 4 2 • April 2019

also pic ed up recently by olish public broadcaster T .

France’s international prospects are also enhanced by the growing interest of outside forces — for example Fremantle’s acquisition of producer Kwai and increased investment from et ix and the rapid rise of powerful new domestic players like Mediawan, which has built a vertically-integrated studio business on the bac of its acquisition of AB Groupe in 2017. Re-organised around four pillars, Mediawan is producing high volumes of content for the French market under its Originals banner around hours last year). It is also enjoying increased success via distribution division Mediawan Rights. It recently sold sci-fi series issions to RAI and Alice Nevers to Discovery in Italy. With further sales including a T film package to Paramount Network in Spain and The Mantis to TVP Poland, the division achieved a 54% jump in revenues to €28.8m, for the nine months to eptember .

The presence of these muscular French studios also goes some way to explaining the boost in co-production revenues report-

E X P O R T S ed by the and T F . ewen, for example, teamed up with Amazon Prime Video, Bavaria Fiction and Deutsche Telekom on comedy drama DeutschLes-Landes. Federation Entertainment, meanwhile, has been one of the key anchors on kids live-action series Find Me In Paris. The latter is also interesting in so far as it is part of a subgenre of shows that tell French stories in the English language another being Banijay s ersailles.

Pa s c a l Br e t on

:

“E vents lik e I n eD velopment a ss ntia o engender the hits of tomorrow” Federation will also figure prominently during In Development, the Cannes Drama Creative Forum created jointly by T and CANNESERIES. As part

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of that event, Federation has offered to co-develop, co-produce and distribute one of the projects: “Events like In Development, which put creatives at the heart of the business, are essential to engender the hits of tomorrow,” says Pascal Breton, of the company. The first edition was a success, both in terms of the quality of the content presented and the opportunities, which owed from it.

Like its industry peers, Federation loo s well beyond France for content – and last year raised m to further that ambition.

Nevertheless, as part of its expansion it has brought French series including The Bureau to global attention. At T , it will also be supporting The Middleman, a 4 x 52-minute dramedy/fantasy from Les Films du Poisson, ARTE France and apbusters. t also recently boarded uillaume icloux s mini-series Twice Upon A Time, which tells the story of Vincent (Gaspard Ulliel), who dreams of winning bac his ex, Louise. He’s grief-stricken and

driven to despair, attempting to get over the brea -up with endless partying and one-night stands — until the day a delivery man gives him a package he never ordered…

While animation and drama have been ey factors in driving the French export engine, the /T F figures also highlight a m contribution from documentary. Key players in this genre include France tv distribution and A T istribution. The latter offers a wide array of titles including bluechip titles har s, a film co-produced by e in uieme Reve, ARTE France, Andromede Oceanologie, Les Gens Bien productions, Filmin’ Tahiti, and CNRS Images. The one-off special, which follows a huge school of sharks, was licensed to NGCI’s Wild International last year.

The breadth of A T istribution s line-up is underlined by titles including r. ac And Mr. Nicholson, which explores actor ac icholson s life and wor , and tarbuc s nfiltered.

gent a big hit or rance tv distribution

Focus On France • 4 3

• April 2019

Natural history series Volcano Stories and Living with Volcanoes were also recently sold to a range of buyers including iasat, B Al Arabiya and A .

France has never really been seen as a market leader in unscripted formats, although it does have one well-known player in the shape of Adventure ine roductions, a subsidiary of Banijay Group. The company is well-known as the producer of Fort Boyard for France Televisions and Survivor for TF and is also home to original creations including Aventure obinson, es inikeums, Happy Hour and The Desert Forges. Of course, the emergence of Banijay as a global force in formats means that France can now boast commercial control of numerous pieces of entertainment IP — even if they weren’t made in France.

Should Banijay complete its rumoured acquisition of Endemol hine that position would be significantly enhanced.

Others involved in the resurgent French content business

E X P O R T S are also eyeing formats as a growth opportunity. Newen, for example is distributing the TF format Beauty Match, which aired on TFX. The same company has also joined forces with The Gurin Company on Crime Scene, a game-show format inspired by real criminal cases.

J u li a Sc h u l t e :

“We are very strong in classic crime shows” One person who is positive about these results is T F president Herve Michel.

“These indicators and the record sales figures are the result of a dynamic mar et, but also the remar able capacity of our sales companies to understand a mar et that is both complex and rapidly evolving. It is also the result of the improving quality of French productions and the talent of our creatives — a value chain that is supported by the and the public authorities.”

And it s been a good year for France.tv istribution, the sales arm of public broadcaster France T . A recent report by Eurodata TV revealed that the most popular documentary of 2017 in term of sales was Brigitte Macron, A French Saga distributed by the company.

More recently, it earned major plaudits from T trade body TVFI for its work on the second season of Call My Agent!.

The show has aired in 150 countries and also been the subject of French-Canadian, Chinese and English-language adaptations. Season 3 has already sold to 100 markets.

Coming into MIPTV, France tv distribution has one of the broadest slates of French content on offer, covering factual, drama and animation.

ilam s classic animation series Martin Morning

In factual it will offer Trees: A lobal uperpower produced by auteville roductions for France 5. There is also Extreme Lands (6 x 52 mins) produced by ernel edia, about arth s spectacular natural phenomena and human inventions designed to deal with them.

France tv distribution will be in Cannes with dramas too, including Stalk, a youth-oriented series created for TV, smartphones and tablets. roduced by ilex Films, the show tells the story of Lux, a gifted geek who suf-

fers humiliation from the other students as he enters his prestigious engineering school. To take revenge, he hacks their cell phones and computers. There is also six-parter Inside, a production that investigates the brutal death of a young woman in a mental-health facility.

At a time when French crime drama is in increasingly strong demand from buyers, France tv distribution also offers a selection of such shows under its French rimes abel.

“We are very strong in classic

C ber Group Studio s he Pirates e t Door pic ed up b

Focus On France • 4 4

• April 2019

E Spain and

crime shows which have great success in France and a solid international appeal, says ulia Schulte, senior vice-president, international sales, France tv distribution. e re launching the French rimes abel at T to give these shows more visibility. ach drama has its own universe and uni ue tone but are all characterised by a strong central role or strong duo. Examples include titles Murder in..., Captain Marleau, Criminal Games, Alex Hugo, Captain Cherif and Perfect Crimes.

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‘ W e s ho u ld help each other t o ris e t o t he t o p’ aris based organisation mediaClub’Elles is teaming up with T for the second time to present the second international mentoring event for women in T lm and digital media We spoke to some of the mentors involved ahead of the event

T

HE MIPTV and mediaClub’Elles Mentoring Breakfast is designed to boost the careers of women in the audiovisual industries.

Taking place in Cannes on Wednesday, April 10, the session offers MIPTV delegates the opportunity exchange ideas with leading media professionals who will share valuable advice and guidance with attendees. t follows on from the first such session that took place at MIPCOM. At MIPTV, attendees will get the opportunity to discuss actions taken over the six months between the two events.

The statistics speak for themselves. According to mediaClub’Elles, in France alone, women represent just 20% of people quoted in the media; 20% of morning news radio guests; 30% of experts quoted on television; and 15% of the 1,000 most-publicised per-

sonalities in the press. “We believe that the media have a vital role to play to evolve society towards greater parity,” the organsation’s mission statement says. “They are not only the re ection of society, but they must also lead the way and set an example in terms of non-discrimination and equality. In this capacity, as professionals of the media, we act not only to improve the representation of women in the media, but also to advance the careers of women in our business.”

MediaClub’Elles’ director of business development Laura Boy adds: “We believe that improving the gender balance and the representation of women in media is in the interest of us all.”

Mentors at the MIPTV event include Florence Sandis, author, director and president of mediaClub’Elles. For Sandis, mediaClub’Elles’ mission is to “offer

the next generation of women leaders the opportunity to benefit from the advice and guidance from some of the most talented and generous women in the industry”. At MIPTV, “these amazing women will be sharing their experience and tips about how they identified and overcame the obstacles they encountered on their way to achieving success”.

Another of the mentors attending the Cannes event is Catherine Schofer, director-general of M6 channels Teva and Paris remiere. am a firm believer that transmission of know-how and interpersonal skills is key to helping the next generation of talented women fill the ey strategic positions within media organisations,” Schofer says. “The mediaClub’Elles MIPTV mentoring event is a fantastic initiative and one which I hope will be extended and developed.”

“Every woman should be an

Focus On France • 4 6 • April 2019

inspiration to others,” says Bouchra Rejani, COO of formats creator WeMake, in which Federation Entertainment recently acquired a majority stake.

“In our industry, where competition is tough, we should help each other to rise to the top.”

For Laurine Garaude, director of Reed MIDEM’s TV division, partnering with mediaClub’Elles is “an important part of Reed MIDEM’s wider mission to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the industries it serves”. She adds: “We are pleased to be able to support initiatives of this sort that contribute to empowering women in the industry in a pragmatic and congenial way.”

• MIPTV and mediaClub’Elles Mentoring Breakfast takes place on Wednesday, April 10 from 08.30 to 10.00 in the Verriere Grand Auditorium. By invitation

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© 2018, Les Cartooneurs Assoctiés, Fantasia Animation, France Televisions. © 2016 Dargaud Media / Ellipsanime Productions / Philm CGI. Based on the comic books ‘Mr Badger and Mrs Fox’ by Brigitte Luciani and Eve Tharlet, published by Dargaud.

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