‘We live in a tsunami of content’

A highlight of the MIPDOC schedule will be Monday morning’s keynote, during the closeddoor MIPDOC Co-Production Summit, from Susan Zirinsky, former head of CBS News and now the driving force behind See It Now Studios

SUSAN Zirinsky’s action-packed career started in the 1970s when she was involved in the uncovering of the Watergate scandal. Having covered everything from the Tiananmen Square massacre to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she was also instrumental in the launch of CBS News’ long-running crime strand 48 Hours. Known for her inexhaustible energy, Zirinksy launched See It Now Studios in 2021, with backing from CBS News and its parent group Paramount.

At launch, Zirinksy said that the studio would “deliver impactful non-fiction series and unscripted programming”. True to her word, she has already built a remarkably the wives of Russian oligarchs and the role of right-wing hate groups in the insurrectionist attack on Washington’s Capitol building. Speaking to MIPTV Magazine ahead of her keynote, Zirinsky described See It Now as “eclectic. Our unit produced more than 50 hours of programming in 2022 and emerged as a premium provider of non-fiction, multi-platform content that attracts high-level talent, respected co-production partners and draws large levels of viewer engagement.”

The MIPDOC International Co-Production Summit

Keynote: Susan Zirinsky

…Monday, April 17, in the Marguerite, Riviera 8, 11.00 to 11.20.

By invitation diverse slate. Projects have included The 26th Street Garage: The FBI’s Untold Story Of 9/11 and Race Against Time: The CIA And 9/11. There have also been documentaries on Ghislaine Maxwell,

She added: “We gravitate to humanity in stories that capture something emblematic and true about our times. Our work focuses on projects that feature diverse voices and cover issues impacting everyone, ranging from health and wellness, gun violence, hate, sexual abuse, true crime, music, international events and missing indigenous people. We want stories with relevance, something viewers are curious about, something they may have encountered only briefly and then lost sight of in the crush of a 24-hour news cycle. What really caused that incident and what did being there feel like?”

She cites the example of recently renewed series Never Seen Again, “which enlists the audience via social media to help locate people who mysteriously disappeared and get answers for the family and friends who loved them”.

Other outstanding credits include 11 Minutes, which talks to survivors of the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas. Calling it “arguably our most impactful series”, Zirinsky said: “One of our producers had been at the concert and connected us with the survivor groups. In the process, we obtained almost 250 personal cell phone videos of the event enabling us to capture a variety of minute-by-minute experiences.”

In terms of upcoming projects: “If we are not passionate it’s a pass. We are working on a film about a major upcoming event. It hasn’t been announced but this film is told with people who have never spoken before. You come away with a more sympathetic feeling for someone you thought you knew. In another story, we have been given exclusive access to a famous cult where hundreds of hours of unseen film are made available to us. What’s different about this story is that we are telling it from the perspective of a young woman who was born into the cult.”

So how does a factual storyteller cut through in today’s chaotic media environment? “We live in a tsunami of content — a cacophony of voices — many told without objectivity. The storytelling technique for us becomes a critical player. Making the right editorial choices is the toughest and sometimes most heartbreaking part of our jobs. I do want to say, however, a great story, great access to something, always has the possibility of breaking through and getting on our slate of shows. We take on films that will make noise, move people, and touch them somehow.”