MIPTV PREVIEW 2012 by MIPMarkets

March 2012

miptv

www.miptv.com The ofﬁcial MIPTV magazine

preVieW MEDIA MASTERMIND KEYNOTE

MEDIA MASTERMIND KEYNOTE

Jonathan Mildenhall of Coca-Cola

Josh Sapan of AMC Networks

Titanic The new drama series from ITV Studios and Lookout Point

SEE PAGE 16

SEE PAGE 18

SEE PAGE 54

Visit us at Stand lr 5.15

MIPTV SCREENING Also inside: • MIPCube Media Architect Of The Future, MGM’s Roma Khanna • Brand Of The Year Award • Rovio’s Peter Vesterbacka • Discovery’s JB Perrette • Elle Macpherson, Fashion Star • Drama CoProXchange • 3DTV Focus • Super Sunday at MIPTV, and more...

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SEAN CONWAY

(BRILLIANT LOVE, KINGS OF LONDON)

SHE’S NOT YOUR TYPICAL DAD.

DRAMA | 6 x 1 hr |

Produced by

For Sky Atlantic (UK)

MIPTV Stand RB1 Riviera Beach . Cannes www.fmescreenings.com

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EDITORIAL

COntents i intervieW

President, television group and digital, MGM, Roma Khanna, recipient of the inaugural MIPCube Media Architect Of The Future Award, talks to Julian Newby

Laurine Garaude Director, Television Division, Reed MIDEM

ELCOME to the MIPTV Preview. TV consumption is increasing around the world, while the way TV is being consumed is changing. MIPTV 2012 is about the transformation of TV. It will bring you new contacts from new companies, new talent and new opportunities for international growth. And we’ll be welcoming key industry players, including over 4,000 international buyers. MIPCube provides delegates with two days of networking and live learning, focused on the innovations impacting the future of TV in all its forms. MIPFormats outlines and showcases new trends and brings together creative producers from around the world through the MIPFormats Talent Pitch in partnership with Warner Bros. And MIPTV’s Super Sunday will feature an impressive line-up of conference speakers and events. This year, we are introducing the Drama CoProXchange for international co-production experts and an expanded Producers’ Programme, including the Producers’ Hub for meetings and workshops. ITV Studios and Lookout Point’s series Titanic will be the MIPTV Gala Screening. We are also featuring the latest in Branded Entertainment innovation in partnership with Ogilvy, and the second Brand Of The Year Award. The MIPTV 3DTV Focus looks at the growth of 3DTV. It’s going to be an exciting and actionpacked MIPTV. So, until it opens, enjoy this Preview and I look forward to seeing you in Cannes. 6I

i nEWS

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Coca-Cola’s Jonathan Mildenhall; Branded Entertainment; AMC Networks’ Josh Sapin; Drama CoProXchange Case Study; Rovio’s Mighty Eagle Peter Vesterbacka; Discovery’s JB Perrette; the stars of Jersey Shore; Elle Macpherson, Fashion Star; China’s Documentary Channel; Super Sunday’s digital focus; The 7th International Digital Emmys; Producers’ Programme; The MIPTV 3DTV Focus...

i neWcomers

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The diverse reach of the global entertainment industry is reflected in the range of businesses visiting MIPTV for the first time this year, or making the decision to take a stand for the first time. Debbie Lincoln gets to know them

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

MIPTV OPENS ON SUNDAY

WITH THIS ISSUE…

WITH this issue of the MIPTV Preview comes the brand new MIPCube Preview, a new-format publication which features the MIPCube schedule of events, as well as interviews and sound bites from key industry figures who will be there. You can also interact with the publication using your smartphone, to win a prize and to hear more from the people involved, online.

Remember, as holiday schedules are different this year, MIPTV starts exceptionally on Sunday. MIPDoc, MIPCube and MIPFormats will therefore start on Friday.

The prequel to

2 hours MIPTV Stand No: R38.01 www.itvstudios.com

Inspector Morse

i COntents iproductneWs

i Galascreening

i features

Take and early look at what will be on offer at this year’s market

MIPTV presents Titanic 100 Year Anniversary Screening

STUDIOS A glimpse at what some of the Hollywood studios will be up to at MIPTV. Liza Foreman reports

DRAMA CO-PRODUCTION 64 Co-production and co-ﬁnancing deals have become a fundamental part of drama’s funding formula. Andy Fry reports BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT Juliana Koranteng looks at how brands are getting involved in production

THE WILD TV LANDSCAPE How do distributors maintain revenue levels? Juliana Koranteng ﬁnds out

3DTV FOCUS Clive Bull looks at the evolution of 3D on the small screen

CHILDREN’S Kid’s live-action shows are booming. Gary Smith investigates

OUTSOURCING ANIMATION Marlene Edmunds discovers that the East is much more than an animation production line

LATIN AMERICA Gary Smith explores the production industry in this dynamic region

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miptv preVieW The ofﬁcial MIPTV magazine March 2012. Director of Publications Paul Zilk EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief Julian Newby Deputy Technical Editor in Chief Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designers Marie Moinier, Carole Peres Sub Editor Joanna Stephens Proof Reader Debbie Lincoln Contributors Clive Bull, Marlene Edmunds, Liza Foreman, Andy Fry, Juliana Koranteng, Debbie Lincoln, Gary Smith Editorial Management Boutique Editions PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Publishing Director Martin Screpel Publishing Co-ordinators Nour Ezzedeen, Emilie Lambert, Amrane Lamiri Production Assistant, Cannes Office Eric Laurent Printer Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France) MANAGEMENT & SALES TEAM Director of the Entertainment Division Anne de Kerckhove Director of the Television Division Laurine Garaude Sales Director Sabine Chemaly Director of Market Development Ted Baracos Conference Director Lucy Smith Marketing Director Stephane Gambetta Programme Director Tania Dugaro Managing Director (UK / Australia / New Zealand) Peter Rhodes OBE Sales Manager Elizabeth Delaney Vice President Sales and Business Development, Americas Robert Marking Vice President Business Development, North America JP Bommel Sales Executive Panayiota Pagoulatos Sales Managers Paul Barbaro, Nathalie Gastone Regional Sales Director Fabienne Germond Sales Executives Liliane Dacruz, Cyril Szczerbakow Sales Manager Samira Haddi Digital Media Sales Manager Nancy Denole New Media Development Manager Bastien Gave Australia and New Zealand Representative Natalie Apostolou China Representative Anke Redl CIS Representative Alexandra Modestova English Speaking Africa Representative Arnaud de Nanteuil India Representative Anil Wanvari Israel Representative Guy Martinovsky Japan Representative Lily Ono Latin America Representative Elisa Aquino Middle-East Representative Bassil Hajjar Poland Representative Monika Bednarek South Korea Representative Sunny Kim Taiwan Representative Irene Liu Germany Representative (Digital Media Sector) Renate Radke Adam Published by Reed MIDEM, BP 572, 11 rue du Colonel Pierre Avia, 75726 Paris Cedex 15, France. Contents © 2012, Reed MIDEM Market Publications. Publication registered 1st quarter 2012. ISSN 1963-2258. Printed on 100% recycled paper ®

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

www www.all3mediainternational.com .all3mediainternational.com

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ENTERTAINMENT THE WORLD IS WATCHING

The world’s most heroic airborne combat missions. A Blink Entertainment/Cineﬂix presentation. Produced in association with: History (Canada), Discovery Military (US), and FIVE (UK)

6 x 60 min ·

An epic story-told on an epic scale. Produced by: Impossible Pictures Ltd. and D-Day Heroes Productions Inc. in association with Shaw Media (Canada), Channel 4 (UK), and Yesterday for UKTV (UK)

6 x 60 min ·

A revolutionary virtual voyage through the body.

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Produced by: Touch Productions for 3Net (US)

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2 x 60 min · Available in 2D

26 x 30 min ·

intervieW ROMA KHANNA

Media Architect Of The Future Roma Khanna is the recipient of the ﬁrst MIPCube Media Architect Of The Future Award. Khanna was appointed president, television group and digital, at MGM in the summer of 2011. Previously she served as president of Universal Networks International and digital initiatives at NBCUniversal, and co-head of Chum Television in Canada. She spoke to Julian Newby ahead of receiving her MIPCube award Congratulations on the Media Architect Of The Future Award. What does such an award mean to you? I am very honoured to receive this award. Especially in light of the award’s focus on innovation and the future. On a personal front, I have always tried to work in roles that allowed me to cross between current and future media while focusing on growth. I like to build businesses and I like to do it in a way that can work in a changing media landscape. I believe that MGM is also focused on both innovation and growth. It is what attracted me to the company and the new management team. As a studio we want to build on a great legacy but remain a nimble and creative company. So on both the personal and professional front, receiving this award gives me hope that we are on the right path. MIPCube is designed to ‘create new links within the TV industry’s community of game-changers. Who are the industry’s key game-changers in your view? The exciting thing about TV today is that everyone has the opportunity to be a game changer. From big digital platforms such as YouTube, to studios such as MGM to the teenager in her Mom’s basement, we can all reach our audiences in new and innovative ways and create a potential impact. The big change is that we need to look outside of our own immediate experience to connect with new ideas, new partners and new models. The next big thing could come from just about anywhere these days so we have to remain open minded at all times.

“The next big thing could come from just about anywhere these days” 12 I

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It’s early days for you at MGM. But at this point what are your game-changing plans? MGM is at an exciting point in its history. We are in a strong ﬁnancial position and have a new, energised leadership team that wants to deliver growth. That growth will come from creating new ﬁlm and TV content and working closely with our partners around the world to reach audiences in a way that meets their evolving needs. All companies are looking at new ways to reach those audiences so the way forward will continue to evolve. And I am sure new players as well as traditional players will have an important role to play. Which means we are growing in the digital space. In today’s world we are all digital — so I think that is a distinction between players that will be less relevant with time. How does one position — or re-position — an iconic brand like MGM in today’s crowded marketplace? I think the MGM brand speaks for itself. Our job is to deliver great content around the world — from new films such as Skyfall, The Hobbit, The Girl With

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Media Architect Of The Future Award Saturday, March 31, 17.30-18.00

i intervieW The Dragon Tattoo, Robocop, Carrie, 21 Jump Street, to new TV series and iconic library titles like Thomas Crown Affair, Rocky, Thelma And Louise, Annie Hall, Ronin, Silence Of The Lambs, Legally Blonde, and many more from a list too long and rich to name. When that lion roars audiences know that a great story is about to follow. I work with one of the greatest content brands in the world. And that makes my job a little easier. W hat pla ns a re there to for new pro“In today’s ductions at MGM? world we are We are building our TV production busiall digital” ness and are excited about many new projects. We hope to add to the success of Teen Wolf with new series very soon. Stay tuned for some great announcements. What is the strategy for MGM Networks, at home and internationally? The MGM networks around the world look to deliver our great content and our great brand to broadcast audiences around the world. We are lucky to have built some great partnerships that allow us to reach millions of global homes. As for the future, we will evolve with the markets we serve. What does the evolving multi-screen multi-platform landscape offer content owners in terms of new business opportunities? Our new landscape gives us many new opportunities and advantages. From new ways of marketing to the creation of a socially networked dialogue around our content, we are engaging audiences with multiple touchpoints. And I think technology is ﬁnally at a point that we can deliver content experiences that are geared speciﬁcally for new platforms in a way that makes great business sense. We have so many iconic brands to work with over a broad range of genres; I am excited to look for ways to bring those brands to life in new and innovative ways. That might be games, social networks, video content delivered digitally, whatever. The options for new opportunities are endless. There is — and will be at MIPCube — much talk about the second screen, and augmented content. What opportunities does this present to the industry? There is an opportunity to use these outlets to augment the viewing experience. We just need to be careful that we keep it connected to our storytelling and true to the audience experience. If we can do that, we’ll get closer to having our audiences’ full attention. 14 I

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

MIPCube: the evolving world of television MIPCUBE, the two-day networking and livelearning experience is where entertainment and digital technology come together to shape the evolving world of TV. MIPCube features visionary talks, a series of competitions and awards, hands-on demos and workshops. Top-level speakers at the inaugural MIPCube include: Cindy Gallop of IfWeRanTheWorld; Allen DeBevoise of Machinima; Tony Wang of Twitter; Steve Henry and Ali Blackwell of Decoded; Vincent Morisset, director of Arcade Fire’s interactive videos and founder of AATOAA; Danny Zappin and Lisa Donovan, of Maker Studios; and Lisa Hsia of Bravo. MIPCube’s 2012 Digital Minds Summit, the invitation-only closed-door event held on March 31, will bring together 50 heads of digital from production companies and broadcasters, as well as online platforms, social media and technology companies,

Machinima’s Allen DeBevoise

including Google, YouTube, Facebook, Channel 4, Canal+, France Televisions, MBC Group, Samsung and The Box. MIPCube aims to build links between key producers and broadcasters from the global TV market and major players in online media, technology, advertising and the social networks, towards the development of new business partnerships. MIPCube’s TV Hack Day will gather 15 developers and creative talents to produce innovative new TV apps live in a one-of-a-kind, 48-hour creative marathon. The conferences on Super Sunday, the first day of MIPTV, are a bridge between the MIPCube and the MIPTV audiences. The winners of the TV Hack Day, MIPCube Lab and Content 360 competitions will all be presented at the MIPCube Innovation Show on Sunday from 11.30 to 13.00. MIPCube partners include Vivendi and MSN.

Maker’s Danny Zappin

Vivendi’s Sandrine Dufour

Decoded’s Steve Henry

IfWeRanTheWorld’s Cindy Gallop

i neWs

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Branded Entertainment Keynote Monday, April 2, 17.15-18.00 Grand Auditorium

IN BRIEF

BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

SESSIONS FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF BRANDS

Coke’s been in entertainment for 125 years, Mildenhall says

Doug Scott: “30-second ad is a disposable asset”

MIPTV’s Branded Entertainment strand features a number of sessions that explore the growing importance of brands in all aspects of multiplatform entertainment. To thrive in this new environment, “you had better understand how stories will be delivered to consumers through (computer) tablets, Xbox and Xbox Live (games), apps, smart TV and other technologies,” said Doug Scott, president of Ogilvy Entertainment, MIPTV 2012’s branded-entertainment partner. “We believe in building (content) instead of borrowing (other producers) because of the growing value of content as a distributable asset as opposed to the 30-second ad, which is a disposable asset.” One of the sessions — Sephora: Entering The Chinese Market (April 3, 11.30) will focus on a new reality format and branded content series called Beauty Academy, which has been broadcast on Shanghai’s satellite TV channel Dragon TV. The talent show’s goal is to find a star make-up artist. It started with a casting session in China’s six biggest cities, then continued with master classes, challenges, and tips, while embedding beauty brand Sephora’s colour codes and product lines. The second season is in development for broadcast later this year.

BRAND OF THE YEAR MIPTV once again is honouring a global consumer brand for it’s outstanding contribution to the development and production of branded entertainment. The Brand Of The Year Award acknowledges the strategic importance of branded content creation, and the collaboration between production, networks, brands, and agencies to deliver content. The second edition of the Brand Of The Year Award is part of the Branded Entertainment Programme, which takes place on April 2 and 3. WANT TO KNOW MORE? Branded Entertainment Party featuring the MIPTV Brand of the Year Award Monday, April 2, 20.00-21.30 Majestic Hotel 16 I

ONATHAN Mildenhall, vicepresident of global advertising strategy and content excellence of soft-beverages giant The Coca-Cola Company, brings some fizz to MIPTV 2012 as the Branded Entertainment programme’s keynote speaker on April 2 at 17.15. Responsible for Coke’s global creative vision, strategy, international marketing and communications, Mildenhall is a champion of branded content. And he is attending MIPTV to share his concepts and explain how “diagonal” thinking can trigger original creativity and content that appeal to today’s digital natives. But, as he will point out, the history of the Coke brand comes with a long trail of original entertainment. “For the past 125 years, Coke has understood the importance of earning a disproportionate share of popular culture,” Mildenhall said. “If our brands engage in a credible way, then they are seen by our consumers as adding to the popular-culture landscape.” From as far back as the 1930s, MGM studio’s Hollywood stars like Clark Gable and Maureen O’Sullivan have appeared in Coca-Cola marketing campaigns. Then Coke bought Columbia, another Holly wood studio, in 1982 following a $750m takeover. The Coke-owned Columbia had box-office hits like Tootsie, The Big Chill, and Oscar-winning G a nd h i . C oke sold C olumbia

Jonathan Mildenhall: “diagonal thinking can trigger creativity”

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

for $3.4bn in 1989. More recently, the Coke Zero brand has been seen in action films such as those in the James Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises. Having previously produced the 1970s recording hit I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing, Coke topped the charts in 18 countries in 2010 with Wavin’ Flag, the FIFA World Cup anthem performed by K’naan, the Somalia-born Canadian. More recent forays include collaborations with international DJ David Guetta, as well as Bollywood star Akshay Kumar for its Thums Up drink in India. As for what branded entertainment can do for the TV industry, Mildenhall said: “Advertisers and media owners must collaborate more creatively, if we are to produce compelling content bespoke for each screen and each viewing occasion.”

i neWs COPROXCHANGE

NEW CAMPION DRAMA UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Jane Campion

TOP OF The Lake, the new TV drama from director Jane Campion, is the subject of a CoProXchange Case Study at MIPTV. Part of the co-production track on April 2, Top Of The Lake began production in February of this year. The seven-part mini-series is directed by Oscar-winner Campion and Australian director Garth Davis, and written by Campion and Gerard Lee. The project stars Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), and Holly Hunter, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Campion’s The Piano. Peter Mullan (War Horse) and David Wenham (The Lord Of The Rings, Australia) also star. Producer Iain Canning (The King’s Speech) of See-Saw Films, Sundance Channel’s Christian Vesper, BBCWW’s Sarah Doole, and BBCWW America’s Jemma Adkins, will present the case study. Shot in a remote area of New Zealand, Top Of The Lake tells of a 12-year-old girl who is found standing chest-deep in a frozen lake. She is five months pregnant, and she won’t say who the father is, insisting it was “no one”. Then she disappears. Investigating detective Robin Griffin find this to be the case that tests her to her limits. The series is co-produced by Sundance Channel, BBC Two, and UKTV in Australia and New Zealand. BBC Worldwide distributes the television series internationally. WANT TO KNOW MORE? Top Of The Lake, case study Monday, April 2, 14.00-14.45, Auditorium A

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Media Mastermind Keynote Monday, April 2, 16.15-17.00, Grand Auditorium

RESPECTING THE AUDIENCE

Taking a creative risk was less of a commercial risk, Sapan says

MC NETWORKS president and CEO Josh Sapan gives one of two Media Mastermind keynotes at M I P T V on Monday April 2, at 16.15. Sapan has carved out a reputation as one of the most creative minds in US television over the last two decades. While he is possibly best known for backing AMC’s critically-acclaimed drama series Mad Men, his undoubted career achievement has been the creation of a leading independent cable business that counts AMC, IFC, Sundance and WE tv among its much-loved channel brands. The success

Josh Sapan

DUBAI FESTIVAL IN CANNES THE DUBAI International Film Festival (DIFF), in collaboration with MIPTV presents the 2011 winners of its flagship Muhr Arab feature and documentary competitions during MIPDoc — Habibi, from director Susan Youssef, and Sector Zero from director Nadim Mishlawi. Both film-makers are in Cannes this year and the two films feature in the MIPDoc Digital Library for screening by international buyers. DIFF is an established destination for discovery of Arab, Asian and African cinema and a showcase of the best of world cinema. 18 I

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of the portfolio has been about “respecting the audience enough to take some creative risks” Sapan says. “We haven’t been afraid to introduce our viewers to slightly more slow-burn series where they need to pay attention. The idea is that, as with Mad Men, once engaged they become deeply involved with the stories and characters.” For an ad-funded network operating in a territory notorious for killing off series in their infancy, backing great story-telling talent was a brave decision. “We took the view that if we just did the same as everyone else we wouldn’t stand out or be distinctive,” he says. “So in a way, taking a creative risk by working outside conventional patterns seemed less of a commercial risk.” AMC has reaped the dividends of this decision in terms of its own ratings — with shows like The Walking Dead holding their own against much bigger networks. At the same time, Sapan believes its editorial strategy insulates it against the rising tide of on-demand TV. “I think on-demand is the friend of episodic TV with a long arc. For me, the evidence suggests it is a sympathetic window, allowing people to watch our content when they want and providing promotional support when we have a new series. We’ve seen that with both The Walking Dead and Mad Men.” Not that episodic drama is the only thing worth watching on TV, adds Sapan. “I’m not fundamentalist about this,” says the man who turned Bravo into a hit network with shows like Queer Eye For The Straight G u y, r e s u l ting in a $1.25bn sale to N BC. “There’s clearly room for reality series with a pay off every 90 seconds.”

A New York Gangster. In Norway? Best Ratings for a Norwegian Drama Series ever and all-time High on NRK 1! Now airing on NetďŹ&#x201A;ix, soon airing on BBC Come and see us.

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i neWs WANT TO KNOW MORE? Media Mastermind Keynote Sunday, April 1, 15.45-16.15 Grand Auditorium

ANGRY BIRDS

How the Mighty Eagle took on the world PETER Vesterbacka, Mighty Eagle at Rovio, is at MIPTV to tell one of the entertainment industry’s most remarkable digital stories, at his Media Mastermind keynote on April 1, at 15.45. Vesterbacka claims over 700 million downloads for Angry Birds since it was first released for Apple’s iOS back in December 2009 — and he compares that with another gaming hit, Tetris, which announced 100 million downloads in 2010 after five years on mobile phones. “But we are in a very different environment now,” he said. “There is an explosion of iPhone, all the smart phones, and connected smart TVs. Angry Birds is the first example of an entertainment franchise that originates on the mobile side but then goes to all screens. We didn’t expect this kind of success but I think we will see more entertainment brands coming from this mobile, connected, interactive side of the business.” During Vesterbacka’s Media Mastermind keynote, delegates will hear how Angry birds is becoming a TV phenomenon, with all Samsung Smart TVs now shipped with a built-in Angry Birds channel. This was announced at CES in January and follows the partnership with Roku that sees Angry Birds embedded in all Roku 2 streaming players and the recent release of the limited edition Roku 2 Angry Birds model.

The Samsung channel will be interactive but will also include Angry Birds animated shorts — which have become the most-viewed game-related animations on YouTube with in excess of 300 million views. Rovio recently acquired Finnish animation studio Kombo which now focuses exclusively on Rovio properties. Vesterbacka says Rovio can learn a lot from being at MIPTV. “We are a tiny company from a tiny country and

we are learning new things every day. We absolutely want to have a dialogue at MIPTV — we can learn a lot about programming and entertainment on the bigger screens. And obviously we know a thing or two about how to create a brand in this new world of digital distribution. That’s something that requires new skills. So we think we can learn, and also have something of value that will be useful to others.”

Peter Vesterbacka

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Media Mastermind Keynote Sunday, April 1, 16.20-16.50 Grand Auditorium

FACTUAL, DIGITAL

A chance to discover digital with Perrette

Discovery’s head of digital, Jean-Briac Perrette 20 I

DISCOVERY Communications’ JB Perrette gives a Media Mastermind keynote on April 1 at 16.20. Named Discovery’s chief digital ofﬁcer in October 2011, Jean-Briac Perrette oversees a team of more than 300 employees, and leads the company’s digital strategy, and digital distribution efforts. He is also responsible for Discovery’s information technology services division, Discovery Commerce, including licensing and home entertainment, as well as footage and music services. With more than 1.5 billion subscribers to its TV networks in 210 territories around the world, the company has built similar depth in social media and elsewhere online. The company has over 2.5 million Twitter followers and it is estimated that more than 70 Discovery-themed Facebook pages are accessed by over 45 million people. The ofﬁcial Discovery Channel Facebook page

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alone has some eight million Likes. “Our primary mission is delighting audiences,” Perrette said. “And social (media) has revolutionised our relationship with our audiences.” Perrette unveiled Discovery’s new digital strategy and businesses team in January of this year, its mission “to ensure the company has its finger on the pulse of any relevant emerging digital-media technology”, and with the aim not only to spread and reinforce the Discovery brand but also to generate revenues. “Discovery has been a leader in every new phase of innovation — first to cable, first to HD and first to 3D,” he said. “We want to be where our audiences are. Look to Discovery to expand on our online aftershow strategy, to provide more made-for-digital content, and to launch a new host of apps to further our bond with viewers ... more to come!”

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i neWs REALITY

Jersey Shore stars come to Cannes

Deena Nicole Cortese

JERSEY Shore cast members Deena Nicole Cortese and Vincenzo ‘Vinny’ Guadagnino are at MIPTV to showcase the MTV television phenomenon, on April 2 at 11.45. They are joined in Cannes by Caroline Beaton, senior vicepresident, international programme sales at Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) and Chris Linn, executive vice-president, MTV programming and head of production. Since Deena joined the cast of Jersey Shore a year ago, she has gained over one million followers on Twitter, has become a spokesperson for Stacker 2 6 Hour

Energy Drink, developed her own iPhone app and has become the face of Wisper Hair Products. She tours the country to meet her fans because she believes in “bringing the party to them”. Guadagnino launched a clothing line called IHAV — as in I Have A Vision — which, in collaboration with the charity organisation Do Something, produced t-shirts carrying an anti-bullying message. He also supports the animal rescue organisation Much Love. The cast of Jersey Shore was named on Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People list in 2010.

Vincenzo ‘Vinny’ Guadagnino WANT TO KNOW MORE? “Fashion Star” Keynote Monday, April 2, 12.20-13.00 Grand Auditorium

FASHION STARS

Meet Elle Macpherson the Fashion Star ACTRESS, model and fashion designer Elle Macpherson comes to Cannes to showcase her new series Fashion Star, on April 2, at 12.20. The series sets out to discover America’s next popular fashion brand, and also allows viewers at home to buy the winning designs each week. Macpherson is presenter and executive producer of the series, and will be joined in Cannes by Electus founder and chairman Ben Silverman, and Electus CEO Chris Grant. The series gives 12 unknown designers the chance to win a multi-million dollar contract to launch their line in America’s largest retail stores. Each week, the designers are put through challenges designed to further develop and expand their brands. Electus has teamed with NBC on the project. “The stakes are higher than any other competitive 22 I

reality show, as Fashion Star pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to launch a major national brand,” Silverman said. Buyers from Macy’s, H&M and Saks Fifth Avenue will serve as the judges, making on-the-spot decisions each week as they bid against each other to purchase the work

of these up-and-coming designers. The night following each episode, the winning designs will be available online and in retail stores across the US. The designer who most successfully combines fashion and business will become the next Fashion Star and receive a franchise with each of the three retailers.

The show is executive-produced by Elle Macpherson and Ben Silverman, Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth of The Magical Elves, Rick Ringbakk of 5x5 Media and EJ Johnston and James Deutch of EJD Productions. Electus International retains all international distribution rights.

Presenter Elle Macpherson

Electus’ Ben Silverman

Electus’ Chris Grant

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

NBC’s special sneak preview made #1 in its time slot and scored NBC‘s highest viewership in this slot in 28 months.

Based on International Emmy Winner „Benidorm Bastards“

Come and see us.

MIPTV 2012

Stand H4.12

Tel.: +33(0)4 92 99 87 72

www.sevenoneinternational.com

i neWs TRENDS: KIDS TV

PRODUCERS’ HUB

EURODATA SAYS ALL IS WELL WITH KIDS TV

Producers get the opportunity to meet the industry at the Hub

RESEARCH company Eurodata TV Worldwide shares its annual survey on children’s television audience with MIPTV delegates on Sunday, April 1. During the presentations the company will Eurodata’s Amandine Cassi release two white papers — on animation and live-action television for children and young people. And Eurodata’s head of research Amandine Cassi says all the news is good in the world of kids’ TV. “We will reveal that viewing time among children is growing,” she said. “Despite the internet — or thanks to the internet, actually.” The Eurodata presentations — The Global Animation Marketplace: The Big Picture at 10.00, and Live Action! Must-see TV For Kids at 14.30 — will also feature clips from a number of recent success stories. Elsewhere in this magazine, Zoe Scurfield, head of development and production at Coolabi, says that “live action has gone beyond being a craze thanks to a marked improvement in the genre”. Among the animation hits that Eurodata will present is Jungle Book, the $12.3m coproduction with India’s DQE, France’s TF1 and Moonscoop, and Germany’s ZDF Group. For an in-depth look at animation and live action programming, see pages 92 and 96 of this magazine.

Jungle Book

24 I

S PART of an expanded Producers’ Programme, MIPTV is introducing the Producers’ Hub, which will be at the Gare Maritime building by the port, just two minute’s walk from the Palais des Festivals. The Producers’ Hub is where producers meet with television industry buyers and decision makers, and offers workshops and mentoring

sessions designed to assist producers with making pitches, negotiating deals and developing business in the digital world. A free coffee bar makes the Hub the perfect place for casual meetings, and networking opportunities begin with a welcome drink on Sunday, April 1, and 17.30. The Producers’ Hub is open from 11.00 on Sunday, April 1.

The Gare Maritime, home of the MIPTV Producers’ Hub

MIPTV 3DTV FOCUS

3DTV is heading for the mainstream THE MIPTV 3DTV Focus will highlight the latest devlopments and opportunities in 3DTV broadcasting and content. Scheduled across April 3 and 4, the MIPTV 3DTV Focus is supported by Sony Corporation, the Korea Radio Promotion Association, the Korean Communications Commission and the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute. The programme includes a 3DTV Producer Pavilion, a full day of sessions, screenings, and buyers meetings on April 3, and a special 3DTV Boot Camp on April 4 for production and programming executives. David Bush, marketing director of the MIPTV 3DTV Focus lead sponsor Sony Corp, said that 2012 could be the turning point for the adoption of 3DTV by consumers. “A very high percentage of larger screens being sold now have 3D upgrade capability and so I think it will become a mainstream feature.” He added: “Many consumers are already buying 3D capability — in some cases without even being aware that they’re buying it.”

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

See page 86 in this publication for a feature on where the 3D market is today and where it is going in the future. A MIPTV 3DTV Focus special supplement will be published with Issue 2 of the MIPTV Daily News, April 2.

Experience 3D (3Net)

i neWs IN BRIEF

DIGITAL DEALS

DOC CHANNEL IS KEY FOCUS FOR CCTV

MIPTV’s Super Sunday puts digital under the spotlight

CHINA Central TV is putting the focus firmly on documentaries this year in Cannes with a specialist delegation set for increased activity at both MIPDOC and MIPTV. The main CCTV delegation will be headed by vice-president Luo Ming and includes CCTV documentary controller Liu Wen and senior representatives from the China International TV Corp (CITVC), organisers of the MIPTV China United Pavilion. In addition to CITVC’s best of Chinese TV drama, animation and education catalogues, the national broadcaster will be promoting its dedicated CCTV Documentary channel and signing a series of high profile coproduction deals. CCTV is sponsoring the MIPDOC Networking Lunch and will host a VIP dinner. MIPTV Daily News will publish a special CCTV supplement, which will include an exclusive Luo Ming interview with Luo Ming.

THE WIT GETS SOCIAL THE WIT is holding its popular Fresh TV Around The World session as part of Super Sunday at 13.00. Later in the week The Wit’s Virginia Mouseler presents Fresh TV: The Top TV Shows In Social Media, on April 3 at 09.15. “One interesting thing our social TV analytics have shown is that there are TV programmes that don’t get huge audiences — perhaps because they’re on minor channels for example — yet they have very big social TV audiences. This is because they are being talked about on the social networks, people are sharing clips, and so on.” During the presentation Mouseler will present three new ways of calculating the effects of social media on TV viewing: The Wit ER, which tracks comments relating to TV shows in pure numbers terms; The Witometer, which gives a qualitative analysis of the social media conversation about a TV show; and The Wit Pusher which measures the effectiveness of marketing TV shows through social media.

The Wit co-founder Viriginia Mouseler 26 I

UNDAY April 1 — the first day of MIPTV 2012 — has a strong digital focus, reflecting the many developments that are shaping the future of television. ‘Super Sunday’ includes the announcement of the winners of the three MIPCube competitions, and keynote speeches from three key figures in the digital sphere — Peter Vesterbacka, JB Perrette and Amazon.com vice-president Anthony Bay. Representatives from YouTube, Myspace TV, Facebook, Samsung and Sky are among other Super Sunday speakers. In the two days leading up to Super Sunday, MIPCube’s TV Hack Day will gather 15 developers and creative talent to produce innovative new TV apps live in a 48-hour creative marathon. The MIPCube Innovation Show, held on the first day of MIPTV, will feature the winners of the TV Hack Day, the MIPCube Lab start-up competition, and Content 360. Connected devices and connected audiences will be the big focus for Super Sunday, starting with a market overview by Tom Morrod, senior analyst at ISH Screen Digest, part of

Amazon.com vice-president Anthony Bay the Digital Deals series of sessions that run through the day. Key industry executives feature in the Digital Deals sessions that follow to discuss Who’s Connecting To Your Audience Now? and The New TV Players.

DIGITAL EMMYS

Academy presents digital honours THE 7th edition of The International Digital Emmy Awards at MIPTV will take place during the MIPTV Opening Night Party at the Hotel Martinez on Sunday, April 1. Over 3,000 international decision-makers from the international content and digital industries are expected to attend. The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will be presenting three International Digital Emmy Awards, in the following categories: Children And Young People, Fiction, and Non-Fiction. The Academy will also present a Pioneer Prize, the recipient of which will be announced closer to MIPTV.

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

Expect a star-studded red carpet at the Digital Emmy Awards and MIPTV Opening Night Party

neWCOmErs WELCOME TO MIPTV

Newcomers bring broad range of new business to Cannes As the global entertainment industry becomes more diverse, bringing in new sectors, so this is reďŹ&#x201A;ected at MIPTV. Debbie Lincoln met some of 2012â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cannes newcomersâ&#x20AC;Ś

ALEXIS DE GEMINI â&#x20AC;˘ &(2 (;(&87,9( 352'8&(5 $1' ',5(&725 ĂŤ $ * &5($7,216 ĂŤ France â&#x20AC;&#x153;A2G CREATIONS, based in Paris and created in 2009, focuses on TV format creation, including variety, reality and adventure shows. I have 15 years experience adapting TV formats, including Bachelor, Top Model, Peking Express, Beauty Academy and M6 Music Awards. We work in France and abroad, mainly in China for the moment. 2011 was the take-off year for A2G, being the ďŹ rst independent foreign producer to sell, produce and direct 10 primetime shows for a Chinese broadcaster.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;At MIPTV we expect contact with international producers and broadcasters to export our formats. Our strategy is to develop a catalogue of original formats, promote A2Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst international franchise Beauty Academy and new format Paris City Mystery. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for partners for co-productions, distribution and broadcasting.â&#x20AC;?

BORYS MUSIELAK â&#x20AC;˘ )281'(5 $1' &(2 ĂŤ )LOPDVWHU FRP ĂŤ Poland â&#x20AC;&#x153;FILMASTER was founded in 2010 and is based in Warsaw, operating in the consumer and B2B market. Since 2010 it has become a leading ďŹ lm platform in Poland, providing users with accurate movie recommendations both in cinema, TV and VOD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The interest has been overwhelming. We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet ofďŹ cially released the product but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already talking with ďŹ ve potential customers and one of them is testing the beta version. At MIPTV we expect to keep raising awareness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Filmaster analyses each viewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s watching behaviour and how the viewer rates movies. It combines this data with speciďŹ c ďŹ lm traits and current mood of the user to deliver personalised movie recommendations.

28 I

Filmaster automatically describes movies in an innovative way eg. movie A is similar to movie B but less violent, more funny and faster. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In March we launched the Filmaster mobile app. In July we received funding by HackFwd, a European investor in innovative tech startups, and in September we released the Android mobile app. Filmaster currently has two million movie ratings, 20,000 registered users and more than 10,000 downloads of the mobile app. The product is set to revolutionise the way people select movies to watch on VOD and digital TV platforms, helping customers choose what they love and the providers to make more money.â&#x20AC;?

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

i neWCOmErs JULIETTE SQUAIR • MANAGING DIRECTOR ë $XGLR 1HWZRUN ë London “AUDIO Network is a high quality music library, owning the rights to a catalogue of originally composed tracks, and releases up to 8,000 new works a year, cutting through the traditionally complex and costly processes of licensing music. All tracks are pre-cleared for multiple formats, for the world — forever. We have a passionate commitment to world-class production standards. “We’ve attended MIPTV for a while as delegates, but a stand sends out a positive message that Audio Network is a professional player operating at the sharp edge of the international media industry. It is an amazing and very proud moment to be hosting our own stand.

“From MIPTV we’d like to come away with some new friends and gain a deeper insight into our clients’ lives, needs and challenges. Our strategy is simple: Prepare! Work hard on your activation for the event beforehand by getting onto the MIP database early and getting in contact with people. Also, it’s important to work hard after the event to make sure you personally follow up everyone you have met. “We’re just opening an ofﬁce in Germany (to be announced at MIPTV) so are keen to meet producers from this area, as well as emerging markets such as China and India.”

ANDY WOOD • &(2 ë (XURYLVLRQ /RQGRQ ë (XURSHDQ %URDGFDVWLQJ 8QLRQ ë UK “EUROVISIONShowcase.com aims to shape the future of online content trading — bringing rights holders, publishers and buyers together. We all know how hard making a rights sale can be these days. Competition continues to grow and the marketplace is a noisy arena. Getting your catalogue in front of the right people can be difﬁcult. “With EurovisionShowcase.com you can make your content assets visible to one of the largest TV and radio broadcasting communities in the world. To assist EBU members in trading high quality content the EBU has launched EurovisionShowcase.com. Our aim is to create the largest catalogue across all forms

of programming and platforms, available 24/7/365. Members can upload and search the database of programmes and formats, post industry news and events, plus we have recently launched a new Screening Rooms feature. “Screening Rooms provides a digital space to promote, screen, and discuss programme content. You can choose who can join your room, or add members yourself, with complete control of all content and decide who can view it. “It is a perfect extension to your company intranet or extranet, or for private screenings and working groups that can collaborate in a secure environment.”

IJEOMA ONAH • *(1(5$/ 0$1$*(5 ë 0,1 7&20 ë Nigeria “MIN-TCOM is an acronym for Made In Nigeria TV Content Market, an export platform committed to the exportation and increased international visibility for the best television made in Nigeria, meeting required international standards. MIN-TCOM is a non-government initiative developed to increase international content sales for Nigerian producers and also help the deserving ones get international recognition. “MIP is the destination for serious minded and focused companies who want to take their business to the next level. “Nigerian productions have been recognised due to the popularity of Nollywood ﬁlms, and interest in Nigerian programmes has soared from Africans, non-Africans, and Africans in the diaspora.

32 I

“Strategy for the market is very simple and that is to make sure that interested companies are guaranteed the best in terms of quality programming and pricing. And since it’s our ﬁrst time buyers are guaranteed the best price as well as a relationship that will provide them professional after-sales support and advice. “I want to broker partnerships especially in the area of co-production and funding for Made In Nigeria programmes, and I want to form consulting partnerships based on our understanding of the Nigerian industry. “Business has changed in terms of more demand for Made In Nigeria programmes and we continue to use opportunities such as MIPTV to increase the international visibility.”

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

i neWCOmErs TANYA VIDMAR • 35 (9(176 ',5(&725 ë 9LVLRQ ë UK “VISION247 has ofﬁces in London, Dubai, USA, China and South Korea, and provides solutions to manage, deliver and monetise content across traditional broadcast platforms like satellite, and the new world of over-the-top internet delivered broadcast. Its services include studio and playout facilities with full 24/7 MCR and connectivity to teleports and data centres, TV and VOD IP portal solutions, app development for OTT platforms and IP connected devices like TVs, STBs, mobiles, PCs and tablets, and worldwide distribution to hotels and cable networks, as well as an incomparable 24/7 telephone support. “At MIPTV Vision247 is demonstrating its new service, delivering TV channels to the UK’s Freeview via IP. Vision

TV Network offers an inexpensive option to watch international television for expats in the UK, including France24 and China Central Television (CCTV), and Vision247 is planning to expand the bouquet of international channels. “We also launched the Roku channel app last year to reach American audiences. Roku box has just launched in the UK, but Vision247 has been streaming to Roku box for nearly a year now. Revelation TV and Russia Today have used the app to stream to the Roku box. “As MIPTV is the biggest content trade show in the world, it will help raise our brand awareness and Vision247 is looking to develop long-term relationships where both can grow together.”

CALVIN YANG • &+,() (',725 ë -< (QWHUWDLQPHQW +XDFH )LOP 79 &R ë China “JY ENTERTAINMENT, founded in 2007, is one of the first professional companies providing network video and audio content in China. Our founding team has over 10 years film and television copyrights distribution experience in China. “We have a close relationship with over 100 channels, providing coverage throughout Mainland China for different platforms (PC/TV/mobile), we have successfully distributed more than 30,000 hours of programming. We use our local knowledge, experienced marketing talents as well as our strong network of domestic and international contacts in the TV and film industry.

“Taking into account the high demand of the Chinese market, we’re attending MIPTV to seek more quality programmes for Chinese audiences. We believe this will help enhance our partners’ visibility and raise their awareness in the Chinese market. We not only assist overseas programmes to legally enter into China’s internet market, we also have the ability to increase their circulation, prevent copyright infringement, increase revenue streams, and enhance brand awareness. We hope to extablish long-term strategic business relationships with customers around the world.”

MARGARITA KORNEVA • ',5(&725 *(1(5$/ ë ,JPDU ë Russia “IGMAR is a fast-moving production company that covers a wide range of markets, including, but not limited to, the countries of former USSR. For us MIPTV is not only a chance to meet channels, but also to feel trends and industry undertones, and broaden our geographical reach. We’re looking for new partnerships with countries where interest for Russian ﬁlms has always been high and has revived in recent years. We have a versatile offer for niche and specialty channels with programming focused on science and education. The titles we

34 I

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

offer have been aired by leading Russian broadcasters, including Channel One and channels belonging to VGTRK. “Major European distributors have started paying more attention to our company, and we receive more VOD rights requests from Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. “Our animated series, New Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, entered the final selection at Seoul Promotion Plan Competition, helping to expand our dialogue with Asian market.”

PrOductnEWs For four days in Cannes the Palais des Festivals will be packed with stands selling every kind of content for every kind of platform. Here we spotlight some of the content available at MIPTV this year… ENTERTAINMENT ONE (EONE)

JAPAN

DISCOVERY ENTERPRISES INTERNATIONAL

DRAMA

NIPPON TELEVISION (NTV)

I’M MITA, Your Housekeeper, the 11-part drama series from Japan’s Nippon Television (NTV) achieved a 40% audience rating when the last episode aired in Japan in December. The series centres on a family who struggle to deal with the loss of their mother. A home help, Ms Mita, is brought in to look after house and family, and slowly a warmth develops between them. But as the story unfolds the true tragedy of Ms Mita’s life unfolds. The series was originally intended as a light-hearted family show but after the tsunami and earthquake in March last year, its producer, Futoshi Oohira, decided to say more in the series about how important it is for people and families to stick together and keep going even in the face of tragedy. A buzz around the series grew on social networks, which contributed to the audience rating of a record 40%. I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper

REALITY

PAWN Queens (10 x 30 mins) follows Minda and Nikki who run a pawn shop that specifically caters to women. Merchandise runs from designer handbags, jewellery and shoes, to vintage Barbie dolls, classic cars and antiques. Discovery also brings seasons one and two of Long Island Medium (22 x 30 mins), about Theresa Caputo, who juggles family life with her occupation as a psychic medium.

THE FOCUS of new series Saving Hope is Toronto’s Hope-Zion Hospital. When chief of surgery Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks) falls into a coma his fiancee and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Erica Durance), races to save his life. As the action unfolds, Dr. Harris wanders the hospital in spirit form, not sure if he’s a ghost or a figment of his own imagination. The worldwide distribution of the series in all media, including all television, DVD/Blu-ray, VOD and digital exploitation is handled by eOne.

Pawn Queens (Discovery Enterprises International)

SONY PICTURES TELEVISION US GAME-SHOW FORMAT

(NTV)

SHOWCASE ENTERTAINMENT US FILMS

SHOWCASE brings a roster of films to MIPTV, including: You May Not Kiss The Bride, a romantic adventure; Ira Finkelstein’s Christmas, about a Jewish boy who dreams of a perfect Christmas; Annabelle & Bear, about biker thrust into fatherhood; action thriller Through The Eye, set in the drug trade; horror stories Joe Dante’s Trail Of Blood and Extinction; music drama Angel Camouflaged; and family dramas The Little Matchmakers, White Lion and Catalina Island. Showcase also brings tween comedy/music series The Wannabes (26 x 30 mins).

CREATED by Gogglebox Entertainment, 30-minute game show Breakaway puts five contestants onto a giant track with 30 steps to the finish line. They answer questions to advance and win a cash prize. But there is an adjacent track offering higher rewards, so the dilemma is whether they stick together and win together or breakaway to win the prize money for themselves.

Breakaway (Sony Pictures Television)

Erica Durance, star of Saving Hope (eOne)

BBC/STARZ ENTERTAINMENT UK/US DRAMA

STARZ Entertainment and BBC Worldwide Productions are producing drama series Da Vinci’s Demons. British actor Tom Riley plays Leonardo in the series, which imagines his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence, as an artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist. Filming is set to begin later this year and Starz will premiere the eight-episode series in the US in 2013. BBC Worldwide will distribute the series in international territories.

www.miptv.com I preview magazine I March 2012 I 35

iproductneWs 9 STORY ENTERTAINMENT

CAKE

MARVISTA ENTERTAINMENT

CANADA

ANIMATION

FILM

FUGGET About It (26 x 22 mins) is a new animated primetime comedy about Jimmy Falcone, a former New York mob boss who with his family enters the witness protection programme in Canada. After Jimmy is asked by his crime associates to kill his Uncle, he goes to Don Gambini to plead his uncle’s case. When that fails, Jimmy throws the mob boss out of a 19-storey window. Now Jimmy has to turn to the Feds and move his family to snowy Regina where he has to live as regular guy among unsuspecting Canadians.

HIGHLIGHTS from a catalogue of over 60 hours from Cake include: Total Drama: Revenge Of The Island (13 x 22 mins) which returns with a new cast and is set in a toxic nuclear waste dump; Let’s Go Pocoyo (52 x 7 mins), the third series blending humour and learning, and featuring different styles of original music; and Plankton Invasion (78 x 7 mins), about three tiny sea creatures who try to take over the planet. Cake also brings Tom & The Slice Of Bread With Strawberry Jam & Honey, The Sparticle Mystery, Poppy Cat and Oscar’s Oasis.

RADIO Rebel, starring teen actress Debby Ryan, is based on Danielle Joseph’s popular novel Shrinking Violet. It chronicles the adventures of shy Seattle-based 17-year-old Tara Adams who has an alter ego — Radio Rebel — a radio DJ. MarVista Entertainment will debut the film to international buyers at MIPTV, and it is the company’s second movie production for Disney Channel. Radio Rebel premieres on Disney Channel in the US and YTV Canada in February, and subsequently on Disney Channels around the world.

Total Drama: Revenge Of The Island (Cake)

Radio Rebel (MarVista Entertainment)

Fugget About It (9 Story Entertainment)

MOONSCOOP PARIS ANIMATION

SIXTEEN SOUTH

TVN

NORTHERN IRELAND

POLAND

ANIMATION

DRAMA

MOONSCOOP brings the new second season of CGI-animated series Casper’s Scare School (52 x 11 mins/26 x 22 mins) to MIPTV. Founded over 10,000 years ago Scare School’s purpose is to turn its ghost pupils into scaring machines, but Casper can’t help but be friendly. Already presold to TF1, Disney Channel Spain and Portugal, Italy’s Mediaset, Disney Channel France, DR in Denmark and Canada’s Telequebec, the series is a Moonscoop production with Classic Media and DQE. Moonscoop handles distribution with the exception of North and Latin America, and the UK, which is handled by Classic Media; and the Middle East, Oceania and Asia which is managed by DQE. Delivery is set for June 2012.

DRIFTWOOD Bay (52 x 7 mins) is a mixed media animated pre-school series in development about a young girl who creates an imaginary world. Lily lives in a beach hut with her Dad, and every day the sea washes up a curious new treasure which sparks her imagination about what might be happening on the island she can see from her window. Accompanied by her seagull companion, she walks across Driftwood Bay where they meet other friends including Salty, the old seafaring dog and Nana Dog who runs the island’s tea room.

THE MIPTV slate from TVN includes Letters To Santa, a heart-warming romantic comedy film that follows the stories of the entangled lives of five men and women as they unfold on Christmas Eve. In contrast, True Law (15 x 60 mins) is a modern drama with a dose of comedy about a lawyer who loses her job in a prestigious insurance company, only to be given a better offer. TVN also brings the third series of Recipe For Life (39 x 60 mins), the inspiring story of a woman who tries to rediscover her passions in life.

Casper’s Scare School (Moonscoop)

Driftwood Bay (Sixteen South)

Letters To Santa (TVN)

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preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

The New Generation of French TV Series

18x26’

8x26’

12x13’

Stand n°02.15

www.theboxdistribution.com

iproductneWs ABC COMMERCIAL

L&C

AUSTRALIA

ITALY

COMEDY

ANIMATION

ABC COMMERCIAL’s new comedy slate includes two HD series on the subjects of dating, cohabitation, marriage, divorce, and being single again. Agony Aunts (6 x 30 mins) is from the female perspective, and Agony Uncles (6 x 30 mins) the male perspective. At Home With Julia (4 x 30 mins/HD) is a comedy and political satire about Australia’s first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard, her unemployed hairdresser boyfriend Tim Mathieson, and their everyday life behind closed doors.

A NEW version of a Western tale is brought to the international market by L&C. Spaghetti Western In The Water (26 x 8 mins/3D) is an animation series starring Red, a young sea fish. Red lives in the aquarium where life is tough, but he learns to defend both himself and the weak. Scenarios include villages, estates, deserts, canyons and saloons — all under water, and with each episode ending with the good guy winning over evil.

TOON FACTORY FRANCE ANIMATION

ON THE MIPTV slate from Toon Factory is: My Friend Grompf (52 x 13 mins/26 x 26 mins/HD), featuring a loveable yeti; gagbased show Tony & Alberto (78 x 7 mins/26 x 26 mins/HD); in development is Kid Paddle, Reboot! (78 x 7 mins), and LuciJune “I Dunno” (78 x 7 mins/HD), about a little girl who can’t make up her mind. The pilot of LuciJune will be available at MIPTV.

AB INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION FRANCE DRAMA

Spaghetti Western In The Water (L&C)

TRICON FILMS & TELEVISION Agony Uncles (ABC Commercial)

CANADA COMEDY AND REALITY

TARGET ENTERTAINMENT UK DRAMA

AMBER (4 x 60 mins), produced by Ireland’s Screenworks for broadcast on RTE, is set in and around Ireland’s capital city Dublin. The series follows the story of a missing teenager from four perspectives. Each episode focuses on one character or group of characters, revealing an unfolding puzzle, piece by piece.

Amber (Target Entertainment) 38 I

MICHAEL Tuesdays And Thursdays (12 x 30 mins) is a new scripted comedy series about an unconventional friendship. David is a psychiatrist specialising in cognitive behavioural therapy. He is a successful professional, but beneath his controlled exterior is a mid-life crisis. Michael is David‘s most challenging patient and believes he is his key to happiness, while David believes Michael is his key to a lucrative book deal. The sixth season of Restaurant Makeover (26 x 60 mins) follows a chef and designer as they take on the challenge of renovating and re-launching a struggling restaurant in one week.

Michael Tuesdays And Thursdays (Tricon Films & Television)

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

KABOUL Kitchen (12 x 26 mins) is a series based in Afghanistan in 2005. Jacky (Gilbert Melki) is the manager of a hip restaurant in the heart of Kabul, popular with ex-pats. His life is turned upside down by the arrival of Sophie, the daughter he hasn’t seen for 20 years who has come to the country working for humanitarian organisations. The series is produced by Scarlett Production and Chic Films, co-produced with EuromediaFrance, and with the participation of Canal+.

Kaboul Kitchen (AB International Distribution)

iproductneWs FREMANTLEMEDIA ENTERPRISES (FME)

STUDIO MINIATUR FILMOWYCH

OFF THE FENCE (OTF)

POLAND

THE NETHERLANDS

UK & US

ANIMATION

SCIENCE AND REALITY

DRAMA, SPORT & COOKERY

IN HIT And Miss, Chloe Sevigny plays Mia, a contract killer with a big secret — she’s a transsexual woman. Mia’s life is sent into a tailspin when she receives a letter from an exgirlfriend who is dying revealing that Mia fathered a son eleven years ago. Mia becomes the guardian to a new family, a choice that forces her to mix her killer instincts with her newly acquired maternal feelings. FME also brings Bellator Fighting Championships, showcasing mixed martial arts eight-man tournaments; Home Cooking Made Easy (4 x 30 mins), featuring supermodel turned patisserie chef Lorraine Pascale; and drama series The Wedding Band, about a group of friends fighting the stresses of life by playing in a wedding band.

FROM the Studio Miniatur catalogue comes: HipHip And Hurray (26 x 13 mins), aimed at 3- to 5-year-olds, featuring detective Hip-Hip the hippo and his assistant Hurray the weasel. The show will be ready in March; Mami Fatale (26 x 10 mins), aimed at 4- to 8-year-olds, also scheduled for March, about the best cook in the world, who, with her pets Doggie and Piglet, fights unkindness around the world; and in development is Snuggly Rascals (26 x 6 mins), aimed at 3- to 5-year-olds, about the adventures of five plush pets living in a toyshop. The series is based on successful magazine and computer game by Egmont Polska.

OTF BRINGS 300 hours of new programming to MIPTV from a catalogue covering natural history and wildlife, history, science and technology, people, places and culture, travel and adventure and lifestyle. Highlights include: Shaun Ryder On UFOs (8 x 60 mins), which sees the pop front man from Happy Mondays and Black Grape explore his lifelong passion for UFOs, traveling the world to locations where they have been sighted and interviewing experts and eccentrics; and Shannen Says (8 x 60 mins), which chronicles the turbulent lives of actress Shannen Doherty and her fiance, celebrity photographer Kurt Iswaienko, as the pressure builds for them to set a date for Shaun Ryder On UFOs (OTF) their wedding. DRG UK

Hip-Hip And Hurray (Studio Miniatur Filmowych)

HASBRO US ANIMATION

Hit And Miss (FME)

FRANCE 24

TRANSFORMERS: Rescue Bots follows the adventures of four Transformers and their human counterparts — a family of emergency responders. Heatwave, Chase, Blades, and Boulder are tasked by Optimus Prime to study humanity and protect mankind from rampaging Dinobots, volcanoes accidentally brought to life, and floating lobsters. The company also brings Kaijudo, an adventure fantasy series that tells the story of a 14-year-old creature tamer and duelist.

COOKERY

HOW TO Cook Like Heston (6 x 30 mins) is a series produced by Renegade Pictures for Channel 4 in the UK, debuting internationally at MIPTV. In the series Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal demonstrates not just how to cook, but why certain things do or don’t work, and he dispels some of the myths along the way. Each episode concentrates on one everyday ingredient — eggs, chicken, beef, chocolate, cheese or potatoes. DRG also brings two other Heston Blumenthal titles: Heston’s Mission Impossible (4 x 60 mins) and Big Chef Takes On Little Chef (4 x 60 mins).

FRANCE NEWS

THE COUNTDOWN to the French presidential elections starts in Campaign Chronicles, the new weekly programme from France 24. The programme tackles questions like: ‘Will Europe be a central question for French voters?’ and ‘How are the contenders measuring up?’. Transformers: Rescue Bots (Hasbro) 40 I

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

How To Cook Like Heston (DRG)

iproductneWs IMIRA ENTERTAINMENT

DHX MEDIA

TELEWIZJA POLSKA (TVP)

SPAIN

CANADA

POLAND

ANIMATION

DRAMA, COMEDY, REALITY AND FILM

IMIRA is launching a new series of Lucky Fred (52 x 11 mins), with an interactive component, at MIPTV. Fred is a 13-year-old boy who accidentally became the owner of a robot called Friday who with a voice command can turn into any object. Friday was sent to Earth for Fred’s new neighbour Braianna, a strange girl who is really a member of a secret, intergalactic security force. The Lucky Fred App recruits fans as special agents and tasks them with finding and neutralising aliens in their own city in exchange for prizes, including collectables and discounts for local attractions.

NEW ON the DHX pre-school slate for MIPTV is Monster Math Squad (30 x 12 mins), which stars monsters that love counting, measuring, sizing, sorting, exploring shapes, patterns and time to help children develop formative math-related skills. Also new from DHX is The Ha! Ha! Haries (52 x 12 mins), a live-action show with animated elements about a hairy family who live in Hairyland The company also brings new episodes of Rastamouse, featuring Da Easy Crew, the mystery-solving reggae band.

POLISH TV pubcaster TVP is highlighting two new films at MIPTV. Taboo is a story full of sensual tension and forbidden love, starring rising stars in Polish cinema Agnieszka Grochowska and Mateusz Kosciukiewicz. The company also brings Heritage, a story about the fears, frustrations and hopes surrounding attempts to climb the social ladder, a resonant theme in a country undergoing rapid social change. TVP also brings Residence, a comedyinfused soap opera that shows how one disadvantaged girl can disrupt the life of a very rich family, comedy series Major Power, a new season of WW2 spy series Days Of Honor, and Deep Water, a moving account of the everyday efforts of social welfare workers.

Monster Math Squad (DHX Media)

CYBER GROUP STUDIOS FRANCE ANIMATION

Lucky Fred (Imira Entertainment)

EUROARTS MUSIC INTERNATIONAL

CYBER Group Studios is at MIPTV with a new series of Zou (52 x 11 mins), co-produced by Scrawl and Cyber Group Studios, which follows the loveable five-year-old zebra and his extended family. With stories emphasising warmth and humour, the series, aimed at 3- to 7-year-olds, will premiere on Disney Junior. The company also brings Mademoiselle Zazie (78 x 7 mins), based on a book series about a group of friends, produced by Cyber Group Studios and Scrawl for France Televisions. Cyber is looking for presales at MIPTV.

GERMANY MUSIC

THE EUROARTS catalogue holds more than 1,800 performance and music-related material that includes prominent artists in classical and contemporary music from the last five decades. The company also holds a number of 3D film productions including Lang Lang – The Third Dimension, Berliner Philharmoniker – A Musical Journey In 3D, and The Nutcracker In 3D, filmed in cooperation with the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. Zou (Cyber Group Studios) 42 I

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

Taboo (TVP)

BRB INTERNACIONAL SPAIN ANIMATION

BRB INTERNACIONAL — which celebrates its 40th birthday this year — is showing the first episodes of Khuda-Yana (26 x 30 mins) at MIPTV. Co-produced by Screen 21 y TVE, the series revolves around a young street boy who accidentally steals the Mystic Tulip in King Ravan’s palace and wakes up the Blue Girl. The genie, in charge of training monarchs for many centuries in this fantasy world guides Khuda to his new destiny. Khuda-Yana (BRB Internacional)

iproductneWs EUROPE IMAGES INTERNATIONAL

THE JIM HENSON COMPANY

ATLANTYCA ENTERTAINMENT

ITALY

FRANCE

PUPPETS

ANIMATION

MINI-Wolf (78 x 7 mins), a co-production between Timoon Animation, FTV and Hachette Jeunesse, is launching at MIPTV. Over the last 20 years Mini-Wolf has appeared in books, comics, and albums. The series is aimed at 4- to 6-yearolds and the little boy-wolf addresses some of the serious questions faced by children of that age; including the birth of a sibling, the first day at school and arguments with friends.

PAJANIMALS (52 x 11 mins), is a new series co-produced by Sprout, The Jim Henson Company and Northern Ireland’s Sixteen South Television. SweetpeaSue, Squacky, CowBella and Apollo journey to imaginary lands to discover fun ways to meet the challenges of their day. Designed and built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the Pajanimals play games and sing songs while resolving a challenge typically encountered in an average pre-schooler’s day — like brushing their teeth, friends and sharing. The Pajanimals’ bed transforms into a rocket, submarine or a hot air balloon, and they travel to magical places like The Friendly Forest or The Big Blue Sea.

CREEPY series Bat Pat (52 x 11 mins), a coproduction with Imira Entertainment and Inspidea, is based on the books of the same name. Bat Pat and the Silver brothers unravel mysteries and cross paths with creepy creatures of the night. Atlantyca also brings live action and animation series Ulysses Moore – Quest Of The Portal Keepers (26 x 22 mins), a co-production with Studio 100. Aimed at pre-teens, the series follows the adventures of twin brothers Jason and Julia and their best friend Rick in their quest to save the world and parallel realms from the treacherous Syphers.

Mini-Wolf (Europe Images International)

NELVANA ENTERPRISES CANADA

Bat Pat (Atlantyca Entertainment)

ANIMATION

HIGHLIGHTS from Nelvana’s MIPTV catalogue include: Trucktown, an animation series based on a book by Jon Scieszka; a further 26 episodes of the CGI-animated Franklin And Friends; 26 new episodes of Detentionaire, a combination of comedy and intrigue, based on the story of student Lee Ping, who is falsely accused of organising a high school prank and sentenced to one year of detention. Lee must infiltrate a new social clique and unravel the puzzle to discover who really pulled off the stunt that he got blamed for; more episodes from the Beyblade franchise Beyblade: Metal Fury; and live-action series Mr. Young.

Trucktown (Nelvana Enterprises) 44 I

Pajanimals (The Jim Henson Company)

SHORELINE ENTERTAINMENT US FILM

THE LATEST acquisition, and a MIPTV priority for Shoreline Entertainment is Un Mundo Secreto. The story follows Maria, whose last day of class marks the start of a journey. She crosses Mexico but doesn’t really know why, it is not a fun trip, it’s something more complicated. The journey stems from inside her, from her broken heart.

Un Mundo Secreto (Shoreline Entertainment)

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

IGMAR RUSSIA DRAMA AND ANIMATION

LAVISH musical comedy The Return Of The Musketeers (4 x 52 mins) imagines a continuation of the adventures of the gallant cavalier characters created by Alexander Dumas. Producer Igmar also brings pre-school and family-oriented animation Nighttime Stories (15 x 5 mins), which presents a collection of wellknown children’s tales including Thumbelina, Cinderella and Sindbad The Sailor.

The Return Of The Musketeers (Igmar)

||| rocchi pavese ||| design |||

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iproductneWs MILLIMAGES

ZDF ENTERPRISES (ZDFE)

ELECTRIC SKY

FRANCE

GERMANY

ANIMATION

DRAMA AND ANIMATION

SCIENCE

ORIGINALLY commissioned by Disney Junior UK and France 5, Mouk (62 x 11 mins) is adapted from Marc Boutavant’s book Mouk’s World Tour, and sees the two explorers make new friends from all over the world and discover exciting places. The show is currently in production and will be available for delivery by the third quarter of 2012.

THE POPULARITY of Arne Dahl’s crime novels about an elite force within the Swedish police is the basis of the Arne Dahl series (5 x 10 mins/10 x 90 mins/HD). The first novels to be adapted are Misterioso, about a connection between a jazz piece and the execution of Swedish financiers; Bad Blood, about a serial killer who applies torture last used in Vietnam; and To The Top Of The Mountain, in which a drug syndicate boss is trying to cover up his crimes. Straight To Your Heart (155 x 45 mins/HD), the latest season of the Forbidden Love series, a soap with stories revolving around family and friends, love and temptation. This brings the total number of episodes available 255. From the animation catalogue comes Figaro Pho (39 x 7 mins/13 x 21 mins/HD), about a quirky character who discovers some alarming new phobia every day.

THE WORLD’s First Computer: Decoding The Antikythera Mechanism (1 x 52 mins) by Images First Productions for NHK, ERT and ARTE is a special which tells the inside story of how over 10 years an international team of scientists set out to prove that 2,000 years ago a working computer was built in Greece. The company also brings Automatic Brain (2 x 43 mins) by ColourField Tell A Vision Productions for WDR, looking at how over 90% of our daily actions are done unconsciously, following two ordinary people from performing everyday routines to life choices such as finding a partner.

Mouk (Millimages)

The World’s First Computer: Decoding The Antikythera Mechanism (Electric Sky)

BEST BOY ENTERTAINMENT CANADA DOCU-DRAMA

PET ER features families struck by lifethreatening pet medical emergencies. With a medical crisis at the centre of its true stories, the series explores the deep bond between pets and the families that love them, using dramatic re-enactments. Produced by Best Boy Entertainment, the series is currently in production for a second season (13 x 26 mins/ HD), following the first season (13 x 26 mins), and is also available as a format.

Pet ER (Best Boy Entertainment) 46 I

ALBATROSS WORLD SALES GERMANY TRAVEL AND NATURAL HISTORY Arne Dahl (ZDFE)

ONLY LIFESTYLE FRANCE COOKERY

GASTRONOMY Made In St Tropez (52 mins), available in French and English, which looks at the world of haute cuisine in this famous south of France resort. The film looks at the chefs, in all aspects of their lives, as well as their cooking skills. Also from Only Lifestyle comes Garden Party (9 x 26 mins) an urban-focused garden show. The company brings a catalogue to MIPTV covering all genres of lifestyle programming including green issues, deco-design, travel, fashion, gastronomy, well-being and maleskewed programming.

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

ALBATROSS brings the first two episodes of The World’s Greatest Balloon Adventures (5 x 52 mins), a series that explores some of the world’s most fascinating landscapes with hot-air balloons, to MIPTV. Locations for the balloonists include the Gobi Desert, the Alps, the Venezuelan Tepuis, Sri Lanka and Kenya. The company also brings Land Of Dogon — World Heritage In Peril (52 mins) and Sir Hubert’s Submarine Expedition To The North Pole (52 mins).

The World’s Greatest Balloon Adventures (Albatross World Sales)

iproductneWs ENDEMOL WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION

NEW FILMS INTERNATIONAL

NOVAVISION

FRANCE

FILM

COMEDY CLIPS

ENTERTAINMENT AND DRAMA

Q’VIVA: The Chosen! (12 x 60 mins), available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, features entertainers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony who travel throughout countries in Latin America in search of talent. Back in the US they create a live show featuring the singers, musicians, dancers, acrobats and other performers they have found. Endemol also highlights: the three stand-alone dramas which are satirical tales with a technoparanoia bent, Black Mirror (3 x 60 mins); A Touch Of Cloth (1 x 120 mins/2 x 60 mins), a parody of police procedurals, starring John Hanna; and Bad Education (6 x 30 mins), a comedy about a teacher who’s a bigger kid than the pupils he teaches.

THE MIPTV roster for New Films includes: The Levenger Tapes, about detectives from a remote town who find a tape from a group of missing students, on which they find evidence that the students are trying to find the body of a murdered girl; Living Dark: The Story Of Ted The Caver, about two brothers searching for the secret of their father’s death; Trophy, about an undercover cop who is caught between rival gangs; and romantic comedy A Novel Romance, starring Steve Guttenberg, about two singles who move in together as friends after he loses his job, and she tragically looses a boyfriend.

The Levenger Tapes (New Films International)

FROM a catalogue of 87,000 humourous clips, Novavision is launching “best of” versions of its shows Pop Corn TV, Hilarious Home Video and Crazy Hidden Camera. Also debuting at MIPTV is The Bubble Comedy Show, containing clips directed by Denis Savard and Pierre Paquin, who also produced LOL. Novavision is also now distributing hidden camera programmes with dialogue in Pop Camera, over 600 hours of extreme sports clips, and candid camera series Bluffing from MEG.

The Bubble Comedy Show (Novavision)

TELE IMAGES PRODUCTIONS TREMENDOUS! ENTERTAINMENT

FRANCE

ANIMATION

REALITY AND GAME SHOW

Q’Viva: The Chosen! (Endemol Worldwide Distribution)

STRIX TELEVISION SWEDEN REALITY

NEW REALITY series The Family Inn (12 x 45 mins/50 x 25 mins), produced and created by the Israeli arm of Strix Television, brings personal and family histories, feuds and past slights into the mix when one extended family takes over the running of a boutique hotel. At stake is a cash prize but only one person in the family can get their hands on the money, as they vote each other off the show in order to win.

TREMENDOUS! Entertainment is prioritising three series at MIPTV. Firstly, the company has teamed with Virgin Produced to develop docuseries Diddy’s Angels, based on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Blue Flame Agency, an event-planning and brand management company in New York. Family Addition is a new series in production hosted by Leigh Anne Tuohy. Leigh Anne and her family inspired the 2010 film The Blind Side, and in this series she helps families navigate their way through the foster care and adoption process before surprising them with a meaningful gift. Don’t Embarrass The Family is a new game show hosted by former Dancing With The Stars winner Drew Lachey.

Diddy’s Angels (Tremendous! Entertainment) 48 I

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

TELE IMAGES brings its newest animated series, Secret Ranch, to MIPTV. Developed with the support of TF1, Secret Ranch depicts the adventures of four teenagers, two girls and two boys, who share a passion for horse riding. When one of the girls encounters a wild stallion who has been injured, she decides to adopt him and, with the help of her friends, creates a ranch in the wild to rescue this and other horses. Preproduction has begun for delivery to the international market set for early 2013.

Secret Ranch (Tele Images Productions)

iproductneWs DCD RIGHTS UK REALITY

UNCLES is a family-run pawn shop in the UK’s Birmingham city and the subject of new reality series The Pawnbrokers (6 x 30 mins/HD). The pawn broking business has been on the frontline of the community’s fiscal problems for the past 30 years, from regular customers hawking their jewellery to make ends meet to middle-class mums pawning their heirlooms to pay school fees.

The Pawnbrokers (DCD Rights)

OSIRIS ENTERTAINMENT US FILM

INDEPENDENT Film specialist Osiris Entertainment brings the bizarre tale of a filmwithin-a-film in Monsters In The Woods, where the producer of a low-budget film makes a pact with the devil to deliver 12 souls from his crew in order to get the film completed. Also at MIPTV with Osiris: Suspicion, about a terminally ill mobster who befriends a young waitress, to the horror of her boyfriend; and The Eves, about a group of students on a spring break vacation who become stranded in a lodge, and are then menaced by a stalker.

Monsters In The Woods (Osiris Entertainment) 50 I

CABLEREADY US REALITY

PICK UP In Aisle Two (13 x 30 mins) is billed as a foodie dating show, and debuts at MIPTV. Three bachelors compete for a date with a bachelorette by filling their shopping cart with 10 items that represent them as a person. The bachelorette selects two, sight unseen, by picking the two carts that are filled with the items she finds most appealing. Then those two men, with the help of a celebrity guest chef, create a romantic dinner. After sampling each of their culinary creations, she chooses which man she wants to continue dating.

PANINI UK UK FANTASY, DRAMA AND CHILDREN’S

PANINI UK brings a range of programming from its catalogue to MIPTV including fantasy series Metal Hurlant Chronicles (6 x 25 mins), the liveaction adaptation of the comics series of the Eighties. Season 1 is due in March this year, with season 2 coming in the third quarter. Drama series Signs (12 x 60 mins) is about two competing companies, one run by a man who makes his decisions with the help of an astrologer, and the other, run by his old school friend which is aggressively trying to destroy his rival. The children’s live action series New Adventures Of Poly (26 x 26 mins), centres on a young boy and his friendship with an ex-circus pony.

THE TELEVISION SYNDICATION COMPANY (TVS) US CHILDREN’S AND FAMILY

TVS BRINGS four new HD series to MIPTV. Enviropals! (39 x 30 mins) is a live action show aimed at 4- to 8-year-olds, in which Rae Rae the red panda and friends learn about conservation and science. Mickey’s Farm (110 x 11 mins, for the US only), offers a blend of live action and animation for pre-schoolers, with stories of Mickey the sheep dog and 14-year-old Megan that encourage learning, problem-solving, and co-operation. In Nature Adventures With Terri And Todd (39 x 30 mins) the hosts encounter wildlife and nature. Finally, Working For Green (13 x 30 mins/ 3 mins interstitials) features people improving their lives — and making money — while finding innovative ways to help the environment.

Enviropals! (TVS)

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

Metal Hurlant Chronicles (Panini UK)

SEVENONE INTERNATIONAL GERMANY FILM

IN FAMILY movie What Animals Want (90 mins), Johnny the Jack Russell terrier and pet pig Paula have always played a major role in the lives of the Sommer family. Peter Sommer has raised his 12-year-old son Jan alone since his wife died. Jan would love a new family and sends out a plea to his late mum to help him. She responds by making the pets act as her agents, so when the dog and pig awake the next morning they are magically blessed with the gift of speech — and immediately jump into their matchmaking task.

What Animals Want (SevenOne International)

BRINGING YOU THE VERY BEST FROM THE NORDIC REGION

www.nordicworld.tv

FORMATS

JAILHOUSE COOK

Factual Entertainment Produced by Koncern Film & TV

Setting up a gourmet restaurant behind bars! Factual Entertainment Produced by STV

UNEXPECTED VISIT

Touching surprise family reunions abroad Docu Reality Produced by Dokumentarkompagniet

MISSING

Hunting for the abducted children

24 HOURS - LIVE

Entertainment Produced by Monster - part of Nice Entertainment Group

TV, Web, Facebook and Twitter together. Follow and control your favorite celebs 24/7

Visit us at MIPTV, stand R.31.18

NORDIC_PV_TV_ok.indd 2

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FORMATS

THE GREATEST GIFT

Docu Reality Produced by Gong - part of Nice Entertainment Group

Save my life please - can I have your kidney? Entertainment Produced by To the Moon

CRAZY ABOUT... GOLF

Celebrity amateurs in hilarious golf challenges! Gameshow Produced by Intervisio Oy

THE WALL

Get ready for your 15 minutes of game!

COMEDY COMBAT

Comedy talent show Produced by Yellow Film & TV

Finding the nationÂ´s funniest comic character

Visit us at MIPTV, stand R.31.18

NORDIC DRAMA

20 x 23’ Produced by Kamerakameratene

DAG

Dr. House in a therapy room 12 x 42’ Produced by Yellow Film & TV

RIVER

Take the viewers into the icy tension and unexpected twists of the world of criminals 4 x 45’ Produced by NRK

TAXI

Where do you hide when the enemy is one of your own? 12 x 45’ Produced by Saga¿lm

THE PRESS

To build and ruin reputations through headlines

Visit us at MIPTV, stand R.31.18

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21/02/12 15:03

iproductneWs AZTECA

FIRST HAND FILMS

VERIA LIVING

MEXICO

SWITZERLAND

DRAMA

ENTERTAINMENT AND SCIENCE

WELL-BEING AND LIFESTYLE

LA MUJER De Judas (Legendary Love) is a drama series combining suspense, intrigue and romance. Set in the beautiful Mexican states of Veracruz and Morelos, the series (120 x 60 mins) tells the story of a women who delves into the past history of a mysterious woman from a rural town, only to discover that she is part of the family. Written by Martin Hahn and adapted by Gabriel Santos and Paz Aguirre, the series stars Anette Michel, Andrea Marti and Victor Gonzalez. Comarex, Azteca’s sales agent will distribute the series internationally.

AMERICA In Primetime (4 x 52 mins) takes a look at the history of scripted entertainment television, which over 60 years has chronicled who Americans are, how they see themselves and how the world sees them. The series features the creators and characters that have defined this entertainment in the past and populate it today, including: Roseanne Barr, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael C Hall, David Lynch and Danny DeVito. First Hand also brings Generation SMS, a 52-minute film about the US National Texting Championship in which teens vie for a $50,000 prize; and When I Was Dead (53/59 mins) about three people who give their personal accounts of near-death experiences.

VERIA Living brings three original series hosted health and wellness experts to MIPTV for the first time. Yoga Studio (52 x 60 mins) sees yoga expert Sadie Nardini present an easy-to-follow programme, and answer viewer’s questions via Skype, Facebook, Twitter and email to help solve everyday wellness problems. Guru For You (26 x 60 mins) stars Yogi Cameron, former model turned ayurvedic healer and yoga master. Each episode focuses on a new client challenged by a health issue. In Healthy Eats Road Trip (26 x 30 mins) chef Nathan Lyon looks for the best healthy places to eat across America.

America In Primetime (First Hand Films)

NORDIC WORLD La Mujer De Judas (Azteca)

NORWAY REALITY

VISIT FILMS US DRAMA AND REALITY

SPECIALISING in director-led films Visit Films comes to MIPTV with a roster including: Ben Lee: Catch My Disease (92 mins), profiling the Australian musician and actor; First Position (94 mins), about a year in the lives of six young ballet hopefuls; Fable Of The Fish (85 mins), a surreal drama about a poor couple who’s first child is born as a fish; thriller The Odds (92 mins), about members of an illicit high-school gambling ring who become embroiled in a murder mystery; Toomelah (101 mins), about a troubled Aboriginal boy; and French drama Apres Le Sud (92 mins).

EACH episode of the new reality format from Denmark’s Gong, part of the NICE Group of independent producers, tells the story of six transplant patients and their donors, from the monumental decision to give — and accept — a life-saving organ to the final, life-changing result. The narrative for My Life’s Greatest Gift (6 x 60 mins) is told through interviews, daily clips and real-life footage of the transplant operation.

Yoga Studio (Veria Living)

RIVE GAUCHE TELEVISION US REALITY

MAKING its international debut at MIPTV is Happily Never After (10 x 60 mins), which tells the true stories of people who meet untimely ends on or around their wedding days. The series goes behind the headlines using interviews and dramatic re-creations to explore the romantic courtship, the wedding and the sinister events that lead to murder. Happily Never After is produced by M2 Pictures and airs on Discovery ID in the US.

My Life’s Greatest Gift (Nordic World) www.miptv.com I preview magazine I March 2012 I 51

iproductneWs GLOBAL AGENCY

BETA FILM

TURKEY

GERMANY

REALITY AND GAME-SHOW

DRAMA

BEFORE I Was Famous is a show that sees celebrities relive their old jobs for a day. Created by Reservoir Prod, the series launched last year on France 2. Each episode features three celebrities who show memorabilia from the past as they prepare for a day of work in their old jobs. Global Agency also brings Italian format The Desk Of Love in which a contestant must charm someone from a pool of 60 singles. The player selects one hopeful for a speed date of up to three minutes — but the audience decides when the date is over. Rise Or Fall meanwhile, is a singing competition and Global Agency format.

MIPTV priorities for Beta Film include a raft of drama series. Arctic Air (10 x 60 mins) starring Adam Beach (Cowboys & Aliens) is about a maverick airline and the unconventional family that runs it. Mary (2 x 90 mins) depicts the young

Mary from the visit by a mysterious messenger telling her that she is to give birth to the son of God. Munich ’72 is about the 1972 Olympics where Palestinian terrorists took 11 Israelis hostage. Crime series Copper (10 x 45 mins) is set in 1860s New York and features an Irish-immigrant cop working on the notorious Five Points neighbourhood.

Arctic Air (Beta Film)

TELEVISA INTERNACIONAL US TEEN DRAMA

Before I Was Famous (Global Agency)

BELLUM ENTERTAINMENT

SHOT in Venezuela, live-action show GQ tells the story of a group of kids starting high school, following their comic adventures and challenges. Production on the 80 x 30-minute series recently began, and it is the result of a partnership between Televisa and Cartoon Network. The project is set to GQ (Televisa Internacional) include digital components and mobile platforms, as well as possible live shows and licensing.

GAME SHOW NETWORK (GSN) US

UX COOKERY, NATURAL HISTORY AND ENTERTAINMENT

BELLUM has teamed with celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito to launch a new half-hour show later this year. The DiSpirito show leads a slate of three series as part of Bellum’s programming deal with Tribune Broadcasting. The show features the worldrenowned chef as he challenges families to be more healthy, changing the way they eat and live. The company also brings the ninth series of Animal Atlas, which explores wildlife around the globe, and the second season of On The Spot, an educational trivia show.

52 I

CCI ENTERTAINMENT CANADA KIDS’ ART SHOW

ARTZOOKA! targets children ages four to seven and focuses on a range of art techniques to show kids that art can be made out of anything and everything. The show features digital elements, electronic art and includes bizarre, animated characters. Artzooka! now airs in over 65 markets worldwide, with five localised versions. A Spanish-language version of the show recently launched on Discovery Familia hosted by actor Bruno Lazzaro.

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

GAME SHOW

GSN BRINGS a pilot of The American Bible Challenge, a one-hour game show in which contestants compete based on their knowledge of the Bible. The competition is rooted in personal stories of faith and community, and the teams compete to win money to help support their communities. The series is produced by RelativityREAL for GSN, and consultants for the series are Odyssey Networks, the country’s largest multi-faith coalition dedicated to producing and distributing media that creates understanding among people of different beliefs and perspectives.

galascreening Titanic

54 I

preview magazine I March 2012 I www.miptv.com

MIPTV delegates are invited to the 100 Year Anniversary MIPTV Screening of Titanic, a red-carpet event taking place in the Palais des Festivals before the MIPTV Opening Night Party on Sunday, April 1. Titanic is a four-part series created by producer Nigel Stafford-Clark and written by Julian Fellowes, marking the 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage — and the sinking — of the cruise ship Titanic. Titanic focuses on the interaction of the people on the ship before disaster struck: the upper-class family with a suffragette daughter and warring servants; the wealthy elite of American society; the Irish lawyer and his embittered wife travelling in second class; the young cabin steward and the Italian waiter who falls for her … all of human life is there and the viewer watches these people interact with the knowledge that most of them will not survive the voyage. Titanic is a co-production with ITV Studios, Shaw Media, Deep Indigo Productions, Lookout Point, Sienna Films and Hungary-based Mid Atlantic Films. Distribution rights are with ZDF Enterprises and ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Writer Julian Fellowes on the set of Titanic

www.miptv.com I preview magazine I March 2012 I 55

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MIPCube Lab

Innovation Alley

discover “the most promising disruptive TV start-up of 2012”

Dedicated space to discover and try for yourself the innovations that will enrich new user experiences over the next 3 years

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Roma Khanna 1st Media Architect of the Future Award MGM Studios

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Major Companies You Y ou o Alw Always ays W Wanted anted tto o Mee Meett

How Ho w

How must-see TV is now must–tweet TV? How data analytics can drive revenue?

Content Con tent Pr Professionals ofessionals

BBC Worldwide, Discovery Networks, France Télévisions Groupe, M6, MBC Group, Radio-Canada, ZDF, The Company P, Vivendi, Zodiak Active

Technologies T echnologies and Social a nd S ocial Media Experts M edia E xperts

Facebook, Google, Maker Studios, MSN, Ooyala, Samsung Electronics Europe, Social Game Universe, Twitter, YouTube, Zeebox

Brand and Brand Agencies

Brandcasterz, Digitas, Faber Novel, Fjord, Ogilvy and Mather, The Coca-Cola Company

How to bridge TV and web culture?

Why Wh y

Why the future is written in code & what you need to know? Why usability matters for the future of TV?

Whatt Wha

What web culture and tech can do for storytelling? What’s next in augmented reality?

Still time to register, €400 for MIPTV delegates. Register Re egister at mipcub mipcube.com be.com

Feature FEATURES

NBCU’s Smash — making the most of the current penchant for all things Marilyn

P58 STILL SETTING THE GOLD STANDARD P64 UNITED THEY STAND P72 THE STAGE IS SET FOR BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT P80 IT’S A WILD WORLD P86 3D GETS A SPORTING CHANCE P92 TIME FOR ACTION P96 THE EAST WANTS A PIECE OF THE ACTION P100 ON TARGET FOR GROWTH

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Still setting the gold standard

There’s plenty of new product on offer from the Hollywood studios at this year’s MIPTV. Liza Foreman takes a sneak preview

MONG the Hollywood majors at MIPTV is CBS, bringing a number of top executives to Cannes, including Armando Nunez, president of CBS Studios International, Joe Lucas, executive vice-president of sales and marketing, and Barry Chamberlain, executive vice-president of sales. The company recently received recognition from international critics at The Golden Globe Awards in January, when Julianna Margulies won best actress for The Good Wife, David Duchovny won best actor for a comedy or musical for Californication, and Jeremy Irons won best actor in a TV series or drama for The Borgias. New product on sale at MIPTV includes Rob, a cultureclash comedy starring Rob Schneider as a lifelong bachelor who has married into a tight-knit Mexican-American family. The show debuted on CBS in January. House Of Lies, meanwhile, is a comedy starring Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, which follows a self-loathing management consultant from a top-tier ﬁrm who will use any means — or any person — to get his way with and for his clients. The series, which premiered on Showtime in January, is based on the book, House Of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch And Then Tell You The Time. The show has been renewed for a second season. Described as a ‘bromance’ comedy, Common Law chronicles the dysfunctional relationship between two male cops. The new original series follows two partners in crime, who discover they have a problem — each other. Despite their differences, they are still the best detectives on the force but, when things come to a head, their captain forces them into couples’ therapy to save their ‘marriage’. Common Law was set to debut in January on USA Network but has been pushed back to a summer 2012 launch, which is seen as a better start date for action-comedies. Most of USA Network’s new shows premiere in the summer. Also on offer at MIPTV is NYC 222, a new drama from Robert De Niro and his production partner Jane Rosenthal, which follows six NYPD rookies as they www.miptv.com I preview magazine I March 2012 I 59

i feature Still setting the gold standard patrol the gritty streets of upper Manhattan. NYC 222 is set to premiere in April on CBS, replacing CSI: Miami after it completes its full run of original episodes. On the talk-show front, Jeff Probst is a one-hour show covering topics ranging from relationships and family dynamics to newsmakers, families and individuals facing challenges. CBS will also be selling Sarah Michelle Gellar’s longawaited return to television in Ringer. The drama, which airs on The CW, follows a haunted young woman with a history of addiction. Gellar also plays her own twin — a NYC socialite with secrets — in the show. Gellar told The Hollywood Reporter that the “path back to television” had been a long one — her series Buffy The Vampire Slayer ended in 2003. “It took me essentially from when I was 18 on the pilot to 24 when we ﬁnished,” Gellar said. “I never had free time. That show was my life. I was doing movies on the hiatuses and weekends. Afterward, I started to explore that gypsy lifestyle. I traveled and I did work with some great actors... It was sort of this great learning experience.” CBS is also selling the drama A Gifted Man, which follows a star surgeon whose life changes when his deceased ex-wife begins to teach him the meaning of life from the hereafter. The show premiered on CBS last August. Meanwhile, it is a year since the merger between Comcast and NBCUniversal. Belinda Menendez, president of NBCUniversal International Television Distribution and Universal Networks International, has plenty to offer international buyers. “On the TV front, we’ve got an amazing line-up of new series from our network and cable partners, and a combined library of more than 3,000 unscripted hours,” she says. One title that has been creating a buzz since it was introduced at the LA Screenings last May is Smash, which is premiering mid-season in the US and makes the most of the current penchant for all things Marilyn. “It’s the behind-the-scenes story of the making of a new Broadway musical on the life of Marilyn Monroe, replete with all the glamour and drama you would imagine,” Menendez explains. “The visuals are absolutely stunning, as are the original songs that will be featured in each episode — not to mention an enviable ensemble cast including Debra Messing and Angelica Huston.” Additional new titles for MIPTV include the comedies Bent and Best Friends Forever, which are also mid-season shows. On the ﬁlm side, the roster includes Battleship, Safe House and Dr Seuss’ The Lorax. Post-merger, things are picking up for NBCUniversal. Its long-running cable leader USA Network has seven of the top-10 scripted series on basic cable, including Royal Pains, Necessary Roughness and Burn Notice, resulting in double-digit year-on-year gains. In 2011, the company’s Telemundo division also bought 60 I

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Smash (NBCU) the Spanish-language rights to the World Cup football finals for seven years, beginning in 2015. This has given it added leverage against the Spanish-language giant Univision, which holds 80% of the market, and Fox’s new addition, Mundo Fox. NBCUniversal is also making a profit on the digital revenues of Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. Comcast is part of the TV Everywhere initiative, which allows cable subscribers to access their television favourites via online and streaming. Also gearing up for MIPTV 2012 is Sony Pictures Television (SPT), which will be banging the drum for product from its format and production company 2waytraffic, not to mention such evergreens as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, which now even has its own iPhone game. 2waytraffic is the production company launched in 2004 by the former Endemol executives Kees Abrahams, Taco Ketelaar and Henk Keilman. It acquired the UK format company Celador International and with it the hit format Millionaire, before it was itself acquired by Sony in 2008. SPT is finding new ways to make the most of such assets at MIPTV and beyond, according to Keith LeGoy, president of SPT International Distribution. “MIPTV is the first market where our formats sales force and our finished print sales force are coming together, which allows us to talk to clients about everything from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to Millionaire to Unforgettable,” LeGoy says. On the format side, SPT licenses a wide range of formats and finished format productions, including the blockbuster brands Dragons’ Den and The Dr Oz Show. Showing a clear link between the performance of programming Stateside and its international appeal, SPT’s Unforgettable — currently the highest rated drama in the US — has been licensed to 100 territories and counting. Unforgettable follows a former police detective affected by a rare medical condition that gives her the ability to

“Buyers are on the look-out for ways to extend the viewer experience via social media, gaming, applications and live shows” Keith LeGoy

i feature Still setting the gold standard visually remember everything. On the returning-drama front, writer and show creator Vince Gilligan is working on delivering 16 more episodes of Breaking Bad, which airs on AMC. The new episodes will also be on sale to international buyers. LeGoy reports that Necessary Roughness has also done very well and has been picked up for another season. Breaking In also returns for a second season on Fox, while a third season of The Big C is in the pipeline “to bring to international buyers”. As the biggest producer of TV films in Hollywood, SPT is continuing to license these products internationally. Titles includes Five, a series of five short films directed by leading actors, including Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston; Bag Of Bones, which is based on the Stephen King book of the same name and stars Pierce Brosnan; and Coma, which is a four-hour special directed by Ridley Scott. On the feature front, LeGoy points to highly anticipated films such as The Amazing Spider-Man and Men In Black III, which launch later this year. “We are currently licensing major hits from the Sony Pictures studio, such as The Smurfs,” he adds. Key sales regions for SPT include EMEA, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Canada. “Our dramas, comedies and entertainment shows have sold globally in all regions, on terrestrial, cable and IPTV [internet protocol TV] platforms,” LeGoy says. “Likewise, we have a healthy formats-licensing business and there is a particular growth in demand across Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia.” As for trends, LeGoy says that US drama continues to perform in primetime around the world. He also notes a resurgence in demand for feature films — “and, of course, everyone is seeking the next massive global format hit”. He adds: “On the format front, buyers and commissioners are on the look-out for ways to extend the viewer experience via social media, gaming, applications and live shows. As brand-owners, developing global opportunities in this area is critical as we strive to keep our major formats top-of-mind and fresh. We recently teamed up with South Park and Star Trek, for example, to launch branded gaming versions of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? internationally and we have also launched apps for formats such as Dragons’ Den. In the Netherlands, our local production arm has developed a live show to build up and support the audience for our music format, 62 I

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Cover Me, which is now in its second season there.” Warner Bros. will be on the beach at MIPTV, showcasing several big midseason shows, including Dallas, as well as promoting product from several companies that it has recently acquired. It is also the exclusive sponsor of the MIPFormats Pitch. Wa r n e r B r o s . I nt e r n a t i o n a l Television Production’s (WBITVP) programming highlights include Impractical Jokers — a hidden-camera series that debuted in December — Ever ything’s A Race, Cake Stories, The Bachelor and Don’t Quit Your Day Job. “Although we continue to pitch all our new formats, as well as our vast library of titles, to all territories around the world, Europe remains the largest part of our business,” says Andrew Zein, senior vice-president of creative format development and sales at WBITVP. He adds that WBITVP is also seeing growth in Latin America and Asia. Zein believes that the recent “extensive international pick-ups of The Bachelor” indicates that there is “space again for US reality shows in primetime slots around the globe”. MIPCOM 2011 was the first market for WBITVP, where it presented programming from the Netherlands’ BlazHoffski — one of a number of it newly acquired production companies. WBITVP took a majority stake in BlazHoffski Holding last year. “The BlazHoffski formats, including Hello Goodbye, Tower C and Mind Over Matter, generated great interest,” Zein says. “The Bachelor also saw a lot of renewed interest, with more territories committing to producing their own local versions. MIPCOM was also successful for us in terms of pitching our scripted formats.” Warner Bros. is looking to establish production comA Gifted Man (CBS) panies in major territories around the world, with the aim of becoming a leading local producer of scripted and non-scripted prog ra m m i ng. Fol low i ng Shed Media in the UK, the acquisition of a majority stake in BlazHoffski marks the next step in this growth strategy.

Cake Stories (WBITVP)

+472&9 7.,-98 &;&.1&'1*

UNITED KINGDOM William J Peck Phone: +44(0)20 3008 6555 Mobile: +44(0)7725 036525 bill@billpeck.co.uk

RUSSIA Maria Grechishnikova Phone: +7(499) 356 54 00 Mobile: +7(903) 508 03 18 m.grechishnikova@starmediafilm.ru

WWW.STARMEDIAFILM.COM

i feature CO-PRODUCTION

United they stand MIPTV features a two-day programme for commissioners, producers and deal-brokers involved in co-production. It includes a closed-door Drama CoProXchange summit, case studies on successful ground-breaking coproductions, and interviews with major commissioners on programming strategies. In advance of the event Andy Fry surveys the world of drama co-production

NTERNATIONAL co-production is nothing new in the field of drama. Look back at the start of the 1990s and you’ll find the likes of Rysher Entertainment putting together co-pro deals around brands such as Highlander and Robocop. Since then, there’s been a steady stream of costume dramas, science fiction/fantasy franchises and event mini-series that have needed two or three funding partners to make sure they reach the required production budget. Having said all this, there’s undoubtedly been a stepchange in the sector’s fortunes over the last two to three years. No longer seen as slightly awkward marriages of convenience, co-production and co-financing deals have become a fundamental part of the scripted genre’s funding formula. There are various reasons for this resurgence in the market, according to eOne Television CEO John Morayniss, a Canadian executive who has carved out a successful career in the scripted content space. One is the growing number of powerful PayTV channels seeking promotable dramas to lift their schedules. Another is the growing desire among international broadcasters to secure highquality US-style dramas that don’t require a greenlight from US networks to secure a series or series renewal. “Part of our business is still dependent on going to US channels and seeking a licence fee — as we did in the case of AMC’s Hell On Wheels,” says Morayniss. “But it’s no longer a tough sell to start with an international partner and then licence a show back into the US afterwards.” He cited The Firm as a classic example of the new landscape: “The Firm, based on John Grisham’s novel, was licensed first to Sony Pictures Television (SPT) for use on its international channels (notably AXN). It was only afterwards that Global in Canada and NBC in the US came on-board. It’s a deal which echoes another of our shows Haven, where NBC Universal’s international channel business was the first to come on board. It was only later that NBCU in the US licensed Haven to use on Syfy.” Deals like this are partly about getting distinctive and promotable content, says Morayniss. But there’s a second advantage: “They allow partners on a project to avoid 64 I

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i feature some of the uncertainties of the US system. Instead of seeing a show cancelled after a pilot or a few episodes, they generally go straight to 13 or 22 episodes. Not only that, but there’s more ﬂexibility when it comes to series renewal. Instead of the decision about a second series being in the hands of one US executive, you have the option of bringing different co-pro partners into the mix.” Because eOne is a Canadian company with an LA-based development division, Morayniss tends to view deals with US partners like AMC as domestic. But tell the same story from the perspective of a European drama producer and suddenly we’re describing a co-production. A good

case in point is Torchwood, a 10-part drama series that brought together premium US cable channel Starz with the UK pubcaster the BBC and commercial arm BBC Worldwide. The appeal of this model is underlined by the fact that Starz and BBCW didn’t stop with Torchwood. Instead, they entered into a multi-year partnership which will see Starz and BBC Worldwide Productions co-develop series, with BBC Worldside (BBCWW) distributing them outside North America. Next off the production line is Da Vinci’s Demons; an eight-parter to be headed by David Goyer, creator of Flash Forward.

RHI Entertainment’s Treasure Island starring Eddie Izzard

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i feature United they stand As in Morayniss’ examples, the prime motivation for the deal was to provide Starz and the BBC with signature content at an affordable price. “When I came to Starz, we determined that forging strong international partnerships would play centre-stage in financing our ramp-up of dynamic original programming,” says Starz CEO Chris Albrecht when he unveiled the deal. “This partnership allows us to provide Starz subscribers with more original programming, while delivering opportunity in domestic businesses such as Anchor Bay and Starz Digital Media.” Of course, this funding model is only sustainable if USstyle content is in demand internationally. So what explains the current appeal of drama Americana? “The US scripted market has always been home to great talent,” says FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) CEO David Ellender, “but there are some compelling creative reasons why it is so strong right now. Firstly, there’s been a contraction in the independent movie business, which means there are more internationally-known actors available for casts. At the same time, more writers and directors are seeing TV as a medium they want to work in. Examples include Frank Darabont (The Walking Dead), Martin Scorcese (Boardwalk Empire) and Todd Haynes, who saw an HBO mini-series as the ideal way to realise his vision of Mildred Pierce. The great thing about all this theatrical talent is that they also get co-financing — because they’ve always done it.” FME has made a big push into drama, with a model that is similar to that of eOne. There are, for example, numerous scripts with US channels (one of which, The Wedding Band, has gone to series and is now in distribution). There are also projects like The Drivers, an account of the glamorous world of Le Mans motor racing in the 1960s. Ellender says FME is flexible about the way it puts together finance on projects like The Drivers — and he certainly doesn’t rule out co-production. But there are some basic rules when it comes to co-pro content and structure. “Creatively you need elements that broadcasters can use in their marketing, whether that’s the quality of the cast or the book the production is based on. From our point of view, we also want projects that will get renewed. We’ve done one-off co-pros and they’re challenging in terms of return on investment. The reason we like having Mike Tollin exec produce The Wedding Band is that he’s already had long-running hits like Smallville and One Tree Hill.” Many of these points are endorsed by Anne Mensah; who joined PayTV broadcaster Sky TV as head of drama — just as the company increased its scripted origination budget. On signature content, she says: “Sky can’t just be seen to be doing things that our rivals already do — particularly as our customers are paying for it. So coproduction is a way of creating the scale and uniqueness we need. We know, for example, that our audiences love 66 I

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Peasants revolt in World Without End

Strike Back, an action series based on the book by Chris Ryan which we have co-produced with HBO for seasons two and three.” On promotability, she says Sky’s high-end dramas tend to be based around known brands — because this is a way of cutting through the clutter of competition. After adaptations of Terry Pratchett novels (Hogfather, Going Postal) have come a Peter Pan prequel Neverland and a new version of Treasure Island starring Eddie Izzard. Next up, says Mensah, is Sinbad (13 x 1 hours); an Impossible Pictures production for Sky and BBC Worldwide produced with the assistance of the Nine Network Australia. “Wallander (which Mensah was involved with while at the BBC) has opened up the world to the Scandinavian crime market, showing that it’s possible to work with any company that has a good track record.” The success of Scandinavian crime content is a compelling reminder that co-pro isn’t just about constructing budgets; it’s about unlocking creative potential. The international success of Wallander (based on Henning Mankell’s popular detective novels) is a great illustration of how cross-border collaboration can rewrite the rules of the drama business. After Wallander came Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, Jo Nesbo’s Headhunter and The Killing (an AMC series based on a Danish television series). Wallander was initially made for Swedish TV by production company Yellow Bird (now part of Zodiak). A key player in its later adaptation as an English-language

CO-PRODUCTIONS TO LOOK OUT FOR… ë )$/&21 A four-parter from Mammoth Screen for BSkyB. Based on books by Robert Wilson about Seville detective Javier Falcon. ZDF and Canal+ Spain are involved; anchored by the BBC, WGBH and Italy’s Mediaset. ë 7,7$1,& MIPTV’s Gala Screening, scripted by Julian Fellowes, a four-hour mini-series involving ITV Studios, Shaw Media, Deep Indigo Productions, Lookout Point, Sienna Films and Hungarybased Mid Atlantic Films. ITV’s Paul Bucchieri says his company wants to “increase coproductions, such as Titanic”. Distribution rights are with ZDF Enterprises and ITV Global Entertainment. ë 7+( +(5(7,&6 Canadian PayTV channels Movie Central and The Movie Network join Shaw Media and ARTE France in a 12-part miniseries about religious persecution in the 13th century. Shoots in Romania and the south of France in June, writing and postproduction in Canada.

i feature United they stand TV property was Marigo Kehoe, co-founder and managing director of drama producer Left Bank Pictures. Although Left Bank is part-owned by distributor BBC Worldwide, she says: “Co-production is not a numbers game, it’s about achieving your creative goal.” Bringing Wallander to English-speaking audiences involved Left Bank, Yellowbird, the BBC, WGBH Boston and ARD Degeto. But that’s not such an unusual scenario for Kehoe, who has also co-ordinated co-productions such as Zen (BBC, WGBH, Mediaset) and Strike Back (HBO, Sky). On the eve of MIP 2011, Left Bank was also named as a partner on Madiba, a co-production with Out of Africa Entertainment and Blue Ice Films. Scripted by Nigel Williams, it tells the story of Nelson Mandela. At producer level, co-production is partly about laying off rights, but also about identifying ways of making the budget stretch further, says Kehoe: “The question is always how will we pull it off. So tax breaks have taken us into locations like Hungary, Ireland and South Africa,” she explained. “If there’s one clear trend during my time in the business it’s that TV funding has become a lot more like ﬁlm funding — which is where I started my career.” The kind of deals being done by Left Bank are part of a much wider trend towards collaboration between Englishspeaking and mainland European players. Historically, you might have identified a divide between the two camps — but that’s not so true now thanks to companies like Zodiak/Yellow Bird, Tandem and ProSieben.Sat1

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international production arm Red Arrow. The latter may be a new name to some — but it’s set to make its mark in the co-pro space, says joint MD Joel Denton, whose track record in co-production included a spell as president of production of distribution at RHI Entertainment, maker of epic mini-series for US networks. Denton isn’t quite ready to reveal details of his slate (which currently has around 20 projects in development). But the fact that Red Arrow’s first major UK acquisition was The Mob Film & Television Company, the producer of Terry Pratchett dramas for Sky is an indicator of its intent. “We’re looking for a mix of titles, some international, some domestic. Alongside co-pros we’re looking at dramas that have the potential to be reformatted — in the way UK, Scandinavian and Israeli shows have been recently. The Killing and Being Human are interesting models for us.” The fact that RHI produced great quality didn’t prevent it from running into financial trouble. So what is different now? “It’s partly about PayTV networks. The likes of HBO, Epix, AMC, FX and Starz want events and are more open to working with international partners. And it’s about the switch from mini-series to longer-running productions, because these are working well for broadcasters.” Jane Millichip, managing director of Zodiak Rights, says one of its drama hubs, Marathon, is making a concerted move into event co-productions. “Currently it’s in the market for partners on Versailles, a Capa Drama/ Marathon production for Canal Plus”. A 12-part production in English, Marathon is currently looking for US and German partners, “and after that the plan is to develop a slate of international co-pros — because there is demand. At the same time, we’re also very excited about the potential for French drama formats — the first example being Braquo. That has just been picked up by Asylum Entertainment with a view to turning it into a series for the US market.” Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is moving aggressively into international co-production to create event drama series for its international channel brands. “We have some very successful acquisitions on our international networks, such as CSI and Unforgettable. But it’s sometimes hard to get the shows we want at the right price with acquisitions,” says Jacobson. “So going down the co-production route we are better positioned to building schedule defining series for channels like AXN.” The Firm is the first fruit of this strategy. Produced by eOne for SPT’s international family of networks, it launched in February and has been rolling out around the world in the run-up to MIP 2012. In addition, the 22-part production was sold back into the US for use by NBC. Based on the novel by John Grisham, Jacobson believes it has all the elements needed to work in multiple markets. “The Grisham factor creates a buzz in the international market,” says Jacobson. “It really has the potential

“TV funding has become a lot more like ﬁlm funding” Marigo Kehoe

ALSO LOOK OUT FOR… ë /,/<+$00(5 Netflix acquired season one of international mob drama Lilyhammer but is a coproducer on season two. Originally produced by Scandinavian indie Rubicon for Norwegian broadcaster NRK in association with SevenOne International, Lilyhammer stars Steven Van Zandt. Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and Hulu are increasingly significant partners for drama. ë '($7+ ,1 3$5$',6( Launched at MIPCOM, an unusual collaboration between the UK and France. The story of a British cop working on the Caribbean island of Saint-Marie, it is a Red Planet Pictures and Atlantique Productions in association with BBC Worldwide and Kudos Film and Television for BBC One and France TV. Recently recommissioned.

Death In Paradise

i feature United they stand to light up SPT’s channels.” The decision about whether to renew The Firm will be taken in the autumn — and isn’t wholly dependent on how the show fares in the US. Meanwhile, Jacobson is already looking for the next idea that can progress from concept to script to co-pro. It might come from the US “but there are some great Latin American and European producers, so I’m open to various options.” SPT is not the only US major exploring the use of event dramas like The Firm. Another studio active at various levels is News Corp. Like Sky in the UK, Sky Italia is also in the market for co-produced/event drama. And then there’s fast-growing FX. Part of Fox International Channels, the channel is now looking at co-pros to boost its originals. Not to be overlooked either is the fact that Fox is now in control of National Geographic Channel (NGT). So it’s an interesting pointer for the future that NGC has just signed up Ridley and Tony Scott to make Killing Lincoln; a historical thriller about the assassination of US president Abraham Lincoln. Developments like this suggest the future for event drama is in pretty good shape right now. Scripted studios come and go. But Rola Bauer, CEO and co-founder of Munich-based Tandem Communications, has carved out a living in drama co-production since the mid-1980s. Part of the explanation, she believes, is that she is Canadian — and Canadians have always had to co-produce high-end drama to realise their creative ambitions. Tandem has been around since 1999 but has really come to the forefront in recent years thanks to spectacular coproductions like Pillars Of The Earth (seen in the US on PayTV channel Starz). Next up are World Without End and Labyrinth, both of which come to fruition during 2012. The size of the budgets would make many executives quake (World Without End is $46m for six hours). But Bauer sees a clear role for such properties. “You have to think like a network executive (it helps that she used to be one — at Pro7). They have their sports and their talent shows and their films. What we provide is the kind of drama event that they can’t afford by themselves, but which is complementary to their other output. We offer international stories with very high production values.” Choosing the right project is crucial, says Bauer, which is why best-selling novels by Ken Follett, Kate Mosse, Robert Ludlum, Patricia Cornwell and Robert Harris have been adapted. But also important is the management team profile: “The main creative and commercial partners in Tandem have a great understanding of the European scene but grew up around North American culture. That allows us to bring that US sensibility into our productions.” Coming into MIPTV 2012, the big news is that Tandem has decided to sell a majority stake in its business to Canal+-owned StudioCanal. For Bauer, the deal is a perfect fit: “They have the same commitment to quality as us, which was important. But they also provide us 70 I

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with access into the French market and strong financial backing.” The primary business for Latin American drama producers is exporting formats to their popular telenovelas. But there have been an increasing number of co-production deals. Colombian broadcaster Caracol Television and Sony Pictures Television, for example, have a six-series co-production deal which kicked off with The Labyrinth. Even more ambitious, perhaps, is a January 2012 deal which saw Sony Pictures Television and Mexico’s Televisa strike a first-look co-production partnership which gives SPT first look at Televisa’s formats for use outside the Americas and Televisa first look at SPT formats for Spain. Caracol, meanwhile, has a co-pro partnership with Korea’s Arirang TV, part of a trend towards co-operation between South America and North Asia. Another example was Televisa’s pact with CCTV to produce a Chinese telenovela. Innovation at Endemol has seen it explore the potential of internal co-productions — Endemol Argentina joining forces with Endemol Netherlands to make Julia’s Tango. The tale of a Dutch woman visiting family in Buenos Aires, it secured 23% share of women 20-34 for Net5 NL. Among the more ambitious co-pro projects to see the light of day was El Clon, a telenovela joint venture between Telemundo Mexico which has sold to numerous countries in Latin America. Raphael Correa Netto, head of international sales at Globo TV International, said: “Co-production projects are part of the expansion of TV Globo‘s international business. Through co-production, we can reinforce our brand as a producer of high quality drama programmes and develop new opportunities for our creative talents.”

“You have to think like a network executive” Rola Bauer

Wallander: opened up the Scandi crime market

i feature

BRAND NEW PARTNERSHIPS

The stage is set for branded entertainment Coke has been at it for years. So have many others. But today at last, brand-involvement in production has become an important business model, and producers and viewers alike are embracing it. Juliana Koranteng reports

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ORTY years after storming up the music-sales charts with I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing, the song based on a famous Coke TV commercial that featured the lyric line “It’s the real thing”, the company has established its credentials as a bona ﬁde entertainment company. But Coke’s investment in that song, melding its marketing ambitions with the entertainment industry, was not its only early foray into the craft of branded content. As Jonathan Mildenhall, Coke’s vice-president, global advertising and content excellence, explains, the CocaCola brand has worked with Hollywood stars since the 1930s. In fact, research reveals that the company was backing opera singer Lillian Nordica at New York’s Metropolitan Opera on a Coke tin in 1903. Coke collaborated with such US singing sensations as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Diana Ross in the 1950s and 1960s. It even owned a major Hollywood studio, Columbia Pictures, in the 1980s, during which it won a Best Picture Oscar (Gandhi). So it should be no surprise that Mildenhall is the keynote speaker at BE Engaged: The Branded Entertainment Community, one of this year’s MIPTV ﬂagship sessions. It gives him an opportunity to discuss the potential business branded entertainment can generate for content producers, broadcasters, marketing agencies, and digital-media owners.

“Our brands have to be seen as credible sources of entertainment in their own right” Jonathan Mildenhall

Live entertainment from VINM and Calvin Klein

“For the past 125 years, Coke has understood the importance of earning a disproportionate share of popular culture,” Mildenhall says. “As well as being refreshing, our brands have to be seen as credible sources of entertainment in their own right.” More recently, the Coke Zero drink has had prominent placements in action movies like the James Bond franchises. Coke financed a No. 1 hit in 18 countries with Wavin’ Flag, the official FIFA 2010 World Cup theme song. It has worked with international DJ David Guetta, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar for its Thums Up drink in India, and the production of the six-minute multiplatform short film Great Happyfication by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam. Each project’s sole purpose is to reinforce Coke’s brands in consumers’ consciousness. And the strategy must be working. Consultancy group Interbrand ranked www.miptv.com I preview magazine I March 2012 I 73

i feature The stage is set for branded entertainment Coca-Cola No. 1 in its 2011 Top 100 global brands, giving it a brand value of $71.8bn. Mildenhall adds: “We do not do anything unless we are confident the initiative drives shareholder value either through creating brand love or brand value. We are at our absolute best when we do both.” If branded entertainment is to be an effective replacement of or adjunct to the traditional 30-second broadcast spot, he continues, advertisers need to understand the radically disruptive changes taking place in the way consumers and media interact. “Consumers are consuming more content 24 hours-a-day.” Other global brand-owners make similar observations. Procter & Gamble (P&G) funded some of the earliest TV and radio shows in the first half of the last century. “It is imperative that our use of branded entertainment helps brands to drive awareness and increase purchase intent,” says Paul Jackson, associate director, P&G Global Entertainment. “The most successful branded-entertainment executions are the ones where the brand is an integral part of the story, and the audience grows an affinity for the brands as a result of the association. This is what we strive for in all our projects.” P&G projects include more than 50 made-forTV movies, 20 soap operas and 30 yearsplus of the People’s Choice Awards, the US popular-culture awards voted for by the public. Beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), another international marketer, could be forgiven for feeling intoxicatingly smug. In January, Bud United Presents: The Big Time, a reality-TV series that AB InBev co-produced with transmediaproducer @ radical.

media, got a hot slot on the US major network ABC. It aired on Saturdays at 16.00, just before the sports. The series will be distributed internationally by FremantleMedia Enterprises. Centred on AB InBev’s Budweiser beer brand, the sevenepisode series features contestants from all around the world being mentored by celebrities from the worlds of baseball, motor-racing, soccer, haute-cuisine, music and other entertainment to fulﬁl their dreams. The company had done something similar called Bud House around the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. Although a hit, it was a web-only series. Bud United Presents was a multiplatform venture that took in Facebook and other social-media platforms. “We also thought why shouldn’t we put this on a major TV network?” says Jorge Inda Meza, AB’s global brand manager/marketing director. “We already have the viewership and the credibility with our partners (as a major TV advertiser). So, we secured airtime for an efﬁcient fee.” Moreover, AB InBev sold airtime around the programme enabling the company to monetise its own programme to offset costs. “We’re taking the P&G 1960s model,” Meza explains. “The investment is worthwhile for, if this succeeds, sales will follow.” Hasbro, the 89-year-old toy maker, owns the rights to more than 1,500 toy and entertainment brands, operates its own production studio (Hasbro Studios) and co-owns children and families’ TV network The Hub with Discovery Communications. It is also experienced in extending its toys, board games and third-party rights into movies (Transformers; GI Joe), video games and TV shows (Transformers Prime, My Little Pony and Family Game Night). Although it couldn’t be more different as a company, Macy’s, the iconic US department store who s e ven ture into entertainment is seen in its famous

Aspiring racecar driver Katie Hagar, appearing in AnheuserBusch’s Bud United Presents: The Big Time

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i feature The stage is set for branded entertainment Thanksgiving Day parades, is committed to branded entertainment. Joseph Feczko, Macy’s executive vice president, creative strategy, says the store’s entertainment operation has extended on to TV with Yes, Virginia, an animation show made with ad agency JWT and aired on CBS. In April, Macy’s Million Dollar Makeover reality TV show debuts on the US’ TLC network. “Our ultimate goal in creating content and entertainment is to find different ways for our many customers to engage with our brand,” Feczko says. “Even our relationship with artists and entertainers is different. Whether Donald Trump, Sean (P Diddy) Combs, or Justin Bieber, they work with us to support both Macy’s and their own businesses or products.” Bing, computer giant Microsoft’s search engine, is taking branded entertainment into new directions. In what is believed to be unprecedented, it is paying for the recording of an artist signed to a major record label. While several marketers have been known to finance individual tracks, leaving major labels to finance albums, Bing is funding the remix album by US rapper Theophilus London, which is scheduled for an April release. Sean Carver, Bing’s director of advertising, says we shouldn’t be surprised. “Since our launch, we’ve many partnerships with the entertainment community. As our target audience has become more focused on reaching Generation Y (the Millennial generation), entertainment becomes important.” The Bing brand has also been involved in several TV shows like The Walking Dead, Glee Project and American Idol, including sponsorships. Music is significant in the branded content co-created by Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), which operates the youth-oriented MTV TV networks internationally, with brand partners.

“Branded entertainment has evolved rapidly in the last two to three years” Dave Sibley

Last year, auto manufacturer Volkswagen (VW) unveiled the 21st-century edition of its Beetle car in Shanghai, New York and Berlin through TV and multiplatform shows plus live events co-hosted and produced by VIMN. The Black Eyed Peas’ gig at the World Stage concert in New York for the VW campaign was aired on the MTV 76 I

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2012 People’s Choice Awards host Kaley Cuoco

The stage is set for P&G’s People’s Choice Awards channels globally and streamed live, as were special editions of MTV’s auto-themed programmes like Pimp My Ride. With fashion designer Calvin Klein, VIMN promoted live shows in major music cities, including London, Beijing, Berlin and Mexico City. The concerts were part of the ck one-sponsored multiplatform MTV Push initiative to promote emerging music acts. Yet, they, were also designed to promote ck one jeans, underwear, swimwear and Calvin Klein supermodel Lara Stone. And to encourage the young spectators to interact with the brand, a ck one box located at the venue and installed with a special camera, invited them to create user-generated videos that could be shared on Twitter, Facebook and ckone.com. “These are prime examples of how branded entertainment is important for our relationships with brands and as a marketing tool,” says Dave Sibley, executive vicepresident, managing director of VIMN’s Be Viacom. “Branded entertainment has evolved rapidly in the last two to three years into a more holistic place. The content can be distributed in several different places, with long form on TV and short form shareable on digital platforms.” Asia might have a reputation for being lax about its regulations on product placement, but Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia is among those bringing sophistication into the interaction between brands and shows. “A recent example is our partnership with Sony revolving around the lifestyle and technology magazine show Sony Style in May 2011,” says Ricky Ow, senior vice-president/general manager, networks, Asia, at Sony Pictures Entertainment. “While the TV series and on-air promotions raised awareness of new Sony products, they were complemented by a social media-based race to check in

WHO’S COUNTING? Consultancy group Interbrand ranked Coca-Cola No. 1 in its 2011 Top 100 global brands, giving it a brand value of $71.8bn P&G projects include more than 50 made-forTV movies, 20 soap operas and 30 yearsplus of the People’s Choice Awards, the US popular-culture awards show voted for by the public. Talenthouse has 57,000 Facebook friends, 39,000 Twitter followers and a Talenthouse widget. Hasbro, the 89-year-old toy maker, owns the rights to more than 1,500 toy and entertainment brands.

i feature The stage is set for branded entertainment at Sony retail stores to drive trafﬁc to the client’s actual points of sale.” This blend of marketing and entertainment is not lost on ad agencies, whose creative executives have always introduced elements of humour, suspense and story-telling devices in campaigns. With digital technology, they take creativity a stage further, argues Mike Wiese, director of branded entertainment at JWT New York, which is currently working with Macy’s, Rolex and Nestle on TV branded content. He says: “The future of television and branded entertainment is ‘social TV’ and the ways to programme for the second screen. Brands have a great opportunity to own that experience, and the viewers will expect experiences that integrate with the ﬁrst screen, the stories and their characters. Live and event-based TV will become more important, especially as Twitter and other platforms become ubiquitous with viewing experiences.” Paul English, managing director of London-based international boutique ad agency Brand Advocate, advises that agencies and brands should not jump on the branded-entertainment bandwagon just for the sake of it. “The question isn’t so much can branded entertainment sell products, it should be, what are we selling, to whom and is entertainment a part of that?” The need for objective thinking can be seen in a new generation of branded- entertainment specialists.

“Brands are realising you get what you pay for” Tracey Robertson

Talenthouse, which helped broker the partnership between Bing, rapper Theophilus London and Warner Bros., describes itself as a “social-technology” company. Based in Palo Alto, California, it operates a social-media website dedicated to a community of creators worldwide, including aspiring actors, designers, photographers, musicians and film directors. Depending on agreement terms, Talenthouse then connects its more than one million registered members of creators to marketing campaigns involving high-profile brands and celebrity artists. This is possible thanks to Talenthouse’s deals with and discussions with major content owners, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music, live-events promoter Live Nation and its rival AEG. It invites members of the community to enter competitions, with the winner receiving a life-changing opportunity to contribute to the high-profile brand-artist partnerships. 78 I

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Lifestyle and technology magazine show Sony Style For Theophilus London’s Bing-funded album, beatmasters registered to Talenthouse’s website were invited to remix one of the artist’s tracks. The winning remix will be featured on the Bing-funded album. Talenthouse is then able to introduce participating brands to millions of, usually young, social-media consumers worldwide via its members’ respective socialmedia sites. Talenthouse’s other projects have featured Rihanna, Lady Gaga, DJ Deadmau5, Hollywood director Brett Ratner and brands like Nokia, and fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. “Social-media networks are evolving at the same rate as the original dotcom boom in the 1990s, except, this time, the brands, agencies and consumers are embracing social media deeper into their lives,” says Matt Wilkinson, Talenthouse’s general manager. Another next-generation branded-content specialist is Australia-based transmedia company Hoodlum. CEO/ co-founder Tracey Robertson, however, warns brand owners not to treat branded entertainment as secondclass marketing solutions. “To create quality content, you need to spend reasonable money and brands are realising you get what you pay for,” she says. “So trend-wise, we’ve seen the rise of big-budget branded entertainment with high production values, driven by high-proﬁle creative, showrunners (executive producers) and directors. The other challenge is for content producers and brands to be able to speak to each other — an understanding of ﬁlm language is just as important as understanding and embracing brand values.”

i feature THE TV LANDSCAPE

It’s a wild world More outlets offering less money, the digital big bang, the death of analogue, slicing and dicing rights across screens, territories and platforms… How do distributors maintain revenue levels in today’s fast and furious content market? Juliana Koranteng investigates

ITH new launches occurring daily, the number of TV channels and digital platforms now in existence is, quite literally, countless. YouTube, an effective video-sharing platform for promoting TV services, recently announced plans to launch 100 new channels featuring original content in partnership with established film-and-TV giants, including FremantleMedia, Lionsgate and Electus. UK-based BSkyB, meanwhile — Europe’s biggest satellite-TV platform — is planning a streamed service to rival Amazon. com’s Lovefilm, currently in the UK, Germany and Scandinavia, and Netflix, the increasingly influential USbased paid-for video-on-demand (VOD) service. Netflix is in the UK, Ireland, Canada and Latin America. And among the more obscure services to have launched recently is the Iranian government’s Hispan TV, which debuted via global satellite into Latin America last year. “We are seeing new internet-based on-demand channels being launched everywhere, from established territories like the US, the UK, France and Australia to developing markets such as Latin America, India and China,” says Jonathan Ford, executive vice-president of digital acquisitions and distribution at Content Digital. So in these recessionary times, when broadcasters are paying less for content, are distributors still able to make a profit? Yes, the experts say. “Of course, it’s overwhelming because of the rapidly growing digital space. You always think you’re missing something,” says Peter Emerson, president of Canadabased Entertainment One Television International 80 I

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(eOne). “But with the right mi x of products and the ability to adjust your game plan, there are opportunities.” But that doesn’t change the fact that, in today’s wild TV landscape, you can find firmly rooted public broadcasters competing for space with the still growing pay-TV services. New multiplexes of digital free-to-air channels are elbowing strong but soon-to-die analogue terrestrial, cable and satellite networks out of their way. Digital TV Research confirmed this trend when it reported 576 million digital-TV homes worldwide in 2010 and predicted there would be internet-connected TV sets in 550 million homes in 40 territories by 2016. Meanwhile, streamed TV and VOD on mobile devices — via apps, smartphones, tablets and the cloud — anytime, anywhere and anyhow are deadening the impact of the traditional 30-second TV spot. Catch-up TV has spelt the demise of viewers’ once thrilling appointment viewing. And telecommunications operators have cornered 12%plus of the global pay-TV business in more than 95 million homes via IPTV (internet protocol TV) platforms, according to market-research firm TeleGeography. Moreover, the days of selling content by carving up rights based on different territories are gone. On the other hand, raise the topic of release windows, and the negotiations between sellers and buyers can get heated. “At the moment, it’s a question of keeping track of the

Dance Academy (ZDFE)

rights and knowing whom you sell to, when, and what that does to your exclusivity and your next release window,” Emerson adds. “And that’s for just one show.” Content Digital’s Ford concurs: “All TV channels are launching catch-up services, available through the internet and cable/IPTV. The difference is only whether these are for free TV channels, or accessible only by a certain subscriber group for pay-TV channels.” Another challenge comes from today’s average consumer, who is able to interact with, manipulate and even disrupt distribution platforms via digital technology. This makes the content’s value vulnerable to unforeseen forces. But instead of being felled by the potential confusion, contentsellers see prospects. “We are at a stage where content is truly king,” says Fernando Szew, CEO of Los Angelesbased MarVista Entertainment. “However, every distributor is ﬁghting for a position in a market where everyone does not necessarily know which platforms will be long-term and how consumers

will end up consuming entertainment.” Szew predicts that the industry will become even more competitive and fragmented, making it imperative for distributors to understand the minutiae of their intellectual-property (IP) rights. “Every deal has to be carefully negotiated and understood,” he adds. So while the TV landscape might look untamed, content sales continue to ﬂourish, says Richard Goldsmith, executive vice-president of global distribution at The Jim Henson Company, the kidsentertainment giant whose popular new series include Sid The Science Kid, Dinosaur Train and Pajanimals. “One of the things we need to be careful about is how we license our content,” Goldsmith says. “We get approached by three to four new platforms every week from around the world — it could be a new digital-terrestrial channel in Europe or a new website in China.” But while growth might be coming from the new digital clientele, some of the best prospects remain traditional buyers. “We focus on serving branded channels like Disney and Cartoon Networks, www.miptv.com I preview magazine I March 2012 I 81

i feature It’s a wild world because we still need to justify our investments,” Goldsmith adds. “They provide us with a large audience and the license fee we need to produce the high-quality content in the ﬁrst place. And robust DVD and merchandise deals are important exposures for us. Our clients for the next couple of years will be the terrestrial branded networks, before we create windows for digital platforms.” The growing penetration of digital media, according to Cathy Payne, London-based CEO of Endemol Worldwide Distribution, could tempt distributors to be complacent. Instead, she declares, they need to be pragmatic about monetising their properties. “Licensing to these new digital platforms can be timeconsuming, involving multiple transactions for many titles,” Payne says. “But they may yield incremental income rather than substantial revenues. To date, it’s the largest markets that are delivering substantial revenues. And the programmes that are the most popular on the traditional linear broadcast services are also the most popular on the non-linear VOD outlets.” To retain some control over their properties’ fate, more distributors are investing in original shows as co-producers. eOne, for example, has interests in the police drama series Rookie Blue, the new John Grisham thriller The Firm, and the supernatural horror Haven. In Germany, ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE), the commercial arm of public broadcaster ZDF, spent 30m on new content in 2011, says Fred Burcksen, vice-president of sales, merchandising and co-production. These included the third series of reality show Dance Academy and the third season of The Killing, the hit Danish thriller that it co-produces. “Keeping up with developments in all markets is a day-today job,” Burcksen says. “We don’t want to jump on anything and lose our core business from traditional broadcasters.” But the revenues to be derived from digital distribution should not be sniffed at, he adds. Digital Offensive, a ZDFE initiative to boost sales of digitally distributed content, generated concrete income last year. “We wanted to earn 1m from digital outlets in the German-speaking markets — Germany, Austria, Switzerland — last year, and we reached that goal,” Burcksen reports. “Now we know it works. We did it because content still has to keep pace with the new platforms that are being launched.” These include online games, mobile apps and video clips. “We have a unit that focuses on only producing clips for digital media,” Burcksen adds. “It’s currently a small business, but if you’re not moving with the times, you’ll be out of the business in a couple of years.” Jim Henson produces dedicated original digital content, in addition to making its library of classics — including the famous Fraggle Rock puppet series from the 1980s — available to new digital channels. Recent original digital shows include Possibility Shop for Disney Online, which is a series about making crafts aimed at mothers and kids. 82 I

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Disney Channel movie Radio Rebel that MarVista will debut to international buyers at MIPTV The company also co-produces the Nerdist Channel, an alternative-comedy feed on YouTube. Nerdist has been transmitting Marvin For President, a series of videos of a puppet politician, who has put himself forward as a genuine candidate for the next US presidential election. “There is no production that leaves our studio without high standards, whether it’s for broadcast or for Disney Online. But we couldn’t produce an action sci-ﬁ action series like Farscape on Possibility Shop’s budget, nor could a series for a niche audience like Possibility Shop have been sold to a TV network,” Henson’s Goldsmith says. With content establishing its right to entertainment sovereignty as king, content-owners are feeling secure about their future prospects. Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has one of the world’s biggest libraries of content, along with 160 international channels, including MTV, BET, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, serving about 690 million homes. This, according to VIMN president and CEO Robert Bakish, makes the company a frontrunner in the race to supply media platforms. “If you’re a world-class content-owner, have a deep library and great franchises, you’ll see great demand,” Bakish says. VIMN continues to launch linear channels, including its Comedy Central, which is being introduced into Africa, Latin America and India on multichannel platforms. And new content is being produced to feed its channels, including Nickelodeon animation Legend Of Korra, and the liveaction series Supah Ninjas, Crash Canyon and Flash Prank for MTV, and Reed Between The Lines for BET. “With great content, you are also able to do business with digital extensions, because fans of a particular content

THE NETFLIX FIX NEW SUBSCRIPTION-funded internet-delivered OTT (over-thetop) services are challenging broadcasters for original content. Netflix, for example, has coproduced its first original series — a comedy drama called Lilyhammer starring Steven Van Zandt, famous for his role in the hit US drama series The Sopranos.

i feature It’s a wild world tend to want more of it,” Bakish adds. For example, VIMN has joined forces with the Asian games publisher GigaMedia to develop the ﬁrst massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) based on the hit Nickelodeon kids’ animation SpongeBob SquarePants. It is to be rolled out internationally later this year, starting with Taiwan, before launching in other Asian markets including China and India, followed by Europe, Russia and Latin America. This begs the question of whether there is any more room for new TV channels globally. Digital technology now enables anyone with a library of content to launch a linear or on-demand TV network, points out John Mills, CEO of UK-based Vision247, which leases the IPTV infrastructure to small players creating their own TV channels for viewing online and, increasingly, on digital-terrestrial platforms. “What has changed with developments in OTT is that content-providers can now reach audiences directly without having to go through a broadcaster ﬁrst,” Mills says. “A social-media operator with content already has millions in audiences. Now, we can also enable it to launch a TV channel that is accessible on as many devices as possible.”

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Endemol’s Cathy Payne

ZDF’s Fred Burcksen

Vision247’s John Mills

Content Digital’s Jonathan Ford

MarVista Entertainment’s Fernando Szew

The Jim Henson Company’s Richard Goldsmith

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i feature 3DTV FOCUS

Another big year for 3D The year 1952 was a landmark year for 3D. Sixty years on and it looks like Olympic year 2012 will be another. The MIPTV 3DTV Focus will explore the next developments in 3D. Clive Bull looks at new developments in 3DTV content and technology

Delegates experience the latest in 3DTV in Cannes

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i feature

T WAS back in 1952, with the launch of Bwana Devil, the ﬁrst full-length colour 3D movie, that people ﬁrst started saying this would be the year that 3D made it big. And they’ve been saying it ever since. So what of 2012? Well it depends who you ask, but certainly 3D television is bigger than it ever has been and it will continue to grow this year. Worldwide there are now more than 50 3D channels available and that number is expected to rise by another 15 to 20 by the end of 2012. With a host of VOD services offering 3D movies as well, there is no shortage of outlets for 3D content. While the buzz has died down, 3DTV has been quietly consolidating its position. London 2012 is likely to be a considerable factor in the growth of 3DTV this year with the promise of more than 200 hours of 3D coverage distributed around the world — including the opening and closing ceremonies,

gymnastics, diving and swimming. Manolo Romero, managing director, Olympic Broadcasting Services, believes these unprecedented 3D pictures will make the London 2012 Olympic Games “one of the most signiﬁcant in the history of broadcasting”. There is an expectation that 3D coverage on such a large and high-proﬁle scale will act as a trigger for many consumers wondering about whether to jump into the 3DTV camp. For the last couple of years there’s been great excitement about the emerging 3D technologies, but an on-going concern over whether there’s enough content. A 3D Olympics is just one example of how that problem is now being addressed. John Cassy, director of Sky 3D in the UK, was part of the team that launched HD at Sky in 2006. “When we set out with HD one of our big questions was ‘Is there enough content out there, where is it going to come from?’ and I just think that’s a common problem with the start of any new televisual product.” Cassy admits it will take time to build, but is encouraged by the number of well-established and high-quality producers now getting into the space. “If you were to look at our channel alone, you would see programming that’s been created by brands including MTV, Discovery, National Geographic, ESPN, History — there are some pretty powerful international brands there.” Jo Sermon, director of content strategy, BBC Worldwide (BBCWW), believes the availability of 3D content is pivotal to driving consumer demand. “There won’t be a ‘big year’ for 3D until the content pipeline grows. Event content is where 3D shines — and I include natural history, science and music in that bracket. We’ve picked up rights for live music productions from Elbow, Alice Cooper and Britney Spears. This is the kind of programme where 3D really adds to the consumer experience, because it’s escapist and immersive.” Sermon adds that BBCWW’s ambitions for 3D go beyond the traditional TV platform: “We’re catering for solo consumption by prepping place-shifted 3D content on tablets, PCs, smartphones and so on.” Sky’s John Cassy says there’s a global spirit of co-operation in the 3D world. “If you look at the coverage that’s coming out of the States it’s increasingly of a really excellent quality and they are looking, like us, to push the boundaries. You’ve got the likes of Sky Italia in Italy launching their channel, you’ve got the Chinese launching several channels this year in 3D and we’ve had their guys through here looking at what we’re doing. So we’re all sharing information, learning and trying to help create a new market, which I think for programme makers and distributors is a really good thing.” Debuting later this year will be Atlantic Productions’ Kingdom Of Plants, a 3D show hosted by Sir David Attenborough. “It uses groundbreaking macro 3D photography,” says Cassy. “What is possible now compared to what was possible two years ago is absolutely extraordinary. It’s a show that will completely underline the incredible pace at which 3D production and capability is moving. I’m just very excited and think it’s probably the best thing we’ve ever done.” In the US, lifestyle channel WealthTV launched 3D VOD

“There won’t be a ‘big year’ for 3D until the content pipeline grows” Jo Sermon

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i feature 3D gets a sporting chance programming in 2010 via Roku connected boxes and is following that up with a linear 24/7 3D feed with the aim of distribution through traditional cable and satellite providers worldwide, as well as via connected TVs and boxes. Charles Herring, president, WealthTV, says technological advances will make 2012 an exciting time for 3D. “We are seeing multiple sources of single-housing, broadcastquality 3D cameras that will help ﬂourish non-scripted programming from independent production companies operating with limited budgets. The penetration rates of 3D sets continue to increase and the prices are dropping. Passive 3D televisions will help address the high cost of 3D shutter glasses and the bulky uncomfortable feel associated with early active glasses.” Herring expects the total number of announced 3D channels in North America to be pushing upwards of 10 by the end of 2012. “This will give cable and satellite operators the ability to establish 3D tiers, similar to the early days of HD.” If the novelty is wearing off then it’s being replaced by a feeling that 3D is slowly becoming mainstream. “We believe that the majority of consumers looking for a new TV will seriously consider 3D functionality as a standard feature,” says Fiona Patterson, senior product manager, TV and Blu-ray at Toshiba. “Especially as it will become available at a lower price point in 2012. Customers that are looking to replace their existing TV are looking at 3D functionality as a necessity to help prepare their home entertainment experience for future developments.” Sony marketing director David Bush agrees that the availability of 3D sets will be the turning point this year. “A very high percentage of larger screens being sold now have 3D upgrade capability and so I think it will become a mainstream feature. You may not always buy the transmitter and receiver with the TV but at least you’re buying the capability. Many

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Sir David Attenborough’s The Bachelor King 3D, commissioned for Sky3D consumers are already buying 3D capability — in some cases without even being aware that they’re buying it.” While the healthy sales forecasts for 2012 are reason for encouragement, the real step change may well come in a few years time — with the advent of autostereoscopic (glasses-free) 3D sets at an affordable price. “The glasses themselves have evolved from being big clunky things to being fairly unobtrusive, even quite nice things to wear,” says Bush. “I think the development of different styles of glasses has helped already, but there’s no doubt it’s a barrier in many people’s minds. Most people regard the holy grail of glasses-less 3DTV to be the one to shoot for, and technology is starting to make that a reality. There are still obstacles; it is still relatively expensive and there are quality issues around viewing positions, but some of the displays are showing that things are advancing very quickly on that front. It’s becoming a not too distant

“The availability of 3D sets will be the turning point this year” David Bush

Sir David Attenborough in Kingdom Of Plants (Sky 3D)

prospect — and when that happens there’s no doubt that will be another trigger point for the industry.” One development that might change the 3D landscape is Stream TV Network’s proprietary Ultra-D system. This platform addresses two of the big issues for 3D by allowing not only glasses-free viewing but also real-time conversion of 2D images. The auto-convert box promises unlimited 3D material with the user able to adjust the level of 3D effect. Stream TV Network CEO Mathu Rajan says: “There’s a huge demand for 3D — it’s the glasses that have slowed this down dramatically. The glasses are an impediment to the growth of 3D.” Ultra-D TVs are set to go on sale this year and may help to usher in a glasses-free 3D world. Rajan predicts that in ﬁve years time the percentage of content coming out in 3D will be huge and that 2D-only content will slowly become the minority. “I think you’re going to see a huge explosion in the out-of-theatre market. As the devices get bigger you’re going to ﬁnd 2D fades away, just like it happened with black and white and colour.” Sky’s John Cassy agrees that not having to wear glasses could be a pivotal moment: “We don’t think that they yet offer the right experience. But we do believe that glasses-free will become very widespread and at a high enough quality, and a low enough price that, in time, you’ll be able to wander in to your local store and buy a very strong performing glasses-free

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i feature 3D gets a sporting chance

Walking With Dinosaurs 3D (BBC Worldwide) 3D television for not much more than you’d pay for a 3DTV now. I think that will be a very, very key point for 3D’s overall evolution.” So for 3D in 2012, there’s a steady momentum with more content, more channels, more affordable sets and a prospect on the horizon of being able to one day ditch the glasses. The hype and the gimmicks have been replaced by a slow-burning realism that 3D is not going away.

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i feature KIDS’LIVEACTION

Time for action Live action is still the genre du jour for tweens and teens. Gary Smith considers the strong characters, sticky storylines and social elements that continue to fuel the kids’ live-action boom

The Aquabats! Super Show!: “The Monkees meets 1960s era Batman”

NLIKE its animated counterpart, live action for kids has traditionally featured sociological/socialising elements alongside the entertainment. While the ongoing boom in the live-action genre continues that tradition of subtle education, it has been sustained beyond the normal lifespan of a typical programming trend through a mix of engaging and memorable characters — iCarly and Victorious from Nickelodeon and Disney’s Hannah Montana — underpinned by excellent scripts and the increasingly sophisticated deployment of multiplatform elements. 92 I

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“I agree that the social elements are important for kids in the digital era, but strong personalities such as Vanessa Morgan in My Babysitter’s A Vampire have also been an important part of the sustained success of live action,” says Bob Higgins, executive vice-president of children’s and family entertainment at FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME). “But the fact of it being live action is really not the point. It has been and continues to be about the quality of the series, and there have been a lot of very good shows over the last few years. Looking further ahead, I don’t think we’ll see live action go away this

“I don’t think we’ll see live action go away this time, like it has done in the past” Bob Higgins

i feature Time for action time, like it has done in the past. That’s partly down to the strength of celebrity culture these days, which feeds into live-action series, creating popular personalities, and partly due to the stronger connections that viewers make with these shows through social media.” FME’s acquisition strategy is broad based. “Since this division was started two and a half years ago, we’ve been driven by the fact that we need to find the best shows across the whole spectrum of kids’ programming,” Higgins says. “And then, once that’s done, it’s a question of figuring out the best way to deploy that content across the various platforms.” Two of FME’s current live-action hits, My Babysitter’s A Vampire and Really Me, provide contrasting examples of what can be achieved beyond the TV screen. “For My Babysitter’s A Vampire, we built an online game where players can be a mortal or a vampire, then create their own avatar,” Higgins adds. “For Really Me, which is a much more traditional show, the online elements are about marketing, because the show simply doesn’t offer the sorts of possibilities that My Babysitter’s A Vampire does.” FME will be bringing The Aquabats! Super Show!, a new live action/animated series, to MIPTV. “It’s a standout series that’s a combination between The Monkees and 1960s era Batman,” Higgins says. Nuno Bernardo, co-founder and CEO of transmedia production company beActive and author of The Producer’s Guide To Transmedia, is another who sees no sign of the Dead Gorgeous (Coolabi) live-action boom abating. “I don’t see any loss of appetite for live-action tween and shows, from Hannah Montana to Big Time Rush,” teen shows,” he says. “Audiences are still tuning into live Bernardo adds. action around the world and the ratings are constant, es- The beActive series’ brands also use a modern take on pecially for audiences aged above eight or nine. But the that most traditional of spin-offs — the book. “Recently, competition for attention is very intense, with new plat- we partnered with Wattpad.com to re-release our tween forms and services being launched almost every month, series Aisling’s Diary with exclusive e-books and addiranging from computer and online games to tablets and tional webisodes,” Bernardo says. new forms of interactive books. At beActive, we still consider strong characters to be crucial to engaging young Live action’s popularity also seems to have had an effect audiences on whatever platform they choose. In Sofia’s on series that blend live scenes with animated content. Diary, social media and interactive platforms are key to “We are in fact developing a series that combines live with animation, but we are aware that there has to be a engaging and extending the brand.” In an era that has seen it lose ground as a stand-alone very compelling reason to use animated elements,” says ex-Disney executive Zoe Scurfield, attraction, music is also proving to be who is now head of development and a factor in many live-action shows. production at Coolabi. “We’re cur“Music is important for almost all au“Social media rently on the second season of Dead diences, and key for pre-school, tween and interactive Gorgeous, which successfully comand teen shows,” Bernardo says. He platforms are bines CGI with live action to tell the explains that shows need elements key to engaging story of three children from the 19th that allow them to extend outside century who get a second chance at life TV enabling, for example, pre-school and extending in the 21st century.” children to sing their favourite tunes, brands” One other factor driving the genre is or older children to attend live events Nuno Bernardo the ease of secondary exploitation, based on TV characters. “The tween Scurfield says. audience seems to prefer music-based

TOTALLYAMP’DAPP SMOKEBOMB Entertainment’s new series Totally Amp’d, starring Ashley Leggat (Life With Derek) and Cristine Prosperi (Degrassi: The Next Generation), is a liveaction broadcast-quality comedy series with interactive activities designed to immerse viewers fully in the action. Built for smartphone and tablet devices and featuring an original soundtrack, Totally Amp’d is available via iTunes. “Viewers who want the whole 10-episode series can buy it for a one-time fee of $4.99,” says Daniel Dales, Smokebomb’s CEO and executive producer. There are interactive elements for free, along with regularly updated free content in the activity areas too. The app allows viewers to remix the show’s songs, choose camera angles and also design clothes for the show’s stars. “As the Totally Amp’d is app-based, we are leveraging the social-network power of the actors to get the word out,” Dales adds. “They have been great, engaging regularly with their fans and letting them know what’s happening.”

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i feature Time for action bust live-action cycle has been She adds: “Live action has broken. “Ever since the days gone beyond being a craze “It’s important to provide of Clarissa, Drake & Josh and thanks to a marked improvecomplementary elements iCarly, live action has been a ment in the genre, and shows — but they had better be priority,” she says. “Now, like Victorious are both very with Victorious and Big Time good and very lucrative. But good, otherwise they can Rush, it has hit a whole new there’s a gap between the damage the brand” level. The musical elements number of girls watching Zoe Scurﬁeld combined with a huge folthese series and the relativelowing on the social networks ly low number of boys doing mean that those shows have so. Therefore, offering entry points in order to get more boys watching is a priority for traction across a lot of areas.” Beaton also believes there are signs of a new wave of a lot of programme-makers. We have an animated show shows coming from Europe: “House Of Anubis came called Teen Avenger with a female lead, but it also has from Europe and was picked up by the US, which is very plenty of elements that appeal to boys.” unusual, and we are currently looking to source more seCoolabi properties such as Poppy Cat and Dance ries from outside the US. And we are, of course, lookAcademy feature multiplatform elements, but Scurﬁeld ing at what our next children’s telenovela will be, because sounds a warning: “It’s important to provide complemenwe’ll be doing more in that area in the future.” tary elements — but they had better be good, otherwise they can damage the brand. And what you do also has to Beaton’s focus at MIPTV will be on the new live-action series Bucket & Skinner and Supah Ninjas, as well as the stand up against all the other distractions on offer.” latest Avatar series The Legend Of Korra. “Korra is quite different in that it has a heritage feel, a very strong cenAnother way to protect brands is to add a local touch. Hasbro Studios’ president Stephen J Davis has just com- tral character in Korra and really excellent animation,” Beaton says. “It bridges the gap between live action and pleted a deal with producer Toonmax that will see the cartoons.” Chinese company making a local version of Elf In A Can. “The show is an extension of the Hasbro brand Playdoh,” Davis explains. “The reason we decided to do it this way is that, although we have had shows airing successfully in China in the past, recently it has become clear that format versions produced locally are the best way to engage the local audience.” According to Davis, Hasbro Studios has 1,500 brands that it is currently “re-imagining” as shows, either in animated form or as live action. “Our scripted version of the board game Clue [Cluedo in some territories] is a good example of a brand that suits live action — likewise Scrabble Showdown, Family Game Night and Game Of Life, which are perfect for versioning as game shows,” he adds. There is also a healthy synergy between the live-action Transformers movie franchise and the animated TV version. “Clearly, live action suits the movies, but the animated series acts as a complementary version, offering kids a different take on the show,” Davis says. Hasbro’s MIPTV slate includes the first series of Rescue Bots, which is based around a group of young Autobots who are learning to be Transformers. It is also bringing the second series of the highly successful My Little Pony franchise to Cannes. Nickelodeon’s strong live-action slate is undeniably one of the drivers behind the enduring success of the form. Caroline Beaton, senior vice-president of programme sales at Viacom International Media Bucket & Skinner (VIMN) Networks (VIMN), also believes that the boom/ 94 I

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i feature ANIMATION

The East wants a piece of the action As new business models come into play, the old image of the east as little more than an animation production line, is changing. Marlene Edmunds reports

Neon Pumpkin’s Call for ChiChi

APAN, with major players like Toei Animation, has long held its title as the second-largest animation territory in the world. But Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, India, China and the Philippines are busy building up a new industry that is focused on creating new IP, often through co-production, while keeping a hand in outsourcing or work for hire as a way of maintaining proﬁt. Part of the gradual evolution of the animation landscape in Asia involves the creation of companies like August Media Holdings. Founded in 2010 by CEO Jyotirmoy Saha, the company is headquartered in Singapore but has ofﬁces in North America and Europe.

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Prior to founding August, Saha was co-CEO of Singapore’s Sparky Animation, an animation company whose co-production roster includes Dinosaur Train with The Jim Henson Company. Saha’s vision is to become a global media player straddling multiple platforms, as a creator and IP rights holder. “Our aim is to acquire and hold fantastic IP that has global appeal,” Saha says. In two years, August Media has made big strides, striking a deal with Classic Media, which holds major entertainment brands such as Caspar The Friendly Ghost, to develop and produce up to 10 children’s television properties. August also acquired Red Kite Animation, a Scottish

“It’s essential to ﬁnd hire service work to survive” Sara Han Williams

i feature The East wants a piece of the action children’s animation company whose titles include 64 Zoo Lane and The Imp. Saha says that being headquartered in Asia has its advantages, among them the fact that there is an abundant supply of animators and animation talent there. On top of that, he adds: “We also have access to funds that enable us to manage great content, a situation that is vitally important for a company like ours.” What drives his content investment choices? “Excellent story, character and international appeal drives the desire for, and potential lifespan of, IP content. It is the heart of the property that creates global appeal and this is something we always bear in mind,” he says. Sometimes a small stake in the product is part of the co-production deal, but he adds: “Ultimately, we would always maintain control.” The company inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in October with Malaysia’s Funcel to co-finance and co-produce a slate of three animated series of 52 episodes each. In the deal, Funcel is the animation production partner for the slate, while August Media along with Red Kite Animation are responsible for development, finance, executive production and distribution. Saha says that in the case of Funcel, the deal was driven by a guiding strategy. “We had an IP we really believed in and were looking for a skilled partner that would assist us in driving the content forward.” Malaysia has laid claim to a gradual increase in the number of deals struck in this field over the last nine months. The government, with the help of FINAS (National Film Development Corporation), MDeC (Multimedia Development Corporation) and MCMC (Malaysian

Animasia Studio/Malaysia and ZN Animation China’s My Ugly Brother Communication and Multimedia Commission) has helped co-ordinate some 700 business-to-business matchmaking meetings between Malaysian and foreign producers for television and theatrical entertainment. Among a string of signiﬁcant pacts that involves animation co-production is a deal with Animasia Studio of Malaysia and ZN Animation of China to co-produce My Ugly Brother. Malaysia’s Vision Animation and Moody Streets Kids of Australia also announced the global product launch of their co-production Flea-bitten. Aside from its deal with August Media Holdings, Funcel is also working with other partners, including Japanese anime producer Gonzo. The company has co-developed

“Excellent story, character and international appeal drives the desire for IP” Jyotirmoy Saha

Ask Lara, produced in Malaysia for August Media’s Red Kite www.miptv.com I preview magazine I March 2012 I 97

i feature The East wants a piece of the action Satria: The Warriors Of 7 Elements, with Gonzo of Japan and FINAS. Gonzo’s role is as a technical and marketing consultant. “The traditional 2D animation, anime style is aimed at a target group of nine-years-old and above,” says Alex Shio, international marketing executive for Funcel. Malaysia has in recent years moved to create world-class content, says Adam Ham, executive director of Malaysia’s GCMA [Global Creative And Media Agency]. It is also involved in outsourcing animation works, says Ham, adding: “Malaysia has become a reliable and high-quality production hub for CGI and 2D animation production, with companies like Animasia Studio, Inspidea, Vision Animation, Young Jump Animation, Silver Ant Studios, all producing high-end quality animation works for major foreign players around the world.” Cost, quality and the fact that English is the language of choice for the production industry in Malaysia are all facMalaysia’s Vision Animation and Moody Streets Kids of Australia co-production, Flea-bitten tors that draw companies into Malaysia, Ham says. Sara Han-Williams, vice-president Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, of Korea’s Neon Pumpkin, says her Moonscoop, Toonzone in the US, company is currently developing its “The creative and Xilam in France. own projects as well as co-productalent pool in the Possibly one of the great centres ing with domestic and international Philippines have where hand drawn animation is still partners. Currently the company is going strong is The Philippines. in the process of co-producing Call honed their skills” India’s DQ Entertainment in recent For Chi Chi with Millimages UK. Sumedha Saraogi years has become a major player in On that project, Neon Pumpkin is the world of animation, with some of charged with design, storyboards, 3D its classic kids projects being picked modelling and animation, and some HOLYCOW SEEKSFUNDS of the pre-production and post production work. It also up by the worlds largest co-producers and broadcasters. FORFEATURE has development of 2 Eyes Monster and other projects on The company’s new animations in the pipeline for 2012TWELVE-year-old Holy Cow 13 include Five Children And It and Robin Hood. the front burner. Animation in the Philippines is Neon Pumpkin is also doing hire-service work for domes- DQ, however, goes to the Philippines when it wants handheaded up by managing director Marlyn Montano. Some 90% of its tic and international projects spanning pre-production to drawn, says Sumedha Saraogi, senior vice-president, work is outsourcing, with projects global business and branding, at DQ Entertainment. post-production. involving 2D animation, 3D She adds: “I’m still actively looking for service work from “The creative talent pool in the Philippines has honed animation, and Harmony/Flash Animation for TV, film and North America and Europe. Without steady income we their skills over the past two to three decades,” she says. commercials. cannot easily develop our own originals, so I think it’s DQ works regularly with TV Arts, a small Filipino com“Hand drawing and 3D animation pany with a stable of talented freelance animators. “They very important to balance service work and developing.” are mainly what we do although now we have plans to expand our Han-Williams says that many young Korean producers have are specialists in hand-drawn animation, which we pre3D operations,” says Montano. wanted to develop their product and have had some mar- fer for some of our children’s animated series,” Saraogi One project that Holy Cow worked keting help from government agencies. But, she adds: “We says. “TV Arts, more recently, created the hand-drawn on with Mariscal Studios in Madrid in 2010, titled Chico & Rita, was all know it typically takes a long time to find co-production for Tara Duncan, the TV series that was co-produced nominated for best animated partners and co-financing partners and they can’t survive by DQ with Moonscoop in France and completed last feature in the Oscar line-up this for long in the industry developing and producing only orig- year. “There were a lot of human characters and a certain year. The company also has strong ties with the US, as well as Asia. inal IP. In my mind, it’s essential to find hire service work to look that Moonscoop wanted that was achievable only At MIPTV, Montano plans to talk survive. It’s not optional.” Service accounts for 70% Neon through hand-drawn animation,” Saraogi says. up some of the company’s new Pumpkin’s work, another 30% developing original product. TV Arts is also working on the Lassie project. “We started shorts, as well as a new original feature project called Ceiling. Holy US producers are still the major clients for outsourcing, the production of Lassie last year and it is set to be completCow is looking for funding partners since their prices are more competitive. But Han-Williams ed in 2013. Again, we wanted very specific human expresfor Ceiling, the animation thriller adds: “A lot of European producers are working with sions emoted and the decision was mutual by co-producers about a small town being slowly crushed by the sky falling down. Classic Media and Super Prod, to go with hand drawn, rathChina due to higher costs in Korea, and even US producThat’s until a little girl with a ers use Chinese studios for 2D and Indian studios for 3D.” er than CGI.” The Lassie project has a number of broadcastflower saves the day. Among Neon Pumpkin’s clients for service are ers on board including ZDF, TF1 And JCCTV.

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i feature LATINAMERICA

On target for growth Latin America’s TV markets are on a roll, driven by a growing middle class that is demanding greater variety, more innovative programming and better quality local productions. Gary Smith reports

HE LATEST statistics on the media habits of the 400 million-plus inhabitants of Latin America show several surprises, including the fact that, of Brazil’s 46 million internet users, only one million have connections of 1Mb and above. But perhaps even more surprising is that there are only six million broadband connections between the region’s 162 million internet users. While broadband roll-out may be slower than many observers expect, the penetration of digital TV is growing quickly, thanks to a number of governments relaxing the complicated and overly strict regulations covering the pay-TV sector and, most signiﬁcantly, foreign investment in media businesses. This has led to greater competition and lower prices, with the latest survey by Broadband TV News predicting that 71% of the region’s 120 million-plus TV households will be digital by 2016. The growing professional classes will also result in another 11 million TV households being created in the next four years, resulting in the region having well over 130 million television sets. By 2016, Brazil is expected to have around 45 million digital homes, resulting in a pay-TV sector worth $6.9bn annually. In that same year, Mexico’s pay-TV sector is predicted to generate $4bn and Argentina’s $2.6bn. For the moment, however, media growth is mainly in the pay-TV sector, with a notable and growing gap opening up between digital and free-to-air homes. “For the mass audience watching analogue TV, things are really not very different,” says Elie Wahba, senior vice-president 100 I

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of Twentieth Centur y Fox Dist r ibution for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Telenovelas are still strong, local series are popular — and often have regional success — and, of course, movies are massive, just like everywhere else around the world. Growth in pay-TV is really driving the changAraguaia (TV Globo International) es though, and we will undoubtedly be seeing more local versions of hit US shows being made. We currently produce a local version of The Wonder Years [Los Anos Maravillosos] for Caracol in Colombia, and we are negotiating to do the same for Dharma & Greg and Malcolm In The Middle.” Twentieth Century Fox’s biggest show in the region, however, is The Simpsons. “It’s exceptional in that it straddles the pay-TV and free-to-air audiences,” Wahba says, observing that Glee, despite its universal feel-good appeal, “just doesn’t work on free-to-air because the audience doesn’t know the songs”. While imported programming remains a complex ﬁt, local series are booming, and also selling outside the region. “I’m seeing a lot of new local shows coming through that are then sold on as formats,” Wahba adds. “There is clear evidence of a new kind of market developing, with

local formats being picked up by broadcasters in Russia and Eastern Europe and, to a lesser degree, the Middle East.” According to Miguel Brailovsky, vice-president of programming and production at A&E Ole Networks, the shows that currently deliver the highest audiences in Latin America are character-driven series. “A&E Networks’ series such as Pawn Stars, American Pickers and IRT Deadliest Roads, are the most popular across all markets,” he says. “Ancient Aliens and The Universe have also created strong loyalty among the fans of these subjects. Two-hour specials are a powerful element

on the grid when it comes to attracting new viewers, because they work as an entry point for people to discover the series. And we have also had some great results with original productions where the subjects are particularly relevant to these markets.” Around 15% of History’s new shows in Latin America comprise original local productions. “Those original series and specials are distributed internationally by A&E Networks after an exclusive ﬁrst window on our regional channels,” Brailovsky adds. “Many of them have run on freeto-air stations across different countries in Latin America. Some of them have been acquired by the US Spanish channels, with others also selling

“Local formats are being picked up by broadcasters in Russia and Eastern Europe and, to a lesser degree, the Middle East” Elie Wahba

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i feature On target for growth to Spain and Portugal. Generally, we are seeing a growing interest in local productions that deal with subjects of universal appeal — ancient cultures, for example.” Carlos Gonzalez, managing director of Latin America and Spanish-speaking US for FremantleMedia Latin America, sees growing innovation across the region. “It’s a very exciting market,” he says. “We have seen a significant increase in the production of our formats in recent years. We produce in several territories, including Brazil, Mexico and the US.” In Mexico, for example, FremantleMedia produces the game shows Pokerface and Password. In Brazil, it makes Idols, which is now up to its sixth series, as well as Project Runway and Password. And in Chile, it is producing Take Me Out, a second season of Got Talent, the premiere season of The X Factor and seasons one and two of My Name Is... Got Talent has also just aired for a third season in Argentina and FremantleMedia has a growing number of programmes on air elsewhere in the region. “Alongside our biggest formats — Idols, Got Talent, Family Feud and The Price Is Right — our catalogue of entertainment, variety, reality, lifestyle, drama, sitcoms and game shows means that we have formats for all tastes and needs,” Gonzalez adds. “In 2011, we produced Idol Puerto Rico, which aired on WAPA-TV. This was our first production in that territory and it was a major success — and a great example of the growing regional and universal appeal of our programmes.” It is increasingly clear that Brazil’s economic robustness is having a positive effect on the region, as well as internally. Raphael Correa Netto, head of international sales at TV Globo International, sees encouraging signs everywhere: “The audience is evolving as the country changes. People are consuming more media, cable TV penetration is growing rapidly but, happily, advertising on the free-toair broadcasters has remained constant.” Correa Netto adds that Globo remains a trusted brand and one that is “regarded as a mirror of Brazilian society”. It is now running home-made four- to 20-episode drama series mid-week which, thanks to their universal themes, are also exporting well, especially to the Portuguese-speaking territories and Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, Globo dubs its telenovelas into French, English and Arabic before taking them to market. “That makes it easier to target the francophone countries in West Africa, plus we are also starting to build real relationships with Nigeria, Zimbabwe and South Africa,” Correa Netto says. “Asia is also a growing market for us, and we have recently started selling fiction formats there, which are doing well around the region.” Globo is bringing 10 new shows to MIPTV including three telenovelas, a comedy series, drama and several documentaries. Fresh from his involvement in a major primetime drama 102 I

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Pawn Stars (A+E Networks) co-production called Red Brazil, based on the hit French novel Rouge Brazil, Luis Antonio Silveira, executive producer with Conspiracao Filmes, is currently working on Live To Tell for Discovery Channel and a sport/culture project for ESPN. “Red Brazil was a co-production with Pampa Productions in France and CD Films in Canada,” Silveira says. “We spent seven weeks filming in Brazil and the project had a total budget of 8.5m. We have made two versions — one of 2 x 100 mins for most territories and another of 4 x 40 mins for Brazil.” Conspiracao is currently filming At Play By The Sea, the story of beach soccer, for ESPN. “As well as being the story of a sport, it is also the story of the city of Rio de Janeiro,” Silveira says. “The people of Rio only started going to the beach in the 19th century. Before that, it was just fishing boats and sand. Then soccer became huge on the beach and Bossa Nova was also developed there.” Director and producer Marco Altberg, currently president of Brazilian TV Producers (BTVP), believes that Brazilian independents are increasingly well regarded. “Business is growing and our producers are really back on the map,” he says. “The independent production sector has been developing quite well. We expect that, once the new legislation allowing foreign investment from telecoms and pay-TV operators has been passed, it will bring around 14bn reals [6bn] into the independent sector over the coming years.”

“Psychologically, the national quota system has been a big boost for us all” Marco Altberg

i feature On target for growth 2111:AFUTUREODYSSEY WHAT the major cities of Latin America will look like in 2111 is the focus of a new original production by Discovery Latin America/US Hispanic. Called 2111, the series offers a look into the Latin America of 100 years from now. The series transports viewers to Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires of the future, employing 3D computer animation to create real-life models of cities, houses, public spaces and future modes of transportation, and integrating these into today’s Latin American cityscapes. The series has attracted several major advertisers, which are prominently featured in the relevant environments. Brands such as American Airlines, Samsung, Oracle, Bridgestone and FedEx have signed on to take part in the project. “This is the first locally made factual programme to have produced such spectacular imagery,” says Michela Giorelli, vice-president of production and development at Discovery Latin America/US Hispanic. “But we feel that we have to deliver this sort of quality, because audience tastes are changing and broadening in an increasingly competitive environment for pay-TV operators.”

Julie & The Phantoms (Mixer) Altberg adds that the national quota system, which calls for a minimum of 3.5 hours per week of locally produced series in primetime, has also boosted local production. “For the moment, only 50% of that total time has to come from the independent sector,” he says. “But psychologically, it has been a big boost for us all.” Thanks to Brazil’s growing number of consumers, there will be millions of new pay-TV subscribers over the coming years. “For the ﬁrst time, we will have a real Brazilian audience choosing to watch the shows they want,” Altberg says. “That presents the indie sector with a real challenge in terms of offering original programming and greater diversity. Of course, international co-productions will be very important in this respect. You might expect that we would be looking to create regional production partnerships but, in fact, we currently work much more regularly with Canada than, for example, Argentina. However, regional connections are being made, and I’m sure we will see much more regional co-operation in the future.” Tiago Mello, executive producer at Brazil’s Mixer, sees the emerging local and regional markets as both exciting and challenging. “While the dynamism of the domestic market is undeniable, there’s a sense of uncertainty as well, because the accepted order between the independent producers and the big, free-to-air broadcasters is changing,” he says. “For example, we have just completed our ﬁrst series with Globo

Sitio De Picapau Amarelo, produced by Globo and sold to Cartoon Network Latin America

Discovery Latin America’s 2111, showing Buenos Aires 100 years from now

as co-producer — an animated show called Sitio De Picapau Amarelo, which aired here in January. It has now been sold to Cartoon Network Latin America. Globo is handling the commercial exploitation and we are conﬁdent that the series will go down well with European buyers as well.” Another new Mixer series, Julie & The Phantoms, features a phantom rock group who act as the backing band for shy, love-struck singer Julie. The show airs on Nickelodeon. “Live action with true global appeal is tough for a Latin American producer,” Mello says. “But we are very concerned with quality and we believe in what we do, so we will see if Julie turns out to be an international success.” Mixer is also working on the second 52-episode series of Dog Day School, a co-production with Canada’s Cite-Amerique. Mello adds: “Overall, I think 2012 is going to be a good and interesting year for Brazilian producers, with many new opportunities for the independent sector.”

“The accepted order between the independent producers and the big, freeto-air broadcasters is changing” Tiago Mello

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