TTV | Nº 53 | 2010 | DISCOP EAST - FORUM BRASIL

Summary

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Special Report DISCOPRO 2010 The Roads to Co-Production_/14

Leaders The World Is a Rectangle Emilio Azcárraga Jean, President of Televisa Group_/06

HSM Specials

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Ahead in the advertising game Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi_/18

Telenovelas Supplement

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SPECIAL REPORT Latin America’s DNA_/40

Endless Combinations Michelle Wasserman, International Sales Manager of Programming and Production Formats for Telefe International_/44

Darío “Dago” García_/52

Nelson Akira Sato_/51

César Díaz_/34

Marcel Vinay_/56

VP of Caracol Television Production

VP of International Sales for Venevision International

Founder of Sato Company

CEO of Comarex

Melissa Pillow_/54

Sales Manager for Eastern and Central Europe for Telemundo International

Delmar Andrade_/58 Director of International Sales, Record TV Network

Emilio Revelo_/59

Manager of Television Internacional for Latin America, World Wrestling Entertainment

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President / CEO Sebastian Lateulade Executive Director Soledad Saldías Editorial Manager Sebastián Amoroso EDITOR Stephanie Biscomb Online Director Omar Méndez Online Editor Diego Alegre Editorial Assistants Sebastián Torterola Dino Cappelli PROOFREADER Josefina Mezzera Regules Operations Director Rodrigo Ros INTERNATIONAL SALES Dolores Irazábal Renata Del Pup Production Manager Dario Aleman IT Manager Alejandro Barros Data Operations Fernando Moreno

VENEZUELA Court Rejects Reactivation for RCTVI The Supreme Court denied an injunction requested by the Radio Caracas Television International (RCTVI) station, which called for the reactivation of its signal on cable service in Venezuela as a national audiovisual production service. RCTVI cable stopped broadcasting in January 2010 after failing to adopt a new regulation for subscription TV. “Not having enough evidence that might suggest the existence of irreparable damage or difficulty to repair, the Board denies this request,” said the Constitutional Court, in a presentation by Judge Arcadio Delgado Rosales, as quoted by AP. The state-run Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL) rejected the broadcaster’s registration because of “the late submission of the application for registration in the Registro de Prestadores de Servicios de Producción Nacional Audiovisual.” RCTVI filed the application on February 22nd, five days after the 15-day period deadline given, said the department. At that time, CONATEL also informed the channel’s directors that documentation presented in regards to RCTV Mundo, a new international channel of the local 1BC corporation, “was inaccurate and incomplete” and that its programming did not justify exceptions to be applied that allowed “this Commission to qualify the service to be offered as national or international.”

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BAFTA Award for Power’s ‘The Day of the Triffids’ Power has secured yet another award for their display cabinet: their ‘The Day of the Triffids’ production won a BAFTA Award in the Visual Effects category.

Its competitors included ‘Merlin’, ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘World War II’. The miniseries, broadcast on BBC1 last Christmas for the United Kingdom, joins other BAFTA winning titles from independent producers such as ‘The Devil’s Whore’, ‘The Virgin Queen’, ‘Colditz’ and ‘Casanova’. Justin Bodle, CEO and President of Power, stressed the importance of the awards, especially considering the competition. “This is a great victory for our company and ‘The Day of the Triffids’. We are thrilled with the news. Visual effects are of most importance in production, and this category always has a very high level among its candidates,” he said. The miniseries’ second installment, a Power and Prodigy co-production, has special effects that give a flamboyant contemporary twist to the original John Wyndham bestseller.

COSTA RICA

Adopts Japanese-Brazilian DTT Standard Costa Rica officially adopted the Japanese-developed terrestrial digital TV standard that was adapted by Brazil to be used in Latin America. By means of an executive order published in La Gaceta, Costa Rica joined Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Peru, which have also chosen the ISDB-Tb. After meetings, presentations and technical tests, the conclusion was that this standard is the “most robust” technically and has the “best qualities” for development in Costa Rica, local newspapers quoted. “From a social perspective, the technical merits of the Japanese-Brazilian standard will allow better coverage and the inclusion of communities that have been, until now, excluded from network TV,” reads the recommendation report, submitted on April 29th. Although not obliged to follow this recommendation, then President Oscar Arias, Minister for the Presidency Rodrigo Arias and Minister of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Jorge Rodriguez, signed the Decree No. 36 009 MP-Minaet, which sets the ISDB-Tb as the digital TV standard for Costa Rica.

CHILE Government Speeds Up DTT Implementation, Creates TVD Chile Chile’s Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Felipe Morande, announced that the Government aims to pass its digital TV law later this year.

The Minister expressed his hopes of this happening before October, when the TV channels’ permits to test the Japanese norm in Santiago will expire. After October, the channels will not be able to continue broadcasting, unless the legal framework is approved on a higher quality and coverage that can be extended to other regions,” said Morande. Currently, TVN, Canal 13, Chilevisión and Mega broadcast on DTT for a small area in the capital city.

“Digital TV will expand to other regions in the short and long-term, depending on how investments materialize. However, 85% of the population should be receiving DTT in less than five years,” the Minister said. “The bottom line is that there must be a legal basis that allows emerging and established channels to make investments with certainty and security, in order to leave enough time for these investments to bear fruit. And that’s what we’re looking for, encourage a law that allows for this legal foundation,” Morande explained, referring to the date of Chile’s analog blackout, set for 2018. The official also announced the creation of TVD Chile, an agency “that will guide the development of digital TV over the next 10 years.”

According to his report, the agency will be headed by a technical committee and will start a program to educate and inform the public about this new technology and its new ways of access.

U.S. Disney Stops Negotiations for Miramax Sale The Walt Disney Company stopped its negotiations to finalize the sale of its film division – Miramax Films – to its original owners, producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, according to The Wall Street Journal. Miramax was founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 1997, and sold to Disney for US$ 80 million in 1993. They continued to run the studios until 2005 when they created The Weinstein Co. The Weinstein brothers, supported by Yucaipa Co. – owned by billionaire Ron Burkle –offered US$ 25 million for the studio, which has a library of over 600 films including ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Shakespeare in Love’. Sources close to the newspaper claimed that the complex purchase structure proposed by Weinstein was the main reason why talks collapsed. Disney is expected to now find new offers for its film division.

URUGUAY New National Television Director Assumes Her Position Virginia Martinez was inaugurated as the new director of Uruguay’s Televisión Nacional (Channel 5) on May 10th, in a ceremony attended

by President José Mujica, Education Minister Ricardo Ehrlich, the Under-Secretary María Simon, as well as the channel’s former Director Claudio Invernizzi. Director, producer, researcher and teacher, Martinez had been heading the local Tevé Ciudad channel, a cable signal belonging to the Montevideo Municipality. The new director said that “TV has a lot to do with social inclusion” and that she aspires to lead a channel “that is not a slave to ratings.”

MEXICO Mainstay of DTH in Telecommunications Performance of Mexican DTH has significantly contributed to an almost 13% growth rate for the country’s telecommunications sector in the year’s first quarter. Satellite TV was the most successful within Mexico’s subscription TV segment, growing 78.9% and reaching the 2.8 million subscriber mark. Cable TV, meanwhile, grew by 5.8% over the first quarter of 2009, with a total of 5,154 million subscribers. General trends within pay TV – with the exception of MMDS’ continuous decline – continue to be positive in a telecommunications sector that reached 12.9% in the first quarter of 2010, higher than 2009’s 11.8% for the same period, according to data released by the Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL). Mobile telephony, trunking, satellite provision, restricted TV (with the exception of microwave) and international incoming long distance traffic also showed positive growth rates. In contrast, decreases were recorded for paging services, international outgoing long distance traffic, domestic long distance traffic, MMDS and fixed telephony. This last segment recorded a 5.4% fall during the first quarter of 2010, due to users migrating to mobile phones and Mexico’s main telephone operator deactivating 88,000 lines. The total number of fixed lines in the country reached 19,336,533 by the end of March, representing a density of 17.9 lines per 100 inhabitants.

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LEADERS

The World Is a Rectangle

On May 13th, Emilio Azcárraga Jean, President of Grupo Televisa, was part of the 42nd International Advertising Association World Congress (IAA) “Change: Consequences”, the biggest congress in the industry of advertising that was held in Moscow, Russia this year. The distinguished executive gave a speech on TV, Advertising and the “brave new world” before over 1.200 attendees.

BY SeBAstiÁN Amoroso (*) “I believe that television, the rectangular world, is and will continue to be the best place for consumers to view video content.”

Mexico’s first live 3D broadcast was available in six Mexican theaters.

(*)Based on the textual transcription of Emilio Azcárraga Jean’s speech on May 13th, 2010, for the 42nd IAA World Congress, graciously provided to ttv by Grupo Televisa.

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“This brave new world is not round, or even flat; the world is a rectangle,” Mr. Emilio Azcárraga Jean, President of Grupo Televisa, stated before over 1.200 persons from 70 countries.

Media and entertainment company Grupo Televisa has consolidated into a multiplatform company that produces over 50,000 TV hours every year, distributed on its free TV and pay TV networks and via its editorial and digital platform.

THEJOURNEYOFMEDIAANDADVERTISING. The veteran who leads the largest Spanishspeaking communication and entertainment media company commented that every conference on media and advertising seems to start by stating that we are living in a brave new world. “Our brave new world is as new as

it was when [William] Shakespeare first used the expression in 1611, or when [Aldous] Huxley used it as the title of his celebrated book, in 1932. But what, precisely, is new? As someone said recently, this brave new world is not round or even flat; it is a rectangle. And this rectangle’s model is the television screen.

As we all know, television today is not what it was merely five years ago. Video content, thousands of portals, radio stations, magazines and newspapers are all moving onto video streaming and broadcasting. I believe that television, the rectangular world, is and will continue to be the best place for consumers to view video content. This is especially true for professional content; the type of content that we all produce, and that consumers choose to consume,” he highlighted before a concentrated audience.

Azcárraga Jean explained that they are all aware that shifts in consumption present the media and advertising industry with unique challenges and opportunities. The veteran named three elements to be aware of in this brave new world. First, Azcárraga Jean highlighted the unprecedented opportunities emerging from a brave, new and, most importantly, rectangular reality. He addressed the role of emotion as the unifying force to connect with the audience in second place and, thirdly, shared some ideas that will allow companies to thrive and profit.

“Colliding forces create new worlds and new opportunities. Just think about the Internet;

Emilio Azcárraga Jean,

no one dreamed about it. No one invented it.

It was born from a collision of independent sets of events. These included technology, business models, consumer behavior and media platforms. And it’s happening again today. Forces are colliding in media and advertising. In the realm of technology we have the broadband explosion. In platforms we have smartphones, PCs, iPads, and let’s not forget, the best TV ever. In the realm of business models, we now have advertising a la carte, fees and subscriptions. And consumer behavior is now on demand and in control. That is the hand that has been dealt and that is the hand we have to play,” he said.

The executive used the word “markers” in his speech to define this new brave world. Yet there are certainly markers from collisions in media and advertising that are creating seismic shifts. This is: a brave new world that is increasingly creative, on-demand, multiplatform, time shifted and time split, and targeted. “This world is increasingly creative.

Most of us come from a time when a camera had rolls of film with 12 exposures that took weeks to develop. Not anymore. We have heard a number of our speakers talk about the explosion of social media. Let me put this in perspective. Today, the equivalent of a billion of those rolls of film is uploaded each month to Facebook. We could fill the empire state building with those rolls. And, in only 3 seconds, an hour’s worth of video content is uploaded to YouTube. But let’s remember that this explosion of user-generated content on sites like YouTube and Facebook complements but does not replace professional content. It is professional content that consumers crave, and it is professional content that will cut through the content clutter,” he stated.

Azcárraga Jean highlighted that this is a world that’s increasingly on-demand. And he offered an example through a recent audience survey: “A new survey shows that in the U.S., almost half of all consumers turn to new media platforms to view their favorite TV shows. TV everywhere is no longer just saying ‘The world is multiplatform.’ Think of your own homes: TVs, Bluerays, DVRs, Blackberries, iPhones, iPads, iPods, gameboys, game consoles, desktops, laptops, notebooks, netbooks, and etcetera. The average consumer has 25 electronic devices at home. And the age at which our kids start to use them is just 7 years old. And of course, as we all know, this world is time-shifted and split. But let me emphasize that despite all of the shifting and splitting – even in countries like the U.S. where DVR use is the heaviest – over 80% of the population still watch the ads.

This figure rises to over 90% in developing countries, like Mexico. Many heavy DVR users tell us that they will still watch ads if these ads

President of Grupo Televisa

“TV has proven that it can not only coexist with, but also complement new platforms.”

have an emotional tie to TV characters they like and to the shows that they are watching.

But let’s not fool ourselves; it’s getting harder than ever to get our consumers’ attention. In addition to those who skip ads, two thirds of young consumers are also surfing the Internet while they’re watching TV. But you don’t need to read statistics. Just watch your kids and you’ll see this in action. And they are probably texting their friends and downloading music.

All at the same time.”

The President of Grupo Televisa assured that it is time to triple efforts to create and extend branded and professional content in multiple formats so advertisers get the engagement they need across platforms. “Fortunately, this world is also more targeted than ever before.

By next year, half of all media spent in the U.S. will be on targeted media. Things like cable TV, IPTV, Internet, and mobile devices. And this is really good news, because we all produce content for targeted media,” he added.

On top of these behavioral shifts, the executive said the industry must include two important considerations: bandwidth segmentation and a borderless world. “The speed at which these shifts take place is determined by the availability of bandwidth. This means they are more widespread in the so-called developed

THE CREAM OF THE CROP IN ADVERTISING The main objective of the 42nd World Congress of the IAA was to present new trends and the future of the industry to marketing, communication and advertising professionals. The meeting took place from the 12th to the14th of May, at the Conference Center in the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow’s Red Square. Sir Martin Sorrell, Chairman of WPP, Arkady Dvorkovitch, chief adviser on economic issues for the President of Russia, and Marc Pritchard, CMO of Procter & Gamble were among the speakers. The IAA was founded in 1938 and now has a network of over 4,000 members in 76 countries and 56 chapters.

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LEADERS

want professional content. Let me mention something that just amazes me: the U.S. is the market where more platforms, devices and distractions occur. It is also where people talk about the decline of TV all the time. And yet it turns out that total TV consumption in the US is up roughly 20% since 1990. From just over 4 hours per person it’s up to nearly 5 hours per person. And total video viewership, counting Internet and mobile, is up even more,” the executive stated in Moscow.

A clear example that Azcárraga Jean offered is that of the Televisa’s telenovela ‘For Love or Money’, which ended some weeks ago and broke a 10-year audience record on broadcast TV. “An average of more than 26 rating points for 40 weeks! 200 days! Last year, the ‘Tomorrow Is Forever’ finale not only achieved 37 point ratings on broadcast TV but was streamed by over 3 million viewers. This represents around 40% of all household computers connected to the Internet in Mexico.”

Emilio Azcárraga Jean, President of Grupo Televisa, mid-speech at the 42nd International Advertising Association World Congress in Moscow, Russia.

world: Europe, the U.S. and parts of Asia. But let’s not forget that 80% of the world’s population lives in the so-called ‘developing world’, where bandwidth is expensive and hard to get. This has created a bandwidth divide and this implies different challenges for us; different opportunities and different responsibilities. In the developed world we have the challenge to deliver more creative content and advertising to consumers with almost unlimited choices.

The opportunity to do so across more media than ever. And the responsibility to produce content and advertising that enriches and enlightens while it entertains. In the developing world we have the challenge of adapting products and services for wide degrees of access to media and content. The opportunity to shape consumer behavior today. And the responsibility to enable access, connectivity, and communication to previously disconnected communities. As the bandwidth divide grows, content, advertising, and emotions are going global,” he affirmed.

“Why is prime content more prime in a long tail world?” Azcárraga Jean asked and answered himself: “Because consumers, like investors in times of crisis, will fly to quality. A third of them say that they would be willing to pay 5 dollars per month to access prime content on demand. Almost a quarter says they’d pay up to 20 dollars. And the reason is simple: they

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Given the circumstances, the executive outlined that it is undeniable that shifts in video viewership has made our lives in media and advertising more complicated. “We have to think about monetizing not only linear TV and cable, but also video on-demand, DVRs, DVDs, Internet TV and video on mobile devices. It’s certainly a challenge, but also an opportunity if, and only if, we innovate (…).

The change in viewership and the explosion of platforms means that we know more than ever about where, when and how consumers use media and advertising. We can now bring together what consumers intend to buy with targeted advertising, customized to where, when, what, and how they want to buy. How? Through a powerful combination of three things: identity – who they are – behavior – what they are doing, which shows they watch, which websites they surf and the ads on which they engage – and context – what platform they are on, what time of day and whether they are at home or on the go. And there is real money here for all of us. Recent experience has shown that targeting using identity, behavior and context can generate up to 20 times more advertising effectiveness compared to non-targeted ads. 20 times,” he remarked.

The executive stated that this type of targeting becomes even more important in a world where the consumer experiences multiple screens and offered an example from Televisa’s experience: “In 2009, we got together with Coca-Cola to create a platform in which our live TV premier football matches could be watched with exclusive online footage on a dedicated site. In making this deal, we are embracing a multi-screen strategy and the need that advertisers have for long-lasting branded content initiatives.”

LEADERS

“I learned that the need for emotion is eternal. My father and grandfather knew it, and we see it every day in Grupo Televisa.”

TV IS ONCE AGAIN ON TOP. Azcárraga said that the value proposition of TV as a device has been reinvented: big screens, flat screens, HD video, 3D, surround sound, Internet connectivity and consumer control through on-demand. “Today, the TV experience is better than ever. Secondly and most importantly, this happens because TV is a better, more versatile way to consume video.

TV has proven that it can not only coexist with, but also complement new platforms, like viewers voting for their favorite contestants on reality shows with their mobiles or crossplatform promotions that drive consumers from TV shows to the Internet and back again.

TV is more of an opportunity for all of us than ever before. What’s the key to unlocking the opportunity? I started talking to you today about emotion. And emotion is precisely the key to success. I learned from my father and my grandfather that we live in a world of emotions (…) I learned that the need for emotion is eternal. My father and grandfather

knew it, and we see it every day in Grupo Televisa. As I mentioned before, in a world of platform overkill, the ratings of our telenovelas have not changed in 10 years. They are still at the top. And they keep generating more and more interest around the world. Because they connect. Because they form an emotional bond with audiences in any language and in any land. Emotional connection with an audience even stopped a war: the last episode of our telenovela ‘Esmeralda’ caused a truce, if only for a short time,” Azcárraga Jean underlined, referencing the Balkans conflict in the decade of 1990.

Moreover, the experienced executive that celebrates his 21st anniversary in Grupo Televisa this year, stated that more emotion means more eyeballs and more money for the industry of media and publicity. And professional media companies like Grupo Televisa know best how to use emotion to connect with consumers. Azcárraga Jean asked the audience to concentrate on 4 powerful actions.

FIRST ACTION: Relevant Advertainment.

“We need to create more advertising that is also content and is able to make deep emotional connections with consumers. This means marrying creativity and emotion to beat time shifting, skipping and splitting.

In practical terms, we need to persevere in product placement that is part of the story and branded entertainment that is the

story. We also need a step-change in how we use customer information to meet their needs and desires. This is good for us and for consumers.”

SECOND ACTION: Serve Consumers Without Borders. “20 years ago there was American content travelling around the world. Now we have global content going global. From sitcoms to telenovelas, from movies to webisodes. Today’s content, consumer habits and brands are more global than ever. We have to build content that is more global and marry this with advertising that can go global and serve a consumer without borders. We need to keep mixing content with brands. We’ve done it before, but we need to do it more strategically and with far more awareness than ever before. ” THIRD ACTION: Position Aggregators as the New Marketplace. “We are all experts in building and growing brands for our clients.

And we also know that brand building requires exposure, an audience and a marketplace. At Televisa, we have the immense fortune of having ‘El Canal de las Estrellas’, the ‘Channel of the Stars’. It is our biggest brand and Mexico’s most watched TV channel, for over 50 years.

But it is much more. It is the most powerful content aggregator of the Spanish-speaking world, in broadcast TV as well as pay TV and the Internet. Good brands that converge in our channel become great. I believe that the secret is to understand aggregators as the new marketplace where brands, content and consumers meet. Because without powerful, well-positioned aggregators, great brands, great copies and great content, we will surely fail. Consumers need signposts they can trust.

Aggregators are these signposts.”

FOURTH ACTION: Strengthen our 360degree vision. “More platforms are creating more eyeballs. But we are still in the infancy of linking these platforms together and creating stories that are truly transmedia.

Once we manage to do this correctly, the results will be truly explosive. At Televisa, we have a recent and great example: historically, a football match between America and Guadalajara, the premier Mexican teams, generates 25 rating points. This year, it also generated 25 points but, additionally, we showed the match live in 3D in movie theatres and online with access to 5 different cameras. The online experience generated over 1.2 million visits during the match, with an average time spent of 43 minutes per visit.

Thus, we kept our TV viewership and added eyeballs concentrated in the most desirable target: the digital consumer. That’s what I call an opportunity. So bring on all of the challenges that this multi-platform world has to offer. With content that connects like this, we’ll win every time.” ttv

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SPECIAL REPORT

Monte Cristo Genre: Telenovela Country: Russia

The Roads to For the fourth time DISCOPRO takes place within the DISCOP EAST framework in Budapest, bringing together players from Eastern Europe and Central Europe to discuss co-production and new opportunity creation issues.

The event will take place on June 22nd, prior to DISCOP’s opening on the 23rd. > By Rodrigo Ros

DISCOPRO 2010

T

he event is gaining momentum and, this year, has garnered great attention due to production and coproduction funding opportunities opened up by various European Union agencies. The event will be honored with the presence of several experts who will, on this occasion, present a global overview on funding sources. Indeed, several programs and events related to co-production financing are being promoted among members of the European Union. This is the case of the MEDIA program that’s been funding certain aspects related to production, postproduction, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works for many years. The program has also recently added a 1.5 million Euro program to support pilot projects linked to new technology use and has opened its reach to a greater number of territories.

Another program in the same vein is the well-known Euroimages, established in 1988 and currently counting with 34 member states with the aim of promoting film and audiovisual production while fostering cooperation between professionals.

In this sense, and as part of this year’s new developments, the Cartoon Forum’s 21st edition will be held in Hungary for the first time, more precisely in Sopron, from the 14th to the 17th of September. This fact is interesting to the extent that this forum is reserved for European animation co-production projects for TV seeking funding and new partners.

The European Union is opening up to new partners from the eastern side of the continent and to the creation of new funds. This represents co-production opportunities linked to the need for new content from European broadcasters, opportunities that can, in turn, open doors to new production deals. It is not, however, something

new to the European continent. Co-production agreements are gaining strength, either within the documentary genre, or with Latin American telenovelas, or animations with different international partners, as these productions gain recognition from local audiences.

In Eastern European case, experience in this area involves agreements that, with the aim of reducing production costs and reaching a greater portion of the public, are initiated amongst the countries that make up the region.

The region presents a shift of alliances that is also linked to local challenges. Eastern European producers must show a strong ability to compete with mega productions arriving from Russia, while Central Europe is looking to gain ground where the two tyical major competitors in the region (Russia and USA) reign. Finally, Latin Americans reach favorable agreements, often linked to new format adaptations – such as ‘The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells’ ('Los Exitosos Pells') in Turkey – in order to maintain their privileged telenovela know-how, with a genre that, along with police series and historical miniseries, has been rapidly developing in recent years within the region.

This has led several independent groups, such as the ATM Group, to invest in new infrastructure. According to their projections, ATM, one of the largest independent production groups in Poland, will finish building their new recording studios by the end of this year, as part of an expansion project that has been brewing for at least three years, based on Eastern Europe’s establishment as an attractive region for local production.

In this sense, the great interest generated by some of the representatives from companies and organizations that will be present at DISCOPRO

Co-Production

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SPECIAL REPORT

PROGRAM

9:30 AM Overview of recent television co-production projects initiated within Central and Eastern Europe.

With: Stanislav Kimchev, CEO, CEE TV (Bulgaria).

10:00 AM The X-Ray session: Tips for a successful Eastern/Western co-production using a recently produced project as an example.

With: Philipp Kreuzer, Head of Co-financing and Co-Production, Bavaria Fernseh Produktion, Germany.

10:45 AM Pitching session organized with the support of Bavaria Media: a selection of six, high-value, in-development fiction projects for television will be pitched to a panel of executives and renowned international co-production experts.

With: • Philipp Kreuzer, Head of Co-financing and Co-Production, Bavaria Fernseh Produktion, Germany • Helge Koehn, Director of Sales, Bavaria Media Television, Germany • Emmanuel Eckert, Head of Co-Productions, M6, France • Peter Lakits, CEO, Chello Central Europe, Hungary • Joakim Hansson, Producer, Fladenfilms, Sweden Moderator: Lydia Blackwood, Publisher, TBI. 01:00 PM Stand-up buffet networking lunch.

2:00 PM Workshop on format rights protection organized with the support of FRAPA. With: Ute Biernat, CEO Grundy Germany, Tony Stern, EVP Commercial & Business Affairs Worldwide Production, UK Avi Armoza, CEO, Armoza Formats, Israel 3:00 PM CFI Presentation: the transfer of programming, production and strategic knowledge in neighboring Countries of the EU. One speaker from Channel France International, to be confirmed. comes as no surprise: personalities such as Philipp Kreuzer, Head of CoFinancing and Co-Production of Bavaria Media, or Emmanuel Eckert, Head of Co-Productions of M6, as well as several representatives from FRAPA (the Format Recognition and Protection Association) and Raleigh and Canal France International (CFI) recording studios, among others, are schedules to be present. The latter ones will address "The Transfer of Programming, Production and Strategic Knowledge in Neighboring Countries of the EU" topic.

Several experts will also participate in this rich journey. Some of them, as Erwan Breuil, have had several years of experience in developing new concepts. This will surely provide an interesting opportunity to exchange ideas in an event that’s known for its friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

DAILY SCHEDULE. The morning will feature a spot where the audience will participate in pitching sessions discussing six pre-selected fiction productions. It will be a rare event in these markets’ dynamics and should provide valuable insight into the fundamentals of pitching.

This initiative has been growing strong and, according to what’s been seen in DISCOP Africa in recent years, seems to note that the event’s organization is finding a balance between the production universe’s particularities and the representatives’ market requirements. ttv

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3:15 PM Presentation of Made In France television formats that have traveled well across borders, organized with the support of CFI. With: Erwan Breuil, format expert.

04:15 PM Spotlight on CEE/France co-production opportunities and incentives, organized with the support of CFI. One speaker from Channel France International, to be confirmed.

05:00 PM Spotlight on CEE/Hungary co-production opportunities and incentives.

With the Studios CEO (Hungary).

5:30 PM Schedules departure towards brand-new Budapest-based Raleigh Studios for a guided and personalized tour.

6:00 PM Closing cocktail reception.

HSM SPECIALS

Advertising Game Ahead in the

> ttv Special (*)

With innovation, emotion and devotion, Kevin Roberts, Manager of Saatchi & Saatchi since 1997 and creator of the term “lovemarks”, talks about the consumer’s new role, the company and the relationship between them. In this article, Roberts offers lessons and tips for positioning a brand amongst winners, in an environment where innovation is synonymous with success.

“Today’s consumer is the media.”

(*) This article is based on an episode of HSM Specials broadcast by ManagemenTV.

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B

companies should try to measure things; when you measure something you tend to accomplish it. Most companies evaluate the wrong things.

They still use research as a rearview mirror instead of trying to beat the game,” says the Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi.

LESSONS FOR A BRAND. Kevin Roberts’ experience helps any company immersed in the complex market of brands to find the path to success. “There is a fundamental issue:

Roberts believes that a good move starts with knowing what the consumer’s new role is. “Today’s consumer is the media. An advertisement can be loaded onto YouTube in a matter of seconds. If I like an advertisement I share it with my 200 closest friends in the network,” he stresses. The emphasis of the executive is clear: the new market is a participation world.

“We must stop thinking about ROI and focus on participation. How do you measure that? Most people have no idea. It is often investigated by asking questions with artificial answers. If you want to know how a lion hunts you must go to the jungle and not the zoo. So if you want to know your consumers, live with them, observe them, and make them your friends. Then go

ack in 1997, advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi was immersed in a sea of troubles. It was Kevin Roberts who, that year, came to lead the prestigious agency and saved the company. In his efforts to generate business and restructure the company, he decided to bring in different key people whom he trusted into various departments of the agency. Despite all of the factors playing against him, Roberts was able to heal Saatchi & Saatchi in about a year and make it one of the best advertising agencies in the world.

The creator of the term “lovemarks” decides to share his vision of today’s business world, new trends and factors that, today, mark the road to success for any company wishing to reach a business pinnacle.

home, think, blog, speak and look not for insight but for revelation,” he advises.

LOVEMARKS. This term, coined by Roberts, gave him a place among advertising’s hall of fame. Lovemarks implies applying an emotional value to a brand’s ideology, and insists that people seek to control the uncontrollable by wanting to focus on auditing revenues.

“Price is a part of value, but we must look at the emotional factor and set quantification of brands aside. This is what makes a difference today: an incalculable emotional value.”

The question to be answered by whoever wants to have a beloved brand is: “Does your brand offer values that improve the lives of consumers? Consumers looking for a life of luxury, fun, where they can prove their intelligence… can your brand help them get that? In a market full of trademarks of the same product, it is very easy to get another one to satisfy what others cannot,” Roberts adds.

THE RULES HAVE CHANGED. “It is very important to be aware of changes. We no longer live in a world where the brand, the manufacturer or the seller are in control. The consumer is the new boss. The consumer wants to get attention, get involved, say something about the product’s packaging. We call this the participation economy. This is why the company provides its consumers with the forum, the vehicle, the time and the people to communicate with. It has the technology: blogs, Twitter, Facebook… all options are valid if they are open. Companies are realizing this is good, for example, companies like Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Pampers,” he explains. Similarly, Roberts argues that talking about digital and non digital agencies is outdated. “Today, digital is a way of life; we live in a digital world. There are no digital and non-digital agencies.”

VISION: “DO ONE THING”. Every company, large or small, has a vision of its own horizon.

“We believe that we must create loyalty beyond reason. This is achieved by adding mystery, sensuality and intimacy to brands.”

The executive says that a narrative must be integrated to achieve a brand design and experience that is more sensual and attractive “by the onslaught of sustainability.” Roberts seeks to describe an ideal world where there are no barriers or limits, where all there is are possibilities and ideas from all sides. In this vein, he created the DOT (Do One Thing) program. “The purpose is to make everyone – as a consumer, as an employee, as a person – find out what they can do to make a difference. When I ask people, ‘would you like to make a difference?’ the answer is usually ‘yes’. ‘Do you believe in sustainability?’ and they answer: ‘yes.’ ‘Do you know what to do?’ and they say: ‘no’. What if you could do one thing? Whatever you can do will make a big

difference. And we’ll put you in touch with a lot of people who do the same so they can tell you stories and you learn. And in the end they are all encouraged. That’s what DOT is about,” Roberts explains.

The executive does not think that technology is the culprit behind slowing ideas down. It is our emotional idea that limits us, depending on how good it is. “I can bet anything that, as Walt Disney said, ‘if I can dream it, I can do it.’ If you have the idea, the technology is there to achieve it. It’s an advantage of our time. The technology can take us to everyone. Look at the growth of Facebook, MySpace. I could see that 37 million people used Twitter in a week to conduct searches; it’s obvious that Google has billions, but 37 million out of the blue?

How long have they had this capability? We know that life is always changing very fast and if the train passes, those who board it on time will have the advantage.”

SPIRITUAL MARKETING VERSUS AFFECTIVE MARKETING. Roberts does not believe there is a feeling higher than that of lovemarks, so he does not believe in the change from spiritual marketing to affective marketing.

“Spirituality is part of love and not vice versa.

But I think that spirituality is expressed in what we call promotional purpose. Or, in other words, lovemarks. Before, promotion was about benefits; now it’s inspired by purpose. This is what makes a brand a lovemark,” he stresses.

And change resides in the fact that we live in a world that thrives on collaboration. “When I worked on Bill Clinton’s global initiative to address major world problems like hunger, global education and climate change, we found ourselves before an administrative challenge. People do not know how to collaborate on a project that transcends individuals. One knows how to collaborate if there’s a central company that says, ‘you do this, you do that’. But in this case, it’s like sitting with an all-auto part manufacturer and say, ‘can we make a car? Yes, we’ve got everything.

But, how do we design it?’ Everything begins with an inspirational dream, a vision. Martin Luther King once said: ‘I have a dream’. Most companies are built around dreams. When there is something like the Clinton project, this is not a vision but a dream. And who are the worst dreamers, other than businessmen?

They are very bad dreamers because they were told that their lives are based on quarterly results and annual budgets. And you cannot budget a dream. We only made it to the moon because we started with a dream. Let me use Wikipedia as an example. Around 20 or 25 people with a budget of US$ 2 million created a simple way to get people to understand how to work together, and they made Wikipedia possible. And it all started with the dream of a few. So do one thing.”

Kevin Roberts,

Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi

“Price is a part of value, but we must look at the emotional factor and set quantification of brands aside. This is what makes a difference today: an incalculable emotional value.”

“We no longer live in a world where the brand, the manufacturer or the seller are in control. The consumer is the new boss. The consumer wants to get attention, get involved, say something about the product’s packaging.”

A MATTER OF REVELATIONS. “Most of insight is not revealing. Most are just data or obvious truths expressed in a sophisticated way. The iPod, for instance, is a revelation.

People wanted their own music. They wanted to choose their own music and take it with them, on the go, regardless of the amount of songs they had. Apple was doing market research throughout technological and commercial areas, while Sony, with its Walkman, conducted regular research to improve and not to innovate. What were the results? The iPod’s incredible annual sales rate; very different from the walkman. The revelations that move the world now are clear: big ideas, like the iPod.” ttv

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EXECUTIVES

Animating Co-Productions from Italy > By SebastiÁn Torterola An animation company is always much more than that. If you are into animation, you are also into music, education, books, toys, stickers and many other items belonging to a colorful world. So when one finds an animation company that’s been in the market for over 25 years, one is certainly bound for an interesting ride, with many experiences to share. Orlando Corradi, CEO of Mondo TV Group, sat down with ttv to talk about all of this and more.

Farhat 26 x 26’ 2D Animation

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I

talian Mondo TV, an animation distribution and production company, enjoys great influence in its genre throughout Europe.

With a flexible co-production business model, the company also gives much importance to its consumer products area, holding several agreements with Italian and European companies. Mondo TV will be at DISCOP East 2010 with an ambitious catalog and various resources for clients.

What companies comprise Mondo TV today and what is its global reach? Founded in 1986, Mondo TV Group is made of eight different companies: Mondo Distribution (publishing and games), Mondo Licensing (merchandising and licensing), Mondo Kidz (licensing and distribution in the U.S.), Mondo TV France (coproduction with French TV stations), Mondo TV Spain (program distribution in Iberia and Latin America), Doro TV Merchandising (Japanese animation distribution in Italy) and Mondo Igel Media (MIM, program distribution in continental Europe). The Group comprised by these companies is leader in animation film and TV show production and distribution for

the television market in both Italy and major European players, as well as active in related areas such as licensing exploitation, media, publishing and merchandising.

What defines Mondo TV’s content? What makes it different? Our main focus is on animated cartoon series, as well as fulllength feature films for TV and film markets.

The group also distributes some of the bestknown Japanese animated series in Italy, as well as in several Spanish-speaking countries.

Animated series produced by Mondo TV have always set themselves apart by their topflight educational value and the fact that very few of their episodes depict violent material. In terms of the group’s cartoon style, Mondo’s animated material is the result of a serious, deep exploration geared towards the creation of both original characters and settings.

All original animated series owned by the Group, as well as those for which it holds distribution rights, provide Mondo TV with an important strategic resource, as well as a significant advantage over its competitors.

Each series is created either by Mondo TV itself or in collaboration with leading operators in the sector. Anywhere from 300 to 600 animators are employed during the executive phase of production in order to achieve a high quality product geared toward the market’s forefront.

What where the net profits of the company in 2009? In 2009 our revenues reached 8.7 million Euros. On the other hand, our Ebit amounted to 0.8 million Euros while our Ebitda was 3.0 million Euros. Our net profit was 1 million Euros.

Mondo TV is a producer, channel operator and international distributor. Could you explain the key goals of these three business areas? Currently, Mondo TV’s main strategy has three main areas. The first, which today is the most important, is development of high-quality products that have high licensing potential. The second is to increase our co-productions with national broadcasters in Italy, France and Germany.

The third area of our strategy is our library sales. We have a catalog of about 1.600 halfhours of animation. Apart from this, we’ve also started to distribute third-party catalogs in certain areas of the world, such as Rai Trade, YFE and Cake Entertainment.

What type of animated content does Group Mondo TV create? We’re specialized in animated cartoon series and movies for TV and video releases. We produce both in 2D and 3D. Children are our principal audience.

The company also works with music CDs and books. What percentage of the company’s total revenue comes from these business areas? Since 1997, Mondo TV adopted a diversification strategy for several related sectors, in order to exploit the rights of all animated cartoon series produced in-house. By 2002, areas that had started as complementary grew up to 67% of the Group’s total revenue.

These sectors include audiovisual distribution, musical distribution – CDs combined with books for children –, multimedia applications featuring discs and interactive content, publishing – books and sticker albums – and Merchandising and Licensing.

broadcasters and DVD distributors in Mexico, Central America, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil, among others. Latest agreements in the region include airing the ‘Angel’s Friends’ series on Frecuencia Latina (Peru) and Venevision (Venezuela), supported by a merchandising launch in charge of Exim Licensing Group, our license agent.

What can you say about the new ‘Puppy in my Pocket’, ‘Virus’ and ‘Angel’s Friends’ series that you’ll be launching at DISCOP EAST 2010?

‘Puppy in my Pocket’ (52 x 13’) is an animated series that’s co-produced with Meg Toys, the brand’s creator, and Giochi Preziosi. We plan to have the first 13 episodes ready for fall 2010, in order to start broadcasting in Italy and Spain. It’ll be on-air between spring and back-to-school season in 2011 for the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, ‘Angel’s Friends’ (52 x 13’) is coproduced with Play Entertainment and RTI Mediaset. At this moment we’re also developing an ‘Angel’s Friends’ movie that will be introduced at the next Mipcom, as a result of a recent co-production agreement with Play Entertainment and Starbright. Executive production for this film has been completely entrusted to Mondo TV, and we’ll be responsible for all of its technical, artistic and administrative activities, as well as all stages of production, including development and postproduction. The film will be premiered in Italy during Christmas 2010. Mondo TV will also be responsible for its TV exploitation, distribution (free, pay per view, pay TV and VOD) and home video rights throughout the world, except for Italy, Vatican, San Marino, Capodistria, Malta and Italian Switzerland. Characters are based on comic books by Italy’s major children’s publishing house Edizioni Play Press. Finally, ‘Virus Attack’ (52 x 13’) is a boy-targeted series co-produced with Italian company SUK. It’ll start broadcasting on Cartoon Network Italy in January 2011. ttv Angel’s Friends 52 x 13’ / 26 x 26’ 2D Animation

Orlando Corradi,

CEO of Mondo TV

“In 2009 our revenues reached 8.7 million Euros. On the other hand, our Ebit tax amounted to 0.8 million Euros while our Ebitda tax was 3.0 million Euros.

Our net profit was 1 million Euros.”

“We’re specialized in animated cartoon series and movies for TV and video releases. We produce both in 2D and 3D. Children are our principal audience.”

Virus Attack 52 x 13’ TV Series

How does the company operate in Latin America? Could you comment on the latest deals signed in the continent? In January 2008 Mondo TV Group launched Mondo TV Spain, with headquarters in Madrid, with the objective of having an operating company entirely dedicated to the Iberian and LatinAmerican markets. Therefore, Mondo TV Spain distributes Mondo TV’s catalog in these territories, but is also open to handle distribution of Latin- American companies’ productions in Europe. Since its creation, Mondo TV Spain has closed deals with

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todotvnews

HIGHLIGHTS

SPAIN

Pay TV Versus Open TV A Corporación Multimedia study analyzed the ongoing imbalance between the attractiveness of open TV and pay channels for advertisers in Spain. > By Rodrigo Ros A recent study conducted

by Corporación Multimedia provides an interesting overview of the differences in open TV and pay TV performances in the Spanish market. The audiovisual sector’s present course is tilting towards consolidation, even if the context in which it is occurring is marked by an avalanche of change, reform and innovation. This is suggested by Corporación Multimedia’s recent study, in cooperation with the Academia de Televisión and the Escuela de Organización Industrial, which brings the main representatives of the Spanish audiovisual sector together.

“Even though we are going through a time of crisis caused by rapid changes that affect all of the links in the chain that is the audiovisual industry, never before have so many audiovisual products been in use as today,” notes Alfonso González Hermoso de Mendoza, President of the Escuela de Organización Industrial (EOI) in the report’s prologue. “The transformation process is particularly complex due to numerous factors that are altering some of the traditional model’s basic aspects: complete elimination of advertising on TVE, a new General Law on Audiovisual Communication, the analog blackout, possible mergers of large media companies, expansion of media and digital media that take advantage of broadband, fixed and mobile networks, among others,” he says.

In fact, and according to the data collected, the average time that Spanish audiences spend in front of the television is at one of its highest levels in the last fifteen years, something that is not a minor detail. But should this information be analyzed? On the one hand we see that the open television audiences are aging and shrinking and, on the other, that pay TV is growing exponentially while offers for younger audiences are turning to digital media. New technologies influence the market, which is experiencing a structural redefinition, and in this context, TV appears to be the big winner in audience terms. However, the sector continues to have more difficulties in making their advertising spots valuable, in contrast to open TV options, and all this in a year when private channels are slowly beginning to exploit the

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abolition of advertising in public broadcasters.

According to the study, and in line with already-known data from the audiovisual industry, pay TV is showing a great inability at making their airtime valuable. Therefore, a share point in pay channels is worth ten times less in the advertising market than the same share in open TV, despite the privileged reception that pay TV offers in terms of niches, and the erosion of open TV audiences.

The reasons behind this difference in the advertising industry’s performance evaluation is, according to the study, the prevalence of “GRP’s quantitative operability, the media agencies’ almost stock market-like routines, the ease of negotiating for a limited number of channels – in the case of open channels – and the convenience or inertia of the advertisers.”

Apart from these reasons the study quotes: “the agents’ conservatism and the lack of research on performance indicators beyond the culture of the GRPs’ weight-of-sale.”

Moreover, the dispersed nature of all pay channels also weighs on their devaluation, to the extent that none of them alone can achieve the critical mass minimum audience of 5%. In contrast to this situation, pay channels are this year able, for the first time, to occupy second place to open spots in ratings, just behind Telecinco, the number one broadcast network in Spain. This is a strong sign that audiences are showing, proving the strength that these channels are gaining within Spanish territory.

Another argument in favor of subscription TV channels focuses on their ability to improve the “power ratio”, the commercial effectiveness of advertising investment that reach audiences in a much more efficient and controlled way, thus allowing to design advertising campaigns adapted to the needs of big sponsors. In short, the fact is that pay channels will have to make an effort to achieve better performances on their advertising schedules. As the report shows, there is a strong imbalance in total audience share (over 20% of the commercial target in late 2009) in relation to participation in the advertising market (2% to 3% of total investment), which reveals how much effort is still needed to get there. ttv

ARGENTINA EXPOTOONS 2010, in Early December in Buenos Aires The Festival Internacional de Animación, which is becoming referential in Latin America and a revelation to the world, will celebrate a new edition this year with activities, international guests, business opportunities, competition and training for entrepreneurs, artists, technicians and animation followers.

The festival will be held from December 1st to the 3rd in Buenos Aires.

Animators and production companies from around the world can now start sending in their work, created with any animation technique, to compete in five categories: Feature Film (for productions lasting more than 60’), Shorts (shorter than 60’ and not part of a series), Advertising Production, TV Series (a trailer and one episode must be delivered), and Graduation Short (final works for film schools).

Registration is free.

Regulations for 2010 and a registration form can be downloaded at expotoons.com. The closing date for submissions is August 31st. Additionally, this edition will continue with the activities that make Expotoons a spotlight concentrating the best of animation in Latin America, as well as a bridge between the region and Europe, North America and the rest of the world. In this sense, its Festival de Festivales (‘Festival of all Festivals’) will feature special displays and an official selection.

There will also be forums for animation professionals from different continents and one-on-one meetings with international buyers, with the aim of promoting strategic alliances for distribution, co-production and financing of animation projects.

Lectures on key issues from the animation world - carried out by professionals with worldwide recognition - will also be present, as well as a fair where major corporations will exhibit the sector’s latest developments in interactive booths.

special REPORT | COLOMBIA

The

Seeds of production

Significant growth of Latin American production has turned Colombia into a lucrative destination for international capital in recent years.

In the following report, ttv lays out the current scenario of active production houses in the Colombian market, as well as the determining factors for choosing Colombia for major productions. > BY Sebastián AMOROSO and Sebastián Torterola

I

ts 45 million people make Colombia the third most populous country in Latin America, right after Brazil and Mexico. In recent years, the country has re-allowed foreign capital investments and now counts with a strong influence from foreign groups and companies in its rich media field. Two private channels, two public channels, one mixed channel, a private local channel in Bogotá and 50 pay TV operators, 8 regional channels and over 41 non-profit channels – including seven university channels – currently operate in Colombia, covering all of the country’s regions. Its National Television Committee (CNTV) is also accepting bids for a third private channel. Additionally, the country now finds itself within the process of implementing the European DVB-T DTT standard, making Colombia and Uruguay the only Latin American countries to not choose the widely accepted Japanese-Brazilian standard.

Open TV audiences in Colombia today are practically divided between its two main private channels, RCN and Caracol TV. These channels account for about 95% of all audiences in Colombia. Meanwhile, Statemanaged Canal UNO and Canal A are pushing for a clear shift in the preferences of Colombians. As for advertising, Colombia is among the most important markets in Latin America, with an advertising pie that, as of December 2009, came around to US$ 3,932 million, according to data provided by Ibope Colombia. Data from the same consulting company place the country just behind Mexico (US$ 4,000 million)

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and Brazil (US$ 13,500 million). When compared to 2008, its total market grew by 10%, a more-than-reasonable figure considering the international economic crisis and 2% inflation in Colombia.

40% lower than in Mexico and Brazil. Also on average, and depending on the type of project, Colombian production costs would fall between 10% and 15% below costs in Argentina.

Ad spending was mostly concentrated in TV and radio. Ibope Colombia reported that US$ 2,031.6 million were spent on TV, split amongst national TV (US$ 1,700 million), regional TV (US$ 297 million) and international TV (pay TV, US$ 34.6 million). Within this landscape, regional and national TV grew 16.6% and 14.15%, respectively, while pay TV fell by 45.3%. As for open TV, the still-pending license for the country’s third national network – which will surely be awarded by midyear – has been a topic of debate within the advertising field, especially on whether the advertising pie would support a third player without traditional TV broadcasters RCN and Caracol TV losing business.

Another remarkable aspect is the depth of local “talent”: technical and artistic talent with experienced in TV production, advertising (30 international advertisements per year), and film (13 productions released in 2008). Colombia also counts with a great diversity of cultures and physical types, giving casting directors a broader palette to choose from for many types of productions. Highly qualified talent in production, direction, acting, art direction and post production of TV series, telenovelas, reality shows, documentaries, cultural shows and children’s entertainment, is readily available.

On the other hand, the pay TV scenario has changed quite a bit since 2008, when the sector has strong momentum in comparison to previous years.

While still a healthy market, its 45% fall indicated by Ibope represents a decline from US$ 63 million in 2008 to US$ 34 million in 2009.

In the last decade, Colombian TV has exported over 30 television productions, mainly telenovelas, which have been marketed in over 80 countries worldwide. Among them, ‘Yo soy Betty, la Fea’ (‘Ugly Betty’), is one of the country’s great landmarks in international TV, entering the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling telenovela of all time.

Within this period, several international producers landed in the country.

One of them was Fox Television Studios through FoxTelecolombia, with their own studios in Bogotá, where they produced ‘Mental’, the first series produced for the U.S. market made in a Latin American country.

Multinationals have also begun to produce some of their series in Bogota, such as Disney Media Networks Latin America (‘A Corazon Abierto’, a ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ adaptation by Vista Productions) and Sony Entertainment Television (‘Los Caballeros las Prefieren Brutas’ made by Laberinto Producciones).

The Colombian audiovisual industry was recently marked by three large-scale operations by U.S. major players in the country. First, Fox Television Studios acquired half of Producciones Telecolombia’s shares in mid-2007, resulting in productions such as ‘Tiempo Final’ and ‘Mental’. Secondly came the Sony Pictures Television and Teleset partnership and, recently, a strategic partnership between Telemundo – NBC Universal – with RTI Colombia, where products such as ‘Pasión de Gavilanes’ (‘Hidden Passion’), ‘Victoria’ and ‘La Mujer en el Espejo’ have emerged. Apart from this, three of the largest Spanish-speaking television groups aspire to operate a private television channel in the country: Prisa, Planeta and Cisneros.

A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT. Colombia has many advantages for audiovisual productions. The country is located in the northwest corner of South America, just a short trip away from cities like Los Angeles (7.6 hours), New York (5.5 hours), Miami (3 hours), Toronto (6 hours), Mexico City (4.5 hours), Buenos Aires (6.2 hours), Santiago de Chile (5 hours), Sao Paulo (5.7 hours), Paris (12.5 hours) and Madrid (10 hours).

The country also counts with architectural diversity (ancient towns, monuments, modern cities) and climate diversity throughout the year (snow, cold, plains, temperate and hot climates).

Colombia is also famous for its low production costs when compared to other countries in the region, especially in terms of location, transportation, specialized local talent, extras, equipment rental, production studios (TV, sound, filming), accommodation and associated costs. It also counts with tax incentives for co-production with local companies. Refunds of certain taxes, such as VAT, are covered by the law to encourage the export of services. According to data collected by ttv on different projects, Colombia’s average production costs tend to be

Additionally, the country has no unions in the audiovisual sector, and there is no established or regulated rate in terms of staff salaries. Each production company negotiates directly for the professional services required for each project.

Caracol TV. Caracol Television produces 5 telenovelas, 3 series and 2 specials per year. This adds up to over 1,000 annual hours of drama.

“We produce telenovelas, series, reality shows, competitions, individual and comedy programs,” Dario Dago García, VP of Channel Production in Colombia, tells ttv. “We have covered almost all possible formats; we produce in-house and commission some products. You could say that 80% of what we produce is dramas and within these, 70% are telenovelas,” he adds.

Caracol TV is now equipped with the latest technology to focus on commissioned productions and co-productions at its headquarters in Bogotá. The channel has 11 studios that range from 250 m2 to 800 m2, 15 mobile units (10 of them in HD), 24 editing suites, 7 music rooms and 60 HD cameras. It also counts with over 1,200 front-line professionals.

“We plan and we have the capacity to produce not only to feed our screen but also for others. It is one of our strategic plans: to start to expand our services to other channels and other content consumers.

We have a production capacity that is greater than what the channel demands,” the executive affirms.

The company produces 75% of its content and is associated with independent and foreign production companies (BE-TV, ‘Los Caballeros Las Prefieren Brutas’ with Sony Entertainment Television, respectively).

“In general, we can say that we have very reasonable prices for the region and that we make high-quality products at competitive market values,” Dago García says. The channel is preparing three telenovelas, two series and a couple of entertainment formats for 2010.

RCN TV. A benchmark for production in the Colombian market, RCN Television is the creator of the best-selling telenovela in history: ‘Betty,

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special REPORT | Colombia

la Fea’, which was adapted in the U.S. (‘Ugly Betty’) for ABC-Disney. Its creator and Product Vice President, Fernando Gaitán, assures that the company has “on average, we’re always working on about 32 projects at the same time. All the time. The seven products that are on the air, the seven products that are going to replace them, plus everything that is in development, in addition to specials.”

RCN produces 60% of its programming with a fluid production model.

In total, the company reaches a staggering 9,600 hours’ worth of production per year. “We have a lot more on paper. The channel has 12 studios, including 22 mobile units, mostly with HD technology. The staff consists of between 800 and 1,000 professionals, including technicians, cameramen, scriptwriters, actors and other personnel,” Gaitán affirms.

Apart from the traditional telenovela genre, the company has ventured into hybrid telenovela/series products in recent years, resulting in telenovelas that have the same duration, filming and narrative format that is standard for series: a more cinematic, social and aggressive approach. “This is the case of ‘Don Pedro: The Story of a Drug Lord’ and ‘Rosario Tijeras’,” says the executive, mentioning two titles currently airing on Canal RCN. These mergers or hybrids involve a qualitative leap in regional production, making them more expensive. As Gaitán explains, the serial format is more time-consuming in terms of production and postproduction than the telenovela, and is filmed in high definition with separate cameras. Series also have shorter on-screen duration (between 24 and 50 episodes). “In regards to series, we budget approximately US$ 140 thousand an hour, and a telenovela should be close to US$ 90 thousand,” Gaitán reveals. Locally, RCN has worked with Teleset, FoxTelecolombia, Vista Productions and CMO Producciones. ‘Café con Aroma de Mujer’ (‘Descarado Amor’), ‘Betty, la Fea’ (‘La Fea Mas Bella’, English title: ‘Ugly Betty’) and ‘Hasta Que La Plata Nos Separe’ (‘Hasta Que el Dinero Nos Separe’, English title: ‘Till Love Do Us Apart’), all adapted by Televisa, are among its most successful titles.

However, the market requires flexibility in the process. “We also work in co-productions, making custom-mades, constantly working along the client and personalizing products,” Duque Rozo affirms.

TELESET. Last year, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) acquired half of Teleset, a producer with fifteen years of activity in the local market that worked with two of Colombia’s private channels for over six years and currently holds a volume and exclusivity agreement with RCN. “This has been a very successful relationship for both companies. RCN has given us the support and confidence to develop our own products,” says Felipe Boshell, General Manager for Teleset. “The agreement aims to give life and growth to the international market, producing in Colombia in most cases or licensing our formats,” the executive explains.

From 2006 to date, Teleset has produced an average of 400 hours per year, and is now reaching the 500 annual hours of primetime production.

“We are a production company that not only produces dramatic series and telenovelas, but are also very strongly positioned in the market for our entertainment formats,” the executive affirms. Teleset has led international format adaptation for the local market with six versions of ‘Survivor’ for Colombia and Ecuador and six versions of ‘Factor X’ (‘The X Factor’) for Colombia.

The production company does not yet count with studios of their own, finding that renting studios from CMI, FoxTelecolombia, RCB and RTVC is much more cost-effective. However, a project for building studios is still on hold from 2009. The company has three mobile units, 17 post-production suites, HD cameras and lighting equipment, an infrastructure that provides autonomy for their productions. Teleset also counts with several spin-off companies that create excellent synergy. Si Hay Ideas specializes in the creation of entertainment formats, Primetime in drama formats, and Ancillary in managing talent. It also has exclusive agreements with leading scriptwriters such as Carlos Duplat, writer of ‘Rosario Tijeras’. Currently, Teleset is producing four primetime dramas and an entertainment format for Latin American territories.

VISTA PRODUCCIONES. With studios in Bogota, Vista Producciones has an office dedicated to developing their own and acquired projects, with significant experience in adaptations. “We made three seasons of ‘Extreme Makeover’ for Disney, as well as the first two of ‘Amas de Casa Desesperadas’ (‘Desperate Housewives’),” says Silvia Durán, General Producer for Vista Producciones. The production house is currently working on ‘A Corazón Abierto’, the Latin American version of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, appointed by Disney Media Networks Latin America and RCN Television.

FOXTELECOLOMBIA. Acquired by Fox Television Studios in 2007, FoxTelecolombia counts with three (1,500 m2, 700 m2 and 600 m2) different studios. It also has five mobile units for fiction, four of them in high-definition and digital. Its 25 post-production rooms arrange productions that will be broadcast around the world. It has five film units with Sony F900 cameras that produce film-quality digital video, and various portable units, plus all types of cameras, lights, sound recorders, and other equipment. Samuel Duque Rozo, its President and CEO, talked to ttv about the FoxTelecolombia’s activities and production capacity.

The production’s dimensions are unprecedented within the region.

“The set is a real 1,900 m2 hospital distributed on a single level. It has two operating rooms, waiting rooms and suites,” the executive says. The process involves working with several doctors and clinical managers who collaborate in the design aspect. “Our actors and even part of the cast are doctors. We have consultants who are doctors, we have, for example, professionals who help with surgical scenes,” Duran reveals.

“The merger with Fox allowed us to buy a new 13,000 m2 building and have the privilege of working with companies like LAPTV, Univision, Discovery Channel, Pramer and National Geographic,” the executive says. In terms of production services, FoxTelecolombia is capable of providing all necessary services for video and film. “What we like to do is to provide 100% of all production services, where we start from original scripts written by us and hand the finished product over.

However, as producers for RCN we have also worked from a script prepared by them, as in the case of ‘Floricienta’ (‘Flinderella’) and the telenovela ‘La Madre’, currently in production, as well as ‘Mental’ and the first two seasons of ‘Tiempo Final’ for Fox,” the executive explains.

Additionally, the production company has a strong alliance with RCN Televisión, which broadcasts its productions, including three versions of Colombia’s ‘Cambio Extremo’, based on the ‘Extreme Makeover’ ABC format. Vista Produciones has developed fiction projects such as ‘Valentino el Argentino’ and ‘Mujeres Asesinas’, as well as formats such as the ‘Extreme Makeover’ example. The company is currently embarking on the ‘Amor Sincero’ project, based on the life of Colombian singer Marbelle. However, its greatest expectations are generated by a recent agreement to co-produce a Colombian version of Chilean telenovela ‘Dónde Está Elisa?’ (‘Missing’) with Disney Media Networks and Telemundo International, signed at Miptv.

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special REPORT | Colombia

BE-TV. BE-TV is a small and flexible Colombian production company that employs a multidisciplinary team dedicated to multi-platform content creation. Strong and experienced in the genres of fiction and reality shows, the company is headed by Cristina Palacios, who took over production and content management from the start. “The producer has three departments: Realities, which is in charge of creativity and production formats such as ‘El Desafío’, that was made for three countries; Fiction, with scriptwriters and directors responsible for the hit ‘Las Muñecas de la Mafia’ (‘The Mafia Dolls’); and Journalism, which has launched a series of documentaries such as ‘Traficando Sueños’ that doubled average ratings for its timeslot on Caracol.”

Cristina Palacios worked as Producer for ‘Without Breasts There Is No Paradise’, ‘The Cartel’ and ‘The Mafia Dolls’, Caracol TV’s latest hits made by BE-TV by means of a volume deal. “We are currently producing a second part of the series ‘The Cartel’, which ended its international shooting in Mexico, Miami and New York, and is finishing recordings in Colombia. It is a blockbuster and completely in HD”, the executive announces.

Although BE-TV develops several parallel projects, the executive avoids talking about numbers: “It is not a matter of quantity but quality. Our focus is not to produce thousands of hours since our strength is to look after each hour to make us proud and get the audience results expected by our customers. I think that’s one of the things that make us different from other production companies, whose goal is to make more and longer programs. We prefer short, high quality products.”

TELEVIDEO. Colombian Producer Televideo is celebrating its 30th anniversary, that is, 37 years of experience in the audiovisual industry.

It founder, President and CEO, Francisco Muñoz told ttv that “Televideo has always had a Television Production Services unit giving technical support to all companies and public and private channels, both domestic and international, that need production, post production and broadcasting teams in both Colombia and elsewhere in the world.”

The production houses focuses mainly on dramas: telenovelas and TV series. “We have a great background for production of this type of content for an adult audience with over 1,600 hours produced in the last 10 years. However, the documentary also been one of our strengths because we have produced over 50 titles in recent years,” says Muñoz.

Televideo has production studios, ENG, EFP and HD recording equipment, mobile units, recording and transmission services with multiple cameras, viewing rooms, graphic design and post-production for video and audio. It also has capacity for live broadcast with the latest equipment, a broadcast control room and transmission equipment for OB broadcast for all kinds of events anywhere. Also, type IB transmission equipment to interconnect the company’s headquarters with the main national, regional and local channels, as well as strategic points inside and outside Colombia, a satellite network for transmitting events to and from anywhere in the world, and archiving services for audiovisual materials in multiple formats.

Televideo is currently producing the telenovela ‘Salvador de Mujeres’ (‘Salvador: A Knockout Lover’) for Venevision International, launched at

NATPE 2010 and sold to over 10 countries. Additionally, it works on formats such as ‘Asi Es La Vida’, which was designed and worked on for 12 years for Colombian TV and later redesigned and adapted for the international market. 480 hours were produced during its last season, which was later broadcast on TeleFutura (USA) and RCN Colombia and sold to over 15 countries. In this constant search for new screens for which to produce content, Televideo launched ypunto Productions in 2008, a brand under which they are developing their own content creation for open TV and pay TV in the series and telenovela genres. “Televideo is responsible for producing this content with great flexibility in negotiations and completely adapting itself to each venue. Additionally, Televideo still produces for different companies,” Muñoz explains.

LABERINTO PRODUCCIONES. Based in Bogota, Laberinto Producciones was recently selected by Sony Pictures Television (SPT) to complete its ‘Los Caballeros Las Prefieren Brutas’ series, an original Sony Pictures Television International production for Sony Entertainment Television Latin America, the channel that aired it onto the world.

The new 22-episode series was the first one hundred percent original Sony project for the region. “We have three production groups with experience in film and advertising: this ensures a high level of quality,” notes Alessandro Angulo Brandestini, CEO of Laberinto Producciones.

Angulo Brandestini also told ttv about a new fiction project with Sony Picture Television that’s currently in the works: “It’s a detective series based on Colombian ‘Ciudad Crónica’ short film, which involves two teams of journalists. First season will feature 22 episodes and will be produced in Colombia, though further versions could continue in other Latin-American countries as original stories”.

The experienced production company is dedicated to developing and implementing audiovisual works in three different and complementary areas: Fiction, Film and Advertising. The cinema-advertising combination enables the use of techniques that can be combined, making a difference in the final product and reinforcing one of the production company’s objectives: “being in the niche of high-quality fiction.” “The series was filmed in HD, looking for the typical soft look of film. The same was applied to makeup and art,” Angulo explains.

With the initial aim of producing two annual series, Angulo is optimistic and agrees with the results. “We are developing a miniseries for the Internet with a U.S. client which will feature 13 webisodes of 4 minutes; an interactive series of suspense and intrigues which will use hotspots on screen, through which users will be able to play, take challenges and access information. It is interesting because this is a clear trend toward where the industry is going. The Internet will definitely become a multi-platform and content will proliferate,” the executive explains.

RM 5TO ELEMENTO. Zodiak Entertainment and Miami-based RM 5TO Elemento, recently announced expansion of its operations in Latin America by launching a production facility in Bogotá, Colombia. Juan Maldonado, one of the most experienced and prolific producers in Colombia, was appointed as General Director to guide operations for this new office.

“Opening an office in Bogotá was a natural step for us after entering the Latin American TV market last year. Colombia has a large television industry with powerful promoters, including the imminent implementation of digitization and a future, new broadcasting license to be awarded in the coming months,” Simon Junker, VP for Latin America for Zodiak Entertainment and CEO of RM 5to. Elemento, told ttv back then.

Recently, after reaching an agreement with Galavisión, RM 5to Elemento announced it will produce 13 episodes of ‘Back In Wedding Shape’ format, under the Spanish name ‘El Peso Del Matrimonio’, for US Hispanic market. New format will be distributed in Latin America by Sparks Network. ttv

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LASCREENINGS2010 May 18-27 - Los Angeles, USA

The traditional trade show, held in the heart of the entertainment industry, featured two weeks’ worth of activities marked by a concentration of independent retailers at The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Concurrently, screenings were conducted by Hollywood major players that, on this occasion, were mostly exclusive and with doors closed to the press. Screenings organized jointly by Comarex and Nickelodeon, Ledafilms, MTV and Paramount, Telefilms, and Telefe International were held during the week, as well as those held by major players such as CBS, CW, FOX, Sony, NBC and ABC. The Century Plaza Hotel was the focal point where most of the contents purchases and sales took place, in the presence of over 60 independent companies and hundreds of international buyers. It is noteworthy that, unlike previous years, there was almost no activity at the InterContinental Hotel, which was attended by only a handful of companies.

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_/04 01. Henri Ringel, Fabiola Bovino, Jack Morera, Fernando Barbosa, Barbie Lorenzo Mora y Leonardo Aranguibel (Disney Media Networks Latin America)

05. Armando Nunez Jr. (CBS Studios International)

02. Edgar Spielmann y Richard Rohrbach (LAPTV)

07. Roxana Rotundo (V.I.P.)

03. Jack Alfandary (FremantleMedia Latin America)

06. Pedro Félix Leda, Gabriela López, Fernando Paduczak y Moira Mc Namara (Ledafilms)

04. Alejandro Carballo, Alfredo Andreotti, Tomás Darcyl, Ricardo Costianovsky y Humberto Delmas (Telefilms)

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08. Erik Jensen, Bárbara Rodríguez y Jimmy van der Heyden (CDC United Network)

13. Migdalys Silva, Adeline Delgado y Joao Canto (MTV Networks International)

09. Jon Kramer (RiveGauche Television)

14. Juan Xavier Noboa, Guillermo Hidalgo y Xavier Alvarado (Ecuavisa) junto a Carlos Novaro, Alberto Wichtendahl y Alberto Marangon (Unitel)

10. Marcel Vinay Jr. (Comarex) 11. Eduardo Radío y Eugenio Restano (Canal 12 de Uruguay) 12. Keith LeGoy (Sony Pictures Television) y María Fernanda Yepes, protagonista de la serie ‘Rosario Tijeras’ de Canal RCN de Colombia.

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15. Michelle Wasserman y Alejandro Parra (Telefe International) 16. Edson Mendes y Delmar Andrade (Record TV Network)

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todotvnews

HIGHLIGHTS

EUROPE

IPTV Service Subscribers Will Double by 2015 An Analysys Mason study shows good times ahead for IPTV operators in the old continent, forecasting a 15.4 to 29.6 million subscriber increase that represents 92% growth. > By DIEGO ALEGRE the other hand, detects a 51% to 41% fall due to analog subscribers changing platforms and migrating to digital platforms, including free DTT services.

A study by Analysys Mason shows a promising future for pay TV in Europe, which accumulated a 12% market share during the last decade on all platforms: according to projections, IPTV operators will reach a 19% total share over the next five years.

According to Analysys Mason, subscribers of IPTV services in Europe will increase 92%, from 15.4 to 29.6 million, driven by the deployment of next-generation networks. This makes IPTV the platform with the most growth.

In a market that daily increases its challenges, with an increasing number of players looking for subscribers, the consultant forecasts sound development for certain companies and disappearance of others over the next five years.

Cable and satellite, traditional platforms that have enjoyed the benefits of owning local and national monopolies or duopolies, are increasingly feeling the pressure from new competitors, especially IPTV operators and, in some markets, pay digital terrestrial television (DTT) operators. The new competitors have launched aggressive price services seeking to gain greater market share.

Satellite subscriptions will continue to grow, initially driven by newly launched services in Central and Eastern Europe. However, the study shows that these platforms’ market share – in terms of subscriptions – will only grow by 1%, reaching 29% in 2015.

As for cable operators, the report shows a constant in terms of subscriber bases but, on

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Even though a clear DTT market dominance can be seen on the European map, the consulting company shows that paid services for this platform will increase. DTT paid subscriptions will increase 84% increase, reaching 17.2 million that will continue to increase the platform’s subscription share from 7% in 2009 to 11% in 2015.

With these results, Analysys expects European pay TV to exceed the 145 million-home mark by 2015. According to the report, pay TV in the continent – excluding the Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets – will increase from the 125.5 million households it reached in late 2009 to 145 million by the end of 2015, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9%, from 27,200 million Euros in 2009 to 38,000 million Euros in 2015, driven by the migration towards digital services and an increase in on-demand consumption. ttv

BRAZIL Slim’s Strategic Moves in the Local Market Mexican Carlos Slim plans to merge his fixed and mobile telephony business in Brazil in an attempt to reduce costs, according to local newspaper Folha de São Paulo, citing unidentified sources close to the entrepreneur.

The owner of Claro, which is part of America Movil and fixed-line telephone company Embratel in Brazil, Slim plans to complete the merger within the next two months. Jose Formoso Martínez, Executive President of Embratel, will probably be appointed as Director of the joint venture, the newspaper said, adding that Joao Cox, CEO of Claro in Brazil, is also competing for the job. The companies owned

by Slim in Brazil face stiff competition after Vivendi purchased Brazilian telephone group GVT in 2009, a sign that the purchaser could seek mobile phone licenses in the country. The case of Vivo, the largest mobile operator in the country, does not escape this reality. Telefónica has made strong statements against Portugal Telecom, trying to get the Portuguese company to sell its stake in the Brazilian company.

Combining Brazilian units is part of Slim’s broader plan, unveiled in January: to shift control of fixed telephone company Telmex and regional group Telmex Internacional to its main company, America Movil, in order to save costs.

The Claro-Embratel joint venture may be able to cut annual costs by 20% to 30% by sharing their telecommunications infrastructure and obtaining bank loans under better conditions.

Moreover, the newspaper indicates that America Movil plans to purchase Net Serviços, where it already holds a 49% stake (with 51% owned by Globo), although that would require changes in local laws that prohibit foreign control of domestic cable companies.

COLOMBIA Another HD TV Market for Telefónica Telefónica presented its new subscription TV offer called TV Real HD, bound for the Colombian market. The new proposal stands out for having nine HD channels and not charging customers rent for the first decoder. Michael Duncan, President of the local Telefónica-Telecom, explained that the implemented strategy is aimed to mass merchandise high definition services through a competitive bid, in order to take advantage of the thousands of flat screen televisions that have been sold in recent years in that country, according to the newspaper El Tiempo. The executive estimated that there are 1.5 million televisions equipped to receive HD signals in Colombia, but only between 10,000 and 15,000 households currently receive this type of content. The new service will be initially offered in Bogota, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cali and Santa Marta.

Nine high definition channels will be offered (MTV, Concert Channel, National Geographic, HBO, Movie City, FOX-NatGeo, Rush, ESPN and Discovery Theater) with all 10 channels from the HBO and MAX packages, as well as 8 Moviecity channels. Colombia is the second country in the region – after Peru – to receive high definition television services from the multinational company. It is expected that a similar offering will be launched in Chile, Venezuela and Brazil in the upcoming weeks.

EXECUTIVES

The executive got together with ttv at the LA Screenings 2010, highlighting the good reception of their telenovela ‘Eva Luna’ at the Up Front held by Univision Communications in the U.S., and the diversity of a catalog that includes formats, series and documentaries.

By Sebastián Amoroso

César Díaz,

VP of International Sales for Venevision International

T

he overwhelming response to the telenovela ‘Eva Luna’ by Univision Communications at the 2010 annual Up Front, organized by U.S. networks – this time held at the Jazz at Lincoln Center (Time Warner Center) in New York – was a revelation for Venevision International.

The Wall Street Journal highlighted the Venevision International telenovela from the the line-up presented by Univision. The telenovela is scheduled to air during the primetime slot of the Hispanic network that has, for six consecutive years now, remained among the five open TV stations with most ratings in American primetime. Recordings for ‘Eva Luna’ are set to start in June. “’Eva Luna’ will be the first telenovela made one hundred percent in high-definition by Venevision. All technical and artistic talent was trained in order to work with a format like this,” César Díaz, VP of International Sales Venevision International, commented to ttv.

The executive got together with this publication at the LA Screenings 2010 held at the Hyatt Century Regency Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, and told us that one of the changes that this Cisneros Group distribution company made in regards to content portfolio was focused on its diversity. “The Venevision Salvador: A Knockout Lover 120 x 45’

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International catalog is varied. In addition to telenovelas and formats like ‘Guerra de los Sexos’ – which airs Sundays during primetime on TCTV Ecuador – and Venezuelan TV classic ‘Megamatch’, we also have series and documentaries.”

The executive also talked about third-party formats such as ‘Undercover Boss’, released in the U.S. by CBS to 39.47 million viewers.

“We currently have the program’s adaptation rights for Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. There will be three local versions in these three countries,” Díaz confirmed. According to the executive, Brazil would be the first country to make a local adaptation of this reality show, where every week a corporation’s CEO goes unnoticed while performing other functions within his own company to examine and investigate problems within the workforce.

Venezuelan open channel Venevision produces between 8 and 9 telenovelas a year in its studios in Caracas and Miami. ‘Salvador de Mujeres’ (‘Salvador: A Knockout Lover’), made by the producer Televideo, is one of its telenovelas for international markets. Diaz also told us that the telenovela ‘Sacrificio de Mujer’ (‘A Woman’s Sacrifice’), opens in June and has already been sold to Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru and Bolivia.

Lastly, the executive referred to the 12 series that make up the Platinum Documentary Series catalog from Mac Doc, among which he highlighted ‘Antonio Banderas 30 Años’ and ‘Trilogía Colombia’.

Venevision International will be presenting telenovelas ‘A Woman’s Sacrifice’ (‘Sacrificio de Mujer’) and ‘Salvador: A Knockout Lover’ (‘Salvador de Mujeres’) at this year’s DISCOP EAST, among other international titles from its catalog. ttv A Woman’s Sacrifice 120 x 45’

TV Globo Signs New international Co-Production Agreement

FoxTelecolombia to Record ‘La Madre’ in HD for RCN RCN began recording its adaptation of ‘La Madre’ directed by Pepe Sánchez on May 10th. ‘La Madre’ is a RCN production that has been commissioned to FoxTelecolombia and is entirely different from the one made 12 years ago. The scripts are by Mónica Agudelo, adapted by Tania Cardenas and Miguel Ángel Lozano. Katherine Velez and Patrick Delmas will star in the production. Additional cast members include Natalia Jerez, Sebastián Caicedo, Alejandra Ávila, César Mora, Vicky Hernández, Toto Vega, Aura Helena Prada, Martha Isabel Boláños, Juan Fernando Sanchez, Alina Lozano, Cristobal Errazuriz, Sandra Beltrán, Alejandro López, among others.

Portuguese broadcaster SIC and Globo concluded negotiations on a two year co-production agreement in Portugal, with the possibility of renewal, for the co-production of two telenovelas.

The first is already in its pre-production phase. The deal involves both companies at all stages, including creation, production, scripting, planning and definition of all artistic elements. To achieve the first telenovela, Globo TV has appointed Aguinaldo Silva to be in charge of text supervision and their Director of International Production, Guilherme Bokel, as associate executive.

‘Caminho da Felicidade’, written by Pedro Lopez, is the working title of the first project to be produced after the formal ratification of the agreement, which will be in June in Lisbon. This will mark the second international co-production agreement signed

by Globo TV, the first one being the remake of ‘The Clone’ with Telemundo.

‘Acuarela del Amor’ with Licenses for 12 Countries The outstanding 2010 Globo TV International telenovela was sold to 12 countries in just four months, with releases that began in May. Its first international premiere was on El Salvador’s Channel 4 at 1:00 PM on the 10th of that month and the telenovela will begin airing on Costa Rica’s Teletica and Bolivia’s ATB in June. The fiction was also sold to Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Portugal, and others.

In Brazil, the telenovela

by Walcyr Carrasco (‘Chocolate con Pimienta’, ‘Alma Gemela’ and ‘Siete Pecados’) reached 57% share and 34 points in its 7:00 PM time slot.

‘The Clone’ Debuts at the Apex of Venezuelan Ratings The telenovela debuted in style in Venezuela, positioning itself as the leading program at 9:30 PM on its May 10th debut. During the night of its premiere, the Telemundo Internacional production achieved a 57.9% audience share, surpassing all competition. Many countries are airing the love story, including the U.S., Peru, Chile, Panama and Mexico, where it continues to rank as leader of its timeslot. On May 6th, ‘The Clone’ reached Mexican soil obtaining its highest average to date, scoring 15 rating points. The telenovela has been marketed in over 15 countries, including Paraguay, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Bolivia. The telenovela is the result of a partnership between Telemundo and Globo TV, produced by RTI Productions and filmed in HD on location in Miami, Colombia and Morocco.

TTV TELENOVELAS T.

TTV TELENOVELAS | NEWS

Prominent Place for ‘Two FaceS’ in U.S.’s Mega TV

‘Missing’ on Nicaraguan Screens The Telemundo Internacional production ‘Missing’ made it debut in Nicaragua on Monday May 31st on Televicentro at 7:00 PM. The telenovela, produced by Telemundo Studios, replaced ‘El Rostro de Analía’, and is yet another Telemundo Internacional production being broadcast in Nicaragua, along with ‘Beautiful But Unlucky’ and ‘Falling Angel’. The story starring Gabriel Porras, Sonya Smith, Catherine Siachoque, Roberto Mateos and Jorge Luis Pilas, has become the leading program on U.S. Hispanic TV at 10:00 PM for adults 18-49.

TVN’s original story, written by Pablo Illanes, became a phenomenon in Chile, and was regarded as the most watched show in the country throughout its broadcast, reaching a historic high of 57 rating points.

Key Agreement of Dori Media Group’s novebox.com with MSN Dori Media Group announced an agreement reached by novebox.com with MSN to create a subscription-based/pay on-demand service for MSN portals in Spanish for Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic markets. The service will be gradually launched over the next six months and will feature content related to Latin American series.

“This is an important deal for Dori Media. The company realized, some years ago, that a major transformation was underway in the distribution of content with the rapid evolution of the Internet. Working with the MSN team has been a very enjoyable experience and we thank them for trusting us with such a challenging project. We are confident that next year novebox.com will become the leading online library of VOD for Latino TV series and movies worldwide and this partnership is definitely a step towards harnessing new media opportunities through constant innovation,” said Nadav Palti, President & CEO of Dori Media Group.

The Globo TV International telenovela ‘Two Faces’, written by Aguinaldo Silva and broadcast in the U.S. by Mega TV, is being followed by much of the Hispanic community residing in that country. The telenovela’s ratings have positioned it in second place among women in the 18-54 target. Mega TV has been broadcasting content from Globo TV International for over two years. In September 2009, ‘Niña Moza’ placed in the top spot among audiences between 25-54 years old during broadcasts of its final episodes. Mega TV is an open channel with national distribution through DIRECTV Mas Channel.

The channel, owned by Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. (SBS), operates in parts of West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Charleston, Palm Springs, Chicago, Dallas, Fresno and New York, in addition to distribution via DTH with DIRECTV.

Telefe International Produces Telenovela for China Distribution company Telefe International presented its 2010 product catalog at the 2010 LA Screenings and announced that, for the first time, they closed an agreement with Shanghai Media Group in China to produce the telenovela ‘Heart Beat’. “China is a market we are devoting much effort to,” summarized Alejandro Parra, head of International Business of Telefe. Production for the telenovela, which is fully intended for this market, starts shooting in July in Shanghai.

TTV TELENOVELAS | special REPORT

Latin America’s This article aims to offer a review of telenovela production and distribution in Latin America. At the same time, it’ll work as a guide in order to present those telenovelas currently leading rating and share trends in the region’s countries. > By SebastiÁn Amoroso

T. TTV TELENOVELAS

DNA B

orn in Cuban radio, the telenovela quickly spread to other countries, which adopted the genre as their own. For over 50 years, the telenovela has been able to depict the diverse situations affecting the region’s population through its diverse expressions and styles, from its classic melodramas or costumbrist stories to its humoristic comedies and historical sagas. Following a ttv original analysis, this report presents a review of the current status of Latin American telenovela producers. Even though these fiction factories’ corporate reality is very dissimilar, each one employs strategies to differentiate and position themselves within the sector, which reaches 82% of Latin American homes and that has recently crossed the regional border to become a worldwide genre.

CARACOL TV INTERNACIONAL. Colombian channel Caracol Television produces an average of 5 telenovelas, 3 series and one TV special per year. Total production amounts to some 1,000 hours’ worth of drama per year. “‘The Mafia Dolls’ is currently our star product in our Latin American catalog,” Angélica Guerra, VP of Caracol TV International, comments. At present, the program is aired in Venezuela,

Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru and El Salvador. Caracol Television’s international division exports all the dramas it produces. When selecting its products, various factors come into play: “Good local ratings performance is always important when selling a production, but there are also cases where a certain program’s local impact is not the same as that in other countries,” Guerra explains.

Meanwhile, the HD telenovela ‘Beautiful Ceci and Mr. Indiscreet’ has been on-air in Panama and Venezuela since March 22nd, after its satisfactory performance in Ecuador.

TELEVISA INTERNACIONAL. Televisa Group, one of the real heavyweights in telenovela production known for their traditional style more akin to classic melodrama, currently produces between 10 and 12 telenovelas a year, representing nearly 1,430 hours’ worth of fiction. Regarding its 2009 productions, the telenovelas ‘Curse by the Sea’ and ‘Wild Heart’ have been very well received by the Latin American public; as for its 2010 premieres, according to Carlos Castro, General Sales Director for Televisa Internacional, ‘A New Beginning’ and ‘A Double Identity’ “are attracting strong demand.” The executive affirms that, “Luckily all of Televisa’s telenovelas are shown in Latin America’s 16 countries, excluding Brazil.”

Up until now, ‘Curse by the Sea’ has been purchased in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. ‘Wild Heart’ has travelled to Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Televisa Internacional’s most current product is ‘Wicked Girl’ (180x60’), the Argentinean telenovela produced by Pol-Ka Producciones and aired

by Canal 13, which is dominating Argentina’s open TV’s primetime with 21.7 average ratings every week. The telenovela managed to score a 22.4 average rating on its debut, with 27 point peaks, surpassing all other programs from competitors Telefe and Canal 9.

RECORD TV NETWORK. This Brazilian giant – who competes with TV Globo for audience leadership in the country – produces three telenovelas per year, which represent 720 hours. “We are currently producing ‘Ugly Bela’ and ‘River of Intrigues,’” Delmar Andrade, its International Sales Director, explains. As for the first title – a Televisa co-production – the executive highlights that “it surpassed all ratings and shares achieved by its original version aired in Brazil. It obtained 23% share in all of Brazil.”

Record TV Network develops its own productions with writers and directors whose credits include some of the channel’s greatest hits, such as ‘Ways of the Heart’, ‘Love and Conspiracy’, ‘Savage’ and ‘Proof of Love’, amongst many highly-rated others. On the other hand we find ‘Esther, the Queen’, which aroused great interest from European buyers at MIPTV and LA Screenings. Record TV Network has exported close to 18 telenovelas to more than 45 countries all over the world and in various languages. Amongst these are: ‘The Slave Isaura’, ‘These Women’, ‘What’s Up?’, ‘Opposite Lives’, ‘Sunshine’, ‘Wheel of Life’, and ‘Flames of Life’.

TV AZTECA. Mexican TV Azteca is yet another of Latin America’s great telenovela production companies, becoming a point of reference for production within the genre and Televisa’s main competitor. Owned

by Grupo Salinas, it annually produces close to 10,000 hours of television programming, while 41,400 hours’ worth of their content was distributed amongst the world in 2009 through Comarex, its distribution arm. “TV Azteca produces 3 daily hours, amounting to 800 telenovela episodes per year. We’re increasing our production to 900 episodes this year,” Marcel Vinay Jr., Comarex’s CEO, comments.

In this sense, their telenovela ‘Fierce Angel’ is worth mentioning: premiered on February 8th, the telenovela has brushed the 25 share

point mark on TV Azteca’s Canal 13. Production of ‘Fierce Angel’ is led

by Alberto Santini from the Azteca Novelas Studios and the company will air 150 episodes. The telenovela has already been licensed to 14 different countries. “We just premiered our comic telenovela ‘Quiéreme Tonto’ in Mexico, as a replacement for ‘Daniela’, which meanwhile jumped to first place in Panama, had great reception in Ecuador and was a huge success in Eastern Europe. ‘Quiéreme Tonto’s premier’s reception was even better, so we’re thinking that we’ll have even better results in the international market,” Vinay adds.

TELEMUNDO INTERNACIONAL. The Telemundo Network chain, part of NBC Universal, produces between 7 and 8 telenovelas per year, which translates into nearly 1,000 annual programming hours. These stories are known by their hefty budgets, complex stories and neutral tones. At the same time, through their Telemundo International distribution branch, the channel counts with a programming catalog with content from production houses such as TVN (Chile), SBS and Bandeirantes (Brazil), amongst others. “In the past few months, the telenovela ‘Beautiful But Unlucky’ and ‘Falling Angel’ have obtained excellent results,” Telemundo International’s Esperanza Garay, Senior VP of Sales and Acquisitions for Latin America, assures ttv. ‘Falling Angel’ is now aired in Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, Panama, Uruguay, Guatemala and Venezuela, amongst other countries. It led its timeslot in Venezuela with a 51.02% audience share, in Ecuador with 43.1% and in Panama with 37.9%. On the other hand, ‘Beautiful But Unlucky’ has been aired in Ecuador, Colombia, El Salvador, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru, amongst others. It has recently premiered in Spain becoming its timeslot’s leader and achieved 26.8% audience share in Ecuador and 33.6% in Panama.

That said, Telemundo Internacional’s biggest products in term of magnitude and repercussion have been ‘ Clone’ – a Globo co-production – and Chilean TVN’s ‘Missing’. ‘Clone’ has led ratings ever since its debut on Telemundo’s network targeted at the U.S. Hispanic market, as well as in Mexico, Panama and Venezuela (57.9 % share). It has also been sold to 15 Latin American countries. Meanwhile, the Chilean telenovela has broken all records in its home country (achieving 46.6% audience share and 57 rating-point peaks), obtained good results in Uruguay and Albania, and triggered local adaptations in the U.S. (Telemundo Studios), Brasil and Argentina (Eyeworks/Cuatro Cabezas), Colombia (Disney Media Networks Latin America), Turkey, and Indonesia.

According to Ernesto Lombardi, International Business Development Manager for TVN, “channels from Spain, Italy and Portugal are about to close deals for local adaptations as well.”

TELEFE INTERNATIONAL. Argentine channel Telefe produces between 4 and 5 telenovelas annually, adding up to 700 hours. Its most successful and current telenovelas in Latin America are ‘Love’s Guard’ and ‘The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells’, the latter triggering an impressive number of adaptations around the world, including Peru (Frecuencia Latina), Chile (TVN), Ecuador (Ecuavisa), Mexico (Televisa), Poland, Russia, Colombia, Greece, Turkey, the U.S., Spain and China.

On the other hand, one of Telefe’s greatest hits is their ‘Monte Cristo’ telenovela, a 2006 title that continues to travel around the world as a format. The original version exposed a heated social debate on children appropriation during Argentina’s last military dictatorship and was sold to over 40 different countries. The format was adapted in Chile (Megavisión), Mexico (TV Azteca), Portugal (SIC), Colombia (Caracol Televisión) and Russia (Channel 1) and is currently being developed in Italy, Spain, China, Middle East and Morocco. Argentina’s only fiction-producing channel has other news as well: ‘WAGs: Love for the Game’ is currently being aired on local open TV and has been sold as a readymade program to Honduras, El Salvador, Vietnam and Italy; ‘Secrets of Love’ and ‘The Resistence’ are its latest titles.

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Furthermore, at the Argentinean Residence at the last LA Screenings it was announced the co-production of the telenovela ‘Heart Beat’ with Shanghai Media Group for the Chinese market.

DORI MEDIA GROUP. This Argentina and Israel-based is producing two daily teen dramas – one will be the second season of ‘Split’– and three telenovelas, amongst which ‘Date Blind’, is still under production.

This has become TV Publica Argentina (Channel 7)’s highest-rated series in the last 5 years increasing ratings during the 11:00 PM timeslot by 500%. “We believe 2010 will be a great year as far as new productions go: a 500-800 hour total, which will be produced in Latin America and Israel,” Nadav Palti, President and CEO of the Group, affirms. Due to the 2009 global financial crisis, open TV channels will continue to look for telenovelas which have proven to be successful in other countries: “An example of this programming trend is our first season of ‘Split’, which was sold in 35 countries within nine months of its launch,” Palti explains. ‘Mia’ and ‘Ladronas’ are amongst Dori Media’s most eagerly awaited titles for 2010.

The comedy ‘LaLola’, based on an idea by Sebastián Ortega for Underground Contenidos, is one of Dori Media Group’s best-selling products, having been sold to 83 countries since its launch in August 2007. Another successes is ‘The Rebels’, a hit amongst teenagers in Latin America that was sold to over 50 countries.

VENEVISION INTERNATIONAL. The distribution division of the Cisneros Organization markets all productions generated from the Venevision channel in Venezuela and Venevision Productions. “On average, we are producing nearly 10 telenovelas per year, which add up to about 1,300 programming hours,” César Díaz, VP of Sales for Venevision International, assures ttv. In regards to its telenovelas’ popularity, Díaz emphasizes that it is currently possible to see Venevision telenovelas in practically all of the continent’s countries.

Examples of this are dramas such as ‘Untamed Soul’, ‘Sinner’, ‘Trapped’, ‘Mysteries of Love’ and ‘You and Me: A New Day’.

Díaz had more good news at the LA Screenings: “Our telenovela ‘Eva Luna’ is the first Venevision production to be 100% made in highdefinition. All technical and artistic talent was trained in order to work with a format like this.” The comment arrives after ‘Eva Luna’s’ great reception at Upfront 2010, held by Univision Communications in New York, where the project that’ll air on the main Hispanic- American network – and that starts shooting in June – was presented.

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RCTV INTERNATIONAL. RCTV’s production and distribution branch – whose transmission was recently closed by Hugo Chavez’s government – currently produces between 3 and 4 telenovelas a year for a total of 450 hours. When considering its other series, the total amounts to 600 hours of programming per year.

The telenovela ‘The Lady’ was RCTV International’s 2009 best-seller, leading the channel to imprint its strong presence in the region’s open TV screens. It’s currently being aired in Colombia, Peru and Uruguay with excellent results; its broadcasts have finished in Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador” Guadalupe D’Agostino, VP and General Manager, tells ttv. Additionally, the telenovela was acquired by non-traditional countries such as Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti.

GLOBO TV INTERNATIONAL. Broadcaster TV Globo – that is currently celebrating its 45 years in business – is one of the world’s biggest points of reference in terms of telenovela production. Their most recent achievement was during the International Emmy’s 37th edition, where their telenovela ‘India - A Love Story’ won an International Emmy in the Entertainment category, helping the telenovela sell to 90% of all Latin American territories.

Globo’s Production Center based in Rio de Janeiro is usually known as Projac and currently produces 2,500 hours’ worth of entertainment a year. Its distribution arm handles distribution for ‘The Clone’ – the aforementioned Televisa co-production – in Europe, Frenchspeaking and Portuguese-speaking Africa and the Middle East.

‘Clone’ has already been purchased in Lithuania. “DISCOP East will be fundamental for us to sell this product to big Eastern European markets,” the company told ttv. Another telenovela with great results is ‘Watercolors of Love’ that has been sold to 12 markets in just 4 months, including territories such as El Salvador (Canal 4), Costa Rica (Teletica), Bolivia (ATB), Honduras, Dominican Republic, Peru and Portugal. This telenovela reached 57% share and 34 rating points during its 7:00 PM timeslot in Brazil.

RCN TELEVISIÓN. Colombia’s RCN channel counts with 24,000-metre headquarters and positions itself as yet another point of reference in telenovela production and exportation. It’s main star, ‘Yo soy Betty, la Fea’ by writer Fernando Gaitán, entered the Guinness World Records as the most successful telenovela of all time, aired in over 100 countries, dubbed to 15 different languages and adapted 22 times. “We produce 9,600 yearly hours, even though we have a lot more on paper. On average, we’re always working on about 32 projects at the same time,” Gaitán, RCN’s current Product Vice President, tells ttv. Probably relying on Colombia’s low production costs, the company has been driving towards hybrid products lately, focusing on telenovela/series that try to reach cinematographic-like quality. “‘Fusionadas’ [‘mergers’ or ‘hybrids’] are telenovelas made like series, with the latter’s narrative style, duration and film; they’re far more social and aggressive. ‘Don Pedro: Story of a Drug Lord’ and ‘Rosario Tijeras’ are good examples of these,” Gaitán says. “Our telenovela production budget is around US$ 90,000 per hour,” he adds.

LATIN MEDIA CORPORATION. Latin Media Corporation is run by industry veteran José Escalante and recently closed a deal with Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) to produce its first Malayan telenovela, ‘Bola Cinta’. This teen drama will star Malayan actors and will be filmed in Kuala Lumpur and its surroundings, targeted toward the international market. Its first season is scheduled to last 60 hours and will be aired

by RTM starting next June. The telenovela’s production, led by Nafalia Corporation, included sports-related celebrities from Asia and Malaysia.

The drama’s demo and first episode have already been presented to the international market during the last Miptv. ttv

TTV TELENOVELAS | INTERVIEW

Michelle Wasserman, International Sales Manager of Programming and Production Formats for Telefe International

Endless Combinations Production services offered by Telefe channel are backed by extensive experience in telenovela creation and production with worldwide recognition. The paradigmatic examples are ‘Tango para Tres’ – a Russian telenovela fully produced in Argentina – as well as its most recent project: ‘Heart Beat’, a telenovela for the Chinese market. In the following interview, Michelle Wasserman describes the channel’s capabilities, what production services it offers and the experience of producing for others. > BY SEBASTIÁN AMOROSO “We have the largest studios in Buenos Aires.”

“I think after doing ‘Tango para Tres’ for Russia we are able to do anything.”

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elefe International is a division of Telefe’s – one of Argentina’s leading channels’ – International Business Department. The division counts with over fifteen years in the worldwide television market and is responsible for business concerning content, format and script sales as well as production services and a pay TV channel. Michelle Wasserman, at her office on Buenos Aires’ Pavón street, received ttv to talk about the company’s production services.

What is Telefe’s production capacity? We have the largest studios in Buenos Aires. The channel has its own production house, Telefe

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Contenidos, which includes a total of 12,176 m2 divided into 18 studios, with areas ranging from 130 m2 to 1,200 m2. It is now further divided into three main areas: The Northern Zone (which is where the Ronda and Teleinde studios are, with larger capacity suitable for international productions); our studios of Pavón street, and, Telefe Noticias studios, which are near our headquarters and count with completely digitized equipment. The company is interested and has the opportunity to expand: we’re currently looking at the possibility of buying more studios in Martínez.

The idea is to keep the basics here, where the antenna is, and unify operations in Teleinde. We plan to build offices around the studios soon.

Michelle Wasserman, What business model does the company follow when offering production services?

Partnering with a producer for him to produce at our studios is an interesting service because what we offer isn’t strictly technical; we also offer our know-how and can give any story an interesting twist. Clients obtain an added value from this service. Telefe not only undertakes other people’s projects, but also third parties’, which complicates the production, licensing and distribution panorama. All this is part of a mutation in the market towards more flexible trading conditions, resulting in versatile agreements with many modifiable elements.

For instance, Telefe production services may be accompanied by program adaptation know-how, you can use your research or other studies, on site or off site, in Argentina or not (e.g. ‘‘Pasión Morena’, and Mexico’s adaptation of ‘Yago’). From a full production integral service to a simple format sale, there are millions of possible variables in between.

This is the company’s added value, which is also the only fiction-producing channel in Argentina .

One of Telefe’s most interesting experiences was making the ‘Tango para Tres’ telenovela for the Russian market. What was that experience like? This case is a good example.

The original idea belonged to our Russian partner, but was developed by Argentine authors from Telefe. We worked side by side in order to make this adaptation in Argentina, where the stars were Russian actors with an Argentinean supporting cast. In this case, local actors had to learn dialogues in Russian – it took fifteen translators to do this – and were then dubbed to eliminate local accents.

I think that after making ‘Tango para Tres’ for Russia we are able to do anything.

What‘s the secret to producing and marketing telenovela readymade or format products? Currently, for both readymade and format production and sales, you must be creative in order to survive. It’s no longer about simply selling and buying: there are many factors that need to be combined in order to achieve the best added-value proposal.

Negotiations are different with each territory and each customer. This has changed because there is increasingly more competition and more products. Regarding format sales, our priority is to at least include production services during the project’s startup, dedicate a week for preproduction and offer casting consulting, because only then we can ensure added value to the products we conceive.

Today, one must get involved in production and offer consulting services.

International Sales Manager of Programming and Production Formats for Telefe International

that the client himself is today’s competition, especially considering that a percentage of what’s aired must be local content and the quota is quite high in Europe. For example, Romania and Croatia are developing striking high-quality productions, which means they can sell products to neighboring countries that are culturally more familar to them than Argentine products. The Philippines is also producing quite well and, because of its bilingual nature (Tagalog and English), is also selling throughout Africa. Another example is Korean drama, that killed Latin American distribution in Asia for at least two years, despite successes such as ‘Winter Sonata’. This is why the telenovela consumers in Southeastern Asia (Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia) have stopped demanding our products.

“For the first time ever, a Latin American company is actively starting to work in the Chinese audiovisual market by means of a co-production.”

Small countries with small production capacity are getting together to produce, combining fiction and other genres, for instance, using Croat or Serb protagonists, and thereby cushioning costs by targeting Operación Triunfo Talent show

CQC Production: Eyeworks/Cuatro Cabezas

Today, TV channels are also starting to produce their own fiction. How does this affect your sales strategy? Evolution of local production in many countries indicates

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TTV TELENOVELAS | INTERVIEW

got good receptions as an entertainment format and we can already announce that we have achieved pre-agreements with channels from regions such as the U.S., Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. On the other hand, our ‘Just In Time’ entertainment program has closed agreements in Colombia and Mexico, whilst ‘WAGs, Love For The Game’ and the telenovela ‘Love’s Guard’ have struck deals in Central America. Similarly, Telefe International has closed an agreement with production company Pilgrim Films to develop ‘Just In Time’ in the U.S.

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Our appointment schedule in Los Angeles has shifted a bit; 50% of our clients are from Latin America and the other 50% are Englishspeaking U.S. companies. This means that our approach is no longer limited to the U.S. Hispanic market and now includes the English-speaking U.S. market. We’ve had appointments with both Latin Americans and Americans.

Baltic markets. Moreover, Frecuencia Latina is a shining example of evolution in Peruvian production: they produced very little ten years ago but have done very well (‘Mi Problema con las Mujeres’, ‘Los Exitosos Gómez’). These are all different ways in which our competition has evolved.

Are there limits to production? You can definitely produce without limits: if new projects arise we just hire more staff and rent additonal studios. This happened with ‘The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells’ (when we rented Endemol’s Estudio Mayor) or ‘Teen Angels’, when we had to hire Estudios Pampa Producciones’ services.

How does Telefe International evaluate the last LA Screenings? The LA Screenings have been a great market for Telefe International.

Our ‘3,2,1… Let’s Win!’ game show, for instance, Big Brother Production: Endemol Argentina

During your Screening at the Argentinean Residence in Los Angeles, Telefe announced a co-production agreement for ‘Heart Beat’, a telenovela for the Chinese market.

In what stage is this project currently in?

The association is between Telefe, Spanish production company DOT and Shangai Media Group. ‘Heart Beat’ is currently in pre-production and will air on Dragon TV. We’re planning to have a commercial team visit China in September, which could travel with the diplomatic delegation that the Argentinean President is thinking on sending, and to which we were invited to, in Shanghai.

In this sense, we’re organizing a screening where we’d show the telenovela’s first images.

We’re producing a 40-episode season to begin with; if results are good, we’ll make a second season. DOT is developing the adaptations with the Shanghai Media Group and is responsible for all non-traditional advertising; SMG will distribute the product within the Chinese market, apart from airing it on their screens for the Shanghai market. On the other hand, we are considering other original ideas to develop as a group, with ‘Monte Cristo’ occupying first place right now.

What does this agreement in Chinese soil imply at a strategic level? We’ve been working on this project for over twelve years.

The Chinese market is one of our aspirations and despite having already optioned our primetime format ‘The Successful Mr. and Mrs. Pells’ last year, this move is strategic. We aren’t just selling a production or format: for the first time ever, a Latin American company is actively starting to work in the Chinese audiovisual market by means of a co-production. Our investments in the group are varied: we’re investing financially, with our know-how and with our expertise. ttv

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TTV TELENOVELAS |IN FOCUS

Miguel Dvorak, Executive President and Director of Operations of Organización Cisneros

Ricardo Scalamandré, Director of Globo’s International Business Center

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“ “ “ Distributor Venevision International continues to grow and evolve, increasing its production of programming through its companies, Venevision in Venezuela and Venevision Productions in South Florida (USA). “Vast resources have been invested in improvements to our infrastructure and production equipment, adding new technologies and incorporating fresh and universal stories.” ‘Salvador: A Knockout Lover’ telenovela is one of the recent productions the distributor has presented to the international market. “We are pleased to have the support of Caracol TV for ‘Salvador: A Knockout Lover’ ’s broadcast, taking into account that this telenovela was filmed in Colombia by Colombian producer Televideo”.

Luis Daniel Capriles, VP of Sales of International Digital Media for Telemundo Internacional

Portuguese broadcaster SIC and Globo concluded negotiations for a twoyear agreement in Portugal – which provides the possibility of renewal - for the co-production of two telenovelas, the first of which is already in preproduction. “We are extremely happy with the deal, which only serves to confirm our ongoing partnership with SIC. We also hope to bring highquality creative content to Portuguese audiences.”

“Telemundo Internacional’s digital media distribution has enjoyed steady growth. We are currently monetizing content on VOD, WebTV and mobile platforms in the world’s leading countries.

Through digital media, we can promote our TV productions on multiple platforms and, in cases such as our Busto Perfecto campaign, we can create social awareness. This is part of our responsibility as a corporation.”

Patricia Jasin, Director of International Sales for Frecuencia Latina Int’L

“The news is that we sold ‘Los Exitosos Góme$’ to Telemundo. This agreement is the result of negotiations between Frecuencia Latina, Telefe – owner of the original rights – and Telemundo. The acquisition terms confirm the quality of this Peruvian adaptation, especially considering that the product was sold ready-made and that it will go to a national Hispanic network in the U.S.; being in a market of this kind is always a great satisfaction.”

Pepe SÁNchez, Director of telenovela ‘La Madre’ for Canal RCN

On May 10th, Canal RCN of Colombia started shooting its adaptation of ‘La Madre’, directed by Pepe Sánchez. ‘La Madre’ is a RCN production that was commissioned to FoxTelecolombia and that will be entirely different to its 12-year-old original version.

“To direct this wonderful story once again is to work with a product I love, directing a work of art with scripts that go beyond the common constraints of a telenovela. It is a very big challenge because the original telenovela’s cast is still etched in the memory of everyone who saw the original. However, I hope that people will embrace this new version of ‘La Madre’.”

JosÉ Escalante, Executive Director for Latin Media Corporation The distribution company headed by José Escalante, Latin Media Corporation, will be present once again at the 2010 edition of DISCOP East with a wide range of content. “Being able to be present on Eastern Europe screens would give great satisfaction to any program producer/distributor.

Eastern European channels program a lot of drama and telenovelas because this genre is widely accepted by their audiences.”

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LISTINGs TELENOVELAS This section features the companies at DISCOP East 2010 and their catalogues of Telenovelas.

All I need is Love

Caracol Television

Dori Media Group

suite: 113

suite: 120

Executives Attending

Camila Reyes, Sales Executive for Eastern Europe

All I need is Love

(Yo no te pido la Luna) (Telenovela - 50 x 60’)

DISCOP EAST

2010

Juanita Román is a singer who plays the guitar on public transportation to earn her living. In her struggle to help her brother and her mother ahead, she unfortunately meets Alejandro Castillo, a widow who is in the financial business that seems to be happy. Alejandro is determined to make her become a great star and in order to achieve this, she takes her to live in his house and he hires the best music, etiquette, fashion and show biz professors. In the process and although none of them notices it, they hopelessly fall in love.

Mariana & Scarlett

(Telenovela - 120 x 60’)

Mariana and Scarlett are two sisters that succeed in the fashion world.

In their way up to stardom, there have conflicts between them, because they are very different and as if fate wanted to confront them, they end up falling in love with the same man, Roberto White, a millionaire from the textile industry. After the confrontations and many conflicts, they will understand that they must work together to get around the obstacles that life has put them.

Executives Attending

Watercolors Of Love

(Telenovela - 145 x 45’)

A romantic comedy, a cat and mouse story about a young couple, separated in the prime of passion, who meet again and embark on a journey of rediscovery, realizing that true love is only completed when one fulfills the other’s dream.

Sketch It Out

(Format)

A prime-time hit for eight consecutive years in Brazil, ‘Sketch It Out’ is a reality format based on the premise that everyone has a great tale to tell. A well-known comic actress interprets stories sent in by everyday women, bringing to life the many characters and situations that only reality can produce in a thoroughly captivating show that entertains all audiences.

El - Cholito

Latin Media Corporation / Worldwide Rights Corporation Executives Attending

Jose Escalante, Executive Director of Latin Media Corporation Guillermo Isturiz, Director of Sales, Latin Media Corporation

Single and somewhat unattractive, Lucía overhears her mother make a bet with her younger sister that she won’t be able to bring a real boyfriend to her sister’s wedding. Lucía sets out to find a genuine loving boyfriend, knowing all too well that she has only 258 days at her disposal until her sister’s wedding day.

Mia: My Invisible Friend

(Mia: Mi Amiga Invisible) (Telenovela - 120 X 60’) Mia is an invisible friend, who magically transforms into a teenager so she can save a little girl from losing all hope and dreams. While fighting evil forces in order to accomplish her mission, Mia will also find the love of her life.

Executives Attending

María Lucia Hernández – Directora Ventas Internacionales

Victor’s Detectives

(Telenovela - 145 x 60’)

Is a quotidian story that uses universal elements, and caricaturelike characters, who manage to touch the feelings of the viewers.

Three women will let out their inner “detective”, not being conscious that they will figure out the most amazing and complex cases, including those concerning their own lives.

Doña Bella

El - Cholito

(Telenovela - 90 x 60’)

El Cholito is a humble young man, an unemployed journalist that tries to succeed in the world of television despite discrimination.

His destiny takes him to knock on doors of the country’s main TV station, without suspecting that his father is the owner of it. He will not only inherit this great company, also it is the place where he will meet his “Girl”, the love of his life.

An adaptation of the Brazilian telenovela that was transmitted in the 80´s in Colombia with remarkable success. In this story, pain, drama, and injustice will make a noble and honest woman get irate after being kidnapped by a man who keeps her away from the love of her life. After suffering for many years, she decides to use her beauty, the same beauty that has brought only misfortune to her life, to take revenge.

(Telenovela series - 107 x 60’)

Maruman

(Telenovela Format - 26 x 25’) The story of a young sorcerer too powerful to be living amongst the norm, Marco Maruman (14) deals with the daily challenges of being a teenager only to realise that he is to inherit a great amount of power, will Maruman be able to lead a normal life and love knowing that the enemies are coming for him?

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Date Blind

(Ciega a CItas) (Romantic Comedy - 120 X 60’)

RCN Television

Globo TV International Pedro Dombrasas, Sales Executive Eastern Europe Gabriel Rohonyi, Sales Executive Center Europe, Scandinavia and Baltic Republics

Executives Attending

Michal Nashiv, President & CEO, Dori Media Contenidos, President & CEO, Dori Media Distribution Argentina Elena Antonini, VP of Sales, Dori Media Distribution Argentina

Victor’s Detectives

Watercolors Of Love

suite: 426

Date Blind

Ugly, Bela

Secrets of Love

Missing

Record TV Network

Telefe International

Telemundo Internacional

suite: 124

suite: 217

suite: 421

Executives Attending

Delmar Andrade, International Sales Director Edson Mendes International Sales Coordinato

Ugly Bela

Executives Attending

Diana Coifman, Senior Sales Executive Programming & Formats Guillermo Borensztein, Sales Executive Programming & Formats

Secrets of Love

Executives Attending

Karina Etchison, VP Sales Europe, Africa & Middle East Melissa Pillow, Sales Director Europe

Missing

(Soap opera – On Air)

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’)

(Telenovela - 90 x 60’)

Anabela is a proficient and hardworking young girl, but her messy appearance hampers her professional life, making obstacles when she tries to get a job. Bela tries to get a job in an important agency of publicity, but she loses her post to a incompetent, but very beautiful woman. Ironically, Bela accomplishes in supersedes the ancient concurrent some days after, occupying the post of secretary of a new president-director. Rodrigo, a player and swinger boy, takes the post of president-director, surprising everyone. The inexperience of Rodrigo, plus his ambition, makes he commits deep mistakes on conducting the producer, he appeals, so, to Bela, who, in love, makes everything to not disappoint him. Meanwhile, Adriano still tries to knock down Rodrigo with her ally Verônica, who acts always hidden, pretending to be friend of Rodrigo and inciting him, including on have an hidden affair with Bela. When they are defeated by her evil plan, Bela and Rodrigo will get recovered and will be ready to restart their professional lifes and remake a real relationship.

Featuring a prestigious cast, this telenovela tells the story of Diana, a lawyer who decides to restart her career after three years of inactivity. On this behalf she hires Manuel, a brilliant though informal young professional. Though they are like oil and water, together they will build a successful professional universe, while managing their personal differences and eventually falling in love.

The disappearance of a teenager will change the life of a family forever. Elisa Altamira, daughter of Mariano Altamira and Danna Riggs, was last seen on her father’s birthday, when the whole family gathered to celebrate at their Malibu beach House. Everybody is a suspect, but only one person knows where is Elisa.

WAGs, Love for the Game

(Romantic Comedy - 120 x 60’)

A policewoman, Laura Posse, who is a beautiful and cunning detective, totally focused on her job and with a messy love life, must go undercover as a wag to enter the football world and investigate “El Chiqui” further. In order to achieve this, she must work under Giselle, the queen of the “wags” and Tato Marin’s former partner (he is Flores’s manager). Love will hit Laura (she will be called Mia) and Chiqui very soon. However, Laura will try to stick to her job and will start a careful and delicate spying task, trying to forget her feelings. Passion, betrayal, mafia loyalties and unexpected transformations shape this story of love, misunderstandings and mysterious emotions.

Count Vrolok

(Telenovela 100 x 60’)

During times of war in the 1880’s, a mysterious stranger arrives to a small town, where he is distrusted by all of its inhabitants. The arrival of this attractive, seductive, and elegant man will change the destiny of this town. In his return to Santa Barbara, ‘Count Vrolok’ (synonym of vampire in Slovenian) will unleash passion in women and jealousy in men. Meanwhile, suspicions about his mysterious past will continue to grow. The count will have to confront his situation when he falls in love with the wrong woman, but the legendary curse that burdens his race will be stronger than love.

Fill me with Love

TELEVISA suite: 316, 317 & 318

Executives Attending

Ricardo Ehrsam, General Director, Europe & Asia Claudia Sahab, Director of Sales, Europe Patricia Porto, Business Manager, Central & Western Europe Beatriz Rodriguez, Business Manager, Eastern Europe Manola Martin, Business Manager, Eastern Europe & Nordic Region Pedro Font, GMD Asia, Africa and Middle East Silvia Garcia, GMD Asia, Africa and Middle East

Fill me with Love

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’)

Marianela has lived most of her life without the love and warmth of a family, but she has not lost her smile or her sweet disposition. Only her cousin Emanuel treats her decently and stands up for her, and Marianela cannot help but to fall in love with him. The simple fact of imagining them together infuriates Freda, and she decides to poison her. When she finds out that the chocolates sent by Emanuel were poisoned, Marianela feels hurt and betrayed, and she decides to go to live in Spain. Months later, Marianela returns to Mexico. But the Marianela who went to Spain is not the same girl who now returns to Mexico. She is filled with optimism and self-confidence, determined to unveil the truth and get back what is rightfully hers.

Recipe for a Family Feud Fierce Angel

TV Azteca suite: 225

Executives Attending

Adela Velasco, Sales Europe & Africa

Fierce Angel

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’) When Emiliano Alcazar first meets Angeles he soon finds himself in the clutches of a love destined to dominate him body and soul.

Will their love prove stronger than the burden of the past which has come to haunt them?

The Force of Destiny

(Telenovela - 135 x 60’)

A story of intertwining loves and controversial passions - a story of a couple whose son conceived by artificial insemination is inevitably changed by destiny to become a child of love.

Venevision International suite: 117

Executives Attending

Daniel Rodriguez, Sales Director for Latin America of Venevision International Cristobal Ponte, Exclusive Independent Representative for Europe, Africa & Middle East

Recipe for a Family Feud

(Telenovela - 120 x 45’)

Best friends forever? Not in this story! They were as close as brothers, and partners in a successful bakery. Now they are fierce enemies… but still partners… and conflict is their daily bread.

A fresh, humorous look at friendship gone wrong, and how two families deal with the consequences — especially when the son and daughter from both sides fall in love.

Sinner

(Telenovela - 145 x 45’) Luz Maria and Bruno seem to be made for each other... but the secret she’s been keeping will shatter their love and make her a sinner in his eyes.

TTV TELENOVELAS T.

O

riginating in 1986 as an independent company focused on home video, the Sato Company has incorporated business windows over the years, which began with distribution of Japanese content in Brazil. Today, the company is exclusively responsible for content representation from Brazilian station SBT to the international market, and has content distribution agreements with Flor Latina Entertainment Group and Dori Media Group in Brazil. “We have several commercial sources that include exporting Brazilian content and international acquisitions destined for Brazilian screens,” Nelson Akira Sato tells ttv.

VARIOUS ACQUISITIONS Although SBT is the most recognized client of Sato Company in the international market, the distributor keeps its independence with several business windows, the most important of which is the acquisition of international contents for the Brazilian screens. Featuring diverse Japanese content, some of the highlights of Sato’s catalogue are: British reality show ‘You Are What You Eat’ (2waytraffic), ‘Criss Angel’, the funniest moments of Japanese’s game shows through ‘Sushi TV’ (aired in SBT), Japanese anime series ‘Naruto’, candid camera show ‘ZeZe’ and ‘The Legend of Bruce Lee’.

In spite of attending international trade shows presenting Brazilian content, the executive said their core business lies in content acquisition for broadcasters in the country. “The business of supplying content for local stations in Brazil has a future,” he said. In this regard, the Sato Company recently released two Venevision telenovelas – ‘Trapped’ (‘Acorralada’) and ‘Untamed Soul’ (‘Alma Indomable’) – on channel CNT (Central Nacional de Televisão).

The company also placed ‘LaLola’ (Dori Media Group) on SBT in 2008 and, according to Sato, “there is a text related to that title that is about to be produced in Brazil.”

Globally, the distributor has commercially operated in areas such as Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Hispanic United States and Portugal, where it landed with the SBT soap opera ‘Baron’s Bones’. “Additionally, the SBT

Untamed Soul 165 x 45’ Genre: Telenovela

telenovela ‘Revelation’ premiered in Africa, reaching all Portuguese territories: Angola, Mozambique, Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Sato affirms.

Nelson Akira Sato, Founder of Sato Company

This independent distributor based in Brazil gives an overview of the company’s business, including content purchases and sales to and from the Brazilian market and the representation of companies such as Flor Latina Entertainment Group, Dori Media Group and 2waytraffic.

By Sebastián Torterola

in June speaking GuineaPrincipe,”

Criss Angel Genre: Entertainment

The distribution company was also involved in the acquisition of rights for the E! Entertainment reality ‘Dr. 90210‘ and its subsequent Brazilian adaptation: created by Rede TV – formerly known as Rede Manchete – and called ‘Dr. Hollywood’, the show now airs on Sunday nights and is hosted by Daniela Albuquerque. The executive also confirms that SBT is preparing a catalog full of original formats for Mipcom 2010, where various entertainment shows present in Brazil’s traditional Silvio Santos and Ratinho programs will be included.

As a final note, Sato affirms that besides distribution and home entertainment, the company is an active merchandising agent.

“We represent Italian series ‘Winx Club’ (produced by Rainbow), which was highly successful in Italy, and through which we launched several clothing, toy and school supply products,” Sato concludes. ttv

T TV MAGAZINE 51

Executives

Laborious TV Worker

The screenwriter, producer and now VP of Production for Caracol Television darío garcía explains the details behind the production model of a channel that is disputing RCN for leadership of the Colombian screen.

Capacity, quality and innovation are some of the concepts the executive uses to describe the success behind Caracol’s fictions.

> By SebastiÁn Amoroso “80% of what we produce is drama, and 70% of these are telenovelas.”

D

arío García, better known as Dago García, is a scriptwriter and TV producer that has also ventured into film. He has been a TV, theater and film writer for over fifteen years, writing and producing over 30 series and telenovelas. Hits such as ‘Pedro el Escamoso’, ‘Pecados Capitales’ and ‘La Saga’ are common to find among his work. He currently serves as VP of Caracol Television Production. “TV is definitely my natural space, where I feel most comfortable and secure, where I can best express myself. I am a TV worker, no doubt about it,” García proclaims to ttv.

Caracol Television is producing five telenovelas, three series and two specials per year. This totals over 1,000 hours worth of drama each year. The station produces Colombian telenovelas, series, reality shows and contests such as ‘Who Wants to be Millionaire?’ as well as ‘Tu

Mariana & Scarlett 120 x 60’ Telenovela

The Cartel 2 40 x 60’ Series

Voz Estéreo’. Its comedy programs include ‘Sábados Felices’ and ‘También Caerás’, a humorous news show called ‘NP&’ and talk shows such as ‘El Radar’, among other genres. “We have covered almost all possible formats, and produce mostly in-house. Obviously, 80% of what we produce is drama, and 70% of these are telenovelas,” he explains.

The station is equipped with the latest online technology in order to start making commissioned productions and co-productions at its headquarters in Bogotá. The channel has 11 studios – the smallest being 250m2 and 800m2 the largest – 15 mobile units (10 of them in high-definition), 24 editing suites, 7 music studios and 60 high-definition cameras. It also employs over 1,200 TV professionals. “We are at capacity and we plan to produce not only to fill our screen, but for others as well. We are prepared for that; it’s part of our strategic plan. We have begun to expand our services to other channels and other content consumers. Our production capacity is greater than what the channel demands,” García says.

The channel’s production model is based on generating between 70% and 75% of all productions themselves with some special projects commissioned to independent producers. “So far we have worked with BE-TV and Colombiana de Television. We are also beginning to co-produce with foreign producers, as is the case of ‘Los Caballeros las Prefieren Brutas’ with Sony Pictures Television. So, we operate in all three models: in-house production, to-order production for domestic release and co-production with international operators.”

Darío“Dago” García,

The executive said that Caracol Television is working on three telenovelas this year: two series and a couple of contest and reality formats. “Budgets depend on the many variables of TV production: cast, locations, whether it’s a period piece or not, special effects, travel, number of episodes... everything. In general terms, we can say that we have very reasonable pricing for the region and that we make high-quality products at competitive market values.”

VP of Caracol Television Production

“We plan to produce not only to fill our screen, but for others as well.”

Another interesting aspect is the ongoing competition between colombia’s two open TV channels: RCN – where his colleague, writer Fernando Gaitán, works as VP of Production – and Caracol Television.

“Competition is tough. I think that, this year, RCN is going to regain the ground it lost over the past two years when Caracol was leading, and that poses a big challenge. I also think that – especially for this year and 2011 – the arrival of a new player with Colombia’s third channel will change the playing field in one way or another. Competition with RCN has always been tough. Fortunately for viewers, this competition has resulted in higher-quality TV offerings, with both of us leading at some time or another during the last five years. What I find most interesting about this year is the arrival of a third channel, because that could change the entire competition landscape,” he says.

COLLYWOOD? Today, Colombia stands out in Latin America as an ‘axis’ of television production. Thus, multinational groups are investing in research and co-production within the country. The executive highlighted four factors that create, in his view, the concept of a ‘sustainable production center’ or ‘Collywood’, as it’s referred to, tongue-in-cheek.

“Firstly, I think we have reached the quality standards and workmanship needed to make us internationally competitive. This is tied to another factor: that we have achieved costs that are interesting to international broadcasters. We can produce at a reasonable cost,

while the same production with the same quality in other venues could be 40%, 50% and 70% more. Thirdly, both Colombian artistic and technical staff is of high quality. If you have talent, good production values and reasonable costs, you become attractive to any international producer,” García explains, without forgetting about Colombia’s privileged geographic position and favorable security situation.

“What I find most interesting about this year is the arrival of a third channel, because that could change the entire competition landscape.”

In regards to Colombian fiction, García says it has a very good level of technical quality and a very modern profile. “That’s what differentiates us strongly from other industries producing telenovelas: we’re at the forefront of contemporary issues. I also believe we have a couple of elements that have always characterized us and gradually strengthened us: the presence of comedy programs and the immediate impact of our fictions. That has defined us and made us strong within the international market,” he concludes. ttv The Mafia Dolls 58 x 60’ Telenovela

Angélica Guerra,

VP of Caracol Television Internacional Colombian Caracol TV Internacional exports 100% of all its dramas. The distribution company is headed by Angélica Guerra and has offices in Bogota, Miami and Madrid, as well as a team of professionals who have conquered programming slots throughout most Latin American countries, Hispanic U.S., Eastern Europe and Africa.

“We always try to present a varied catalog to market in Colombia and abroad, with our annual offer of classic telenovelas, humor, and series. This allows us to continue with productions that have already been allocated to our overseas customers,” Guerra says. “We have a differentiating factor that our international buyers always mention, and that is the originality of our stories. We do not stick with the same old formulas that have worked in the past, we are always innovating,” she concludes.

TODOTV MAGAZINE 53

EXECUTIVES

T

elemundo International’s catalog for DISCOP EAST 2010 features an impressive array of telenovela titles that range from the traditional and the classic melodramatic to the modern and contemporary.

LOCAL PRODUCTION WITHIN THE REGION Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia are the countries that stand out in this region their high quality of local television production. “Local telenovelas are a key product, especially in Russia and Poland. In Russia – despite some exceptions – finished products are barely sold. However, this allows us to sell formats in a market that is highly developed,” Pillow said.

Melissa Pillow, Sales Manager for Eastern and Central Europe of Telemundo International explained to ttv that broadcasters in those territories are generally inclined toward the more traditional telenovela, even though there are those who prefer to break the classic pattern with program titles that stand out from the competition.

In this regard, the telenovela ‘Beautiful But Unlucky’ (‘Bella Calamidades’), has been so far sold in Romania, several CIS countries, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Macedonia. Of these countries, the telenovela has already debuted in Bulgaria and Croatia.

“In Bulgaria it’s making an average 35% share, which is higher than average (32%) for 2:30 PM. Its nearest competitor has 15%, which makes ‘Beautiful But Unlucky’ (‘Bella Calamidades’) the leader of that timeslot,” Pillow commented.

As for Croatia, the telenovela is also showing good results. “Beautiful But Unlucky’’ (‘Bella Calamidades’) achieved a 26% average and runs in first and second place in the 2:30 PM timeslot. Up until now, and based on these two releases, it seems like this is a telenovela that will work in all of Eastern Europe.” The telenovela was presented at Mipcom 2009

telenovela that airs in 8 Eastern European countries: Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Armenia, Georgia and Romania.

“In Romania, it’s being broadcast during primetime, on pay TV channel Acasa. This situation is a bit unusual because Romania is known for producing its own telenovelas.

They usually air foreign products during the day, and leave their own for primetime, but ‘El Rostro de Analía’ (‘Analia’) is scheduled for 9:00 PM.” It’s also worth mentioning that this telenovela has led its timeslot in 15 different countries.

Missing 90 x 60’ Telenovela

and has been broadcast or is currently on air in nine Latin American countries.

Another telenovela that is achieving excellent results is ‘Analía’ (‘El Rostro de Analia’), a modern

Melissa Pillow,

Sales Manager for Eastern and Central Europe for Telemundo International The executive, based in Madrid, got together with ttv to talk about the catalog that the Latin American distributor will be presenting at DISCOP EAST 2010. She also took the time to describe how TV channels in Central and Eastern Europe have evolved in the last ten years.

By Sebastián Amoroso

54 TTV MAGAZINE

The telenovela ‘Más Sabe el Diablo’ (‘Falling Angel’), is currently airing in Armenia, Georgia, Albania and Cyprus and, according to the executive, it will soon be released in five countries within the region, closer to autumn. “This was Telemundo Internatinal’s best-selling telenovela. It’s so far been the telenovela with more simultaneous broadcasts in Latin America this year, debuting in March in 13 countries at the same time,” she stressed.

Telemundo Internacional is also introducing ‘The Clone’ (‘El Clone’), a Globo TV coproduction that is being distributed in some Eastern European countries. “We just placed ‘The Clone’ (‘El Clone’) in Hungary, and our goal for June is to close in two key countries where we’re negotiating,” Pillow said. Fouryear-old telenovela ‘Amarte Así, Frijolito’ is yet another of Telemundo Internacional’s titles, sold in over 50 countries and counting, as is the case of the UAE. Telemundo Internacional will present ‘Missing’ (‘¿Dónde está Elisa?’) at DISCOP 2010, a TVN Chile telenovela that reached 57 points during its finale last year. “Telemundo bought the telenovela’s format and produced ‘Missing’, which has positioned itself as the number one program for Hispanic U.S. at 10:00 PM. It has been marketed as a format and as a finished product in over 30 countries.

There will also be five more adaptations for Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey and Indonesia, apart from two other key countries where the format has been licensed. We’ll also present ‘Perro Amor’ (‘Cruel Love’), which has been sold to over 15 countries, and ‘Las Aparicio’ (‘Behind Every Woman’), a new series that combines Mexican melodrama with the audacity of an American series.” ttv

EXECUTIVES

The executive talked to ttv in Los Angeles about the scope of their unique deal with Nickelodeon Latin America, providing worldwide distribution rights for teen telenovela ‘Grachi’, among other news from the Mexico-based distribution company.

By Sebastián Amoroso

Marcel Vinay, Jr., CEO of Comarex

N

ickelodeon Latin America announced in a press conference at the LA Screenings 2010, the beginning for development of ‘Grachi’, a series for tweens and teens. The network commissioned 75 onehour episodes and a pan-regional premiere anticipated for fall of 2010. Comarex, one of the leading Hispanic media and programming distributors, will handle worldwide distribution of this new live action fiction.

Comarex has been chosen, based on its experience in international distribution of telenovelas,” Marcel Vinay Jr., CEO of Comarex, told ttv at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

“This is a new opportunity to show the international market the creativity and quality of Latin American production. Fortunately,

Grachi 75 x 60’ Live Action

56 TTV MAGAZINE

Written by Venezuelan screenwriter Mariela Romero – whose credits include Nickelodeon’s popular telenovela ‘Isa TKM’ – ‘Grachi’ is a story where fantasy meets reality and creates a wonderful, incredibly magical escape for

children. The teen series uses the latest highdefinition technology for producing and presents one of its episodes in 3D. “Nickelodeon has a great history of highquality programs that appeal to a global audience. Therefore, we are delighted to have the opportunity to be part of a project as incredible as ‘Grachi’. We are aware of the excellence of the production house and of this story, and we are sure that ‘Grachi’ will be a great success in Latin America and the world.

We look forward to presenting this series to international broadcasters,” the executive said.

In an unrelated note, Vinay Jr. confirmed the excellent distribution performances of telenovelas ‘La Loba’ (‘Fierce Angel’), confirmed for Venezuela, and ‘Infamia’ (‘Torn Apart’), ready for Panama. He also announced pre-sales of police series ‘Drenaje Profundo’, to be premiered on TV Azteca’s screen, as was confirmed by the executive to ttv in September.

In regards to the pay TV business, Vinay Jr. said that Azteca International is this year celebrating its first 10 years, and that Azteca Novelas’s distribution keeps on growing. “One example is what’s happening in Peru, where the channel has 90% penetration,” he said.

Overall, for the executive, the LA Screenings 2010 proved to be a “very good market” that confirmed the quality and distribution that Comarex content has.

For this edition of DISCOP EAST, Comarex will be presenting the TV Azteca telenovelas’ ‘Torn Apart’, ‘Fierce Angel’, ‘La Fuerza del Destino’ (‘The Force of Destiny’), ‘Pobre Diabla’ (‘Daniela’) and ‘Pasión Morena’ (‘Morena’). ttv

EXECUTIVES

Having passed the Miptv test where they introduced new products and connected with European customers, Record TV Networks – one of Brazilian television’s points-ofreference – arrives in Budapest with renewed vigor and content. Their catalog features high-budgeted series and telenovelas, some of them already present in several areas of Eastern Europe.

By Sebastián Torterola

Delmar Andrade, Director of International Sales, Record TV Network

E

astern Europe is a market with great potential, but with important cultural differences when compared to Latin America. Do the same products work? There are many factors involved. “For this market, we conducted a study (focus group) to determine which products would be most appropriate for this cultural context,” Delmar Andrade says. In this regard, the executive mentioned their ‘Esther, the Queen’ presentation at Miptv, after which “many Eastern European countries contacted us requesting a screening” and that represents one of Record’s highlights for East Discop 2010.

started broadcasting in Brazil and “is achieving great results” for the channel.

“We are currently present in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Romania, Turkey, Albania, and others. There, our products ‘Slave Isaura’ and ‘Flames of Life’ reached the 53% rating mark on open television,” Andrade declares, noting the quality of Brazilian telenovelas and their stories. Referring to the latest European experience at Miptv, the executive says the event “opened big doors and launched us into new territories.”

River of Intrigues Telenovela 2010 - In Production

Moreover, the company’s new wager is telenovela ‘River of Intrigues’ that is currently in production at RecNov, Rede Record’s giant production studio. “’River of Intrigues’ recordings are going on at a fast pace.

Expectations are great because in order to create a sense of reality for this production, we actually had to build a small city,” Andrade affirms. This new telenovela has already

58 TTV MAGAZINE

“In order to generate greater credibility in the lives of all the illustrious characters of the plot and to reproduce the uniqueness of a rural town, the houses of ‘River of Intrigues’ are not only a stage, but were built with the necessary structure to shoot inside of most of them. We use the latest technology possible to immerse viewers into the universe that the author wanted to portray,” Andrade explains.

The various tones Andrade uses to describe this new production form a combination that

easily connects with users: intrigue, romance, suspense and a great deal of humor.

Another strong title from Record’s portfolio is ‘Ugly Bela’, an adaptation of classic telenovela ‘Betty, la Fea’, which represents the company’s foray into the realm of co-production together with Mexican giant Televisa. “It was a great experience, a very good one that has shown its strengths, surpassing the original version’s ratings and share in Brazil and reaching 23% share in Brazil, 30% in Rio de Janeiro and 36% in Fortaleza.”

Apart from its competent and creative scriptwriters and producers, Rede Record is currently capable of producing five telenovelas and one miniseries simultaneously. RecNov’s 280,000 m2 complex is located in Vargem Grande, Rio de Janeiro. Today, 2,095 people are involved daily in the creation of this dream factory, including technicians, cameramen, makeup artists, producers, and so on. In 2009, Rede Record added a tenth studio to its RecNov complex and, this year, plans to expand its infrastructure even further. ttv Esther, the Queen Series 2010

N

o doubt wrestling shows enjoy a healthy popularity in the U.S. However, it is a genre that is also present in some Latin American countries. “Definitely, the main Latin American market for World Wrestling Entertainment is Mexico,” Emilio Revelo, Manager of Television Internacional for Latin America, told ttv.

The company also has news for that country: launching its programming in 30 Mexican movie theatres in pay-per-view form, a modality proven successful in the U.S. “It’s a new concept that draws fans from their homes so they can meet at a common place and share the experience, sensation and energy of the shows. This is passed on from fan to fan; there is a process of identification with the other. This is a community,” Thomas Sitrin, Director of Television Internacional and Affiliate Relationships, commented on that matter.

The WWE is present in 145 countries and 30 languages, producing 52 weeks of content a year. Beyond these numbers, the company is committed to increasing its presence in southern Latin America. “We have important agreements in Panama through RPC; [other agreements] in Ecuador, where ‘RAW’ will be released on June 5th; [other deals] in Peru, where we air on two open channels and [deals] in Chile. In 2007 we were present in Brazil through SBT, and we want to increase

The WWE Experience 52 x 60’ Combined program

our presence in that market. That is one of our goals this year,” Revelo added.

This global expansion strategy is based on a qualitative change: for some time, the company focused its content towards a general, more family-oriented audience.

“With this, we are seeking for a universal product. The strategy does not change much from country to country, as we have had good results in countries as diverse as South Africa, India, Japan, Australia or France,” Sitrin explained. A relevant fact which demonstrates their eagerness for expansion:

Emilio Revelo,

Manager of International Television for Latin America, World Wrestling Entertainment Ever since it started, 2010 has been a very active year for U.S. World Wrestling Entertainment, having launched its own film studios and basing its expansion on familyoriented content.

By Sebastián Torterola

ECW 52 x 60’ Live event

World Wrestling produces seven hours a week in the U.S. and 11 hours a week in the international market.

One of the company’s most important announcements for the year was made at NATPE and featured its strategic decision to make WWE Films a department. This strategy, which has previously worked for Lionsgate and Fox, will lead the company to launch its own movie studios: WWE Studios. “The company decided that it could undertake film production itself. So this year we will focus on feature films: in September we will launch ‘Legendary’, and we’ll premiere ‘Knucklehead’ in November. Both movies feature WWE stars,” Sitrin announced. The films maintain their target on family audiences and showcase their wrestlers in different aspects, not just in the ring. The company plans to release 9 different movies in 2 and a half years.

As for alternative windows beyond TV, the executives highlighted the diversity of creative resources that the company currently handles. Apart from its powerful PPV offers, World Wrestling Entertainment is active in web video and home entertainment, offering web sites tailored to each local market and maintaining a side-business consisting of merchandising of different consumer products that include ringtones, wallpapers, clothing, playing cards and more. ttv

TTV MAGAZINE 59

LISTINGs TTV MAGAZINE This section features the companies at DISCOP East 2010 and their catalogues.

2011 68th Annual Golden Globe® Awards

The Frame

Alfred Haber Distribution

Armoza Formats

Suite: 221

Suite: Mezzanine Level Viewing Box # M09.

Executives Attending

Executives Attending

Chris Brouder, Vice President, International Sales Jennifer Askin, Director, International Sales

Avi Armoza, CEO Anat Lewinsky, Sales Europe

2011 68th Annual Golden Globe® Awards

(Cross-Platform / Reality Format)

The Frame

(Live Event - 1 x 180’)

The most eagerly anticipated event of the 2010-2011 awards season features top stars from the most important movies and television programs of the year.

DISCOP EAST

2010

36 Films Originally Produced For Imax® And Other Giant Screeen Theatres (Films - 36 x 40’)

The next generation of reality TV – eight couples reduce their living space to just one camera frame and must compete to be the last couple standing.

The Bubble

(Game Show Format – 30’) Three contestants are isolated from the world for a week, and then brought back to the studio to be quizzed on what they missed!

Aired on the BBC.

World-renowned, critically-acclaimed movies available in HD or standard formats, that offer fascinating, exciting, and spectacular stories, Academy Award® nominated titles, and tremendous audience appeal.

The Cartel 2

Be Kind To Me

ARTEAR Executives Attending

Mariana Fernández, Sales Manager, International Sales

Be Kind To Me

(Tratame Bien) (Series - 37 x 60’) After 22 years of marriage, Jose (Julio Chavez) and Sonia (Cecilia Roth) are having a midlife crisis and to make things a bit more appealing their two kids are caught between whether to make it out there in the complex adult world and grow up or simply linger on as teenagers. And so, in the middle of their lives this couple shaped by life and it’s daily trials, who thought they really knew each other, discover they too have grown separately as adults, and come to the realization that the person lying next to them is an old stranger. A known stranger that still has a lot to give.

More Than Partners

(Socias) (Series - 39 x 60’)

Legal dramedy based on the lives of three lawyers who decide to become partners and form a law firm. These three women represent common professional women facing whatever life and their profession may throw at them and explore multiple sides of various social issues. Each episode opens and closes with a legal backdrop, which connects with the characters’ trials and tribulations.

Dino Dan

Suite: 113

Breakthrough Entertainment

Camila Reyes, Sales Executive for Eastern Europe

Executives Attending

(Series)

Kate Blank, Sales Executive

Dino Dan

(CGI Live Action - 26 x 30’ / 52 x 11’) A CGI and live action adventure series that brings pre-historic dinosaurs to today. In each episode, 10-year old Dan Henderson (“Dino Dan”) uses his vivid imagination to spin an everyday situation into a dinosaur adventure by imagining photo-realistic pre-historic creatures into normal life.

Think Big

(Series - 26 x 30’) Following kid inventors, it not only inspires them to use their imaginations but also teaches them the importance of competing and how to eventually market themselves and their inventions.

‘Think Big’ is produced in association with TVO Kids in Canada and now in production for a second season.

The Re-Inventors

(Factual- 23 x 30’)

Follow Matt Hunter and Jeremy MacPherson as they dig up original patent designs from history’s lost inventions and build them, test them, and try to make them work. Some designs will crash and burn, but a few might actually prove brilliant.

60 TTV MAGAZINE

Caracol Television Executives attending The Cartel 2

Pepe Cadena has now become the biggest snitch by telling what happened during the last four years: how he managed to get out of jail in New York and how he cooperated with the DEA, his cases as informer along with Anestesia, his escape to Colombia, and the moment when he was arrested again and sent to prison. Pepe Cadena says that Martín didn’t tell the whole truth…

All I need is Love

(Yo no te pido la Luna) (Telenovela - 50 x 60’) Juanita Román is a singer who plays the guitar on public transportation to earn her living. In her struggle to help her brother and her mother ahead, she unfortunately meets Alejandro Castillo, a widow who is in the financial business that seems to be happy. Alejandro is determined to make her become a great star and in order to achieve this, she takes her to live in his house and he hires the best music, etiquette, fashion and show biz professors. In the process and although none of them notices it, they hopelessly fall in love.

Hawaii Five-0

CBS Studios International Suite: Sofitel Room 115

Executives attending

Stephen Tague, SVP, Europe Michelle Payne, VP, Regional Sales Tim Wright, Director, European Sales Amelia Plant, Manager, Sales, London

Hawaii Five-0

Jersylicious

Comcast International Media Group Suite: 1706

Executives attending

Boyana Beneva, Asssociate Director Lesley Drukker, Sales Director, Europe

Jersylicious

Ladronas

Dori Media Group Suite: 120

Executives attending

Michal Nashiv, President & CEO, Dori Media Contenidos, President & CEO, Dori Media Distribution Argentina Elena Antonini, VP of Sales, Dori Media Distribution Argentina

Ladronas

(Series - 60’)

(Drama)

(Action Series - 13 x 60’)

A contemporary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands’ sun-drenched beaches. Detective Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin), a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father’s murder and stays after Hawaii’s governor persuades him to head up the new team: his rules, her backing, no red tape and full blanket immunity to hunt down the biggest “game” in town.

The Style Network is heading to New Jersey for an outrageous look at the big hair, fake nails, spray tans and one-of-a-kind drama that can only live up to the name “Jerseylicious.”

The story of widowed Emma Blinder, who is shocked to discover that her deceased husband, a prominent judge, was in fact a corrupt man. Determined to right his wrongs, she recruits 3 attractive, professional women-thieves to help her. In each episode, the women embark on risky yet comical tasks, using all of their abilities to get justice done.

The Defenders

(Series - 60’)

Starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell in a comedic drama about two colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys who go all-in when it comes to representing their clients. Nick and Pete are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list who are still looking to hit their own jackpot. While Pete is busy cruising the Vegas Strip for his latest romantic conquest, Nick is focused on repairing his fractured marriage to his estranged wife, while remaining present in the life of their young son. No matter the offense, Nick and Pete aim to prove that when the stakes are high they’re willing to bet the house on the clients they defend in Sin City.

Baggage

(Dating Show) The new dating show that reveals your darkest secrets and examines what people are really willing to put up with in the hopes of finding true love. In this elimination-style dating show, three bachelors or bachelorettes compete for the attention of one lucky contestant and a chance at true love. But how will they choose…. literally by opening their “baggage.”

Date Blind

(Ciega a CItas) (Romantic Comedy - 120 X 60’) Single and somewhat unattractive, Lucía overhears her mother make a bet with her younger sister that she won’t be able to bring a real boyfriend to her sister’s wedding. Lucía sets out to find a genuine loving boyfriend, knowing all too well that she has only 258 days at her disposal until her sister’s wedding day.

Hot Import Nights

Fremantle Corporation Suite: 222

Executives attending

Obese

Eyeworks Distribution Suite: 317

Executives attending

Dorothy Crompton, Senior Vice President, International Sales Marco van Rheenen, Sales Executive, International Sales

Obese

(Reality / Lifestyle - 8 x 60’) Witness the biggest transformation on television when one person’s struggle with obesity is documented during the most important year of their lives, the year they get it back. Obese documents the 365-day journey and shocking steps taken when one morbidly obese individual on the verge of total body failure attempts to lose half their body weight under the guidance of a weightloss expert.

Randy Zalken, President (Toronto) Marshall Kesten, CEO (Toronto) Irv Holender, Principal Director (Los Angeles) Lisa Dunn, VP Sales and Acquisitions (Toronto) Paul McConvey, VP Production (Toronto) Diane Tripp, SVP, International Sales (New York) Sharon Beverly, Administration Sales (Los Angeles) Wayne Broun, Managing Director (Australia)

Hot Import Nights

(Lifestyle - 22 x 30’)

#1 Auto lifestyle show-tour-event series looks at the best drifters, drag racers, FMX stunts, Hip-Hop artists, Dance Crews, and the best car builders and customizers of import cars in the world.

Accompanied by a bevy of gorgeous models, viewers are taken in, outside and under the cars to see what it takes to make it in the world of building and racing the hottest imports.

Snapped

(Crime/Reality - 89 x 30’ + 42 x 60’ + 2 x 60’ Specials - Seasons I-VII - Season VI HD) Still in production with series 7, ‘Snapped’ is a half-hour true crime series chronicling the lives of females who kill and what made them snap. One of Oxygen’s most successful series ever.

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The Adventures of Merlin

FremantleMedia Enterprises Suite: 121

Executives attending

Maximilian Bolenius, VP Sales, German speaking Europe & Central and Eastern Europe Pete Kalhan, SVP Home Entertainment, EMEA & Archive Sales Richard Tulk-Hart, VP Sales Home Entertainment, EMEA

The Adventures of Merlin

(Drama)

Series 3: 13 x 60’, Series 2: 13 x 60’, Series 1: 13 x 60’. Series three rejoins Merlin and Arthur’s valiant battle against increasingly deadly magical foes.

The IT Crowd

(Comedy)

Series 4(HD): 6 x 30’, Series 3 (HD): 6 x 30’, Series 2: 6 x 30’, Series 1: 6 x 30’. We return to Reynholm industries where our trusted trio of dysfunctional IT consultants continue to wreak havoc on themselves and Reynholm industries.

India – A Love Story

Globo TV International Suite: 426

Executives attending

Feroz

Latin Media Corporation / Worldwide Rights Corporation

Pedro Dombrasas, Sales Executive Eastern Europe Gabriel Rohonyi, Sales Executive Center Europe, Scandinavia and Baltic Republics

Suite: 1759

India – A Love Story

Jose Escalante, Executive Director of Latin Media Corporation Guillermo Isturiz, Director of Sales, Latin Media Corporation

(Telenovela - 160 x 45’)

Set in contemporary Brazil and India, and filled with swirling color, music and movement, ‘India - A Love Story’ is gripping tale of tradition facing a new era and the power of love to overcome all obstacles. “2009 International Emmy Winner” for Best Telenovela.

Watercolors Of Love

(Telenovela - 145 x 45’)

A romantic comedy, a cat and mouse story about a young couple, separated in the prime of passion, who meet again and embark on a journey of rediscovery, realizing that true love is only completed when one fulfills the other’s dream.

Executives attending Feroz

(Telenovela Series - 100 x 60’) Soledad is a courageous teacher with three sons: Leo, Damián and Benjamin. After 20years Soledad meets Guillermo her exfiancé, the greatest love of her youth. Guillermo mysteriously disappeared and left her broken hearted. Soledad never knew the real reason he left: Guillermo was turned into a werewolf and ran away to not harm her and master the beast inside him. Guillermo is now a successful, ruthless businessman who maintains a wild and passionate relationship with Kiara, a sexy protective female werewolf. At the University, Leo and Damian meets Amanda and begin to fight for her love. During the first full moon Leo was attacked by a ferocious beast and the moon will play with all hearts.

In The Eyes of The Assassin

Mediaset Distribution Suite: 324

Executives attending

Clare Mc Ardle, International Sales Manager, Manuela Caputi, International Sales Manager

In The Eyes of The Assassin

(TV Movie - 16 x 100’)

A serial killer is terrorizing Rome. The Prosecutor’s Office decides to involve a famous criminologist and profiler in the case, Giona de Falco, to identify and stop the murderer; but just a year before Giona was accused of murdering his wife Laureen and now he finds himself in prison awaiting trial. Along with the criminologist, the case is assigned to Inspector Andrea Baldini, a resolute woman, dedicated to her work. After initially hesitating, Giona will accept the task, and is thus granted house arrest.

Ris Rome

(Police Series - 26 x 50’) The Forensic Science Department (RIS) of the Carabinieri are back, with a new cast and Italy’s capital as their backdrop. Daniele Ghirelli and his colleague Flavia are transferred to Rome, where newcomer Lucia Brancato is appointed to head the new team.

Lucia, getting to grips with her first assignment, will direct an explosives specialist and former sports champion; an outspoken female genetics specialist; and an impetuous working-class officer with good intuition but no experience. All together, they will become a team of the greatest efficiency, and their capabilities will be put to the test investigating a chain of crimes behind which lurks a diabolical mind.

Angel’s Friends: The Secret World Around You

Mondo Tv Suite: 112

Executives attending

Spooner

Moving Pictures Film & Television

Alessandro Venturi, Sales Manager Theo Kouroglou, Sales Manager

Suite: Table 46, Basement Level

Angel’s Friends: The Secret World Around You

Romy Ricart, International Sales Executive

(Animation - 52 x 13’ o 26 x 26’)

Our five young Angels — Gabi, Urié, Raf, Dolce and Ang-Li — live in the crowded Metropolis of Angels, called Angie Town, where they attend the special class at the school , to become 100% Angels. For that reason they should go through a “stage” period on Planet Earth among “human” in a beautiful city; therefore, they arrive on Earth with their nice mascots, in order to obtain the missing 1%, which will make them real guardian Angels.

Their mission consists in following five lively “Earthlings” in their everyday life adventures. But they are not alone… also five irresistible 99% devils are coming up to the Earth with the same reasons.

Puppy in My Pocket

(Animation - 52 x 13’)

Friendship is a universal feeling. It’s the warmth that heats your heart up, it’s the joy of not being alone, of having someone next to you who returns your love and takes care of you- Friendship is a strong power, and the purest the heart of those who need a friend is, the more explosive this energy gets… and who is purer than children?

Executives attending Spooner

Big Time Rush

MTV Networks International

(Romance/Comedy - 84’)

Suite: 219

Herman Spooner is a used car salesman who still lives at home with his parents. Spooner meets the girl of his dreams, Rose, who is unfortunately about to leave for the Philippines. How far will Spooner go to keep Rose in town and show her he really knows how to spoon?

Maria Rakhmatullina-Ufland, Sales Director, EMEA, MTV Networks International Marco Arabit, Sales Executive, EMEA, MTV Networks International

Tanner Hall

Executives attending

Big Time Rush

(Drama - 94’)

(Kids/Live Action - 46 x 30’)

‘Tanner Hall’ is a vivid peek into the private world of an all-girls boarding school. In a cozy, but run down New England, the knot of adolescent complexity is unraveled through the coming of age stories of four teen-age girls. The film was written and directed

by Tatiana von Furstenberg, daughter of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, and by Francesca Gregorini, daughter of Barbara Bach and step-daughter of Ringo Starr.

Four fun-loving best friends from Minnesota are given the opportunity of a lifetime when they get a chance to be part of the glamorous L.A. pop music scene.

Gigantic

(Entertainment/Live Action - 18 x 30’) A half-hour dramedy, takes a fictional look at the glitzy, chaotic and often hilarious life of being a Hollywood “it” kid.

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Ice

Don Pedro: Story of A Drug Lord

Esther, the Queen

Power

RCN Television

Record TV Network

Suite: 136

Suite: 1160

Suite: 124

Executives attending

Executives attending

Mark Dineley, VP, Digital Media Sales and Strategy Eric Muller, VP, International Sales

María Lucia Hernández, Directora Ventas Internacionales

Ice

(Series - 90 x 60’)

(Mini Series - 2 x 120’) With power-hungry oil giants exploiting the world’s limited fuel supplies against the advice of staunch environmentalists, the collapse of a rig in the Arctic causes global panic. Devastating weather patterns emerge and plunge the world’s temperatures into steep decline. The entire planet is left to contemplate the dawning of a new ice age. Starring Richard Roxburgh, Francis O’Connor, Stephen Moyer, Claire Forlani, Simon Callow and Ben Cross.

Air Force One is Down

(Mini Series - 2 x 120’)

Alistair Maclean’s highly charged novel is brought to life for a contemporary audience in this exhilarating, fast-paced two part mini series which sees unlikely allies formed in a quest to save one of history’s greatest cities, and the lives of millions.

Don Pedro: Story of A Drug Lord

This series shows how the ambition for money and power lead a man to make wrong decisions that turn his life into hell. Due to this unbridled ambition, this character becomes the most wanted, and feared narcotic dealer of all times.

Marbelle: The Power Of True Love

(Series - 66 x 60’)

At the age of 6 Maureen shows signs that she has been born with great skills and talent for music. Her mother has decided to encourage her to become a star, in order to do that, Maureen has to deal with the pressure of her mother, the envy around her and the economic struggle of her family. As a teenager she becomes the queen of popular music, however as she was a successful singer, her relationships with family and husband were in an opposite direction, her mother dies and her husband mistreats her making Maureen be away from music. As time goes by, Maureen decides to end up her marriage and keeps working to achieve her goals returning to stage to become a great star: Marbelle.

Executives attending

Delmar Andrade, International Sales Director Edson Mendes International Sales Coordinato

Esther, the Queen

(Series - 10 x 60’)

Placed in 479 AD, in Persia, this is the story of a beautiful young Jewish girl who saves her people from annihilation through the love the king raised after seeing her. Courage, Determination and faith makes Esther one of the greatest references in Jewish culture and one of the most noticeable women in history. The great differential of the version produced by Record TV Network is the last generation technology used to record the scenes, using many special effects.

The law and the crime

(Series - 21 x 60’)

Catarina (Francisca Queiroz) is a high society woman who decides to study and become a police officer after her father murderer in a robbery. Uncharged of the most problematic police department of the region, her only goal is to make the law being accomplished.

Her path cross with Nando’s (Ângelo Paes Lemes), a boss of drugs traffic, and with Romero’s (Caio Junqueira), a militia policeman.

The plot unleashes itself when Nando kills his father-in-law, who is father of Romero. The brother-in-law is a policeman too, ignores the formalities of the law and swear to revenge the death of his father. He is tight of his points, joints the militia to get more strength, go up the hill and accomplish his goal.

Fishbowl

Resonant TV Executives attending

Gonzalo Cilley, President

Fishbowl

(Drama - 120 x 30’) This format aired in Spain in early 2010 on Telecinco and has been doing really well ever since, scoring a share over the network’s average. Teenagers’ problems nowadays aren’t as simple as they used to be, and parents don’t feel they’re up to helping them.

Fishbowl tells the story of a high school psychologist who gives therapy sessions using the most unorthodox methods in a school that has a very diverse student population. She deals with issues like sexual conflicts, drug abuse, eating disorders and so on. We’ll see both the perspectives of the students and the adults on the same issues… and in the middle, Eve.

Collateral Man

(Psycological Thriller - 13 x 60’) This series was originally aired in Argentina some years ago, and when it did, it won national and international awards 3 years in a row. There’s also a book version and they are producing a film about it in Hollywood. Martin faces a turning point in his life when an unusual character approaches him demanding immediate payment for an alleged debt his deceased grandfather owed.

As first male descendant, he is the collateral man and must turn in his soul to settle the debt. Naturally Martin is at first reluctant to believe all of these, but he will soon suffer the terrible consequences of breaching a pact with the devil.

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Operation Repo

Rive Gauche Television Suite: 130

Executives attending

The Frontier

Marine Ksadzhikyan, Vice President, International Sales

SevenOne International

Operation Repo

Suite: 224

When it comes to recovering property, ‘Operation Repo’ will stop at nothing to get the job done. From luxury boats and planes to cars and tricked-out trucks, if you don’t make your payments, these highly trained cast of characters will find you.

Jens Richter, Managing Director Axel Boehm, Regional Sales Director, International Fiction Acquisition

Video Zonkers

(Action Thriller - 1 x 120’)

(Reality - 78 x 30’)

(Reality - 104 x 30’)

104 half-hours of non-stop entertainment combining neverbefore-seen video clips collected from around the globe into stand alone comedic hours that show life’s everyday moments at their most extreme, odd, bizarre but almost always, most hilarious.

Executives attending

The Frontier

It’s the global financial crises on steroids: in the gripping event thriller ‘The Frontier’ terrorist attacks on all oil reserves intensify the global financial crises, causing a civil war scenario.

Fugitives

(Action Thriller - 2 x 90’) Imagine you and your two best friends are on the run with the authorities in hot pursuit – one of your friends betrays you, your father turns out to be your worst enemy and you meet the love of your life.

The Resistance

Behind Every Women

A Double Identity

Telefe International

Telemundo Internacional

Televisa Internacional

Suite: 217

Suite: 421

Suite: 316, 317 & 318

Executives attending

Diana Coifman, Senior Sales Executive Programming & Formats Guillermo Borensztein, Sales Executive Programming & Formats

The Resistance

Executives attending

Karina Etchison, VP Sales Europe, Africa & Middle East Melissa Pillow, Sales Director Europe

Behind Every Women

(Teen Telenovela - 150 x 60’)

(Telenovela - 120 x 60’)

In confusing, skeptical, cold and materialistic times a group of young people fight for a Better World. On one side, the Corporation makes the inhabitans of the “NE” (New Era) believe that they live in a perfect and happy world, but they are totally manipulated. On the other side, those who resist, the rebels, who know the truth.

Between both worlds there is a wall which is real and impossible to jump. The challenge will be to cross and pull down that wall that separates them and confronts them.

In a world where nobody believes in fairy tales or prince charming, asking ourselves these questions is looking at a woman’s world with a new set of eyes. A new perspective that can be as cheerful and amusing, as it is deep and critical. With a modern perspective, wit, and a great deal of dark humor, ‘Behind Every Woman’ aspires to tell the story of three generations of women with different ages, lifestyles, and sexual orientations, whose only common denominator is that they are part of a family made up of widows who decided to abandon the safety provided by a prince charming and face the challenges of modern life which can sometimes be amazing, crude, sexy, funny, caring, and even cruel.

Secrets of Love

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’)

Featuring a prestigious cast, this telenovela tells the story of Diana, a lawyer who decides to restart her career after three years of inactivity. On this behalf she hires Manuel, a brilliant though informal young professional. Though they are like oil and water, together they will build a successful professional universe, while managing their personal differences and eventually falling in love.

Missing

(Telenovela - 90 x 60’) The disappearance of a teenager will change the life of a family forever. Elisa Altamira, daughter of Mariano Altamira and Danna Riggs, was last seen on her father’s birthday, when the whole family gathered to celebrate at their Malibu beach House. Everybody is a suspect, but only one person knows where is Elisa.

Executives attending

Ricardo Ehrsam, General Director, Europe & Asia Claudia Sahab, Director of Sales, Europe Patricia Porto, Business Manager, Central & Western Europe Beatriz Rodriguez, Business Manager, Eastern Europe Manola Martin, Business Manager, Eastern Europe & Nordic Region Pedro Font, GMD Asia, Africa and Middle East Silvia Garcia, GMD Asia, Africa and Middle East

A Double Identity

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’)

Without a doubt in her mind, Andrea makes up a twin brother named Andres, and with this double personality, she will get involved in comical situations and adventures that in a short period of time will steal the hearts of the whole family.

Fill me with Love

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’)

Marianela has lived most of her life without the love and warmth of a family, but she has not lost her smile or her sweet disposition.

Only her cousin Emanuel treats her decently and stands up for her, and Marianela cannot help but to fall in love with him. The simple fact of imagining them together infuriates Freda, and she decides to poison her. When she finds out that the chocolates sent

by Emanuel were poisoned, Marianela feels hurt and betrayed, and she decides to go to live in Spain. Months later, Marianela returns to Mexico. But the Marianela who went to Spain is not the same girl who now returns to Mexico. She is filled with optimism and self-confidence, determined to unveil the truth and get back what is rightfully hers.

Torn Apart

TV AZTECA Suite: 225

Executives attending

Adela Velasco, Sales Europe & Africa

Torn Apart

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’) Infamia is the story of a bountiful and celestial love that has to face a wicked past and defeat the very devil in order to find eternal happiness.

Fierce Angel

(Telenovela - 150 x 60’) When Emiliano Alcazar first meets Angeles he soon finds himself in the clutches of a love destined to dominate him body and soul.

Will their love prove stronger than the burden of the past which has come to haunt them?

The Force of Destiny

(Telenovela - 135 x 60’)

A story of intertwining loves and controversial passions - a story of a couple whose son conceived by artificial insemination is inevitably changed by destiny to become a child of love.

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A Woman’s Sacrifice

Venevision International Suite: 117

Executives attending

Marquise of Darkness

Daniel Rodriguez, Sales Director for Latin America of Venevision International Cristobal Ponte, Exclusive Independent Representative for Europe, Africa & Middle East

Zodiak Entertainment

A Woman’s Sacrifice

Cynthia Kennedy, Senior Format Sales Executive Sarah Bremond, Scripted Sales Executive

Clemencia’s life was shattered 20 years ago when she was abandoned by the man she loved and her newborn baby was abducted. Now a successful, yet bitter, businesswoman, she is harshly confronted by her past - discovering that the young woman she is bent on destroying is none other than her long-lost daughter and the love she once felt for the man who deceived her is still very much alive.

Marquise of Darkness Adapted from the novel by Catherine Hermany-Vieille, Marquise of Darkness relates the passionate and tumultuous life of MarieMadeleine de Brinvilliers, the best-known poisoner of French 17th century.

Salvador: A Knockout Lover

Extinctions

When his boxing license is suspended and he is faced with financial ruin, Salvador reluctantly starts a new career as an escort, becoming not only the most desired lover but also a savior of lonely women… adored by all, except by the one woman he truly loves.

One day, in the not too distant future various animals including the cheetah, the Asian elephant, the jaguar, the orang-utan, the polar bear and the tiger are destined to disappear in what scientists call “The Sixth Extinction”: an unprecedented phenomenon of mass extinction since the demise of the dinosaurs.

(Telenovela - 120 x 45’)

(Telenovela - 120 x 45’)

Suite: 236

Executives attending