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Science Docs Travel Series Discovery’s David Zaslav Brian Greene Brian Lapping NOVA’s Paula Apsell www.tvreal.ws
MIPTV, MIPDOC & HOT DOCS EDITION THE MAGAZINE OF FACTUAL PROGRAMMING
APRIL 2010
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AETN International www.AETNinternational.com • America:The Story of the US • Pawn Stars • Fugitive Chronicles • Celebrity Ghost Stories • Paranormal Cops
Shot in HD, as most of AETN International’s productions are,America:The Story of the US tells of how America came to be. However, as Sean Cohan, the senior VP of international at A&E Television Networks, points out, the 12-parter does so in a way that highlights the “lesser-known stories.” He adds that the program has a great amount of international appeal.“Because of the producers, the quality and execution and the epic nature of the show,we think it will do very well,”he says.The character-driven series Pawn Stars has been a hit in the U.S., and Cohan says the show also exceeded expectations in terms of viewership elsewhere.“It comes back to the great characters and the fact that great TV travels,” he says of the show’s success.There’s also Fugitive Chronicles, which tells real-life tales of men and women who have risked their lives to bring dangerous fugitives to justice in the U.S. In the paranormal vein, AETN is offering Celebrity Ghost Stories and Paranormal Cops.
Fugitive Chronicles
“We’re bringing over 350 hours that we haven’t brought before, in addition to our already strong 7,500 hours of a catalogue that is largely factual with factual entertainment.
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—Sean Cohan
AFL Productions www.aflproductions.com
IN THIS ISSUE
Getting Scientific
• Naked & Funny • Funny, But Not Naked • Theory of Catastrophes • Camera of Laughs • Outrageous & Hilarious
There are censored and uncensored versions available for the hidden-camera series Naked & Funny.The dialogue-free series features people running into unanticipated situations. The same premise of “no dialogue, just pure gags” is true for Funny, But Not Naked. Camera of Laughs contains more than 300 clips,filmed using a hidden camera and unsuspecting targets. Outrageous & Hilarious is a collection of stories videotaped by eyewitnesses, while Theory of Catastrophes spotlights some of the most shocking disasters ever seen.“Our footage archive contains over 5,000 hours of television programs and formats,” says Yuri Volodarsky, the head of development and distribution.“The ratings and shares of our programs during the time of their premieres have been exceptionally high,and therefore,they all have great potential and profitable life spans in reruns and worldwide distribution.”
Science docs continue to thrill viewers 22
Passport to Adventure The big business of travel programming 28
Interviews
Theory of Catastrophes
“ We have concentrated our efforts on…programs and formats that grab the target audience’s immediate attention.
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—Yuri Volodarsky
Discovery’s David Zaslav Physicist and TV host Brian Greene Filmmaker Brian Lapping NOVA’s Paula Apsell
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Profile NHK pursues doc co-productions
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APT Worldwide www.aptww.org • Battle of Durban II: Israel, Palestine & the United Nations • For Love of Liberty • The Science of Healing with Dr. Esther Sternberg • A Celebration of Leonard Bernstein • Ashes of American Flags
Ricardo Seguin Guise
Publisher Anna Carugati
Editor Mansha Daswani
Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski
Managing Editor Lauren M. Uda
Production and Design Director Simon Weaver
Online Director Phyllis Q. Busell
Presenting a snapshot of history, the film Battle of Durban II from APT Worldwide takes a look at how the enduring conflict between Israel and Palestine disrupted two United Nations conferences.APT is also showcasing For Love of Liberty, hosted by Halle Berry. In the medical/science genre is The Science of Healing with Dr. Esther Sternberg.There’s also the music-based A Celebration of Leonard Bernstein,which is a tribute to the composer, and Ashes of American Flags, a documentary that goes behind the scenes at the indie band Wilco’s 2008 tour.“In addition to these titles, we have new programs in cooking,travel,sports and business,and a very inspirational biography,as well as more science and social affairs,”says Judy Barlow,APT’s VP of international sales.“Most of our titles are shot in HD, and we try to have something that will appeal to buyers in all the nonfiction genres.”
“ At APT Worldwide, we have a really strong slate of programs for this coming market, especially in history, science and music.
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—Judy Barlow
Ashes of American Flags
Art Director Tatiana Rozza
Sales and Marketing Director Kelly Quiroz
Sales and Marketing Manager
The Asian Pitch www.caldecottproductions.com
Rae Matthew
Business Affairs Manager Cesar Suero
Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Ricardo Seguin Guise
President Anna Carugati
Executive VP and Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani
VP of Strategic Development TV Real © 2010 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website:
www.tvreal.ws
• For the Love of Shakespeare • A Farmer’s Struggle • A Weaver’s Tale • Red Box • Transmission: Listening to the Mountain’s Message
Now in its fourth year,The Asian Pitch is an NHK-MediaCorp collaboration that gives independent directors in Asia the opportunity to tell their original stories.“Asia is a region with various ethnic groups, religions, politics and other social backgrounds,” says Fumio Narashima, the head of international program development at NHK.“When producing a program dealing with issues surrounding the Asian people, I think it is important that the director/producer shares the same values and same social perspectives as the local people, which is why I came up with the idea of The Asian Pitch.” Narashima adds,“We have received over 500 proposals from around Asia,and 10 programs have been made under this initiative giving us an illustrative look on Asia.The past years have proven that there are fascinating untold stories and skillful new talent out there in Asia waiting to be discovered.”
For the Love of Shakespeare
“ We are very happy to offer local filmmakers a chance to tell their stories to the world.
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—Fumio Narashima
Get TV Real Weekly— delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. For a free subscription, visit: www.worldscreen.com
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Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) tvsales.orf.at Trick Factory
• 3-D Planet • The Voynich Mystery • Trick Factory • Operas 2010 • Dragonflies: Flying Jewels
New titles across the genres of music,children’s factual,documentaries and TV movies will be on offer from Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF),along with fresh episodes of returning series. Beatrice Riesenfelder, ORF’s head of sales and acquisitions,is optimistic about shoring up sales on this slate, as she believes this market will be healthier than last year’s.“We expect a better outcome [than] at last year’s MIPTV, which was clouded by the financial crisis,” she says. “We feel that the buyers still have restricted budgets and therefore select the programs more carefully.... Instead of flooding the 2010 markets with masses of new releases, the sales department carefully [looked] for top-notch documentaries...to present to our existing client base.”ORF will be exhibiting 3-D Planet, along with Trick Factory, the successor to ORF’s science kids’ show Explorer Express.Also on offer are The Voynich Mystery,Dragonflies:Flying Jewels and a collection of Opera titles, including Radamisto.
“ Variety is important because the digitalization in many countries has brought up numerous new digital channels that we aim to provide [for] as comprehensively as we can.
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—Beatrice Riesenfelder
CABLEready www.cableready.net Tony Awards
• Intersections • Tony Awards • World Party! • The Minimalist • Spotlight
CABLEready Productions recently received a green light for its first original TV series, Intersections.The 13x30-minute HD series will debut at MIPDoc.“With Intersections we are bringing together the high-risk worlds of auto racing, fighter-jet flying and more,with the personal stories of those who make it happen and how,” says Sabrina Ayala, the VP of sales and marketing at CABLEready.“There’s been a surge of interest in ‘how it works’–type science, and Intersections certainly hits that mark.”Ayala says that with World Party! and The Minimalist CABLEready is satisfying buyers’ needs for lifestyle programming,“which has gained popularity thanks to a huge growth in niche networks along with lifestyle slots on historically general-entertainment nets.” Adding star power to the CABLEready lineup, Spotlight dishes out the latest Hollywood news and gossip, while broadcasts of the Tony Awards showcase the annual awards show that recognizes achievement in live theater.
“ It’s important now more than ever to be proactive in seeing clients and working together toward a positive future.
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—Sabrina Ayala 236
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Visit us at MIPTV
Stand R29.23 www.outrightdistribution.com
Garrow’s Law
Mastercrafts
Welcome To Lagos
Twenty Twenty for BBC1: 8 x 60’ (series 1 & 2) Set in the Old Bailey of Georgian London against a backdrop of corruption and social injustice, each episode features dramatized accounts of real legal cases from the late 18th century Bailey archive. Also available as a format
Ricochet for BBC2: 6 x 60’ Britain’s craftsmen were once the envy of the world but over the past 100 years there has seen a steep decline in the highly skilled trades. This new series celebrates these traditional crafts and helps put them back on the map in a novel and inventive way. In each episode, three unskilled people learn a new craft and try and prove they’ve got what it takes to join the ranks of the Britain’s Master Craftsmen. Also available as a format
KEO films for BBC2: 3 x 60’ One in three people who live in cities live in slums so if you want to understand where humanity is heading in the 21st century, take a trip to the slums of the fastest growing megacity in the world… Lagos. Focusing on strong individual human narratives, this series shows that slums are vital, energetic places, home to some of the most resourceful, resilient and creative people on the planet.
The Genius Of Design
Who Do You Think You Are?
Life Of Riley
Wall to Wall for BBC2: 5 x 60’ Telling the stories of inventions that have transformed everyday lives. This compelling series tells the story of design from the Industrial Revolution through 20s modernism, the impact of war and freedoms of a post-war world, the swinging 60s, the designer 80s and up to the present day.
Wall to Wall for BBC1 and NBC UK: 10 x 60’ (series 7) US: 7 x 60’ Two brand new series which journey across centuries and continents to uncover compelling family histories of wellknown celebrities including Spike Lee, Susan Sarandon and Sarah Jessica Parker. Also available as a format
Catherine Bailey for BBC1: 12 x 30’ (series 1 & 2) Comedy series which centres around second time newlyweds Maddy and Jim, and their modern day dysfunctional family. They are constantly finding themselves outwitted by people a quarter of their age and no matter how hard they try to do the right thing – it always seems to go wrong. Also available as a format
The Happiness Project
Amish
A Storyhouse Ltd Production for YLE: 6 x 60’ & 1 x 90’ According to research, you can increase your level of happiness simply by changing the way you think and act. The Happiness Project is a unique TV format which unearths the secrets of happiness. Five people take part in this fascinating televised experiment, which lasts six months. They try methods recommended by the school of positive psychology, which are proven to increase a person’s level of happiness. Will they succeed? Available as a format only
KEO films for Channel 4: 4 x 60’ A young group of Amish leave their closed community with their own language and rules, where they don’t have electricity or cars, don’t drink or smoke and believe living simply brings them closer to God – to come to Britain for the first time as they have reached a point in their lives known as ‘Rumspringa’, when they are supposed to gain worldly experience. Through the Amish eyes we get to know the ways and whims of British teenage tribes. Also available as a format
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Globo TV International www.globotvinternational.com Oscar Niemeyer: The Sculptor of Monuments
• Oscar Niemeyer:The Sculptor of Monuments • Recycling:Ticket to the Future • Kuarup:The Lost Soul Will Return • Miguel Nicolelis:Transforming Lives • That’s Carnaval
Blending journalism, culture and entertainment, Globo TV International’s GloboDOC documentary strand spotlights what’s at the heart of Brazil. Oscar Niemeyer:The Sculptor of Monuments focuses on a man who is considered one of the most influential people in modern architecture. Recycling: Ticket to the Future looks at how Brazil is leading the way in decreasing the impact of waste on the environment. A ritual full of beauty and emotion is the centerpiece of Kuarup:The Lost Soul Will Return,while Miguel Nicolelis:Transforming Lives spotlights a Brazilian doctor. In Globo’s That’s Carnaval trilogy, the world-famous street party brings its vibrancy for viewers to experience for themselves.“We are in an evolutionary process,” says Raphael Corrêa Netto, the international sales director at Globo,of the company’s documentary ambitions.“We have been able to strengthen and broaden what we wanted to approach in regards to sharing a little bit of Brazil with the world.”
“People want to see Brazil through the eyes of the Brazilian people.” —Raphael Corrêa Netto
Janson Media www.janson.com • Blood and Oil:The Middle East in World War I • Pawns of Paradise: Inside the Kashmir Conflict • Pure: A Bouldering Flick by Chuck Fryberger • World War I: American Legacy • Quilting Arts TV
When Janson Media acquired the library of Inecom Entertainment in a copyright-asset purchase at the end of 2009, the company picked up 35 new documentary titles for its slate. “They are quality history documentaries with high production values,” says Stephen Janson, the president of Janson Media. “Two mentioned here, Blood and Oil:The Middle East in World War I and World War I: American Legacy, are timely looks at World War I, and we will all soon be remembering the 100th anniversary of the start of this war.” Pure: A Bouldering Flick by Chuck Fryberger looks at 19 extreme climbers in six countries on three continents. Pawns of Paradise: Inside the Kashmir Conflict provides a behind-the-scenes look at life in Kashmir.There’s also the PBS series Quilting Arts TV. “Quilting Arts TV is probably the only long-running television series in the world devoted to the fastgrowing hobby of quilting,” adds Janson.
“ Pure is simply one of the most entertaining extreme-sports films we have ever seen.
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—Stephen Janson Pure: A Bouldering Flick by Chuck Fryberger
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National Geographic Channels International www.ngcimedia.com • The Known Universe • Britain’s Greatest Machines with Chris Barrie • MegaFactories • Shark Men • Swine Flu:The Science of Pandemics
National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) is bringing to MIPTV a selection of new programs that represents a breadth of genres. From examining space with a second installment of The Known Universe to spotlighting feats of engineering in MegaFactories and Britain’s Greatest Machines with Chris Barrie,NGCI’s catalogue runs the gamut of the factual genre.There’s also Shark Men, which looks at one of the planet’s most feared creatures, and Swine Flu:The Science of Pandemics, which goes inside the science of how a superflu virus develops and mutates.“Each of these new productions embraces the core of our programming mission—to offer clients smart, innovative programs that are relevant to what we know and how we view the world,” says Germaine Deagan Sweet,NGCI’s VP of content syndication. “Our catalogue continues to appeal to buyers because they know we are a dependable content provider of editorially compelling stories.”
“ MIPTV will be an important opportunity to further explore the increasing interest and appetite for programs on new platforms, such as 3-D productions.
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The Known Universe
—Germaine Deagan Sweet
NHU Africa www.nhuafrica.com • Into the Dragon’s Lair • Troop • Animal Nation • Iceman:The Lewis Gordon Pugh Story • Nature of Life
NHU Africa commissions, co-produces and distributes documentaries that feature a unique South African stamp. In the wildlife arena, Into the Dragon’s Lair follows Didier Noirot and Roger Horrocks as they embark on a diving adventure with giant Nile crocodiles in the clear waters of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Troop puts a new spin on the genre, as it takes a reality-style soap-opera approach to showcasing two neighboring troops of baboons. Animal Nation explores the deep connection that exists between humans and animals. Further documentary highlights from NHU are Iceman:The Lewis Gordon Pugh Story and Nature of Life, about climate change.“These programs will appeal to audiences all around the globe,” says Sophie Vartan, the commissioning editor at NHU.“Filmed in HD, they are inspirational, topical, contain exceptional cinematography, and have unique story lines which will keep audiences enthralled from start to finish.”
Into the Dragon’s Lair
“ [NHU Africa’s programs] are inspirational, topical, contain exceptional cinematography, and have unique story lines which will keep audiences enthralled from start to finish.
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—Sophie Vartan
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Outright Distribution www.outrightdistribution.com • Welcome to Lagos • Mysterious Journeys • TRANSform Me • Waterloo Road • The World’s Strictest Parents
There’s been a resounding sentiment that the industry is rebounding, and Chris Bonney, the managing director at Outright Distribution, shares this optimism.“There’s lots more confidence in the market than last year,” he says. Outright is hoping that this will translate into solid sales for its titles such as Welcome to Lagos, which takes viewers into the slums of one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Bonney points out some additional highlights in the Outright catalogue.“We’re bringing a number of U.S. series to the market, including TRANSform Me, a fashion-makeover show led by three transgender women; NBA Wives, a VH1 reality series that promises an inside look at the lives of basketball players’ wives and girlfriends; and Mysterious Journeys, a fast-paced, educational adventure through some of the most bizarre and fascinating legends in the world.” Also topping the list is Waterloo Road.
Welcome to Lagos
“ I expect MIPTV to be a solid and serious sales market; less glamour but plenty of good deal-making.
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—Chris Bonney
Parthenon Entertainment www.parthenonentertainment.com Dinosaurs Decoded
• Mystery Files • Wild Russia • Dinosaurs Decoded • Crime Town USA • Mara River
Mystery Files leads off the slate for Parthenon Entertainment and is a particularly exciting push for the company because it is one of its own productions. Peter Pas, Parthenon’s commercial director, says Mystery Files is “an intriguing series about major historical figures that comes up with lots of new facts, looks fantastic and did incredibly well on its U.K. and U.S. debuts.” Pas calls Wild Russia a “must-have for every channel with or planning an HD service.” Parthenon is also presenting the specials Dinosaurs Decoded and Mara River. Meanwhile, Crime Town USA is a reenactment of a heinous crime in small-town America.“Whodunnit and voyeurism in one...” In terms of expectations for the market, Pas says Parthenon is looking for “more fantastic feedback from buyers attending MIPDoc…we had a record year last year! We are hoping for a really positive market to continue an already great start for the company in 2010.”
“ We are hoping for a really positive market to continue an already great start for the company in 2010.
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—Peter Pas
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1S FT FOU FE J O %PM CZ %J HJ U B M U IJ T J T B T FS J FT PG EPD VNFOU B S J FT IJ HIM J HIU J OH #S B [ J M h T W B T U 8J M EM J G F $VM U VS F 4 D J FOD F 5 FD IOPM PHZ 1FS T POB M J U J FT T FFO U IS PVHI U IF FZ FT PG #S B [ J M J B OT U IFNT FM W FT " G B T D J OB U J OH CM FOE PG K PVS OB M J T N D VM U VS F B OE FOU FS U B J ONFOU QS PEVD FE VOEFS U IF T VQFS W J T J PO PG (M PCPh T B XB S E XJ OOJ OH K PVS OB M J T N U FB N .* 157 Ê° 7* 4 * 5 64 "5 4 5 "/% "
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PBS International www.pbsinternational.org The Quake
• My Lai • Mind Over Money • The Buddha • The Quake • Special When Lit
All eyes turned to the Caribbean country of Haiti when the devastating earthquake struck in January.The PBS currentaffairs series Frontline put Haiti in the spotlight in The Quake,which PBS International will be offering at MIPTV. “There are several films about the Haitian earthquake, but this one is going to look at the earthquake from what’s happened in Haiti for the last 20 years,” explains Tom Koch, the VP of PBS International.“It is not looking at it from a personal perspective, although there are personal witnesses, but it looks at it as, How did the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere become that way and what happened? It’s asking, Can we prevent this in the future, and how?” Also from PBS, the history documentary My Lai reexamines a massacre that took place during the Vietnam War.The Buddha investigates the mysterious Indian sage and how his teachings are relevant to us today. Further titles are Special When Lit and Mind Over Money.
“ People obviously know who we are—we try always to bring very high-quality, well-made, journalistically based documentary films.
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—Tom Koch
Pilgrim Films & Television www.pilgrimfilms.tv • • • • •
Ultimate Fighter Ghost Hunters Ghost Hunters International Dirty Jobs My Fair Wedding
The Pilgrim Films & Television brand has been anchored in great storytelling about interesting people who do extraordinary things, according to Craig Piligian, who founded the company in 1997. “For Pilgrim, that has meant creating franchises that began primarily with ‘bluecollar’ characters who do extraordinary physical work, and others who also strive to push themselves physically and mentally.You see this in shows like Ultimate Fighter on Spike, which is currently casting its 12th season; the Ghost Hunters series on Syfy, which includes Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International and Ghost Hunters Academy; and Dirty Jobs, which has run for five seasons on Discovery.” Pilgrim has also branched out and is taking its brand into the lifestyle genre with shows like My Fair Wedding for WE tv. “We work hard to uncover and identify these compelling characters, but we’ve also been extremely fortunate to have the network partners that we have.”
“ We’ve tried to stay focused on finding the people whose stories we believe can make great television, and then telling them as honestly as we can.
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—Craig Piligian 244
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Solid Entertainment www.solidentertainment.com • Terra Antarctica • Stripped: Greg Friedler’s Naked Las Vegas • The Edge of Never • Juanita Castro: Fidel’s Sister in Exile • Made in L.A.
Made in L.A.
For Solid Entertainment, 2010 is already shaping up to be a stronger year, says Richard Propper, the company’s director of international licensing. “We generally roll out new titles [for] MIPDoc at the start of the year, and our expectation is to have buyers screen at MIPDoc and head over to our stand to make offers. It’s the best part of the market for us, and we have some great titles at MIPDoc 2010.”These titles include Terra Antarctica, an HD exploration of the Antarctic region led by Jon Bowermaster. Stripped: Greg Friedler’s Naked Las Vegas is also a highlight. “Some broadcasters are looking to fill their sex slots with naked people who have a purpose,” says Propper of the show’s appeal. The Edge of Never also has a particular pull, because, Propper notes, “dramatic ski stories that are well told are rare.” Rounding out the slate are Juanita Castro: Fidel’s Sister in Exile and Made in L.A.
“ Our goal is simply to continue providing outstanding programming to our broadcast clients.
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—Richard Propper
Terranoa www.terranoa.com • A Year on Earth • Rivers of the World • Crafting Elegance • Carla Bruni: Birth of a First Lady • Killer Volcano
Terranoa is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a lineup that includes 15 fresh hours of factual programming.“Part of our lineup is made of ambitious prime-time big-budget TV events with international appeal and innovative storytelling, such as AYear on Earth and Killer Volcano,” says Isabelle Graziadey, the head of international sales and acquisitions at Terranoa. AYear on Earth aired in prime time on France 2 in January, and Terranoa is looking to close presales for the title. Killer Volcano is a dramatized documentary that mixes news and testimonials, and will be ready for delivery in November.“Other properties include glossy travel series such as Rivers of the World or lifestyle series like Crafting Elegance which have already attracted attention from buyers internationally.” Carla Bruni:Birth of a First Lady is a profile of the Italian-born former model, now the wife of the French president Nicolas Sarkozy.Terranoa will head to MIPTV looking to wrap up the last of the presales for this title.
“ Part of our lineup is made of ambitious prime-time big-budget TV events with international appeal and innovative storytelling.
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—Isabelle Graziadey Carla Bruni: Birth of a First Lady 246
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ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s Journey to the Edge of the Universe.
From the inner workings of cells to the outer boundaries of the universe, science documentaries continue to thrill viewers.
Getting
By Bill Dunlap “Science is now cool.”
Scientific
So says Richard Life,who should know.As head of acquisitions and co-productions for ITV Studios Global Entertainment, he deals every year with producers and buyers of all sorts of television programs, including documentaries on scientific subjects. Actually, Life says science has been cool for a while.“There was a time in television when science felt very highfalutin,” he says. “It was watched by a minority of people who were brainy enough to understand it. The Internet has helped make science cool—the rise of the nerds.That has led to the rise of channels like Discovery and National Geographic. Those channels alone are evidence that there is a huge appetite for science programming.” At the U.S. National Geographic Channel, there are 85 original hours of science documentaries on the second-quarter schedule, not including straight wildlife or history, according to Steve Burns, the executive VP of content. “National Geographic has always been out in front in science, and I would say we have increased even more now,” Burns says. “There is an uptick in science today. It was a bit underserved when networks had to appeal to broader audiences. But with cable becoming so dominant we’re able to find those niche audiences that wanted more detail. National Geographic was probably positioned best because, as an institution, [the National Geographic Society] has been funding science for over 100 years.” Nicolas Bonard, the senior VP of Discovery Enterprises International, sees the same increased interest in scientific subjects. “The type of scientific programming will vary according to each region,but overall we’re seeing a general uptick in scientific,in the broadest sense of the term,” he says.“The way we look at sci248
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ence, it’s more cutting edge, looking at a scientific topic in a different way.” Beyond the virtually all-documentary factual channels like National Geographic and Discovery, there is demand from public broadcasters who see a need to help explain complex issues. Paula Apsell, the senior executive producer of the PBS series NOVA and director of the WGBH Science Unit in Boston, says an understanding of basic science is more important than ever. “[We’re] helping people to…see the way that it affects their lives, and to help them become better citizens by understanding the issues that are so important to us all—like global warming—that require some scientific literacy to make any kind of a reasonable decision.This has grown in importance since the early ’70s, when NOVA started.” NOVA is distributed worldwide by PBS International. “NOVA is an exceptionally well-known name not only among industry buyers, but people all over the world,” says Tom Koch, theVP of PBS International.“In the world of science producers, NOVA is widely recognized as having the highest of production standards and their ability to relate complex science topics to viewers in an informative yet entertaining way makes their programs very enticing to buyers of science documentaries.” THEORY OF RELATABILITY
The challenge for makers of science documentaries is to present information that may be complex in a manner that appeals to a broad section of viewers. For ITV’s Life, that’s what he calls the sweet spot.“The topics that grab people’s attention are clearly medical and consumer science, relatable science that affects you and me in our daily lives, the food we eat, our lifestyles, how we interact 4/10
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with technology, even crime solving,” he says.“Relatable science is very popular.” Complicating the search for the right balance between entertainment and information is the differing needs of niche channels versus broad-appeal channels and between commercial and public broadcasters. “The BBC and France TV are broadcasters who would take more high-end, blue-chip documentaries, with a strong narrative and voice-over on top,” says Discovery’s Bonard.“Commercial broadcasters will take the more entertainment-driven documentaries.” How the various producers and distributors of science documentaries balance viewer interest and appeal with information content shows up, naturally enough, in their programs.At Japan’s NHK, one of the world’s top sources of blue-chip documentaries,Toshihiro Matsumoto, the chief producer of science and environmental programs, says any successful science program must inspire viewers to want to know and understand more.“If we can find a way to trigger people’s curiosity, people will watch the program no matter how complex the science might be,” he says.“So we strive to present the content in ways that make it resonate with viewers and give them a sense that they’re making discoveries. High-speed photography, CGI and 3-D imaging are effective for giving viewers the sense that they’re making discoveries. However, they are just tools. The most important thing is to make the content feel relevant to viewers.” Painfully relevant in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes is Megaquake, a four-part co-production with National Geographic Channels International that premiered this year in NHK’s flagship NHK Special documentary slot but was produced before the Haitian and Chilean quakes. The mini-series uses the latest advances in seismology and CGI to demonstrate the dangerous effects that violent quakes could have on major cities like Tokyo and Seattle— highly populated areas located within regions of wellknown seismic activity. NHK’s two Miracle Body mini-series were keyed to Olympic athletes; the first consists of four episodes focusing on competitors in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.The current series is on the Vancouver Winter Olympic athletes, made with the Eurovision TV co-production unit. Both series use ultra-high-speed HD cameras to capture and scientifically
analyze the physical mechanisms behind human potential.“Our science documentaries consistently attract great interest from viewers in Japan,” Matsumoto says.“Since interest in science is always quite high, the number of programs varies very little from year to year.We continuously examine and review our programs and strive to improve their quality so that our viewers won’t lose interest.” SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATIONS
National Geographic Television (NGT),the documentary arm of the National Geographic Society, often relies on the society’s scientists for topics.“From an international-distribution point of view, there’s always been a very healthy interest in science, and at National Geographic we are very fortunate that we have people, explorers in residence, who are some of the most excellent in their fields who bring us these stories every year,” says Maurice van Sabben, the president of NGT’s international sales arm. Not surprisingly, the National Geographic Society’s scientists are more attuned to the science of their own disciplines than they are to audience appeal, which can present a challenge to the television arm. “Science can be pretty obscure or difficult to understand,” says Michael Rosenfeld, the president of National Geographic Television. “Part of the challenge to science producers is to communicate to a general audience what it all means.We try to find storytelling techniques that can bring it to life.” An example is the mini-series Science for Future World Leaders, based on a textbook called Physics for Future Presidents by Richard Muller, a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. “We’re asking viewers to imagine you’ve just become president and you’re getting a scientific briefing on things you need to know,” Rosenfeld says. “One is on the nuclear threat and nonproliferation issues. Another is on electromagnetic pulses. It’s a storytelling device. Instead of a dry lecture, it’s a lot more fun, an exercise in using your imagination. It humanizes it and makes it On the slopes: NHK is a major source of science documentaries, such as the new mini-series Miracle Body. more accessible.” 4/10
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Roving the planet: One of National Geographic Channel’s recent science specials was Five Years on Mars.
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Making moves: Wild Planet: North America, from Discovery, delivers a scientific spin on the North American continent.
In another example, the unit wanted to do a film on the society’s Genographic Project, a five-year effort to figure out the history of global human migration using DNA analysis, but Rosenfeld says the producers were initially stumped on how to approach the subject. “Genetics are hard to explain in a way that people will understand and that will seem relevant to them,” Rosenfeld says.“There are five major human migrations, so we set ourselves a challenge: Can we find traces of all those migrations in one spot? We went to one of the most diverse places on earth, Queens, New York.We went to a street fair and [NGS explorer in residence] Spencer Wells and his team did cheek swabbing.We later got everyone back together and we gave them their results and put them in groups according to which migrations their ancestors had been part of.” The resulting one-hour program is The Human Family Tree. “It’s fun,” Rosenfeld says,“because you’re telling it through personal stories of people who are learning about themselves.” Another big documentary is 24 Hours After Asteroid Impact, which looks at the immediate aftermath, 66 million years ago, of the meteor impact that killed off the dinosaurs and affected every living thing on Earth.“Things that shed new light on humans, people are always fascinated with that,” Rosenfeld says. Burns, who programs the U.S. National Geographic Channel and describes himself as a lover of science, disputes the very idea that science documentaries may be dry. “I think science is riveting,” he says.“It comes down to how creative the filmmakers are, and we work with the best filmmakers.” As evidence he cites the current Traveler’s Guide to the Planets, which goes planet by planet for three nights; Fight Science, a series that looks at the dynamics of the human body to see what crushing forces the body can take; and Drain the Ocean, which uses CGI animation and data gathered by scientists to see the seafloor as if the ocean was missing. 250
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“None of those are dry,” Burns insists.“The Emmy award winner for best science program was our Five Years on Mars, which retraced all the work that Spirit and Opportunity, the little rovers, did exploring the surface of Mars. It was anything but dry.You see these scientists who were so emotionally involved in their little explorers.” STARSTRUCK
ITV’s Life strives for what he calls science as spectacle,an example of which he says is the two-hour Journey to the Edge of the Universe, a co-production of National Geographic Channels, Discovery Channel Canada and France 5.“It takes you on an epic voyage beyond the stars, from Earth to the farthest edges of the universe,” Life says.“We liked it because it’s visually stunning. The buyers reacted well to it because it looked spectacular.The CGI and visual effects tell the story.” In a different vein entirely, no pun intended, is Inside Nature’s Giants, a four-part mini-series consisting of dissections of large animals—a whale, an elephant, a giraffe and a crocodile—to reveal how their bodies work and have evolved over the eons. “It’s one of the most visually stunning programs you’ve ever seen,” Life says. “It shows you, clear as day, the miracle of nature, without CGI.You combine that with footage of the animals in the wild and you learn something about animals that you’ve never seen in any wildlife documentary. It’s a spectacle. Channel 4 played it at 9 o’clock, a peak-time slot. They knew there would be a strong audience.” For Discovery Channel, the need to make a complex subject appealing to large audiences was most challenging with Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking, a complex subject made more challenging by the British theoretical physicist’s neuro-muscular dystrophy, which has left him in near total paralysis, making communication difficult. “With the use of CGI and a new angle, we’ve tapped into his mind to explore how the universe 4/10
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A cloud of damage: Science for Future World Leaders, from NGT, includes an episode on the threat of nuclear war.
was created, whether alien life exists or if the galaxy has a life expectancy,” says Discovery’s Bonard.“It is trying to find a new and compelling angle to reveal the wonders of the universe.” Another new mini-series from Discovery is Wild Planet. It begins this year with Wild Planet: North America, seven hours of looking at the North American continent, but in a different way. “It’s not wildlife,” Bonard explains. “It’s looking at the development of the continent and how it’s affected life—the formation of the continent, the only continent that extends from the Arctic to the tropics.The mountain ranges run northsouth, so you’ve got a funnel of cold and hot air going down the middle. It’s looking at science in a slightly different way.” Future mini-series will focus on other continents. A TOUCH OF SHOWBIZ
In assessing ways that NOVA has evolved, Apsell notes that recent programs are livelier than they used to be.“There is more action in the programs,”she says.“You see scientists doing things; the programs are more visual.”Apsell points to two upcoming mini-series, Making Stuff and The Fabric of the Cosmos. In Making Stuff,David Pogue,a personal technology columnist for The New York Times, examines modern technology and the materials that are required to make it.“I’m sure when you say ‘material science’ people are thinking,‘Oh my God, give me my pillow,’”Apsell says.“But,really,civilization is built on the back of material.There is a reason that they call ages by the names of the materials that were dominant in those ages.And I have to say I never quite got that, and material science is one of the most important sciences today.” The four-part series debuts this fall. Also coming up this year is the four-hour The Fabric of the Cosmos with physicist Brian Greene, author of the book The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space,Time, and the Texture of Reality.“I’m hoping to have a hit on the magnitude of The Elegant Universe,”Apsell says,referring to a program based on an earlier Greene book.PBS International licensed The Elegant Universe to a slate of broadcasters, among them Channel 4,ARTE, SBS Australia,YLE and NHK.The new series incorporates playful animation and startling effects, along with experiments to show that the physical world is far more fantastic than our senses alone can appreciate. Other producers take a more entertainment-oriented approach to science. France Télévisions Distribution (FTD), 252
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for example, has Changing Climates, which Eric Verniere, the manager of international sales and development, calls a docudrama with a lot of dramatization. “There is very definitely a need for scientific documentaries, as long as there is some sort of entertainment angle,” he says. Changing Climates is set in 2075 after warnings about the consequences of global warming have been realized. It focuses on three characters affected by global warming in Europe, Africa and the Arctic. “When we’re talking to a big terrestrial buyer, they really focus on angles that are more entertainment,”Verniere says. “It could be subjects more like dinosaurs or pyramids. FTD is co-producing a show called The World of Dinosaurs with NHK and France 5. There is a strong entertainment angle to this project. When we are talking with cable buyers, or discussing specialized documentary slots or science slots, it’s a very wide range of subjects.” Also leaning in the popular science direction is Cineflix, which is producing a series hosted by William Shatner called Weird or What? Paul Heaney, the president and managing director of Cineflix International, says the pop-science genre has been reignited.“Weird or What? is something that Shatner’s fascinated with anyway, which is trying to explain paranormal phenomena and weird and wonderful creatures and medical oddities and mysterious disappearances.” Heaney especially likes documentaries that can appeal to a variety of broadcasters.“I love shows that can be different things to different broadcasters,” he says.“In some territories these shows—Weird or What?, Huge Moves or Mayday—can be described as science.In others they can be classed as factual entertainment.Shows like Huge Moves,where they show train engines, steamships, submarines or massive mansions being moved across seas or ice or continents,that’s straightforward entertainment.Aircrash investigations, rescues, tragedy and drama—that hits a male and female audience.There’s emotion, a narrative, real characters. Weird or What?, with the appeal of Shatner and universal stories means it should fit in a reasonably good peak spot in a lot of terrestrial broadcasters.” Gary Lico, the president and CEO of CABLEready, points out that definitions of science vary, but that almost everyone wants it in some way. “For some, science may be disasters,” he says.“For others it might be big dinosaurs. For others Planet Earth or a current event. Forensics works well. Engineering and archeology work well, as does crypto-zoology—we have MonsterQuest on the History channel.” One new wrinkle in the world of documentary television was added in January when Discovery, IMAX and Sony announced a joint venture to launch a 3-D TV channel next year. National Geographic Channel’s Burns sees 3-D production as a way of “future-proofing”the business.“I think it’s an important advancement just as CGI was a new storytelling technique.3-D will allow us to keep advancing and revisiting these great topics. Can you imagine being able to plummet into the center of the earth or go through a tomb in Egypt and see the sand traps and the big granite doors that block the way to the next find? I think 3-D will be spectacular for science.” 4/10
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Solid Entertainment’s Terra Antarctica.
Passport to
Adventure
While the travel industry continues to feel the effects of people trimming their budgets, the business for travel programming has been booming for distributors. By Kristin Brzoznowski The vast majority of the general public has never even heard of places such as Snæfellsjökull, Iceland;Yap, Micronesia; Popokvil Falls, Cambodia; or Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, yet one need only turn on the TV to be transported there instantly.Travel shows have been educating and entertaining viewers for decades,taking them around the globe to discover far-flung places or to rediscover some of the beauty and splendor that’s right in their own backyard. In its early incarnation, the travel program featured a more traditional approach to presenting a destination, be it local or exotic, with a host digging out facts and information about a particular place.While this “how-to” format for travel still has a certain appeal, many programs in the genre have gotten louder, edgier and more audacious, and so have their hosts. Many will argue that there’s no better example of the contemporary style of an in-your-face TV travel guide than Anthony Bourdain.The chef, author and cultural connoisseur parlayed the acclaim surrounding his racy memoir Kitchen Confidential into a new career as the host of food and world-travel shows. His latest series, No Reservations, has been a smash hit for FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), which has sold it in more than 50 countries. “Anthony Bourdain is such a strong personality,” says Jeff Tahler, FME’s senior VP of acquisitions and development.“He’s a guy you want to travel with. He’s a guy you want leading your journey. He does travel in such a way that you as a viewer take a very active role.That’s where you want to be.” 254
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Through its representation of the Travel Channel catalogue, FME also handles sales for another standout series led by a bold personality, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. FME has notched up deals for the series, which features out-of-theordinary foods from various cultures and parts of the world, in some 40 territories, and counting. “We’ve been able to market and build brands around these high-energy personalities that people really gravitate towards, like Bourdain and Zimmern,” explains Tahler. “That’s the trend that we see really working. It’s quite different than the stand-up host [we’ve seen in the past]. It’s more of an adventure now. I think that’s what people are craving.You can get a lot of that stand-up hosted type of information from the web now.You can do that research yourself, whereas five or ten years ago the information wasn’t as readily available. Now it exists, you can go online and go to the hotel’s website or a tourism website, you can get the information from there.That’s why the day of the normal stand-up host has come and gone and this is the real future.” THE HOST WITH THE MOST
CABLEready has also found that travel shows have taken a turn toward more host-driven entertainment, where the bigger the personality, and the more expertise he or she has, the better. “Travel has really evolved beyond the traditional host being somewhere and saying ‘Here we are,’ wherever that may be,” says 4/10
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Sabrina Ayala, CABLEready’s VP of sales and marketing.“We have A Cook’s Tour, which does travel through food and through the really strong, vivacious personality of Anthony Bourdain. That has been one of our biggest sellers worldwide.”Another series in the CABLEready catalogue, Wine Portfolio, features the personality of Jody Ness, who’s a restaurateur and wine expert from Toronto. “The hosts for the shows we distribute have to be experts in what they’re talking about,” says Ayala.“Jody Ness is a wine guy and he shows that through the interviews he’s doing in each episode of Wine Portfolio. Same thing with Anthony Bourdain. He knows what he’s talking about with food, so you believe him and you want to go where he’s going and experience what he’s experiencing. Damon Redfern of Karma Trekkers is an oldschool travel guy, he’s a historian and he brings that to the party when you’re watching the show.” ASK THE EXPERT
travel and cooking, and Art Wolfe’s Travels to the Edge, which features photography alongside the travel. Indeed, many shows in the travel genre crisscross into other lifestyle categories. Beyond Distribution has several in its slate, including Coolfuel Roadtrip, which adds a touch of eco to the travel vein.There’s also Free, mixing in a variety of action and adrenaline-filled sports, and Savouring the World, which is both a travel and a culinary quest for discovery. Beyond’s head of sales, Munia Kanna-Konsek, further points to The Best Job in the World as a travel series that delves into other important factual areas. The series follows Ben Southall, who beat 35,000 applicants to land the job of caretaker of a set islands on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Kanna-Konsek explains,“Not only does his new job involve travel…but he also has to learn about the ecology,wildlife, tourism and global warming.” Further hybrid-style travel series on Beyond’s slate include Stratusphere and The Holiday Show. While Solid Entertainment’s catalogue features many programs that blur the lines of the travel genre, Richard Propper, the company’s founder and president,points out that the shows in its portfolio are more related to “destinations with a purpose.” Uncorked! Wine Made Simple, for example, takes a look at wine culture and the wine industry, using this as the backdrop for travel adventure.“You really couldn’t talk about wine unless you talk about the places the grapes are grown and how it’s done,” says Propper.“It is traveling to these places, but it’s traveling with a purpose.The same would be true with Food Hunter. Mark Brownstein is looking to introduce the audience to really unique foods that are unheard of.Again, it’s traveling with a purpose.” There are also newer series like What Would Darwin Think?, spotlighting ecotourism, and Terra Antarctica, which strives to present the frozen continent in a way that viewers have never seen before. Propper has witnessed a shift in the travel genre when it comes to technology and what the broadcasters are looking for, and often times demanding.“More and more productions are being produced in Travel in style: The series Lonely Planet Six Degrees, distributed by Beyond, features local HD,” he says,“which is a good thing.Two people exploring their own cities. Another expert in the field is Rick Steves, the best-selling author of the classic guidebook Europe through the Back Door and more than 30 other travel books. APT Worldwide recently picked up the entire collection of Rick Steves’s HD European travel programs,Rick Steves’Europe.Judy Barlow,the company’sVP of international sales, believes that the titles have quite an appeal for the international market. Barlow notes that Steves’s shows feature more traditional, destination-oriented travel but include valuable information like safety tips and pointers on how to travel hassle-free.“We do see an appetite for traditional travel shows alongside the more ‘adventure’ formats,” she notes.“I think they cater to different audience demographics. It’s fun to watch other people doing unusual, sometimes dangerous, activities, but people still want the practical information of how to travel and what to see, particularly older audiences.” Barlow adds,“These types of practical series are not just about travel, they are travel businesses unto themselves, with books, tours, apps and other ancillary merchandise, giving viewers every opportunity to use the content.” APT’s catalogue also features a number of cross-genre travel series, such as New Scandinavian Cooking, which is a hybrid of
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Man about town: Anthony Bourdain, host of FME’s No Reservations, is one of the travel genre’s biggest personalities.
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the business and our ability to not only produce, but to acquire and work with top-flight content creators, we are in a unique position to help elevate some of these to bigger platforms.” Tahler also points out that the genre plays well for nonlinear platforms, such as in-flight. EYES ON THE SKIES
Setting sail: Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa from APT Worldwide features destinations such as the Pacific Rim.
CABLEready, too, has seen its business with airlines flourish.“We have done a lot with in-flight, especially with our travel shows more than anything else,”says Ayala.“Airline programming is interesting because it can’t be too negative, it can’t be anything disaster-related, it has to be somewhat light and entertaining, and I think travel falls perfectly into that.That’s a huge market for us.” The same is true for the travel programming at Beyond, says Kanna-Konsek.“In-flight is a very important part of our business and we are able to place a great deal of our travel programs with a range of carriers. For example, we have secured in-flight deals for Destinations Revealed, Lonely Planet Six Degrees, Douglas Chew Cooks Asia, Savouring the World, The Great Outdoors, Lonely Planet Bluelist Australia and Worlds Apart.” Solid’s Propper points out that some of the license fees for inflight even rival low-end broadcast license fees. He adds,“With the increase in digital delivery systems for in-flight, there’s been a demand for more programming.The in-flight market is a great one for travel.Year after year [airlines] are looking for that travel program with a purpose. I’m hoping for a more robust in-flight market, but I would say right now it’s been a good one for us.” Despite the crowded marketplace, travel programming is still shoring up slots, both linear and nonlinear, and there’s no doubt that the genre will continue to evolve, technologically and with its concepts.As FME’s Tahler points out,“The travel business has its ups and downs as the economy does, but I think a good amount of people still want to see what experiences are out there and where they could possibly go and how they could do it. I really think that if you look at the next trend in the travel genre, it’s just continuing to mine the field for great talent who you want to go on these adventures with.”
years ago, I would say most of what we had was standard definition and some broadcasters were asking for high def. Now, it’s switched, the higher-end sales really want HD, to the point where it will prohibit a sale if it isn’t in HD.” However, Propper is quick to note that there’s still plenty of good product out there in standard definition. “A technical complicating factor is that there are very good up-resolution services that will take a standard-def show and turn it into HD, but the broadcasters seem to be reluctant to touch them.What’s too bad about that is that they don’t realize that there are some fantastic shows that have been shot very well that look great upres but for some reason they don’t want to touch it.” Kanna-Konsek of Beyond is also aware of the advantages of having an HD selection for travel buyers.“Producers face very limited shelf [space] for their programs if they don’t produce and deliver in HD,” she says.“Unfortunately, being in HD does not always guarantee a better fee, but it could be the difference between sale and no sale for a title. It is definitely an advantage at present and a must-have in the very near future.” CABLEready’s Ayala already sees HD as a must-have for locking in deals.“Travel programming, by nature of what it is, is so dependent on the visual. So HD is key. Besides the fact that it has become a requirement for so many broadcasters because so much of the world is moving towards HD in general. Discovery Channel, National Geographic and the BBC—all of which really help the travel genre grow internationally by virtue of launching networks—are dependent on HD.They set the standard for everyone else.” Ayala also points out that the cost of producing in high definition has come down quite a bit.“Five years ago, an HD camera cost a lot more than what it costs today,” she notes. These HD programs aren’t simply relegated to niche lifestyle networks either, as distributors have been grabbing slots for travel shows on a varied mix of networks.“We’ve actually been able to elevate some toward terrestrial television platforms,” says FME’s Tahler. “We’re feeding some great lifestyle channels in a lot of territories, but the idea is to try and expand these out. I Spiritual quests: CABLEready’s Karma Trekkers focuses on the spiritual side of various think because of our reputation in locales, and has been sold to documentary and travel channels around the world. 256
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25
Years of Discovery
By Anna Carugati
When Discovery Channel launched, in June of 1985, it offered viewers something they had never seen before—a service entirely dedicated to nonfiction shows that provided a window on the world. For 25 years, Discovery Communications has been providing programming and information that allow people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity. Today the company has more than 100 networks around the globe, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal
Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Planet Green and HD Theater, as well as consumer and educational products, websites and other digital-media services. And coming later this year is a channel for kids jointly managed with Hasbro, and next year the much-anticipated OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Discovery’s president and CEO, David Zaslav, talks about the company’s strengths and its potential for further growth.
TV REAL: Discovery launched 25 years ago in a completely
David Zaslav
different media environment than the one we have today. What does Discovery want to offer its viewers? ZASLAV: It’s interesting, because Discovery really hasn’t changed, nor do we think it needs to, from John Hendricks’s original vision, which is quality content that satisfies curiosity and that we can take all over the world. It’s a simple concept. It’s what inspired me to get into this business and it’s what I’m trying to do 25 years later with John and still holds true. Discovery now is the number one TV brand in the world, and when we do great storytelling, and offer quality content that really satisfies curiosity,it works everywhere in the world.So that’s the mission that we are on today; it hasn’t really changed that much. TV REAL: There are many more platforms nowadays compared to 25 years ago. Is everything you create multiplatform from the get-go? ZASLAV: It really depends on the channel. Discovery, Animal Planet and Science we take all around the world.We think more of the global appeal of that programming and we own it for all platforms all around the world. [Even] a channel like TLC [which started as] more of a U.S.-centric service [is now being distributed internationally]. Our model is we own the content for all platforms. TV REAL: How much has your international business grown in the last few years? ZASLAV: It’s been a huge growth engine for us. Some three years ago it was about $100 million in operating cash flow, and three years later it’s north of $400 million in operating cash flow.There are some markets that are mature, like the U.S., the U.K., Italy, France or Spain. But there are a number of markets that are like the U.S. was ten years ago: Russia, Romania, Poland, India and a lot of Asia. Many of the emerging markets are showing great strength.We have an average of five channels in 173 countries, so we are well positioned.Those markets are now starting to really grow.We get the benefit of the growth of the subscribers and the growth of the subscriber fees, and as cable grows in those markets, more and more advertisers come over. It’s very similar to what we saw here in 258
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nels.The most important thing is shelf space, and then you must have brands that matter to people, and you must nourish them.You have to provide great content and people will come and watch. Discovery showed great foresight in going out very early. This was really a mission of John Hendricks and John Malone and Bob Miron, who decided to deficit-fund international expansion beginning in the early ’90s. So it’s been 20 years of investing in infrastructure around the world. We are in business in 173 countries, which helps differentiate us. TV REAL: The worst of the recession is behind us.When it
Pelican brief: Life, the follow-up to the award-winning Planet Earth, produced with the BBC, premiered on Discovery in the U.S. in March.
the U.S. So there is some built-in growth opportunity for us and for everyone else that is playing in that international space. TV REAL: Is the key having a strong brand? Obviously the
content comes first, but how important is branding in emerging markets as their cable industries grow? ZASLAV: The most important thing is having the channels. If you go to Amsterdam, we have six of 36 channels. If you go to Norway, Denmark and Sweden, they have on average 36 channels, we have six of them and we also have some digital chan-
started, everybody was saying that cable was better positioned than broadcast to weather the storm—what helped you through the downturn? ZASLAV: Two things helped us: one, half of our revenue comes from subscriber fees and those are locked in—we call those long cycle.That’s the cable-biz model, which is advantageous. But the other thing that has helped us is that we have invested a lot of money in content,in order to drive quality content to our platforms and build our brands.Last year we were up over 10 percent in viewership in the U.S. and up more than that around the world. In January we were up 12 percent in the U.S. and more than that around the world. So quality content has given us more product to sell, we’ve got more people watching our channels, and that is going to be key to growing our company.
Charting the Evolution of Discovery 1985
1995
2005
Discovery Channel launches in the U.S., reaching 156,000 subscribers.
Discovery extends its brand reach with the publication of the inaugural Discovery Channel Catalog, featuring products inspired by the network’s programming.
Military Channel, the only network devoted to military subjects, launches in the U.S.
1986 Discovery Channel celebrates a successful first anniversary serving 7 million subscribers.
1987 Russia: Live from the Inside airs on Discovery Channel, providing U.S. viewers with 66 hours of live Soviet television.
1988 Shark Week, the first-ever branded programming event on cable television, debuts on Discovery Channel.
2007 1996 Animal Planet, Discovery’s third advertiser-supported network, launches in the U.S. Discovery then announces plans to launch the first suite of digital cable networks, including Science Channel.
1997 Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership is launched with the opening of its first learning center in South Africa.
1998 1989 Discovery launches its international business with the debut of Discovery Channel in the U.K. and Scandinavia. Discovery Channel airs its first original program, Ivory Wars.
Discovery en Español launches as Discovery’s first Spanish-language network in the U.S.
2000
The Learning Channel (TLC) is acquired and relaunched with a devotion to making a world of ideas accessible to viewers.
The three-hour special Walking with Dinosaurs on Discovery Channel sets the all-time cable-ratings record and remains the most-viewed telecast in the channel’s history. Discovery Channel reaches the 100-million-households mark outside of the U.S., bringing its combined domestic and international reach to 178 million households.
1992
2002
Discovery Channel airs the landmark series In the Company of Whales, filmed in 15 countries and several oceans.
Blue Planet: Seas of Life premieres on Discovery Channel. HD Theater launches as the first 24-hour highdefinition network in the U.S. to broadcast all of its content in brilliant 1080i and 5.1 digital surround sound.
1991
1993 Discovery Networks International continues global expansion with the launch of a weekly programming block in Japan.
2003 FitTV, the first 24-hour TV network devoted to fitness, launches in the U.S.
1994 Discovery broadens its international reach with the launch of Discovery Channel in the Asia-Pacific region and in Latin America.
2004 Discovery announces plans to roll out the first international HD network.
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Discovery Channel’s award-winning 11-episode Planet Earth becomes the most-watched cable event of all time. Discovery Familia launches as the company’s second U.S. Spanish-language network. Discovery acquires HowStuffWorks.com, adding to a portfolio of digital-media properties—including Petfinder.com, Treehugger.com and 16 U.S. brand destinations.
2008 Investigation Discovery (ID) launches as the source for fact-based investigative content. Planet Green debuts as the first 24/7 network devoted to sustainability and the planet. Discovery Communications begins trading as a public company on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
2009 Discovery announces Curiosity: The Questions of Our Life, a landmark 60-episode television series spearheaded by Discovery’s founder and chairman, John Hendricks, and designed to tackle the fundamental questions and underlying mysteries of our time, debuting in 2011.
2010 Discovery Communications, Sony Corporation and IMAX announce a joint venture to bring 3-D to the home with the launch of a dedicated 24/ 7 3-D television channel. Life, the follow-up to the awardwinning Planet Earth, premieres on Discovery Channel. In September, Discovery Communications and Hasbro will launch The Hub children’s network. In 2011, Discovery Communications and Oprah Winfrey will launch OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
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You set out to discover the universe and created a new world of television. We are proud to be your partner and friend. Congratulations to Discovery Networks on 25 great years! Craig Piligian, and everyone at Pilgrim Films & Television
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TV REAL: The Elegant Universe tackles concepts that are not easily understood by the general audience, and yet you not only make them understandable, but also interesting and entertaining. What were some of the challenges you faced in accomplishing that? GREENE: The biggest challenge with The Elegant Universe was that the subject matter focused on ideas that are hypothetical—interesting, well motivated, but completely mathematical. For many of these there is nothing tangible to which you can point the camera to provide a visual representation. At first, this was intimidating for the production team. They were more used to going to a particle collider or an observatory to film ongoing experiments or scientific equipment. But in the end this dearth of real-world representations provided a wonderful opportunity to take the audience to places inaccessible by any ordinary mode of travel—to the realm of the very, very small, and to the realm of the very, very big— and through great animation and compelling descriptions give them a sense of the scientific challenges and opportunity these ideas are presenting. TV REAL: I imagine you are facing the
same with The Fabric of the Cosmos.
Across the Universe
GREENE: We are. But it’s again an exciting
challenge. For example, in The Fabric of the Cosmos, one program is focused upon the multi-verse—the possibility of other universes—and that’s a pretty heady idea to visualize.Another program is on the nature of time, a subtle subject but one with concrete realizations—watches, clocks and all manner of time-keeping. And so the program can start in the realm of the familiar, concrete and intuitive and then swiftly move to the strange insights on time from modern physics.We have another program on space and another on quantum physics. Both also take the audience on a wild ride to some pretty unfamiliar territory. I think of The Fabric of the Cosmos as a program that is more startling than The Elegant Universe, because with The Elegant Universe nobody had a preconceived notion of its primary subject, string theory. We were covering thoroughly new, totally unfamiliar ground, and as such we were not breaking down preconceived notions about how the world works. In The Fabric of the Cosmos the idea is to break down people’s ingrown, familiar, intuitive sense of what space and time are and present a wholly new picture.That is more startling.
Brian Greene By Anna Carugati
As one of the world’s leading string theorists—and we’re not talking violins or cellos here—Brian Greene possesses an intellectual prowess that most of us can’t even fathom. His mind inhabits a world of sophisticated mathematical equations that expand on Einstein’s theory of relativity in search of explanations for the origins of the universe and ponder such questions as, Does time have a beginning? Can we manipulate time and space? What is reality? What is even more astonishing than these accomplishments is Greene’s capacity for taking exceedingly complex concepts and making them understandable and relevant for the general public. He has written two best-selling books, The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos. The first has already been made into a mini-series by the NOVA team at PBS, and won an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. The second is currently in production at NOVA and promises to be even more visually exciting. As affable and funny as he is brilliant, Greene shares with TV Real his excitement about science. 262
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TV REAL: You made a comment once during a lecture that if a guy is at a party and during a conversation people realize that he doesn’t know who Beethoven is, he is frowned upon as being not well educated, but if someone doesn’t 4/10
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know who Paul Dirac, the British physicist who came up with an equation for quantum mechanics, is, no one thinks anything of that.What does that say about our society? GREENE: Ours is a culture that is completely accepting of ignorance of science—to some it’s even more than societal acceptance, it’s almost a badge of courage to be willing to put science to the side and just look at things that “really” matter to life.What’s so striking to me about this perspective is that when you really engage with science at a deep enough level, you recognize that it does affect your life, it does affect the way you see the world, it does affect where you place meaning. Scientists have largely failed to communicate this, and certainly our educational system has completely avoided it. School science is focused on getting the answer, learning the facts, and reproducing them in an exam. That’s not to say there aren’t some spectacularly creative teachers, but by and large our educational system is not about those creative teachers, it’s about testing a certain body of knowledge. And that’s really unfortunate. Because when you see science for what it really is, a way of engaging with the universe in a deep way, you realize, yes, it’s important to get the right answer, but no, that is not what science is about. Besides Albert Einstein and even Stephen Hawking, many people can’t name a scientist—many can’t even name Hawking. But really it is not about names. It’s about the way science is integrated into one’s thinking. It’s about the value society places on embracing science. I mean, as you say, if somebody at a party overhears a conversation about Beethoven or Shakespeare but they’re not well-versed, there’s a prevailing societal wind driving them to think,“Wow, they are talking about Shakespeare, I wish I knew more about him, and when I have the time, I’m going to read those 36 plays.That’s important to me.” But if the same person overhears chatter about the square root of two and pi, or quantum physics or relativity, or organic chemistry or the human genome, the societal wind doesn’t drive them to that same internal sense of,“Gosh, I really wish I knew what they are talking about!” And that’s the difference we need to address, because you should have that sense, because these scientific ideas matter just as much to life. TV REAL: How can television help you do that? GREENE: Television is a prime medium for making the value
of science apparent.The reason most people are not thinking “I want to know about science” derives from school experiences in which science was rote or intimidating or just plain boring.They felt either that they couldn’t get it or that it didn’t really matter if they did. And what we can do in television is present things in a way that people do get, where the material is compelling, where the presentation is exciting—we can convey the drama of scientific mystery and discovery in a way that rarely happens in the classroom. And, through animation and computer graphics, we can bring even the most abstract ideas to life. It’s one thing to hear about the quantum realm, another to go there. The combination of dramatic narrative, accessible explanations, and thrilling visuals is a very potent way of changing the way people think about science. TV REAL: I sometimes feel that with every advancement science makes we discover there is so much more to learn that we will never know everything about the universe, not even in a thousand years. 4/10
GREENE: Certainly there is a philosophi-
“We can convey the drama of scientific mystery and discovery in a way that rarely happens in the classroom.”
cal school that suggests that all of our thinking about the universe is nothing more than approximations to some underlying truth that we can never really see clearly or fully. That we will never get, as you say, to a final explanation, a final answer. That resonates with me. Nevertheless, there can be chapters en route toward ever-deeper understanding that can conclude. For instance, the chapter focusing on identifying nature’s fundamental ingredients might tell the story of an endless search—inside every particle we find something else, and so on—but it’s also possible that we will one day find the finest, indivisible, most elementary constituents. And if we do, that chapter will close. We’ll know the ingredients, we’ll know the forces, and then we will move on. But note that science doesn’t end; we would then use the insights to try to understand other things. So I don’t feel that every single chapter will necessarily be unending, be an endless series of folders inside of folders. But I do think the number of chapters will always continue to grow in a way that you will never feel you’ve reached the end of the book.
TV REAL: And that doesn’t deflate you—the fact that
mankind will possibly never have the final truth on existence? GREENE: No, it doesn’t deflate me at all.That’s what makes it exciting. Today, we have deep fundamental mysteries that have yet to be resolved—the nature of time, how the universe began, the fundamental physical laws, and so on, and I like the idea that in the future there will always be further mystery. Now, I also like the idea of closure being reached on certain puzzles. I’d be a little disappointed if I were to come back a thousand years from now and people were still scratching their heads about string theory. Is it right or is it wrong? By that point, hopefully sooner, I’d like to know! But it is an exciting thought to come back a thousand years from now and say, what are you thinking about now? And they’ll say, “Here are today’s mysteries….” TV REAL: With certain factions of our society now pushing
creationism and some schools banning books, is there even more of a need to get out the importance of science—or would you do that regardless? GREENE: I would spread the excitement of science regardless. I do think that getting the core idea of what science is to a broad audience is increasingly important, but I would say, and many people would disagree with this, that I’m not particularly troubled by what happens in any given historical era. I have utter confidence that science will prevail.And that confidence allows me to say, and fully believe, that there are other approaches to the universe that can yield insights which people find valuable. But there are colleagues of mine in the scientific world who feel very differently about this, who are vehemently antireligious. I don’t feel that way. Not at all. If religion serves a purpose in your life, great. For me it doesn’t, I don’t see any evidence that there is anything divine behind all we experience. But I’m open to the range of human belief. The human experience is rich and varied, and I find that deeply gratifying. World Screen
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est that in the rest of the world your side of the story should be clearly told.And therefore we hope that you will tell it to us. First of all we persuade academics, experts who are close to the top people in that country, and they help us to persuade the top people themselves. TV REAL: What projects are you working on now? LAPPING: The project we are currently engaged on, which
Telling All Sides of a Story
Brian Lapping Considered by many to be one of the greatest documentary filmmakers working in television today, Brian Lapping, through his Brook Lapping production company, continues to roll out quality investigative series about contemporary conflicts. On the heels of the awardwinning Iran and the West, Lapping—perhaps best known for the critically acclaimed The Death of Yugoslavia—is now working on a series about Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin. Lapping speaks to TV Real about the highlights of his long career and the challenges of making thoughtful landmark documentaries today.
By Mansha Daswani
TV REAL: How has Brook Lapping been able to maintain
its output of high-quality documentaries in this economy? LAPPING: I have assumed for two or three years, maybe more, that the last series we made would be the last series we’d ever make.We have found, to my amazement, that the BBC and PBS and ITV, other broadcasters in France and Germany and Japan, continue to say,Yes, we’ll buy the next series. I’m absolutely flabbergasted.They are very difficult series to make. But at the moment it’s continuing. TV REAL: How important are co-productions for the company? LAPPING: Absolutely essential. By and large our situation
is, the BBC puts up about half the money for our ambitious productions.We made a series that went out last year called Iran and the West. It had an American broadcaster, Nat Geo; a British broadcaster, the BBC; and NHK in Japan.Without all the others, the BBC [alone] wouldn’t put up enough money to make it.And as you can imagine, filming top people in Iran was a very difficult business.We had to go back and back and then we found we weren’t allowed in at all.We had to find ways of getting some of the people filmed when they were out of the country.Very complicated and rather expensive. TV REAL: How do you get access to these political leaders? LAPPING: We believe passionately in getting the insiders to tell
the story.We also try and get all sides.We don’t have any views ourselves, honestly we don’t.We just try and get both sides to tell us their story.We said to the Iranians, it really is in your inter264
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we haven’t quite got fully commissioned, is Putin’s Russia and the West.The chap who sends a submarine to the North Pole saying the North Pole belongs to Russia, the chap who allowed the Ukraine to be deprived of gas and so large parts of Western Europe have been deprived of gas. He’s thrown the United States out of those countries near to Afghanistan where previously he had let them use facilities, so he’s being quite tough...and of course he certainly took action which provoked the war against Georgia. But then we want to tell the other side of the story too, we want to explain to him that we want him to tell us why he’s taking these very tough actions. By and large in these things you don’t get to talk to the very top chap immediately.We have spoken to his press officer, who says he will do his very best to persuade Putin to talk to us.We have had Putin in previous films. Putin was in our film about Iran and the West.We don’t know if he’s seen them himself, but his people were satisfied that we accurately represented what he said, and therefore they are disposed to say to him that he should cooperate with us this time. I don’t know whether he will. TV REAL: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve
encountered over the years? LAPPING: The one that is most recent in my memory was get-
ting Jimmy Carter to tell his side of the story [in Iran and the West] of what I suppose is one of the most humiliating experiences that an American president has ever undergone. First of all, the seizing of the staff of the American embassy in Tehran. Secondly, his coup to try and get them back—flopping men into the desert in Iran, sending helicopters, sending aircraft and the whole thing being a disastrous failure and somebody being killed in the course of it.And then his losing the presidency, desperately trying to get back those hostages, offering billions of pounds to Iran and the Iranian authorities. The Ayatollah Khomeini would not let the hostages be released until some 20 seconds after Carter had been replaced as president by Reagan. And as Carter was driving away from Reagan’s installation, he got the message that the hostages had been released. TV REAL: Are you finding that there’s still a role for big investigative, historical documentaries on networks worldwide? LAPPING: Just at the moment, the answer is yes. But quite a number of the broadcasters we’ve dealt with say,Well, we’re very keen to buy the next series but we can’t put up as much money as we have in the past. If we don’t have quite a lot of money, we will not be able to carry on begging Jimmy Carter and finding him and chasing him and begging all his friends,or begging Rafsanjani, the [former] president of Iran [to be in our films]. TV REAL: How long did it take to get access to Rafsanjani? LAPPING: I would say the best part of two years. And I
should add that while we had been given a generous budget by the BBC and generous support funding by other broad4/10
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casters, in the end we went £200,000 over budget. But if you don’t have Rafsanjani and [Mohammad] Khatami [another former president of Iran] and Carter, then this series is a failure and you’ll never get [to do] any more. TV REAL: Over the course of your career, are there any par-
ticular things you’re most proud of ? LAPPING: I’m most proud of something ridiculous.When
we were making The Death of Yugoslavia, somebody who was close to Slobodan Milosevi´c, who was then the president of Serbia, helped us to get the rushes of the filming of a conspiracy to carry out a coup.This was some senior officers in the Yugoslav Army, strongly backed by the Serbs, trying to bully the rest of the Presidential Council of Yugoslavia to allow them to use force against Croatia.We found this bit of amazing film. It’s all in Serb and Croat, they’re all talking such complicated things, and I thought, an attempted coup by a conspiracy between the top militia and one of the governments is such a story, we must get it right. So we [interviewed] everybody that was in the meeting except the top general, he wouldn’t talk to us, but the representatives of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzogovina, Macedonia, all members of the Presidential Council, and we worked and worked and worked to make this an intelligible event. I’m very, very proud that it’s in the film, and the film was quite widely praised, but my God was it difficult! TV REAL: What lasting impact do you think The Death of
Yugoslavia had on the documentary world? LAPPING: I don’t think it had a huge effect on the industry. I have had some very flattering feedback. I was sitting at a party next to somebody who had been Madeleine Albright’s
assistant.When she went to Yugoslavia she and Madeleine Albright had sat down and watched the whole of the series. They’d been advised by State Department people that it was the best way to brief the new Secretary of State on what was going on. On the industry, I’m a bit doubtful that it made all that much impact. I think most people think [our documentaries] are far too long, they’re a bit tedious and they don’t win big audiences. I do not believe that those who make lively, charming, amusing, fast documentaries are wrong. If you can make people laugh at a story and enjoy the story, good luck to you, I just happen not to have that talent. I make proper, serious, worthy [documentaries]. I’ll get inside and tell you the story.That’s all I can do.
Topical issues: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is among the political leaders featured in Iran and the West.
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When Paula Apsell joined the fledgling WGBH-produced series NOVA, back in 1975, little did she know that it would set the bar for excellence in science programming on television. Through the decades, NOVA’s goal has always been to make science accessible to viewers and help them understand the world around them. Along the way, under Apsell’s leadership as the senior executive producer of NOVA and director of the WGBH Science Unit, NOVA has won every major broadcasting award and is the most popular science series on American television and on the web.
been since the beginning—to make science accessible by telling good stories and connecting with a wide range of audiences who want to learn more about the world that they live in. TV REAL: You also have new tools, such as websites and social media. APSELL: When we started there was NOVA the television program and that was it. Now we have whole other ways to reach out to people, through the NOVA website, which is an entity unto itself.And the truth is that while some people visit our site after watching the broadcast, most come to it independently, for a variety of reasons; whether it’s a general search on a science topic or looking for specific information for school projects.We have the most visited site on PBS.org (one of the most trafficked dot-org sites in the world) and it’s the number one video resource in U.S. high schools. So we’re reaching audiences beyond the broadcast in a very meaningful way. And through the use of Facebook,YouTube and Twitter, we want to be a destination site for science-savvy young adults and kids.We want to provide a place where they can communicate with us, with scientists, and with each other.This fall, we launched a web-only series called The Secret Life of Scientists, which highlights scientists and engineers in a selection of short, punchy films where each person describes his or her passions both within and outside of science. We also debuted Inside NOVA, which includes filmmakers “blogging” about NOVA programs in production and sharing photos from behind the scenes. Our goal is to become the curator of all things science on the web, and I think we are well on our way.
Making Science Accessible
NOVA’s Paula Apsell By Anna Carugati
TV REAL: How has NOVA’s mission been updated, and why
is it still important today? APSELL: We live in a time when science and technology are increasingly important.When NOVA began no one thought about cell phones or personal computers or any of the other devices that we now take for granted in our everyday lives. None of them would have been possible without science. What will be the devices of the future that will enrich our lives and make them better? There won’t be any unless we continue to put basic resources into science. Helping people understand why basic science is so important, to see how it affects their lives and to help them become better citizens by understanding the issues that are so important to us all, like global warming, requires some scientific literacy to make any kind of a reasonable decision.This, if anything, has grown in importance since the early ’70s, when NOVA started. While our mission remains the same, there has been a great deal of updating on NOVA.There is still plenty of science in the programs, but there is also more action, so they’re more visual, partly due to the outstanding animation and graphics capabilities that are available now as well as new editing technology. Without going overboard, we’ve increased the pacing of our programs and made sure the music is contemporary and in tune with our new, stylistic approach. But of course style is only one side of the equation, and all of these changes have to be made in the context of presenting high-quality science and good storytelling. If you skimp on the science then even the most stylistic approach is not going to give good results. Our recent three-part series on human evolution, Becoming Human, which premiered in the fall of 2009, incorporated new stylistic elements that complemented the science in the program and really brought the topic of evolution to life. We have better tools and new approaches to reveal the kind of unseen worlds that underlie many science and technology stories that NOVA tackles, but our mission is consistent with what it has 266
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TV REAL: How are you able to get so many eminent experts
as collaborators? APSELL: We have never had a problem getting eminent scien-
tists to work with us.The only scientists we have a problem with are scientists who want money for appearing on television, because that’s something that we just don’t do.And that, in many ways, separates us from some of our competitors. I am deeply grateful to the scientists who give us so much time, not only to let us film them, but they will help us even if they know that they are not going to be in the program. I think a lot of it is that they know we reach millions of people, including kids, and that our programs present a positive view of the scientific enterprise and reveal to people what being a scientist is all about. It helps counter the myths and stereotypes and what some people interpret as the threatening qualities of science. Scientists know that NOVA inspires people about the scientific method and why basic science is important, and they recognize how now, more than ever, that’s crucial.They get their money from taxpayers the same way we do and they understand that if they want their efforts to continue to be supported, that it requires a certain level of scientific literacy and comprehension among the general public. Their goals are similar to ours, and I think that’s why they are willing to cooperate with us. If this country has an amazing scientific infrastructure and scientists are doing amazing work, then we should show it off. 4/10
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Real Partnerships
NHK’s Sayumi Horie By Mansha Daswani
Earlier this year,the Japanese public broadcaster NHK announced a reorganization of its international business, with its production and sales arms to be merged under the NHK Enterprises (NEP) banner.The potential to ramp up its international co-productions was given as a key rationale for the combination. “NEP is a leading program-production and content-business company,” says Sayumi Horie, the senior producer for international co-productions at NHK.“Unlike a public broadcaster, it will be able to pursue innovative, large-scale international co-pro projects aimed not just at TV broadcasts but also at cinema releases and at digital deployment to websites and mobile devices. Integrating MICO’s successful know-how of international sales and acquisition, and extensive relationships with the overseas trade, the new NEP will enable NHK, as a group, to strategically develop its co-productions,” from planning to production to sales to other channels. Horie says that international co-pros in the factual arena are very important for the pubcaster’s schedule.“NHK is always looking for new-style documentaries, especially for the HD channel, and event programs with new discoveries on a global scale. Our mission is to obtain high-quality content that is applicable to multiple platforms, so that it can survive in this fastchanging media industry.Also, as a broadcaster and producer, we need to continue [meeting] our viewers’ expectations in offering grand-scale doc series, and in order to do that with the current budgetary environment, co-production is essential.” To ensure a successful co-production that all partners are happy with, Horie says that all participants need to explain their needs at the outset.“Each party can modify the program structure depending on its time slot, audience or culture, and we are also quite flexible in terms of business,” Horie says. “Our business model varies as much as the number of our projects.We definitely need to understand the difference in the styles of editing and the schedule at each end, and it is 268
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always the biggest challenge for both sides to find out the feasible schedule and versioning method to succeed.” For Horie, NHK brings much to the table for potential international partners.“We offer novel footage captured with our state-of-the-art specialized high-definition filming gear, the product of long-term technical development projects, and cutting-edge CGI.” Horie adds, “NHK has a long track record in science and nature programming on major topics such as the Earth, space, the human body and anthropology, and on human civilization.” As an example, Horie points to the ambitious Kaguya L.C. Project.“NHK developed an HD camera, and with the help of JAXA [ Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency], installed it on Japan’s lunar explorer Kaguya, which continued to send us amazing images and data for 18 months. In co-production with Discovery Canada, National Geographic U.S. and FTD, we showed the first-ever HD images of the Earth rising from the moon as well as images of the moon surface facing opposite of the Earth. Now, we are hoping to do another project installing an ultra [sensitive] HD camera, which will then perhaps allow us to see even more new images, such as our planet Earth seen at night.” Asked about what advice she can give international producers seeking to partner with NHK, Horie stresses that the pubcaster is very selective. “International co-production is one of NHK’s options for getting programs made, but it’s not necessarily the first choice. Any one of NHK’s executive producers can commit to international co-production, but NHK doesn’t have a particular slot dedicated to it.The documentary slots are quite competitive considering that they will be competing with NHK’s big in-house production and other outside production companies in Japan.” As such, Horie looks for three things in particular in a potential co-production: areas that NHK’s own production team cannot access or film, programs that showcase new discoveries or deliver compelling information on a subject and shows that “have details that facilitate understanding of a bigger picture.” As part of its efforts to find projects to fit those criteria, NHK recently renewed its pact with Singapore’s MediaCorp on The Asian Pitch, which Horie describes as a “collaborative initiative that aims to create new HD documentaries that will make a significant impact in Asia and the world, and to find new talent in Asia.” The fourth pitching event for Asian filmmakers will be held in July. Science documentaries are a key area for NHK, Horie adds.“Since science is of universal interest, blue-chip science documentaries often attract international co-production partners and/or market well overseas.” NHK’s current co-pros include, with Al Jazeera Children’s Channel, the factual kids’ production Discover Science; Megaquake, with National Geographic Channels International; and Giant Squid: Last Mystery of the Deep, a multi-year, multimillion-dollar co-production with Science Channel to film the elusive giant squid.“We are receiving quite positive interest from European broadcasters and look forward to announcing the new members for this fantastic quest soon,” Horie notes. 4/10
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