ITV

Category: Mipcom

  • France, Singapore launch cross-platform programme challenge






    CANNES: Canal France International (CFI) and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) announced at MipTV the launch of the “France-Singapore Cross-Platform Programme Challenge” to promote new cross- and multi-platform content collaboration and strengthen bilateral ties.






    Supported by CFI and the MDA, in partnership with TV France International, the inaugural competition invites proposals for programmes with cross-platform exploitation potential and a focus on topics of interest to Europe and Asia.


    Participants are challenged to conceive compelling factual-based programme concepts which leverage on the strengths of traditional and new media platforms. Two winning entries will be picked by a judging panel and each stands to win a cash prize of 15,000 Euros.


    The Challenge is the first initiative following the signing of the CFI-MDA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Singapore in November 2007. The MoU aims to facilitate co-production opportunities and digital broadcast training collaborations between France and Singapore.


    MDA CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, “Singapore is delighted to collaborate with CFI, to explore the creation of quality factual content that can, at the onset, potentially be repurposed and distributed across multiple exciting digital platforms. As one of Asia’s leading hubs for English-language factual content, Singapore is strongly-positioned to tap on the rising North American and European interest in Asian folklore, localities, culture and society. This Challenge is a move in the right direction and paves the way for such collaborative initiatives in future.”









    CFI DG Jean Mino says, “For CFI, the launch of the Cross-Platform Programme Challenge in partnership with Singapore’s Media Development Authority constitutes a new step in our collaboration with Asian television channels. This Challenge is a perfect way for us to identify emerging talent from France, even as we foster more collaborative efforts with our current slate of 20 partners.”


    The closing date for submissions is 15 September 2008 and the two winning entries will be announced in Singapore, at the Asia Television Forum (ATF), held from 10-12 December 2008. The ATF is an anchor event of the Asia Media Festival (AMF) 2008, a premier trade market and festival hosted by the MDA.


    The Challenge will be judged by an international panel comprising media industry experts from France, Singapore and Korea.







  • Disney ABC licenses ‘The Amazing Race’ to Reshet for Asia







    MUMBAI: Disney ABC International television has licensed the adventure reality series The Amazing Race to Israeli broadcaster Reshet for production across Asia.

    This agreement was negotiated for Disney-ABC International Telelvision by executive director for format development EMEA Naomi Joseph, and Simon Barwick, senior manager, sales, Benelux and Israel, with Reshet director of acquisitions Daphna Nahmias.


    The show is co-created by Bertram van Munster (Profiles from the Front Line) and with Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI, Armageddon) as one of the executive producers.


    Disney-ABC International Television EMEA and Canada EVP amd MD Tom Toumazis commented, “The format of The Amazing Race has seen great success in the US and Asia – the high octane excitement and ‘fish out of water‘ comedy of the series has held universal appeal for viewers. We are looking forward to seeing an action-packed contest between contestants from Israel, across Asia.”


    Reshet‘s EVP of programming Amir Maori commented, “We are very excited to be a part of one of the most successful reality brands in worldwide television and we are looking forward to bringing Israeli audiences the greatest show ever produced in Israel.”


    With this new agreement with Reshet, contestants from Israel will divide into teams of two people with a variety of relationships such as spouses, best friends or parent and child, to be filmed around the clock in a race to various destinations across Asia.










    At every destination, each team will have to compete in a series of challenges – some mental and some physical – and only when the tasks have been completed, will they learn their next destination.


    Teams who are farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning a large cash prize.

  • Soniya Kirpalani wins co-production challenge at MipDoc 2008







    CANNES: Dubai-based producer of Sprocket Sciences, Soniya Kirpalani of Indian origin has bested out a strong field consisting of contestants from the US, South Africa, and other countries to win the co-production challenge at MipDoc 2008 in Cannes in the south of France on Saturday.

    The pitch for her six part documentary series Threads of Tradition tracks six eastern fashion icons who are trying to build up global brands in their countries, in order to break the stranglehold that international brands have on the entire fashion value chain.









    The series is being shot across Europe, Asia, Africa and Europe and the US and chronicles the likes of Lecoanet Hemant (they are trying to bring the discipline of Paris on the footpaths of Punjab), Pakistan fashion duo Rizwan Beyg and Mahen Khan, Bangladesh‘s fashion model turned designer Bibi Russell, Emirates designer Zahra Karmostaji and south Korean fashion power house Andre Kim.


    Kirpalani pocketed 2,000 euros in a cash prize and has already got interest from some European and Asian broadcasters to license the series. Kirpalani said that the series should be completed in the next five months, and she had already got in 70 per cent of the funding needed to complete it.


    Her closest competitor was Los Angeles producer Daniel Cross whose documentary pitch on a punk cultural change which is taking place amongst Islamic youth in the US, Pakistan, Australia. He went on to win a consolation prize.

  • Disney ABC licenses ‘The Fashionista Diaries’ to Fiver UK













    MUMBAI: Disney-ABC International Television has licensed the recent reality series The Fashionista Diaries to Fiver in the UK.

    Viewers in the UK will, thus, be able to watch this new series, which follows six hungry young hopefuls who plunge into the New York fashion world. The series premiered in the US on Soapnet on 1 August 2007.


    The Fashionista Diaries is executive produced by Gary Auerbach, Julie Auerbach and Jenny Daly.

    The deal was negotiated on behalf of Disney-ABC International Television by Holly Blackham, sales manager, UK and Ireland and Katie Keenan, deputy controller of acquisitions for Fiver.








    The Fashionista Diaries captures the drama as six assistants get the opportunity to work in three different aspects of the fashion world.


    The assistants are entrenched in their individual worlds and cross paths as projects and events bring them together. The series follows the ups and downs of these young men and women as they try and make it in the highly competitive fashion, beauty and publishing industries at glamorous jobs.









    Disney-ABC International Television‘s senior vice president, programme distribution, EMEA (North) catherine Powell commented,”We are delighted to be building on our broader relationship with the Five family, bringing this fun and original new reality series to its schedules.”

    Fiver US director programmes Hannah Barnes said, “Fashionista Diaries is a perfect fit to the FIVER schedule. It is young and fast and fun, and we are delighted to be able to continue our relationship with Disney-ABC International Television.”







  • The Kitchen gears up for MipTV







    MUMBAI: As the global television industry is busily buying and selling programmes for their international markets at the television trade event MipTV, language services company The Kitchen is gearing up for increased global activity by adding to its roster of global partners, and refining its workflow processes in order to maximise the assets created at its central hub in the US.






    Using its technology at the heart of its process, The Kitchen creates templates that contain time codes for each character dialogue, all character names and critical metadata, that virtually does away with the need for “in territory” translators to research obscure terms, names and conversion of monetary units and weights and measures.



    The Kitchen president/CEO Ken Lorber says, “These templates dramatically increase the workflow efficiency and cost savings by reducing the time spent by translators and adaptors in each country.


    “We provide the structure, timings, character names and pertinent metadata, so that the translators can focus on the quality of language adaptation without wasting precious time on research, timing dialogue, and adding character names. It‘s all delivered to them ready for the translation, expediting the overall process tremendously.








    “As more and more programming is being shown in more and more markets, it simply does not make sense for each territory to repeat the work processes that can be done in one location, and shared by all. With our proprietary software tools, it makes the process even more efficient and cost effective. We find that our language processes save as much as 25 – 30 per cent of the time and related costs, typically needed for dubbing and subtitling.”



    The Kitchen specialises in all formats and genres of programming, and works to and from all languages for the industry‘s leading networks, studios and distribution companies.







  • India shining at MipTV








    CANNES: Japan is the country of honour at this year‘s MipTV, but it could well be India‘s day just like at Mipcom in October 2007.

    Indian broadcasters, producers and distributors will turn out in droves when MipTV commences in Cannes‘ famed Palais des Festivals in the south of France on Monday, 7 April. In fact, this is the strongest presence from India in MipTV‘s history.

    Among the first timers who will be making their debut as exhibitors include: NDTV Imagine (Harsh Rohatgi), Studio 18 and Indian Film Company (Tanuj Garg), Idreams (Ashish Bhatnagar, Rohit Sharma), Bollywood Masala, and TBSL-FTPGI.

    Among the oldtimers who are continuing with their presence include: Sony Entertainment, Zee Entertainment, Sahara One Entertainment, Eros Multimedia. Veterans Venus and Shemaroo are also exhibiting.


    Others who are making their debut as participants include: Reliance Entertainment (Rajesh Sawhney, Tarun Katial and Ashutosh), Reliance Capital (Shalini Behl, Krishnamurthy). While Katial will be looking at acquiring formats, alliances, partnerships, Behl and Krihsnamurthy were seen screening documentaries at Mipdoc — which were produced in HD.


    Other oldtimers who have made their way to the French Riviera include: Iqbal Malhotra, Viacom 18, VH1, Discovery, Endemol, DQ Entertainment, Imageventures, Infoseek, Optimystix, Star India (Keertan Adyanthaya, Sameer Rao), INX Media (Peter Mukerjea, Indrani Mukerjea).







    The presence of India is up by around 20-25 per cent at the time of writing.


    Says an observer: “The Indian television market has an insatiable desire for content with the explosion in channels. Also there is pressure from managements to find alternative sources of revenues and to syndicate content in other markets. Hence Indian TV executives are being forced to go to MipTV and Mipcom as it is one of the most focused markets in the world. And of course there is the new market called Amazia which should prove attractive for Indian digital and traditional content companies.”



    MipTV and Mipcom director Paul Johnson says that research has shown that the two markets are responsible for almost $12 billion in programming transactions, a figure which can only go up with the explosion in the number of media outlets such as HD television, home video, online and mobile video.


    Clearly, the Indian companies are just about beginning to understand that they can grab a piece of the action.

  • BBC Worldwide announces MipTV line-up









     

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC‘s commercial arm BBC Worldwide will be present at the television trade event MipTV.

    The Fixer, Kiss of Death, Cranford and Life in Cold Blood are some of the British shows that will be showcased.


    In The Fixer characters delve into the sinister underbelly of the police force.







    Kiss of Death investigates a mysterious murder by weaving together stories of the various protagonists in a bid to uncover the truth.



    Mistresses has been sold to 12 broadcasters in 12 different markets following a wildly successful launch at BBC Showcase, the annual trade event which sees BBC Worldwide generate programme sales and broker co-production deals for the BBC and independent British producers.



    Ashes to Ashes will feature at MipTV alongside British master classes in period dramas such as Lark Rise to Candleford, Jekyll and Oliver Twist.



    Cranford is another global success after it sold to seven international broadcasters in seven different markets. This year‘s natural history highlights are also strong, says BBC Worldwide.



    David Attenborough‘s Life in Cold Blood and the co-production exploring Wild China which airs this year in the run up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing are unrivalled examples of natural history productions.



    BBC Worldwide MD global TV sales Steve Macallister said, “From cold blooded reptiles to red blooded mistresses, and lunar landings to Jurassic thrills – our catalogue packs a real punch this MIP.



    “We look forward to drumming up plenty of sales for British television up and down the Croisette.”








    British comedy will also be present with new titles like Never Better and Gavin and Stacey, the extraordinary story of an ordinary boy from England, and an ordinary girl from Wales, which is hot on the heels of previous international hits like The Office.



    As far as science programming is concerned, BBC Worldwide will be offering features such as Moonshot which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing as well as Oceans and Earth: The Power of the Planet which uses latest production techniques and dramatic narrative to explain the history of our planet.



    In the children‘s category, In the Night Garden will be offered up for grabs as is the Animalia show.








  • Singapore’s MDA to showcase factual content at MipTV








    MUMBAI: The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) will be promoting a substantial slate of Asian-themed, Made-by-Singapore factual content under the Singapore Pavilion, at MipTV.


    Included in the line-up of 44 television and animation titles are Olympic and China-themed High-Definition programmes that showcase Singapore‘s capability in developing current and compelling Asian stories for the global stage.


    MDA also has a library of 200 hours of Made-By-Singapore public broadcast content for which it will be exploring distribution opportunities at MipTV.


    In all, MDA will be leading 17 Singapore companies to MipTV 2008. Of the 44 titles showcased, 14 are new Hi-Definition (HD) titles, continuing the trend of driving Made-by-Singapore HD content production for the global market.


    The emphasis on Asian factual content with the potential for international distribution across several platforms such as digital and mobile, books, games and merchandise, underscores MDA’s strategic intent to build Singapore into a trusted global capital for New Asia Media.



    MDA CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, ”New Asia Media represents the exciting new opportunities in Asia created by the explosion of convergent media and an economically-resurgent Asia driving growth around the world. On the content side, New Asia Media embodies the finest stories about a confident and dynamic Asia, told by Asians themselves.



    “Singapore is well-poised to lead in this genre due to its strategic location in the heart of Asia and strong tradition in documentary and info-educational programming. Indeed, with an English-speaking population, high literacy levels, think tanks, research institutes and a strong telecommunications network, Singapore is one of the very few Asian countries able to produce English-language documentaries on Asia. This ensures our documentaries have local relevance, and yet carry international appeal and commercial viability, providing international media companies with a very compelling business proposition.”









    Against the backdrop of the Beijing Olympics, a slate of commercial Olympics-themed factual content titles will also be showcased at the Singapore Pavilion.



    It includes Beijing: Biography of a Capital. This is a three-part HD documentary exploring the three themes that have defined Beijing for over a thousand years – from its nomadic beginnings, to its iconic dynasties and today‘s modern, thriving metropolis. Supported by MDA, this is a joint collaboration between Singapore’s The Right Angle, Beijing TV and BBC Global Channels. and is scheduled to premiere on BBC Knowledge across Asia during the second quarter of 2008 and will be broadcast in Europe.



    The main challenge facing The Right Angle was finding the means to bridge the expectations and knowledge gap between Beijing TV’s China audience and international viewers. The Right Angle worked with Beijing TV to isolate, from over a thousand years of chronology, universal themes that would appeal to global viewers everywhere.



    Dr Chia adds, ” Beijing: Biography of a Capital vividly illustrates Singapore’s capabilities in producing quality Asian-themed English documentaries and developing content of relevance to Asian and Western audiences, as well as its appeal as a key partner for Western and China broadcasters and content providers.”



    Other Made-by-Singapore China titles at the Singapore Pavilion include Mad About English. This is a documentary 0on China’s newfound passion for the English language as it prepares to host the 2008 Olympics. The Crunch is a reality format on how six of the world’s toughest men and women underwent endurance challenges set against the backdrop of different natural wonders of China. Seven Wonders of China, meanwhile, reveals the genius of China‘s greatest builders, engineers, designers and visionaries for the many engineering marvels, with the use of CGI and dramatic reconstruction.



    Additional titles demonstrate Singapore’s capability in producing factual content across a variety of Asian themes that have broad international appeal. For instance, Saving Gaia, a documentary produced by MediaCorp News, examines how environmentalists, climate experts and the public in Asia are fighting back in nature’s defence. Design Asia examines the philosophy of Asia’s best-loved iconic designers, covering retail, fashion, interior design and furniture, including Ashley Isham (fashion, Singapore), Samsung (electronics, Korea), Muji (household items, Japan) and GOD (lifestyle, Hong Kong)..

  • Fremantle to distribute content from Travel Channel at MipTV








    MUMBAI: Television format creator and distributor FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has announced its partnership with The Travel Channel making it the exclusive international distributor for the network’s original programming. The agreement provides access to a catalogue of more than 200 hours of top-tier programming from the US Travel Channel as well as a first-look at new productions for possible co-financing for international distribution. FME will make The Travel Channel library available for international sale at MipTV, which takes place in Cannes from 7-11 April.


    Headlining the slate are talent-led titles Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, Samantha Brown Passport to China and Best Places to Find Cash and Treasures with Kirsten Gumm all shot in high definition.



    FME CEO David Ellender said, “As the world gets smaller viewers are very excited to learn about new places and cultures. We are delighted to deliver programming that takes a fascinating approach to the topic with the best of talent and the highest in production values in the genre.”



    Travel Channel Media president, GM Patrick Younge says, “FremantleMedia is a leader in global content distribution, and the ideal partner to represent the Travel Channel‘s content in the international marketplace. This opportunity enables us to both build the Travel Channel brand internationally, and to support the US tourism industry by showcasing domestic destinations to millions of international travellers.”









    Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations invites viewers to travel the world with the experienced chef and writer seeking out authentic experiences and food that flavour the world’s culture. The Zero Point Zero production, profiles Bourdain who is currently the executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles and has run kitchens in many prestigious eateries such as New York City‘s Supper Club and One Fifth Avenue. His literary work has appeared in the New York Times, The Times and The Face. He is a contributing authority for Food Arts magazine.



    Following his wanderlust, Bourdain’s journey takes him to people and places far beyond the realm of food. From Iceland to Vietnam, the show presents a candid view of a chef out of his kitchen and his comfort zone!



    Packing an open and curious mind, a strong stomach, and a healthy appetite for travel, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern follows the chef and food writer, as he tastes his way around the world eating bear, tongue, pigeon, brain, turtle soup, and even pig’s toes. In each episode, he reveals the beauty of both the locations and the traditions behind the foods he consumes; he broadens the viewers’ culinary horizons and encourages their palates to venture outside grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers and take a chance to taste the world.



    Taking her viewers on an adventure of a lifetime, in her series Samantha Brown Passport to China the travel presenter discovers what’s new in one of the world’s oldest countries. In a land where East is meeting West in surprising ways, China is being rebuilt as a tourist Mecca because of the 2008 Olympic Games.



    On Best Places to Find Cash and Treasures host Kirsten Gumm takes the viewer on a journey to uncover relics, buried jewels and other valuable items at real locations accessible to the public. Kirsten then takes her finds to local experts to transform her raw gems into fabulous treasures.


    How much are they worth? Find out when certified appraisers price them in our final “Show Me the Money!” reveal. In pursuit of each treasure, Becky brings viewers along as she unearths unexpected finds.

  • Documentary pitching in a new age

     

     

    CANNES: “Pitching is not a matter of life and death, it is more than that.” This is how European Documentary Network (EDN) director Lena Pasanen ended the workshop session on How to pitch? at MipDoc, at the Hotel Carlton in Cannes in the south of France.

    Hosted with Paul Pauwels, project manager of the European Television Management Academy, the session was well attended and proved an eye opener to many.

    Pauwels said: “The world of television has changed. No longer is one person – the commissioning editor – the decision maker, it is teams that decide, based on the profile of the broadcaster. Therefore you keep things simple, bullet points, not too much detail, in one or two sheets of paper. Have a big picture so that they can remember, have visual impact.”

    He added that: “Once they buy in these people become your evangelists internally within their organisation. Once they are sold on your idea that is.”

     

     

    Added Pasanen: “Please don‘t catch the commissioning editors when they are eating; it is annoying. Also don‘t corner them in the toilet. If you get them in the lift, make sure you have a one-liner which will get their attention. Also make sure you have your contacts in each page pat down and clear so they can get in touch with you later.”

    After the commissioning editor shows interest, you will have put together a four five page document pointed out Pauwels, packed in with a lot of research.

    “They will ask you, why you want to make this documentary? If they don‘t get a feeling, this is a documentary you want to die for, they will drop you,” he said. “Then they will ask you when you can deliver,” he added. “You will sign agreements and then they will then set milestones for you, for getting more financing, if you don‘t deliver on your milestones, they will probably pull out.”

    The EDN TV guide is a good reference tool for a database of European Documentary Makers, he added.

    According to him, a bound script is needed very early, after the commissioning editor has shown interest. “This probably will come within four months of interest. You can do it in advance, it depends on the topic. Though of course the script changes as you produce. A very good research file is what you should work on, if not a script.”

    On the question of linking with a distributor he said that it is important to start talking to distributors very early; not when it is finished. “Remember if a documentary has gone to festivals, it is finished. So show the distributor when you have 20-30 minutes to show,” he said.

    He added that development cost should be 15 per cent of the project, “A sum of 5,000 euros can be good for research, fliers, EDN sessions etc. Documentaries cost 100,000 to 500,000 euros, it‘s a business, and producers who have the pockets should be your partners.”

    But he cautioned that deals should be done carefully. “Sometimes film makers have to pay money to distributors, because of costs,” he added.

     

    Pasanen pointed out that broadcasters have fixed slots genre wise. So you cannot cross over genres, have history and science in a project, she said.

    Pauwels pointed out that the positive side is that the European television market is going to explode with 5,000-6,000 broadcasters slated to come up. “You will get 500-1000 Euros per broadcaster. To recover your costs you have to have a 360 degree experience like DVDs, books, mobile, websites dgitial channels for smaller audiences”,” he said.

    Additionally, a route for recovering costs is to have different versions of the same documentary for different channels, opined Pasanen. “You need to know your broadcast partners needs…you must face the fact you need to do versions…for instance for one of our projects the Spanish people wanted emotions ,Germans wanted to know how they did it, the English wanted something else.”

    Both emphasised that the various windows of sale and creating versions can open up a rights nightmare. “Broadcasters want to cover themselves; they want all the rights whether DVD, or online or what have you. It‘s a just in case option even if they don‘t know what to do with them, You have to make it clear that they will have to deal with them or get more production budget, ” highlighted Paul.

    He added that currently this issue is open and no solution has been found. “Within three years an economically sustainable model will be found when with mobile TV, broadband will take off. Until then it will be a test period. There will be victims. But you can work with advertisers, brands, to help lower costs,” he opined.