MUMBAI: International format television veteran Tim Crescenti has launched ‘Small World IFT’ which will be an international entertainment format consulting company.
Crecenti’s most recent format tie-up was with Fox World and Sony Pictures International Television.
The company will aim at developing, acquiring, producing and distributing television formats in the global arena with a personal, hands-on approach. Based in Los Angeles, Small World will help independent producers and broadcasters to develop their ideas and local original productions into viable international formats to be licensed worldwide.
As Crescenti’s background includes international sales and production, Small World will also supervise productions so as to maintain the integrity of the licenses.
As part of the launch, Crescenti announced that he had already secured two deals for his new company. He will be consulting for the European powerhouse Viasat Broadcasting, to find and create new formats, as well as to work with the Viasat stations on their local productions. He will be working closely with Todd Lituchy, president of entertainment for Viasat Broadcasting. Viasat Broadcasting is the largest free-to-air and pay-TV broadcaster in Scandinavia and the Baltic States, delivering entertainment programming in 19 countries across Europe.
The second deal Crescenti has landed will involve consulting for leading Asian commercial station NTV Japan, advising them on format sales as they seek to grow their international licensing business. Crescenti will be working with Yukiko Kimishima, head of licensing business for NTV.
“The studio system in which I have been a part of has provided me with the terrific opportunity of developing fantastic relationships with both the broadcasting and producing communities worldwide,” commented Crescenti. “In today’s competitive and chaotic format climate, I see a real need out there for stations and producers around the world to deal directly without the studio layers and have some fun. And as we know, for US producers, sometimes it is best for them to launch a new format or program in another country, work the bugs out, and then bring it home to the US broadcasters with some muscle. With my close relationships with broadcasters and producers around the world, I can connect these people and perhaps make the world a better place through the power of television formats.”
Crescenti has worked in over 40 countries supervising more than 100 productions. He has spent the last two years at Fox World as vice president international production where he covered the worldwide roll-out of Fox’s expanding roster of international formats including Joe Millionaire, Simple Life, My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancée, and Face Off. He was also credited with acquiring, developing, and producing 28 episodes of Secret Attractions for Fox Life in Italy.
Prior to Fox World, Crescendo was with Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) for six years as vice president of international formats working for his mentor, Paul Gilbert, based first in Los Angeles and then in London where he found and acquired Dragon’s Den from NTV Japan which was recently renewed for BBC2. He oversaw the company’s growing international sales operations while establishing 28 light entertainment productions within an 18-month period. In addition to Dragon’s Den, Crescenti introduced the worldwide format Russian Roulette.
