Industry Veterans Discuss International Co-Pros in MIPTV Session

CANNES: ITV Studios’ Lee Bartlett, E1’s John Morayniss, MGM’s Gary Marenzi, Myriad Entertainment’s Lisa Zeff and NHK Enterprises’ Yukihiko Amagi provided comprehensive insight into the rewards and challenges of international co-productions in a MIPTV session this morning moderated by World Screen‘s Anna Carugati.

Carugati, the group editorial director of World Screen, began the session by asking the panelists to provide a definition of what exactly a "co-production" is, given that the term is often used interchangeably with both "co-financing" and "pre-sale". Morayniss, president of E1 Television, noted that co-production "is the strongest term to use when you’re defining a partnership." Pre-sale indicates that you’re getting some money and even some editorial input, but it’s not a full partnership.

For Bartlett, managing director of ITV Studios, a co-production means having "two networks with equal access to the editing room." If you end up with two versions of the same show, Bartlett continued, chances are that "you’ll never have a co-production with that person again."

For Zeff, president of Myriad Entertainment—which specializes in fostering international co-productions—having "likeminded" creatives and executives involved "is a crucial point."

Carugati went on to ask the panelists if certain projects lend themselves to co-productions. Marenzi, the president of worldwide television at MGM, said that it "depends on the creative aspect. If a show is set in Europe or in Asia, you want to look for partners in that part of the world."

E1’s Morayniss pointed to the motivation behind a project. He cited the old days of financially motivated projects "Euro pudding" projets, where cast or location would be determined to satisfy a particular partner. The business has matured, he said, resulting in "much more organic, creative co-productions."

The discussion then moved to the qualities one should look for when picking a co-pro partner. "Make sure their check clears!" quipped ITV’s Bartlett. Working with someone that you’ve already collaborated with before is important, Bartlett noted. If you haven’t worked with someone, it’s good to ask around: do you know this person, have you worked with them before, is this show runner good?

"Trust is the most important factor," said NHK’s Amagi, who added that the Japanese pubcaster is "eagerly exploring having new partners, especially from Asian countries."

Next up was the role of the U.S.: is it necessary to have a U.S. partner? It’s not necessary, Morayniss said, but it certainly adds value to a project. Myriad’s Zeff agreed with that assessment: "for international producers, a U.S. sale is pretty necessary—it’s quite hard to get off the ground otherwise."

The competitive U.S. market, however, presents numerous challenges, but, as MGM’s Marenzi said, "there’s never been more openness" than there is in today’s budget-constricting economy.

"Exporting a Canadian show to the U.S." is easier than bringing in content from elsewhere, Morayniss said, "It’s kindler, gentler, nicer, but more or less the same!"

Marenzi added: "If you don’t have a U.S. partner, it makes your economic model that much more challenging and it’s harder to make a quality show."

Once all the partners are in place, is it necessary to have a single voice, Carugati asked. "There’s never one creative voice," said Bartlett, noting that writers, directors, exec producers and actors will all have a point of view, "and it does get resolved." At the end of the day, he said, whoever puts in the most money will generally have the final say on a project’s creative vision. Bartlett cited ITV Studios’ co-pro with American cable channel AMC on The Prisoner as an example.

Morayniss agreed Bartlett’s perspective, but added that sometimes a U.S. network is paying a discounted license fee and therefore isn’t necessarily the biggest finacial contributor, "but we want their input." E1 is working with ABC on the Canadian co-pro Rookie Blue. "We want their expertise," Morayniss said. "Co-pro partners can give you an honest market assessment. The Rookie Blue script was "substantially changed once ABC was on board," he said, "and it became a better show."

Sharing the costs on a project also means sharing the upside—including sharing distribution rights. "Having a financing partnership and distribution partnership can be great thing," Morayniss said. Yes you want to hold on to all your rights, "but to find a hit I’d rather partner with other companies and double or triple the number of shows I’m involved in."

Marenzi added: "To get that show that sustains distribution opportunities or propagates other businesses, you might have to give up something—you have to be flexible."

A full recap of this session will appear in World Screen Weekly.