Carrie Mudd

VP, Development & International Sales
Tricon Films & Television 

In less than a decade, Tricon Films & Television has transformed itself from a boutique production company that was representing its own titles to become one of the fastest growing distribution outfits in Canada, with a stable that includes third-party series, documentaries and formats. And its aim all the while has been to nurture this product with the same care and focus as its in-house properties, building longstanding relationships with producers grounded in trust and expertise. 

"Anything that we’ve ever brought on from a third party we’ve treated exactly the same as anything that was created in-house," says Carrie Mudd, the VP of development and international sales for Tricon. "I think that that loyalty has led other producers to trust us with ‘their babies.’ Plus we’re available to talk through strategies as they change from market to market with certain projects."

Tricon’s catalogue is split about 50/50 between in-house and acquisitions. Often times, the company will jump in as executive producer or co-producer as well as a distributor right from the beginning. "It’s a model that we’re realizing works," says Mudd. "And it builds trust. The reason that we started a distribution company was that we’d had some bad experiences. It’s much easier to build a long-term relationship with a producer when they understand the market, and understand the producer’s role. Sometimes we even act as a sales agent, and a distributor, and we’ll take the creative team on the dog and pony show around the world introducing them to broadcasters so that they get it right from the beginning and they hear from the broadcasters what they’d like to see. It definitely shows up on the screen."

Strengths in the Tricon catalogue include, in the way of formats, You Could Be a Royal, which is a nationwide DNA test to trace royal linage. "It’s like an Antiques Roadshow for your heritage," jokes Mudd. "We’re in the middle of shopping that around the U.K. now. You could do it anywhere in the world, but specifically Canada or Australia, anywhere that was a colony. Everybody thinks they’ve got a castle somewhere, if they’ve got the right last name." 

Also topping the roster is the sci-fi drama Sanctuary, airing on SCI FI Channel in the U.S. "Sanctuary is a huge winner for us. It’s an interesting story," she says. 

"We think that the distribution model needs to change and become more dynamic and more collaborative and about building relationships with the producers and creative teams from the beginning. In this economy, we have to find creative ways to finance all projects whether they be $25 million projects or a small factual show. What we’re able to do, knowing how long it takes to get this stuff commissioned now, is to bring pieces of the puzzle together either using presales or having two or more broadcasters involved. How it works is that we can bring foreign dollars to the table, but also feedback from the international market, which gives projects a better chance right from the beginning. Obviously the feedback comes in and we’re able to build it with the international market in mind right from the beginning. So things like Sanctuary definitely have a more international feel to them, given that we’ve had feedback from Germany, France, the U.K. and Canada and the U.S. right from the start."

By virtue of the relationship established with broadcasters on Sanctuary, Tricon has high hopes for the new show Forbidden Science, which is billed as "sci-fi erotica." Mudd says the show stays true to form for the core sci-fi audience, yet having an erotic twist makes it appealing for co-viewing. "As many woman are interested because it’s got a story line, as men who like the erotica part," she says. 

In terms of big picture goals, Mudd says she’s keen on continuing to work with third parties while still supporting Tricon’s internal creative talent, who are working on both new scripted and factual fare. "In order to keep the catalogue fresh, we need to keep feeding a marketplace that is really excited about North American content. Because we’re able to act in several capacities—whether it be as a sales agent or an executive producer or just a house to provide some support or infrastructure—I think that’s a strong position to be in in this market. We like to help out the smaller indies, even if somebody just needs office space or studio use, we’re able to provide those things and work out a relationship that works for everybody involved. It’s the only way to do it. In this market especially, we all have to be careful. So to share some of the risk is important. And also a little bit of an investment shows that we’re in it for the long haul."