Event Preview: Producers’ Forum at MIPTV

Organized in Association with World Screen

Co-productions will be a key theme throughout MIPTV this year, as producers worldwide come to terms with new business models and constrained broadcaster budgets. The importance of developing innovative, mutually beneficial partnerships in today’s media business is the driving force behind the new two-day Producers’ Forum at MIPTV. Developed in association with World Screen, the first-ever Producers’ Forum, taking place April 12 and 13, has been designed to assist international TV producers in developing and funding their projects, and identifying new business opportunities.

“In the cyclical production business, producers are once again operating across borders as they search for new co-production partners, creative collaboration and funding possibilities,” says Laurine Garaude, the director of the television division at Reed MIDEM. “We are launching the Producers’ Forum as an effective and focused learning and networking solution to help producers keep abreast of the current co-production trends in order to take advantage of new business opportunities.” 

Among the highlights of this new event is an International Co-Production Super Panel, which will be moderated by Anna Carugati, the group editorial director of World Screen. The session, taking place Tuesday, April 13 at 10:45 a.m., will explore current trends in co-productions as well as new opportunities in the market. Executives scheduled to participate include Gary Marenzi, the co-president of worldwide television at MGM; John Morayniss, the CEO of E1 Television; and Lee Bartlett, the managing director of ITV Studios.

"With so many networks and production companies co-producing across a wide spectrum of genres, they are discovering that there is more to these ventures than simply sharing costs and risks," Carugati says. "There is much to learn from these experienced and talented executives, which promises to make this Super Panel informative and entertaining."

The panel will be followed by a series of regional co-production workshops focusing on key territories in Asia. In the session on Japan, NHK executives will discuss the importance of partnerships for the public broadcaster, which has co-produced more than 700 titles in the last two decades. Malaysia is also positioning itself as a major international player, and executives from both the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (FINAS) will be on hand to discuss opportunities in the market. A third regional co-production workshop will offer up advice on working with Chinese producers.

The Producers’ Forum wraps with a session called Transmedia Storytelling Principles, featuring Jeff Gomez, the CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment, and Nathan Mayfield, the chief creative officer and co-founder of Hoodlum. Gomez has a range of experience extending properties onto multiple platforms, having worked on films such as James Cameron’s current mega-hit Avatar. Mayfield, meanwhile, is perhaps best known for his work on online extensions to ABC’s Lost. Their session will serve as a "creative boot camp" for producers looking to develop immersive experiences for entertainment properties.

The Producers’ Forum will also feature an Entertainment Master Class on how to sell and protect a format, and Paul Boross, known as the "Pitch Doctor," will give tips on successful pitching. In addition, The WIT’s annual "Fresh TV Around the World" will showcase 30 of the most talked about TV formats aired or commissioned worldwide.

Associations supporting the Producers’ Forum at MIPTV include the U.K.’s PACT, China’s Capital Radio and TV Program Producers Association, the Brazilian Producers Association, Spain’s FAPAE, the Dutch Association of Filmmakers and Television Producers, Australia’s Film Victoria and Telefilm Canada.