International Academy Day Under Way in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO: As part of the events of the 2015 International Academy Day in Rio de Janeiro, World Screen's Anna Carugati moderated a debate between Silvio de Abreu, the head of drama at Globo, and Cláudio Torres, founding partner and director of Conspiração Filmes.

Yesterday morning, Globo opened the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' 2015 International Academy Day by hosting attendees at its Projac production studios. Carlos Henrique Schroder, the general director of Globo, began by speaking about the current phase of Brazilian television. "We are experiencing a symbolic moment: the end of the transition to the digital system, in which we are able to provide better quality, mobility and interactivity to open TV," he said. "This is a huge step for a country that built a special relationship with television."

The day's events also included a presentation from Virginia Mouseler, the managing director of The Wit, who asked the audience: "Where is TV Drama Headed?" Mouseler touched on trends in television such as the "super series" (shorter telenovelas, mostly action series, sticking very close to real life), the Nordic noir (suspense and action series with Nordic esthetics that reinforce their dramatic structure) and also the adaptation of stories from books, films, comics and video games.

In the debate moderated by Carugati, Globo's head of drama spoke to the popularity of Brazilian telenovelas among international broadcasters. "We use all the elements that must be in a telenovela to ensure its success, however we do this in a different style. The people who currently write telenovelas in Globo started in this line of work by writing theatrical pieces, decades ago. This is what has made them so special in the craft of creating a story." For Torres, the partnership between broadcasters and independent production companies plays a significant role in the success of the industry. "Nowadays, the scenario for independent producers is positively quite different with this interaction with television. We have taken a huge leap.”

Other sessions that day included "Through the Looking Glass: Technology & Innovation in the Media Industry," and "Are You Game? Covering Major Sports Events in the Multiplatform Era."