Producers’ Forum: Co-Production Superpanel

Anna Carugati, the group editorial director of World Screen, will be moderating a co-production Superpanel during the Producers’ Forum at MIPTV. Here, she provides a sneak peek at what attendees can expect from the Tuesday morning session.

As broadcasters and independent producers are feeling various pressures due to declines in advertising, audience fragmentation and the general sluggish economy, they are increasingly turning to co-productions as a way to get their programs financed.

Of course, co-productions are nothing new, they have been a preferred way of financing television projects for many years, The seasoned professionals participating in the New International Co-Production Opportunities Superpanel are sure to provide background and context to the co-production process, how it has evolved through the years and what kinds work best today. The panelists are: Lee Bartlett, the managing director of ITV Studios; Gary Marenzi, the co-president of worldwide television at MGM; John Morayniss, the CEO of E1 Television at E1 Entertainment; Lisa Zeff, the president of Myriad Entertainment; and Yukihiko Amagi, the executive VP of NHK Enterprises.

With professionals representing ITV, the leading commercial broadcaster in the U.K.; NHK, the public broadcaster in Japan; MGM, a Hollywood studio; E1 Entertainment, a major producer and distributor from Canada; and Myriad Entertainment, an independent producer focused on factual programming, the panel will address a broad range of co-production issues.

First of all, exactly what is meant by “co-production,” as it has become a catch-all term for many different co-financing formulas. The connotation of co-production has certainly long evolved from the somewhat derogatory “Euro-pudding” term used to refer to co-productions in the early ’90s, when a project was pieced together like a recipe, with, for example, a British writer, German and French stars and an Italian set designer. The emphasis then was ensuring participation of various countries with an eye toward making the program appealing to the audiences of all those countries. The formula took precedence over the creative process, which almost always ensured the failure of the project.

Today, the story and the concept of the program always take the front seat in any successful co-production project, and the panelists will focus mainly of describing projects that have worked on both creatively and financially—whether it be a scripted drama or comedy, an entertainment format, a factual series or a documentary.

The discussion will look at the particular creative challenges involved in co-producing prime-time scripted series, where editorial control must be shared among partners. It will also examine sharing costs and risks, while guaranteeing high quality on the screen.

In factual and documentary co-productions, partners can provide not only financing but also access to experts, archives or locations—all elements that enhance the quality of the program. But more importantly these are elements that an individual producer might not be able to secure on his or her own.

There will also be mention of tax incentives and credits available from various countries.

The conversation promises to be lively, with an aim to providing the audience with useful takeaway information.

The New International Co-Production Opportunities Superpanel will be held on Tuesday, April 13 from 10:50 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. in Auditorium A, Level 3, of the Palais des Festivals.