Incendo’s Gavin Reardon

Gavin Reardon, who heads up international sales and co-productions at Incendo, talks to TV Drama about the company’s “upbeat” slate and its plans for 2021.

From its Canadian base, Incendo has been able to maintain its strong output of TV movies for the global market, with seven new titles set to be delivered in the first quarter of this year. Gavin Reardon, who heads up international sales and co-productions at the company, talks about the company’s “upbeat” slate and its plans for 2021.

TV DRAMA: What are Incendo’s key priorities for 2021?
REARDON: Priority number one, Incendo is focused on keeping our employees safe and healthy. If we can achieve the same success we had [in 2020] in keeping our staff, cast and crew on our productions COVID-free, while producing another 12 films in 2021, we will have accomplished our goal. After that, we’re all working hard to follow our success on Versailles, and continue to develop and pitch fiction series projects with our co-production partners around the world.

TV DRAMA: How did the lockdowns of last year impact the lineup you are preparing for your clients in Q1?
REARDON: We had planned for eight films to be delivered by Q1 of 2021, and we’re delivering a total of seven. Overall, and considering the difficulties, we’re very happy with where we are, and what we’ve been able to do in this unprecedented time.

TV DRAMA: With production finally having resumed in markets worldwide, what are the needs of your clients at present?
REARDON: Our clients are asking for more positive content. More upbeat and less dark. Now that production has restarted in a number of countries, we will be back competing for slots for our content. That said, Incendo’s films always have wonderful production value, and we’re confident we will continue to be a major supplier for our clients.

TV DRAMA: How have you seen creatives begin to insert COVID-19-related storylines into their productions?
REARDON: The content we’re creating ignores the crisis. Our clients feel that everyone needs an outlet, an escape from the real world. We’re providing escapism, and right now, who couldn’t use a bit of that?

TV DRAMA: How are you and your partners managing the increased costs related to producing under new COVID-19 guidelines?
REARDON: A number of governments have stepped up and are providing funds to assist in covering the increased costs, including insurance costs, related to COVID-19 production protocols. Though these are just stopgap measures, they allowed us to complete our films [in 2020]. There will need to be a more robust and comprehensive plan next year. Tom Cruise on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 only serves to highlight how incredibly fragile productions are today.

TV DRAMA: What do you see as the major trends impacting the scripted landscape in 2021, as the arrival of a vaccine sets us on a path to a new normal?
REARDON: The pandemic has only accelerated changes that were coming in scripted content. The explosion of SVOD and AVOD, and the level of investment, is unprecedented and will continue for the coming year. Limited series will become more of a focus as they allow huge stars to play in the TV space. Big events, maybe even with a live terrestrial as well as an OTT component, will be a solution for both ad- and subscriber-based platforms. Slower rollouts of series, over weeks or months rather than the dumping of series. A strong reaction from the creative community to having their series canceled by SVOD platforms without the historic validation of “ratings.” And lighter, more varied, more inclusive and accessible content.