Cost-Effective Formats Thaw Production Freezes

Amos Neumann, COO of Armoza Formats, talks to TV Formats about how cost-effective formats like game shows can cut through the challenging climate created by COVID-19.

Production freezes the world over due to the coronavirus have had broadcasters—and the producers and distributors with which they do business—heading into the vault to find content that feels fresh and can entertain viewers stuck at home. Though the circumstances that have resulted from the pandemic have proven challenging across the board, there is still opportunity to be had and room for content that actually is fresh to find broadcasters, according to Armoza Formats’ Neumann.

“The industry has gone back to their libraries because their productions are on hold and so any new acquisition is happening slower as well,” Neumann tells TV Formats Weekly. “It is like a domino effect. No matter what country you are in, the industry is feeling this freeze worldwide. However, we have begun to see that there are opportunities for formats that are COVID-proof and can be produced within the current guidelines and bring a high level of creativity.”

Among the upsides in the content industry at the moment is that titles are yielding higher viewing numbers. And while Neumann notes that there is an indisputable decline in ad money floating about at present, he’s confident that it won’t be long before advertisers return to TV, “as it is still the most effective ad platform. This will encourage broadcasters to resume their investment in content.”

Even ahead of advertisers’ anticipated heel-turn back to business as usual in TV, broadcasters are willing to move forward with certain types of promising content, like game-show formats. “They are very cost-effective and can be shot without an audience while still maintaining a high level of production value,” Neumann explains. “They often only require a limited cast and crew so this makes them suitable for the current shooting guidelines.”

Beat the Grid, one of Armoza’s most recent launches, fits the bill. Requiring only a compact set and limited crew, the format uses CGI technology that “transforms it into a shiny-floor trivia-based game show,” says Neumann. “The technology can save up to 50 percent of the cost of production, making it a cost-effective solution.”

Before the global pandemic caused the sort of disruption that any business could be forgiven for not being entirely prepared for, the “disruptor” label belonged largely to streaming platforms. Long finding success in scripted content, services like Netflix have begun wading into the non-scripted format space. “We have seen a shift where they are headed to producing non-scripted content in an attempt to diversify their offerings and address local needs in parallel to their international appeal,” says Neumann. “They have been trying to bring this non-scripted content to a shinier and bigger level than we are used to seeing, meaning more ‘must-see’ type of content and larger scale budgets.”

While the splashy big-budget formats with a keen eye toward social media virality will take its place in the industry, Armoza Formats’ recipe for a globally successful show relies on what’s at its core. “We like to look to find the truth in the format, as well as what is the clear patent,” says Neumann. “ A truly global format needs to present a universal truth in a unique way.” Pointing to Armoza’s new dance makeover format The Moves, he says the show brings “to light these every-day people with relatable stories, and even more relatable dance moves. Seeing the coaches’ journey to bring them some new moves in hopes of giving the best dance makeover of the night was something never done before. Often dance shows focus on those with the best moves, when in reality, most of us don’t have them so we chose to bring this truth to light.”

“With people still at home, they are looking to watch fun formats that the whole family can enjoy and connect to,” says Neumann.