Entertainment producers, much like the wider media industry, have had to undergo a rapid evolution to adapt their established processes to fit the new pandemic-era production landscape. Zoom was perhaps the biggest lifeline, although \u201cthe use of Zoom within chat shows and entertainment formats [is] something none of us could have imagined we\u2019d accept in terms of production values two years ago,\u201d says Mirella Breda, head of entertainment at Two Rivers Media. \u201cIt got us out of a hole.\u201d<\/p>\n
Producing shows remotely across different continents with crews, production and postproduction teams thousands of miles apart also helped keep production companies afloat. \u201cNothing beats being in the same room as your editor,\u201d Breda notes. \u201cBut the fact that we\u2019ve proven it can be done has opened a host of possibilities, which I think will outlast the pandemic.\u201d Among its benefits, the remote production process makes for easier international collaboration.<\/p>\n
The vast array of entertainment formats that Two Rivers Media works with helped fuel its pandemic success. Within the entertainment landscape, quizzes and game shows performed particularly well. \u201cAudiences and broadcasters welcomed the escapism entertainment offered,\u201d Breda says. Still, today, \u201cescapism feels like a big trope\u2014understandably. We want to see shows that are far removed from everyday life more than ever, whether that\u2019s a shiny high-stakes game show or a dating show set on a tropical island.\u201d<\/p>\n
Series that give viewers a sense of nostalgia have also proved popular. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen a lot of format revivals in the U.K., like Blankety Blank<\/em> and The Weakest Link<\/em>,\u201d Breda notes. Not only did viewers enjoy them, but broadcasters, which wanted safe, reliable formats, found them to be less risky.<\/p>\n In the near future, \u201cI think broadcasters and audiences will be hungry for travel on a big scale,\u201d Breda says. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the main things we\u2019ve been denied in real life, and TV can provide that. It\u2019s why shows like our own Escape to the Chateau<\/em> have continued to deliver so well.\u201d Two Rivers Media is banking on viewers continuing to crave travel series, as its upcoming pipeline includes a new competitive formatted travel show and a celebrity-led food travel series.<\/p>\n Overall, though, Two Rivers Media\u2019s focus \u201cremains on developing quality returnable formats with international appeal,\u201d regardless of their subject, Breda notes. \u201cWe are working closely with Two Rivers LA executive Hayley Babcock to identify opportunities for our formats on both sides of the Atlantic.\u201d<\/p>\n Breda feels positive about the future. \u201cIn spite of all the challenges the past two years have thrown at us, entertainment producers across the whole industry have proved just how valued and loved our shows are.\u201d<\/p>\n And, though \u201centertainment shows are often overlooked when it comes to awards and accolades,\u201d Breda says, it should be noted that \u201cwhen the world needed a laugh and something to escape to, entertainment formats came through!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mirella Breda, head of entertainment at Two Rivers Media, on how the company adapted its established processes to fit the new pandemic-era production landscape. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1412,"featured_media":8934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-profiles","category-top-stories","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n