Univision Spotlights Success of Novelas in NATPE Session

January 25, 2012 World Screen Top Stories
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MIAMI: This morning’s Coffee With session at NATPE focused on the popularity of the novela genre, with Jessica Rodriguez, the senior VP of Univision Cable Networks; Carlos Sotomayor, the executive producer at Univision Studios; and actress Blanca Soto in conversation with TV Latina’s Rafael Blanco.

Rodriguez addressed the comparisons that the English-language community often makes between novelas and soap operas, saying that there are “almost no similarities” between the two. “Often times, because it’s a genre that the English-language [community] doesn’t understand, they want to lump the telenovela genre with soap operas.”

The difference, Rodriguez explained, is that a novela’s success can largely be traced back to two elements: the content of the stories and the actors and actresses who bring them to life.

“On the content side, telenovelas are classic themes that have lived on for generations and what we do is give that a contemporary take. Novelas are not soap operas, in the sense that they last for 20 or 30 years, they’re short form, they’re serialized dramas. When I speak to classic themes I talk about the themes that everyone can gravitate to. It’s about love and unrequited love, it’s about betrayal; it is those classic themes that resonate with us.” 

Rodriguez also noted the popularity of telenovela stars as a larger part of the culture. “Our novela stars are superstars in their own right. Soap operas tend to be a stepping stone for other things and other platforms, whereas for a novela star it’s an honor to be in people’s homes every night of the week, Monday through Friday. Not only are you seeing them on television, but there is a pop-culture aspect to it. I can see Blanco Soto Monday through Friday on Eva Luna and now on El Talisman, then when I go to the supermarket I can see her on the cover of a magazine and when I go to social media I see that they’re covering her too. In a very real way, Blanca Soto becomes a part of my family.”

Soto said that she didn’t so much choose a career in the telenovela genre: “The telenovela chose me. I didn’t look for it.” Her career in film and film production spanned many years, “and I always said no to the telenovela because I didn’t understand the importance of it, to get to be in everybody’s home every single night. If you’re in a film, everybody has to go buy a ticket, spend the money and they have to choose who they want to see. But, if you have Monday through Friday, [the audience] has more time to give you a chance. They become in love with you. You become this super huge star and can do film or do theater and you’re part of a family.”

She added, “After more than ten years in film, one year of Eva Luna changed my life.”

From a production side, Sotomayor spoke to the challenges of catering to the Latin American market as well as the U.S. Hispanic one. “At the end of the day, we’re telling stories. It’s a matter of how you present the product and present the stories that will make it appealing to a different market. But, the story is what is really important. People get hooked on that. A lot of English-speaking Latinos are getting hooked on telenovelas. We saw that with Eva Luna and I hope we will see that with El Talisman.”
 
Sotomayor also noted how the production quality for novelas is on par with other genres in the TV landscape. “Telenovelas are getting more sophisticated,” he said. “We shoot in HD. We shoot on location. We’re using the latest technology on TV to produce. It is important how you present the product. At the end of the day though, [what is most important is] the story. You have to offer that.”