Videoage International April 2018

24 April 2018 V I D E O A G E (Continued from Cover) Road to LAS: TCA Press Tour writers with an opportunity to talk one-on-one with studio executives, celebrities, and network bigwigs at the forefront of their latest, high- profile TV content. “At its best, the press tours are places where TV critics and reporters can push executives, producers, and stars to be accountable for the images they present to the world and the stories they tell,” said Eric Deggans, NPR’s television critic. “We also have the ability to ask the talent to comment more on evolving news stories.” To that end, duringadiscussiononAT&TAudience Network’s (formerly DirecTV) new conspiracy thriller series, Three Days of the Condor , Deggans asked one of the show’s stars, actress Mira Sorvino, to elaborate on her recent open letter to Dylan Farrow, in which she acknowledged her regret over working with Woody Allen. Inspired by Paramount Pictures’ 1975 political thriller, new series Three Days of the Condor is produced by MGM Television and Skydance TV, and follows a young CIA analyst who stumbles onto a plan that threatens the lives of millions. It will premiere on Audience Network in June 2018. David Nevins, president and CEO of Showtime Networks, somewhat jolted the journalists by noting how the TCA, a not-for-profit organization, might need a new name. “Just look at how quickly everything in television, both the content and the business, is changing, to the point where the very name of your group, the Television Critics Association, seems almost quaint,” he told reporters. “Who among you actually watches shows exclusively on television anymore? That word ‘television’ is now just an entry point into an ecosystem far more complex and colorful than the black-and-white era that coined that word.” Nevertheless, Nevins was not suggesting a name change. “After all, a brand is a brand. [Names such as] Content Critics Association, the Small and Mobile Screen Critics Association, are not improvements.” On his part, Nevins acknowledged that change in the television business has been “worrisome.” However, at the same time, good things are coming out: “The Writers Guild said that more than 4,000 television writers reported earnings to the guild in 2016, and it’s going to hit another all-time high in 2017. The Directors Guild says 4,482 episodes of television were made this year. That’s a 42 percent increase in the past five years,” he explained. Fox is seeing that massive change firsthand. Recently, 20th Century Fox announced the sale of many of its assets to the Walt Disney Company. Gary Newman, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group, talked about what that means for the Fox TV Group, which includes both the Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century Fox Television, mentioning “the elephant in the room or, in our case, the mouse.” It is expected that this transaction will take a year to 18 months to close. Newman said four to five years down the line, the network lineup could completely change, with fewer 20th Century Fox Television shows on air. The “new Fox” will be comprised of “One reason they are getting bigger is theywant to compete with the global streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and HBO,” Landgraf added. “That’s an important part of what drives consumers. We would become the adult scripted component in their [direct-to-consumer] plans.” Susanne Daniels, global head of Original Content at YouTube, talked about how the concerns surrounding peak television have so far been unfounded. “Just when you thought 2017 brought a record number of shows to viewers, fromwhat I can see, 2018 promises evenmore.  It’s definitely a seller’s market, which is great news for producers, agents, and production companies and, of course, for audiences who benefit from an incredible array of choices in programming.” Daniels cited a new study which found that 55 percent of consumers look for a new TV show or movie to watch at least once per week, and 72 percent are consuming more video content than they were a year ago.   “Viewers are clearly enjoying more options, but I’m sure you’ll hear some people question ‘Is there too much content? Could the saturation of the market eventually be its downfall?’  Well, actually, I believe the exact opposite,” Daniels stated. “Audiences today are looking for more content that is personalized to their interests.  The volume of shows represents an opportunity for programmers to explore niches and genres that previously might not have been given a chance to make their way to the screen. But what this also means is that, as an industry, the definition of a hit has changed,” she said. At this TCA there were five co-production series highlighted: AMC’s McMafia and The Terror , Hulu’s Hard Sun , FX’s Trust , and Showtime’s Patrick Melrose . “In the U.K., we are priding ourselves on really kind of nailing that miniseries, a shorter form of television,” said McMafia star James Norton. “I feel like we’ve shown our worth when it comes to three-, four-, six-part dramas. So for this eight- part series for the BBC, it was a slight departure, and I think an exciting one for them. With AMC on board, it really did feel like a slightly different beast and one which was a real progression,” Norton explained. Snapchat held a panel, part of the cable portion, wherein Snap Inc.’s vice president of Content, Nick Bell, and head of Original Content, Sean Mills, gave an overview of what Snapchat is, their approach to original shows, and what’s ahead in 2018. Snapchat believes that mobile is a fundamentally new medium and that all content needs to be custom-created for it, shot in vertical video. To date, Snap has launched over 40 series, including daily news shows, dating shows, sports shows, comedy and pop culture news. Many of Snap’s shows are viewed by millions of unique viewers — on average over 75 percent of that audience is under age 25.  By Susan L. Hornik divisions that include Fox Broadcasting, Fox Sports, Fox News, and local affiliates. “We will remain focused on managing the business of Fox. Our shows are in production. Development is moving forward with top creators, including Lee Daniels, Liz Meriwether, Nahnatchka Khan, Jerrod Carmichael, and Howard Gordon, and we are maintaining a brand that’s meaningful to our advertisers, distribution partners, and audience.” When asked how the business model will change for a network with no studio attached, Dana Walden, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group, acknowledged how times have changed even beyond what’s happening in their company.   “There really aren’t those big windfalls of cash for thebackends of our shows. Largely, thosedeals are being made nowwith streaming services, and clearly there’s still an opportunity to monetize those shows. But I think first they’re going to be shedding a lot of costs in terms of overhead of the studio and all of its productions,” Walden said. Walden continued: “It’s an extremely lucrative domestically-focused business. So, they will actually have a tremendous amount of audience circulation between their various divisions. There will be a robust ad sales business. They will still be in the MVPD partnership business with retrans, and again, they won’t be carrying the costs of producing the shows.” Still, John Landgraf, CEO of Fox’s FX, was optimistic. “We are a very lean organization, 270 people — a very small, tight, efficient organization — and we have a very distinct culture,” Landgraf said. “It sounds like Disney would want what we have to offer. If we can maintain our culture, I feel optimistic about our ability to do what we do best. The expertise that we have doesn’t exist in the Disney Company, so we are bringing something unique and distinct. Mira Sorvino was in attendance at the Press Tour for Three Days of the Condor