Videoage International April 2019

28 April 2019 V I D E O A G E MIP-TV Preview are busy preparing for the L.A. Screenings (May 14-23, see separate story). Contributing to this shrinkage are other TV trade events taking place before, during, and immediately after MIP-TV, such as the Berlinale (February 7-17), the BBC Showcase (February 17-20), Filmart Hong Kong (March 18-21), Series Mania (March 22-30), NAB (April 6-11), and Rio Content (April 23-28). In fact, several U.S.-based TV distribution com- panies attended the BBC Showcase in England, including Lionsgate, whose execs went to London on February 20 and 21 to screen the company’s new content. Others, like Warner Bros. Interna- tional Television Production, co-hosted the For- mats Festival (along with ITV Studios) on Friday, February 15 at the Ham Yard Hotel in London. Both companies presented their latest global for- mat opportunities. day, April 7, the day before MIP-TV officially opens for business. Laurine Garaude of Reed MIDEM, the MIP-TV organizer, explained that the pre-scheduled meet- ings (Buyers Exchange) will be held at the exhibi- tors’ stands and that no extra fees are required. They will last 25 minutes each, as they do at MIP Cancun. For the first edition, 200 exhibitors and 300 buyers are expected to participate. However, Garaude was vague about how buy- ers will benefit from participating, simply saying that “buyers have the choice to be a part of it [and that] many of them already love the idea.” Last year’s elimination of the awards portion encouraged more production companies to sub- mit trailers and previews of their new programs without fear of their shows being trashed by crit- ics or being among the losers. Some 450 buyers invited to the Summit will screen 15-minute previews of up to 10 new series, as selected by a com- mittee of peers. Garaude emphasized that any- one can submit promos (which she called “works in progress”) — not just exhibitors. Finally, this year the presence of buyers from Christian Or- thodox territories will certainly increase as last year’s MIP-TV interfered with their Easter cel- ebration. As for all this ongoing drama at MIP, every TV executive VideoAge contacted for comments seemed to have an explanation. In the view of one U.S. studio executive who wished to remain anonymous, MIP-TV missed an opportunity to move into the Feb- ruary spot once held by the Mon- te Carlo TV Market, and now, the only alternative for the organiz- ers is to “change the perception” of the Cannes market, consider- ing the fact that studio executives severely dislike having to jus- tify going to MIP to their bosses. The executive acknowledged, though, that MIP-TV offers an op- portunity to travel to Europe to meet with the studios’ local sales people, and even if most of the U.S. studios don’t exhibit, their top executives still go to Cannes. This absence of most of the major U.S. studios as exhibitors might not be loved by many, but it’s definitely welcomed by the independents, who see two ben- efits: more attention from buyers and reduced costs. As one inde- pendent MIP-TV exhibitor said: “While at MIPCOM buyers can give me only 30 minutes, at MIP- TV I can have the full hour.” Another distributor mentioned that the space vacated by the studios created vacuums, and to make the market floor denser, stands are being sold at discount rates or allowed to expand at no extra cost. However, MIP-TV executives are trying to show potential exhibitors that their quest to find more buyers never ends, just like finding new and ex- citing opportunities for both buyers and sellers also never ends. A new element that will be introduced this year is pre-scheduled meetings with buyers. This isn’t anything new for MIP-TV organizers ReedMIDEM, as they premiered the concept at MIP Cancun six years ago. However, it is new forMIP-TV. These pre- scheduled meetings represent an innovation to the traditional trade show model, which tasks exhibi- tors with setting up their own appointments. Then there is the MIPDrama Buyers Summit (formerly MIPDrama Screenings), which will re- turn for the fourth time — together with an asso- ciated conference on trends (from the producers’ perspective), but sans the attached competition element — from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sun- (Continued from Cover) Recognized standard of quality in AudioDescription With more than 20,000 television shows, feature films and LIVE shows completed, you can rely on us to deliver your project on budget and on time. Our technical expertise guarantees a top quality product, a commitment we’ve made to our clients for more than 14 years. Request a Quote info@descriptivevideoworks.com descriptivevideoworks.com Descriptive VideoWorks is committed to providing access to all forms of visual media