Videoage International January 2019

30 January 2019 V I D E O A G E A t this year’s NATPE, talk will most likely be centered, more than ever before, on the evolution of the international TV distribution business, with the L.A. Screenings — which are still five months away — on the minds of many buyers and distributors. The reason has to do with three new deve- lopments that are currently in the works. First, Paramount Pictures will be using their theater on the studio’s lot since it is expecting to screen a good number of new productions. Second, CBS Studios International will soon announce a venue to screen its 2019-2020 series. Third, because of Fox Studios’ merger with Disney, many executi- ves expect that the Fox screenings will be incor- porated into Disney’s (with insiders hinting that it’ll be Disney making that decision). But one issue created by the possibility of Fox and Disney screening jointly (and thereby delaying the schedule of the independents) has already been resolved. The InterContinental Hotel — where indie companies that exhibit at the L.A. Screenings are housed — has already inked an agreement with NATPE and Events TM (which, once again, will jointly coordinate the event for the indies) to reserve a block of rooms for some 85 expected exhibitors. In the years prior to the Fox merger with Disney, Fox used to start its screenings for the LATAM contingent on a Thursday — the same day that the Upfronts ended in New York City. That day also marked the conclusion of the indie portion of the L.A. Screenings (which had began the previous Tuesday, with the setting up of the exhibiting suites one day before). In addition to the LATAM screenings on Thursdays, Fox used to screen for European buyers such as Holland’s Talpa, Italy’s RAI, and France’s M6 on Fridays. With Disney now in the picture, there’s reason to believe that Fox LATAM’s screenings will most likely be incorporated into Disney’s LATAM screenings, which will take place the following Wednesday. This is partly in order to avoid confusion among the international buyers, and partly because Fox Studios is not expected to produce any new series, considering that the FOX TV network will remain in Rupert Murdoch’s hands — outside the Disney-Fox deal — and will be commissioning new content from all the studios. Needless to say, the official Fox line is that they are simply planning for the L.A. Screenings to go on as usual. If the aforementioned scenario plays out, the screenings for the indies will start onWednesday, May 15 (with set-up day on the day before) and will end on Saturday, May 18, when the studios begin their traditional schedules, which will continue up until Friday, May 24. Ironically, under this scenario, Fox will go from the complete dominance of a Thursday date — as was the case last year, with full-day screenings followed by a party for retiring LATAM sales executive Elie Wahba that evening (in addition to an extravagant gala held the following Thursday) — to virtual obscurity this year. In the past, Paramount had a small presence at the Screenings, with the LATAM contingent, for example, invited to the studio lot in the afternoon to screennewcontent onone of their sound stages. This year, with increased production, Paramount is expected to take the slots left open by Fox (so as not to upset the traditional screenings calendar). However, it’s only after NATPE that a clear picture of the new schedule will emerge. In fact, there are a number of possible scenarios. For example, if some studios begin screening for Canadians on Monday, May 13 (at the start of the Upfronts in New York City), “deal day” will probably be on Tuesday, May 21. On the other hand, if the Canadian screenings start on Saturday, May 11, and if all studios follow suit, then “deal day” could be Monday, May 20, or even Sunday, May 19. Regardless of all the upheaval this year, it is likely that the L.A. Screenings 2019 calendar will mostly retain its traditional schedule: An Overview of Things To Come With New Undetermined Elements L.A. Screenings Preview Indies May 14-17 CBSSI May 18, 20-23 Disney Media Distribution May 20-24 Twentieth Century Fox TBA Lionsgate TBA NBCUniversal May 18-23 Sony Pictures TV May 20-24 Paramount TV TBA Viacom TBA Warner Bros. May 20-23 The Moldavian TV contingent at the VideoAge info desk at the InterContinental hotel last May Last year NBCUniversal hosted luncheons on their sound stages Green: Indies, Yellow: Studios