Videoage International October 2020

I N T E R N A T I O N A L www.V i deoAge.org THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION October 2020 - VOL. 40 NO. 5 - $9.75 ???? (Continued on Page 26) T he joke (and by now we need some humor!) is that in the year 1720 the world was hit by the Bubonic plague, that 1820 saw an outbreak of Asiatic cholera, that 1920 saw the rise of the Spanish flu (even though Spain had nothing to do with it), and that 2020 is the year that the now-infamous coronavirus came into existence. Let’s hope that we’re nowhere to be found when the next pandemic inevitably hits in 2120. As we can see, planning 100 years ahead seems easier than figuring out how 2021 will evolve. And yet, we have to imagine the world that is coming because the future depends on our collective 2020 vision. To do WithAmericans Gone,MIPCOM GoesVirtual My 2¢: It’s more polite to be impolite. Cussing as humor Hall of Fame. Irv Holender: A mensch and his TV libraries The AVoD world is FAST becoming must-see TV Festival directors meet live at the Venice Fim Fest Page 34 Page 28 Page 16 Page 6 I n the March to July 2020 lock- down period, the world came to a screeching halt. Everything seemed to be suspended in time. Memories from those five months include empty streets, shuttered restaurants, and people walking around wearing facemasks to pro- tect others. After the 7 p.m. clap to honor What Happened While We Were In Lockdown (Continued on Page 20) The Future Is Closer Than You Think: Expectations U p until September 10, all seemed to be proceeding as scheduled with the live MIPCOM event. However, three elements contributed to the announcement — made 30 days before the TV market would have opened its doors at the Palais in Cannes — that the live event would be scrapped in favor of an all- digital affair. First, there was the fact that few exhibiting companies committed to the live event. Second was the realization that Americans would not have been present. And third was the surge of coronavirus cases in the South of France. That France was walking on a tightrope regarding COVID-19 was (Continued on Page 24) so, VideoAge relied on the visions of 15 film and TV executives from nine countries. After all, the role of a leader is, by definition, to envision solutions during turbulent times. In an interview with The New York Times in September, Reed