I N T E R N A T I O N A L www.V i deoAge.org THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, STREAMING, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION March/April 2022 - VOL. 42 NO. 2 - $9.75 ???? (Continued on Page 22) Could the various controversies around Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in Hollywood become a redux of the infamous fight between Universal Studios and Sony Betamax? In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the making of individual copies of complete television shows for purposes of time-shifting does not constitute copyright infringement, but is fair use. Ultimately, the ruling led to a home video goldmine for Universal and other studios. Now, 38 years later, there is the Tarantino vs. Miramax controversy over NFTs. Movie director Quentin Tarantino wants to auction off digital script pages (with private MIPTVViews FromTurkey, the U.S., Italy, France My 2¢: Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it The future of NATPE; L.A. Screenings plans at Miami gathering Series Mania jury president hails from Ukraine despite war The deeper side of the NAB Show with Chris Brown Page 34 Page 14, 16 Page 8 Page 6 VideoAge staffers are once again betting — this time a bottle of Provence rosé — that the in-person MIPTV 2022 will be as successful as MIPCOM 2021. The organization has already reported that more than 130 exhibitors have signed up, and an informal VideoAge survey indicated that many European buyers will be flocking to Cannes between April 4 and 6, among the 780 total confirmed acquisition executives. The momentum is expected to pick up in late March (after VideoAge goes to press), and some have predicted that MIPTV could attract over 2,000 participants. Buyers seem to be looking forward Bert Cohen in the Hall of Fame of Int’l TV Distr. (Continued on Page 28) With Non Fungible Tokens It’s Déjà Vu About Rights In his business life, Bertram (later legally changed to Bert) Howard Cohen was an involuntary witness to several defining television industry moments, in the sense that his career placed him in the midst of every important industry development during the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, until his retirement in 2000. (Continued on Page 20) content) from the 1994 film Pulp Fiction (which he directed), and Hollywood studioMiramax (which produced it) insists that he doesn’t have the rights. The way the dispute plays out will determine the outcome of another lucrative new business for the studios. “The studios are
The NEWU.S. TV Season with VideoAge L.A. STUDIO ISSUE 2022 May 2022 Upfronts Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 May 2022 L.A. Screenings Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 Paramount Global Content Distribution: May 21-25 Warner Bros. (for Canada): May 16 Warner Bros. (general): May 23 NBCUni: May 21-24 NBCUni (Latam): May 22 Sony Pictures: May 23-26 Sony Pictures (Latam): May 24 Lionsgate: May 22-23 MGM: May 21-22 Indies: May 18-20 www.videoageinternational.net/new-us-tv-season-guide/
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4 World V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 in September 2021. The Georges Méliès Campus also includes the Bastide Rouge business center, and a business incubator, which, between them, house 28 companies, along with filming and post-production facilities. Last year also saw the opening of the Cineum, a 2,400-seat multiplex, “the largest screen on the Côte d’Azur.” It also offers “12 rooms equipped with the latest technologies,” reported Ausset. Further promoting its intent to be more involved with the entertainment industry rather than just an event hub, the city of Cannes has attracted Novelty, the European events organizer. The company will use more than six hectares of land belonging to Cannes’ Town Hall, “and create film studios, performance halls, a logistics space, and accommodation for its professionals,” said Ausset. Additionally, the Town Hall of Cannes will continue “to promote writing residencies and training on its territory,” through at least 2023, via the Cannes Vivendi Talent Unlimited Chair in series (Canneseries Unlimited) and cinema (Cannesfilms Unlimited). It will also continue its partnership with Banijay, also through at least 2023, as part of the “Content Creatives Incubator,” which focuses on the creation of television pro-grams, with an objective to create a master’s course on audiovisual content. The city has also signed an agreement with France’s National Audiovisual Institute for implementation of training programs for showrunners and digital designers. Ausset reminded that, “the Town Hall of Cannes pursues its vocation of hosting worldrenowned events such as the Cannes FIF, Ninja Warrior, the NRJ Music Awards, Cannes Lions, CANNESERIES, MIPTV, and MIPCOM.” “In order to best support these achievements, a municipal filming office, responsible for examining requests and supporting production companies has been created by the municipality,” continued Ausset. As for actual production, even under COVID limitations, Cannes saw 406 days of filming locally in 2021. (By Mike Reynolds) Attendees at this year’s edition of MIPTV may notice a few changes around the city of Cannes, should they get a chance to step away from the confines of the Palais and their hotels, that is. A new university campus has been erected in Cannes La Bocca, which includes the Cineum (a multiplex cinema, pictured), and which will also house the International Museum of Cinema (currently under construction). Back in October 2019, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard announced his Cannes On Air program to promote the creation of a major audiovisual hub in Cannes, and despite pandemic restrictions that were imposed across France for the last couple of years, many of the buildings and facilities outlined in his plans are up and operating. According to city spokesperson Hawa Ausset, the new Georges Méliès University Campus, which can accommodate 1,000 students, offers around 35 courses dedicated to the audiovisual technical and creative field, as well as business aspects. The campus and an image technology park were inaugurated Cannes Is All Out for the Audiovisual Industry (Continued on Page 6)
6 World V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 for adequate compensation that will promote and protect local journalism. “Several sessions within the NAB Show conference will fo-cus extensively on audience measurement and ratings. Topics include sizing the overall streaming TV audience, with a deep dive into the emerging Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) marketplace. In another session, the Media Rating Council will offer insight into its accreditation processes and the recent controversies surrounding Nielsen’s undercounting of both national and local TV audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.” About the emergency role of broadcasting, Brown ex-plained that “broadcasting is an indelible part of the dissemination of lifesaving information during times of emergency, and that is a role TV broadcasters have continued to embrace as they unite analog and digital technologies. The next-gen TV standard not only has unlocked innovative picture and sound features for consumers, but it also enables broadcasters to incorporate more informative, interactive, and in-depth alerting into their services. “And finally, with respect to the transition to an IP-based next-gen TV model, there will be opportunities to dig in on the subject both on and off the exhibit floor. The Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference will have several sessions devoted to Next-Gen television, and on the floor the ATSC will once again have a presence to showcase the progress on the standard’s rollout.” Brown also spoke about the exhibition floor: “Three pillars — Create, Connect, and Capitalize — reflect how the industry exhibition floor works and make it easier for every attendee to navigate the show and find what is most relevant to them. Create will be featured in the Central Hall and part of the North Hall; Connect will be the focus in the new West Hall; and Capitalize will find its home in the North Hall. The conference content will include a mix of new programming and legacy elements. “Plus, a significant trend that we are putting a bright spotlight on is intelligent content, representing what is essentially a fourth pillar at this year’s show.” In advance of the in-person return of Las Vegas’s NAB Show, to be held April 23-27, 2022, VideoAge asked Chris Brown (pictured at right), executive vice president and managing director of the Washington, D.C.-based NAB Global Connections and Events, about four of the most important issues facing broadcasting today. The topics included: *Unfair competition with unregulated Social Media. *The inaccuracy of ratings. *Whether the NAB has a position about the role of broadcasting during an emergency. Considering that analog technology is more reliable than digital technology and the Internet during emergency situations (nuclear explosions or hackers, for example), are contingency plans being developed. *The pros and cons of TV stations moving from terrestrial frequencies to broadband. Here’s what Brown had to say. “Among the topics NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt will discuss in his State-of-theIndustry address are the Big Tech giants’ role as gatekeepers, their dominating influence over the advertising marketplace, and the need for legislation allowing news outlets to negotiate jointly Discovering the Deeper Side of the NAB Show (Continued on Page 8) (Continued from Page 4) 20 x 5‘ Kids 4-7 Available Q3-2022 Season 2 in development WHERE THE ENTERTAINMENT IS distribution@studio100media.com I www.studio100group.com Watch the trailer! Go back to an era dominated by the juiciest and crunchiest creatures ever to rule the planet! The mighty… © 20222 Cheeky Little Media
8 World V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 panels and conferences on different subjects, which were organized around five key themes, including sourcing stories, content showcases, creative business inspiration, marketing of TV series, and innovation. Speakers included Universal International Studios’ Beatrice Springborn, Call My Agent showrunner Fanny Herrero, and Channel 4’s Caroline Hollick, among others. The Forum showed off 16 projects as part of its Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. The lineup included 15 projects from across the world, including Detective Touré from Spain, The Impossible She from Italy, and Island of Youth from Germany, as well as The Report, the winner from Berlin’s Drama Series Days at the Berlinale. Of the shortlisted projects, the jury selected South African drama Paradys as winner of the Series Mania Best Project Award. In addition to the festival and Forum activities, the fifth edition of one-day summit Lille Dialogues took place on March 24 under the theme “Empowering the Audiovisual Industry with Creativity.” Organized in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the European Commission, the 2022 edition saw panel discussions as well as keynotes with top industry executives. Raffaele Annecchino, president and CEO of International Networks, Studios and Streaming at Paramount, gave a keynote. Additional highlights included keynotes from WarnerMedia’s Priya Dogra, TF1 Group’s Gilles Pélisson, and the session “Investing in Talent: How To Drive New Narratives,” which featured a conversation with France Televisions’ Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, and a panel with Newen Studios’ Romain Bessi, Studio Dragon’s Young-kyu Kim, and The EbonyLife Group’s Mo Abudu. Abudu was also honored with the second annual Woman in Series Award. During the festival, Series Mania entered an agreement with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) to organize co-production workshops to present projects at Series Mania. It was also announced that HBO Max signed on as a found-ing partner for Series Mania Institute, an initiative dedicated to training professionals in-terested in European TV series. HBO Max will invest one million U.S. dollars over the next three years. Series Mania Festival kicked things off with a strong opening ceremony onMarch 18 in Lille, France, andwrapped up with an awards ceremony on March 25. This year, the International Competition featured nine series, including the world premieres of Billy the Kid from EPIX and MGM International Television Productions, Fire Dance from Yes TV, The Birth of Daniel F. Harris from Channel 4, and We Own This City from HBO. Early in March, Series Mania organizers announced that the festival’s jury president would be Ukrainian film producer Julia Sinkevych (pictured with Series Mania general director Laurence Herszberg), co-founder of the Ukrainian Film Academy. She was able to attend despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The festival showcased more than 55 series and 30 world premieres. This year’s guest of honor was the British showrunner Michael Hirst, who was also in attendance to promote Billy the Kid, which he wrote and executive produced. The festival programming was supported by Series Mania Forum, the industry arm of the event that ran from March 22-24. The Forum included a lineup of Series Mania: Busy, Productive Despite Trying Times (Continued from Page 6) OVER BILLION VIEWS 9 ON YOUTUBE 200 + episodes x 6‘‒ 9‘ live-action combined with 2D animated world sales@steveandmaggie.com
AMERICAN CINEMA / AMERICAN CINEMA INSPIRES To schedule a meeting, please contact George Shamieh or Chevonne O’Shaughnessy at george@aci-americancinema.com | chevonne@aci-americancinema.com
10 Book Review V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 The prominence of digital platforms in the contemporary moment (one instance could be offered by content aggregators) has led to several conclusions that are mistakenly assumed as fact. One example is that these digital platforms are unstoppable, operating on business models that are revolutionary. Another is that they are inherently better than previous models, such as analog ones. This is the groupthink that Jonathan A. Knee sees pervading today and that he diagnoses in his latest book. The Platform Delusion: Who Wins and Who Loses in the Age of Tech Titans (384 pgs., Portfolio, 2021, U.S. $28) is a case study of the biggest tech companies, explaining how they work and their greatest disadvantages. In his book, Knee demystifies the tenets of what he calls “Platform Delusion.” In addition to believing that platforms are revolutionary and superior, the tenets maintain that all platforms boast network effects, the idea that suggests that the value of the platform increases when the number of users increases, which then leads to a winner-take-all market. This logic has, in part, aided themisuse of language around platform business models, and the book dissects the qualities that distinguish great platform businesses from bad ones. As he notes early on, “this new breed of socalled platform companies are sucking all the value, returns, and growth out of the companies that actually do things.” For the last two decades, Knee has worked in both academia and investment banking. In addition to being a professor of Finance and Economics at the Columbia Graduate School of Business, he is a senior advisor at the boutique investment firm Evercore Partners. He is also the author of the books The Accidental Investment Banker: Inside the Decade that Transformed Wall Street and Class Clowns: How the Smartest Investors Lost Billions in Education, as well as the co-author of The Curse of TheMogul:What’sWrong With the World’s Leading Media Companies? His latest book, The Platform Delusion, builds on his extensive work in economics. Knee organizes The Platform Delusion by first laying out a framework to understand platform businesses, defining and exploring concepts of competitive advantage, scale, and network effects in digital environments. Competitive advantage is key in his framework, and it refers to “the structural characteristics that allow a company to do what its rivals cannot.” How platforms are talked about and the mystery around them often leads the platform deluded into ignoring these fundamental concepts in economics. “What is alarming, however,” writes Knee, “is the extent to which the euphoria triggered by the Platform Delusion has led investors to forget that, ultimately, the existence of competitive advantage is what drives the ability of any business, digital or analog, to produce consistently superior results.” In the last two-thirds of the book, Knee then uses this framework to analyze the five FAANG companies (Facebook, Apple Amazon, Netflix, and Google), followed by a study of the businesses falling in their shadow. He focuses on a range of companies, covering business models in travel, big data, e-commerce, and the sharing economy. One of the more relevant takeaways for the television industry is Knee’s discussion on the streaming giant Netflix. He begins by discussing the mantra “content is king,” a phrase that is sometimes used to suggest that “the business of creating compelling content is responsible for a disproportionate share of value,” writes Knee. “This could not be farther from the truth.” “In fact,” Knee continues, “the dirty little secret of the media industry is that content aggregators, not content creators, are the overwhelming source of value creation.” He adds, “It had long been the case that the cash flows generated by the aggregation and distribution businesses of the media conglomerates dwarfed those of their content creation activities, despite the film and television studios’ outsized place in the public imagination.” The platform deluded would argue that Netflix’s competitive advantage in the market is due to its network effects gainedby its algorithmic learning-technology, referring to its utilization of customer data. However, Knee goes on to discredit this theory. In doing so, he also suggests that since Netflix entered the content-creation game, the company’s strategy has declined. “Netflix does not enjoy meaningful network effects and its decision to enter the original content arena is not justified or supported by the imagined ability of artificial intelligence to systematically deliver ‘hits.’ The abandonment of the previously articulated strategy of avoiding creative risk, while justified by the dramatically increased competition in the sector, has made Netflix a worse, not a better, business.” Netflix, by novelty of being one of the first to get into SVoD, made itself a leader in the global content market. However, Knee suggests that the market cannot sustain more than a handful of streamers doing what Netflix does. Other than Disney+ and Amazon’s Prime Video, he notes that “[n]one of the other emerging competitors seem to have the combination of skills, resources, or commitment required to become a long-term global Netflix competitor.” With The PlatformDelusion, Knee has deepened the conversation around digital platforms, calling for greater scrutiny of the mythmaking behind them. Much of the book is a reminder of the foundational concepts in business for a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors. He aims to dismiss the simplistic explanations and magical thinking of the platform deluded in order to more fully consider what competitive advantage means in the digital age. Columbia University Business professor and investment banker Jonathan Knee complicates the understanding of platform businesses with nuanced insights. Debunking the Myths of Platform Businesses In the Era of Tech Giants By Luis Polanco “In fact, the dirty little secret of the media industry is that content aggregators, not content creators, are the overwhelming source of value creation.”
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14 V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 At a February breakfast meeting in Miami, Florida with a group of local LATAM TV executives, a few issues concerning NATPE Miami and the L.A. Screenings were explored, and the outcomes were mostly unanimous. While discussing the fact that the NATPE organization is planning on leaving the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, the market’s venue for the past 10 years (in addition to a virtual event in 2021 and a canceled market in 2022), all participants were unanimously opposed to the organization finding a new venue outside the U.S. Plus, all agreed that the mid-January dates are unsuitable for Americans, Latin Americans, and Europeans, the market’s main participants. NATPE Miami happens right before a federal holiday in the U.S. (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and as for LATAM and European attendees, the dates are too close to the Christmas holidays. In those regions, most people return to work after the Epiphany (January 6) and have just a few days left to prepare for the event. All suggested moving the dates to early February. And when asked about attending the L.A. Screenings — which is expecting fewer buyers than it used to attract — most said that they would consider going. The eight LATAM TV executives at the breakfast meeting represented various aspects of the TV sector, including services, satellite distribution, content sales, content acquisition, and events organization. The participants were (alpha order): Ana Castillo (Universal Cinergia), Cesar Diaz (7A Media), Jorge Fiterre (Condista), Jose Luis Gascue (Turkey’s Calinos), Helen Jurado (A+E Networks), Alexander Marin (Colombia’s RCN), Isabella Marquez (EventsTM), and Claudia Silva Olachea (Televisa). Loni Farhi, president of SPI, who could not attend the event, met with VideoAge separately in Miami, as did Tondero’s Cecilia Gomez de la Torre, who was in Miami for a quick visit from Lima, Peru. At the group meeting, some attendees reported that the NATPE organization had been looking to alternative venues for years in order to avoid the outrageous financial burden the Fontainebleau has been imposing upon them. This includes a $500,000 minimum guarantee for food and beverages. This was reportedly one of the main reasons why NATPE officials elected to scrap this year’s edition— the larger financial loss that the NATPE organization would have incurred had the market been staged with reduced participation. However, despite the canceled market, some executives from Latin America still flew to Miami during NATPE’s dates to keep their scheduled meetings. About the possibility, first reported by VideoAge, of moving the event to the Bahamas, participants pointed out that NATPE stands for the National Association of Television Program Executives, emphasizing the “National” (meaning domestic U.S.) aspect. Some attendees suggested that NATPE should consider Orlando, Florida, a city known for its convention facilities. After all, it was stressed, NATPE is a Latin American-centric TV market, and Florida is the key destination. Other attendees however pointed out that NATPE had considered Orlando as a venue at one point in time, but it was ultimately dismissed. Even better yet, it was unanimously pointed out, why not move the event to the Miami Convention Center? As SPI’ Farhi said, “While the cities of Miami and Miami Beach are doing well, the [Miami Beach] Convention Center is suffering and it could be available at a bargain price. Plus, participants will have access to plenty of nearby hotel accommodations at various rates.” Similar sentiments were expressed by Tondero’s Cecilia Gomez de la Torre. During the group meeting, participants were reminded that, in the past, U.S. studios were opposed to a costly stand-based convention. But that’s no longer valid since NATPE has since become an independent-centric event with little participation from the studios. The Miami Beach Convention Center wouldn’t even be a new venue for NATPE, since the Association held its 1994 event there, January 24-27, seven days after a terrible earthquake hit Los Angeles. At that time, VideoAge reported that NATPE had 5,000 daily participants and 10,000 cumulative participants. The Center opened in 1958, was expanded in 1967, and was renovated in 1989. While it was relatively easy to reach a consensus about NATPE’s issues, the L.A. Screenings presented big challenges for all meeting participants because the Screenings are dependent on the U.S. studios’ decision as to what to do after the Upfronts in New York City, where the U.S. networks announce their new TV season line-ups in mid-May. After the broadcast Upfronts in New York, which are set to take place May 16-19, the U.S. studios will screen the networks’ new season pick-ups to a reduced number of international buyers, with amix of in-person and virtual events. Since the new, untested broadcast series are not expected to bring new subscribers to the studios’ international streaming services, the studios will most likely try to monetize the new season’s most sellable products on the international market — albeit with shorter windows — before “dumping” them onto their streaming platforms. Due to a combination of little new content and fewer international buyers, the studio screenings will last just a few days, from May 21 to May 26. Confirmed studio screenings are Paramount Global Content Distribution (May 21-May 25), NBCUniversal International Distribution (May 21May 24, with Latin Day on May 22), Sony Pictures TV (May 23-26, with Latin day on May 24) and Warner Bros. Worldwide Television (Canadian screenings on May 16 and general screenings on May 23). Representatives from independent distribution companies are expected in Los Angeles on May 18-20. Miami-based Isabella Marquez, who organized the indie portion of the L.A. Screenings until 2020 (when the COVID pandemic forced the cancellation of the event for two consecutive years), has managed to obtain a large discount in suite rates for L.A. Screenings exhibitors from the Century Plaza hotel, which re-opened recently after a major renovation. The event is therefore going back to the hotel where it began as the May Screenings in 1963, at least for its indie portion. VideoAge estimates that at least 30 indie distribution companies will be in attendance at the upcoming Century Plaza-based L.A. Screenings. NATPE and L.A. Screenings, Both Born in 1963, Now At a Crossroads TV Trade Events SPI’s Loni Farhi at his Miami residence LATAM TV execs met for VideoAge’s breakfast meeting in Miami (names and affiliations in the article) NATPE Miami searches for a new home and a secure future — not an easy task.
16 V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 For the new broadcast TV season, the U.S. networks are looking at 36 new pilots at the Upfronts in New York City (to be held May 16-19), of which 24 are dramas and 12 are comedies. NBC and CBS lead the pack with the largest number of dramas (six each). Most of the pilots come from CBS Studios and 20th Television (meaning Disney), which each have nine. Next up is Universal with eight pilots, then Warner Bros. TV with six. There are also a couple of new series co-produced by multiple studios. After the Upfronts, most U.S. studios will screen the networks’ new season pick-ups. So far, confirmed dates for the studio screenings include Paramount Global Content Distribution (May 2125), NBCUniversal (May 21-24), Sony Pictures TV (May 23-26), and Warner Bros. Television on May 16 (for Canada) and May 23 (general screenings). As for independent distribution companies, they can be expected in Los Angeles May 18-20 (see story on page 14). Below, check out the new broadcast TV season pilots in consideration. ABC (COMEDY) Josep Prod Co: 20th Television Writer/Exec Prod: Steve Joe Exec Prods: Jo Koy, Kourtney Kang, Jake Kasdan, Melvin Mar, Joe Meloche, Randall Park, Michael Golamco, Hieu Ho Premise: In this single-cam comedy, a recently divorced Filipino American nurse (Koy) attempts to navigate dating, fatherhood and a very Filipino mother who loves to “help.” Not Dead Yet Prod Co: 20th Television, Wonderland Sound and Vision Writers/Exec Prods: Casey Johnson, David Windsor Exec Prods: McG, Mary Viola, Corey Marsh Premise: Broke, newly single and feeling old, Nell Stevens works to restart the life and career she left behind 10 years ago. So she lands the only job she can find: writing obituaries. Adapted from Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter. The Son-In-Law Prod Co: 20th Television Writer/Exec Prod: Ajay Saghal Exec Prods: Jake Kasdan, Melvin Mar Premise: This single-cam comedy follows a saltof-the-earth man who finds himself seeking the approval of his new fiancée’s sophisticated parents — even as he’s a difficult to impress father-in-law to his daughter’s boyfriend. ABC (Drama) L.A. Law Prod Co: 20th Television, Steven Bochco Productions Writers/Exec Prods: Marc Guggenheim, Ubah Mohamed Exec Prods: Dayna Bochco, Jesse Bochco, Blair Underwood Dir/Exec Prod: Anthony Hemingway Premise: An update of the Emmy-winning NBC drama that sees the venerable law firm of McKenzie Brackman reinvent itself as a litigation firm specializing in only the most high-profile and boundary-pushing cases. Untitled Alaska Project Prod Co: 20th Television, Co-lab21, Slow Pony Writer/Exec Prod/Dir: Tom McCarthy Exec Prods: Bert Salke, Melissa Wells, Hilary Swank, Kyle Hopkins, Ryan Binkley Premise: A star journalist (Hilary Swank) moves to Alaska for a fresh start after a career-killing misstep and finds redemption personally and professionally after joining a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage. Untitled Kay Oyegun Project Prod Co: 20th Television Writer/Exec Prod: Kay Oyegun Premise: Five therapists in Philadelphia find unique ways to solve problems in their patients’ lives while grappling with their own. The owner of the practice has her life turned upside down when she begins working with a sociopathic patient who may hold the key to the disappearance of her sister. Untitled Rookie Spin-Off Prod Co: eOne, ABC Signature Writer/Exec Prod: Alexi Hawley Exec Prod: Mark Gordon Premise: Simone Clark is the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy. She is a single mother of two who put her dreams on hold to make sure her kids pursued their own. Planted spinoff follows the premise of The Rookie, about the oldest rookie in the LAPD. Will Trent (order is cast contingent) Prod Co: 20th Television Writers/Exec Prods: Liz Heldens, Dan Thomsen Exec Prod: Karin Slaughter Premise: Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. But now Will Trent has the highest clearance rate in the GBI. Based on Karin Slaughter’s New York Times best-selling Will Trent series. CBS (Comedy) The Hug Machine Prod Co: CBS Studios Writer/Exec Prod: Sam Laybourne Exec Prod/Dir: Jorma Taccone Exec Prods: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Ali Bell Premise: A dad gets a second chance to save both his marriage and his f lailing rock career when his band unintentionally finds success in the raucous, cutthroat world of children’s music. Rust Belt News Prod Co: Warner Bros. Television, Alloy Entertainment Writer/Exec Prod: Matt Warburton Exec Prods: Leslie Morgenstein, Gina Girolam Premise: A single-camera comedy about a small Ohio town where the local newspaper goes out of business, leaving the angsty reporters of the high school newspaper as the only people left to polish the rust off this rust-belt community. Sober Companion Prod Co: CBS Studios, Sutton Street Prods Writers/Exec Prods/Story by: Gracie Glassmeyer, David Rosenthal Exec Prod/Story By: Jennie Snyder Urman Exec Prod: Joanna Klein Premise: Eliza, a hot-mess alcoholic who owns a bar with her uncle in New Orleans, is forced to get her life together when the court appoints her an exhaustingly upbeat sober companion with whom she has to live 24/7. Unplanned In Akron Prod Co: CBS Studios, PictureStart, Authentic Writer/Co-Exec Prod: Schuyler Helford Writer/Exec Prod: Emily Wilson Exec Prods: Samie Falvey, Erik Feig, Chris Mills, Chris Emerson Premise: A multi-cam about two teenagers navigating parenthood in the best way they know how. They’ll learn that mistakes in life don’t have to derail your life. CBS (Drama) Cal Fire Prod Co: CBS Studios, Jerry Bruckheimer TV Writer/Exec Prods: Tony Phelan, Joan Rater Exec Prod/Story Co-Written By: Max Thieriot Exec Prods: Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reid Premise: Seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown. Inspired by executive producer Max Thieriot’s experiences growing up in northern California fire country. Early Edition Prod Co: Sony Pictures Television, CBS Studios, Affirm Television Writer/Exec Prod: Melissa Glenn Exec Prods: DeVon Franklin, Bob Brush Co-Exec Prod: Jenna Nicholson Premise: In this reboot of the original CBS series starring Kyle Chandler, an ambitious but uncompromising journalist starts receiving tomorrow’s newspaper today. She then finds herself in the complicated business of changing the news instead of reporting it. East New York Prod Co: Warner Bros. Television Writers/Exec Prods: William Finkelstein, Mike Flynn Exec Prods: Mike Robin, Mark Holder, Christine Holder Premise: Follows the newly promoted police captain of East New York, an impoverished, working-class neighborhood at the eastern edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods. The Never Game Prod Co: 20th Television Writer/Exec Prod: Michael Cooney Exec Prod: Justin Hartley Dir/Exec Prod: Ken Olin Premise: Revolves around survivalist Colter Shaw (Hartley), who roams the country as a “reward seeker” and uses his tracking skills to solve mysteries as he contends with his own fractured family. The L.A. Screenings Are Back, 2022-2023 Pilots In Consideration U.S. Broadcast TV Season (Continued on Page 18)
18 V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 True Lies (rolled over from 2021) Prod Co: 20th Television, Lightstorm Entertainment, Wonderland Sound and Vision Writer/Exec Prod: Matt Nix Exec Prods: James Cameron, Rae Sanchini, Mary Viola, Anthony Hemingway Dir/Exec Prod: McG Premise: Shocked to discover that her unremarkable computer consultant husband is a skilled international spy, an unfulfilled housewife is propelled into a life of adventure when she’s recruited to work alongside him to save the world. Based on the 1994 James Cameron movie. Untitled Mother & Son Legal Project Prod Co: CBS Studios, Stage 29 Prods Writer /Exec Prod: Scott Prendergast Exec Prods: Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, Julia Eisenman Premise: Despite their opposing personalities, a talented but directionless P.I. begrudgingly agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his overbearing mother, a successful attorney reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage. FOX (Comedy) Grimsburg (ordered straight to series for 2023) Prod Co: Fox Ent, Bento Box Entertainment Writers/Exec Prods: Catlan McClelland, Matthew Schlissel Exec Prods: Jon Hamm, Gail Berman, Hend Baghdady, Connie Tavel Exec Prod/Showrunner: Chadd Gindin Premise: Marvin Flute (Hamm) is a detective who can’t crack his own family. Now that he’s back in Grimsburg, Flute will follow every lead he’s got to redeem himself with the ex-wife he never stopped loving, even if it means hanging out with the son he never bothered to get to know. Krapopolis (ordered straight to series for 2022) Prod Co: Fox Ent., Bento Box Entertainment Writer/Exec Prod: Dan Harmon Exec Prod/Showrunner: Jordan Young Premise: Set in ancient Greece, the series follows a family of humans, gods and monsters trying to run one of the world’s first cities. FOX (Drama) Accused (ordered straight to series) ProdCo: SonyPictures Television, FoxEntertainment Writers/Exec Prods: Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa, David Shore Exec Prods: Glenn Geller, Erin Gunn, Jacob CohenHolmes, Sita Williams, Jimmy McGovern, Roxy Spencer Premise: The anthology opens in a courtroom with a defendant being accused of a crime, then backtracks to reveal how these people got caught up in the extraordinary situations in which they find themselves. Based on the BAFTA-winning British show. End of Watch (pilot with script-to-series commitment) Prod Co: Fox Entertainment Writer/Exec Prod: David Ayer Exec Prods: Chris Long, Daryll C. Scott, David Matthews, John Lesher, James Masciello, Andrea Iervolino, Monika Bacardi Premise: Follows the daily grind of two young L.A. police officers who are partners and friends and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves. Based on the 2012 movie. NBC (Comedy) Hungry (rolled over from 2021 season) Prod Co: Universal Television, Hazy Mills, SB Projects Writer/Exec Prod: Suzanne Martin Exec Prods: Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Scooter Braun, Scott Manson, James Shin Dir: James Burrows Premise: In this single-cam comedy, a group of friends who belong to a food issues support group help one another as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better. Lopez Vs. Lopez Prod Co: Universal Television, Mohawk Productions, Travieso Prods, Mi Vida Loba, 3 Arts Writer/Exec Prod: Debby Wolfe Exec Prods: Bruce Helford, George Lopez, Katie Newman, Michael Rotenberg, P Mayan Lopez Premise: A working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection and all the pain and joy in between. Night Court (series order rolled over from last season) Prod Co: Warner Bros. Television, Universal Television, After January Prods Writer/Exec Prod: Dan Rubin Exec Prods: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch Dir/Exec Prod Pilot: Pamela Fryman Premise: In the sequel series, unapologetic optimist Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of the late Harry Stone, follows in her father’s footsteps as she presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court. NBC (Drama) Blank Slate Prod Co: Universal Television, Georgaris Inc., Davis Entertainment Writer/Exec Prod: Dean Georgaris Exec Prod/Co-Creator: John Fox Exec Prod: John Davis Premise: Special Agent Alexander McCoy is a legend in law enforcement, the agent we’d all like to be. The only issue is… he doesn’t actually exist. So what happens when a man claiming to be Alexander McCoy walks through the door with an agenda nobody will see coming? Found Prod Co: Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions, Rock My Soul Productions Writer/Exec Prod: Nkechi Okoro Carroll Exec Prods: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, Lindsay Dunn Premise: In any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color. A public relations specialist and her crisis management team now make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people. But this everyday hero is hiding a chilling secret of her own. The Irrational Prod Co: Universal Television Writer/Exec Prod: Arika Mittman Exec Prods: Sam Baum, Mark Goffman Premise: A world-renowned professor of behavioral science lends his expertise to an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations. Based on Dan Ariely’s book Predictably Irrational. Quantum Leap Prod Co: Universal Television, I Have an Idea Ent, Belisarius Prods, Quinn House Prods. Writers/Exec Prods: Steve Lilien, Bryan Wynbrandt Exec Prods: Don Bellisario, Deborah Pratt, Martin Gero Exec Prod/Dir: Helen Shaver Premise: In the reboot, it’s been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team has been assembled to restart the project. Unbroken Prod Co: Universal Television Writer/Exec Prod: Shaun Cassidy Three dynastic ranch families on the central coast of California make love and war in a passionate struggle to survive, ultimately setting the stage for a group of fiercely determined young women to win big for all at the National Championship of Rodeo. Untitled Mike Daniels Project Prod Co: Universal Television, 6107 Prods., David Janollari Entertainment, Silver Lining Writer/Exec Prod: Mike Daniels Exec Prods: David Janollari, Rob Golenberg, Alon Aranya, Robert Alberdingk Thijm, Norbert ter Hall Premise: Chronicles the love and lives of two complete strangers whose multiple run-ins begin to defy coincidence. Based on the Dutch series A’dam – E.V.A. The CW (Drama) Gotham Knights Prod Co: Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions Writers/Exec Prods: Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux, Natalie Abrams Exec Prods: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden Dir/Exec Prod (pilot only): Danny Cannon Premise: In the wake of Bruce Wayne’s murder, his rebellious adopted son forges an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman’s enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. Powerpuff (A.K.A. The Powerpuff Girls)(repiloted) Writers/Exec Prods: Heather Regnier, Diablo Cody Exec Prods: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, Maggie Kiley Premise: Live-action reboot of the 1998-2005 Cartoon Network series follows the trio who used to be America’s pint-sized superheroes. Now they’re disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting. Walker: Independence Prod Co: CBS Studios, Pursued by a Bear, Rideback Writer/Exec Prod: Seamus Fahey Story/Exec Prod: Anna Fricke Exec Prods: Jared Padalecki, Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore, Laura Terry Dir/Exec Prod: Larry Teng Premise: Set in the late 1800s, Abby Walker is an aff luent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. The Winchesters Prod Co: Chaos Machine Productions, Warner Bros. Television, CBS Studios Writer/Exec Prod: Robbie Thompson Exec Prods: Jensen Ackles, Danneel Ackles Premise: The Supernatural prequel spinoff centers around Dean and Sam’s parents, John and Mary Winchester. The story is told from the perspective of their eldest son, Dean, with Jensen Ackles narrating. Zorro (six-script order) Prod Co: CBS Studios Showrunner/Exec Prod: Sean Tretta Exec Prods: Robert Rodriguez, Rebecca Rodriguez, Ben Silverman, Howard T Owens, Rodney Ferrell, Geoff Clark, Eric Bromberg, John Getz, JayWeisleder Premise: A young Latinx woman seeking vengeance for her father’s murder joins a secret society and adopts the outlaw persona of Zorro. (List compiled by Mike Reynolds as of March 21, 2022) U.S. Broadcast TV Season (Continued from Page 16)
V I D E O A G E March/April 2022 20 Non Fungible Tokens NFTs in the previous month totaled $180 million. According to DappRadar, a digital-analytics firm, in 2021 collectors spent $21 billion trading digital art and collectibles. Moore stated that Hollywood “might be interested in million of dollars by converting audiovisual clips to NFTs.” He went on to say that the “owner of the NFT does not own any rights to the content on the NFT, just as the owner of a DVD is not permitted sell copies of it.” Plus, that the use of the NFT content is constrained to the limits of “fair use,” similar to the ruling in the 1984 Betamax case. Reached by VideoAge via e-mail, Moore further explained that, in the case of Tarantino, “NFTs come within his retained right to publish his screenplay.” In a January 14, 2022 Wall Street Journal article it was pointed out that “contracts between a creator and a production entity contain forward-looking language that takes into account new technologies.” The question is where NFTs, as new entities, fall into the mix, and whether or not they are considered ancillary rights. In his Forbes’ article, Moore wrote that “there is a bit of a legal maze to work through,” but to VideoAge he said that NFTs are “completely covered by copyright law already.” However, despite the fact that NFTs are a worldwide phenomenon, Moore admitted that he considers them “a passing fad, like crypto currency (which has crashed [in value] in the last two months).” Nonetheless, he said that “hard negotiations are taking place” between the studios and the creative community. In addition, Moore thinks that the NFT version of a physical artwork won’t diminish the market value of the original hard copy, and that the value of an NFT sale could be enhanced if, for example, a page of a script that is already on the physical marketplace would be signed by the IP owner for the NFT sale. Finally, since the “fair use” principle also allows TV news to show up to three minutes of a movie (or a sports game) for news coverage, meaning that those clips will then be online (as part of the news program), VideoAge asked Moore why someone would possibly pay for something that is already online. Moore answered: “That is why NFTs are a passing fad.” Pictured on the front cover is the October 2021 Collezione Genesi where the Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana sold its nine-piece digital NFT collection for $5.7 million. They were sold alongside some physical couture items. (Photo from Dolce & Gabbana’s Facebook page.) (By Dom Serafini) (Continued from Cover) sitting on a goldmine, and they will not dilute the value of their assets,” said one Hollywood insider who wished to remain anonymous. And to think that NFTs are not even physical properties, but audiovisual digital assets that are issued in “authenticated” editions! Another controversy erupted when the host of The Tonight Show on NBC, Jimmy Fallon, recently showed his own NFT on the air. It was reportedly purchased for $216,000, and sources are speculating that he shared it with his viewers so as to boost its asking price if he ever tries to resell it. Such practices are against NBC’s ethics policy. The ability to validate their authenticity allows NFTs to be sold and bought, especially by auction houses like OpenSea, GFT, Sotheby’s and SCRT (Secret Network), the latter of which is representing Tarantino’s NFT effort. In addition to being auctioned, tokens can also have fixed prices. Indeed, way back in May 2018, 20th Century Fox released limited-edition Deadpool 2 digital posters to promote the film. They were available from the OpenSea and GFT exchanges. Now, we at VideoAge don’t want to label the Tarantino-Miramax controversy as simply a matter of dollars and “sense” (because the matter is as complex as the academic dissertation of the Godfather movie), but as something much thornier. To start with, the process of authentication is very complicated, and involves blockchain companies like Tezos, Polygon, Klatyn, and Ethereum, which use cryptography technology for security. Ethereum is credited with the creation of the most used common standard (the ERC721) to create unique tokens. Even the term Non Fungible (hyphenated or not) Tokens has obscure origins. The Latin-derived “fungible” means “useful,” and, while fungible goods are interchangeable (e.g., a $10 bill can be swapped with another $10 bill), “non-fungible” means that goods (or tokens) are unique and their uniqueness is authenticated, and cannot be copied. To further muddy the waters, the definition of “unique” makes a distinction between something “similar” and not the same. In the world of NFTs there might be two similar artworks on sale, but each can be authenticated as unique — therefore not the same. Concert tickets, for example, are non-fungible. Even if tickets have the same price, they aren’t directly exchangeable. Each represents a specific seat and a specific date — no other ticket will have those exact characteristics. Some online reports state that the term NFTs was coined by the Art On Internet (AOI) Foundation, and that the first known NFT was created in New York City in 2014. To make the matter even more confusing, there is the fact that acquired NFTs don’t sit on a buyers’ computer, but exist only as web links. In addition, a buyer can own an NFT, yet not own the copyright to the underlying work, and can resell the NFTs, but cannot make a physical rendition (like a printed copy). The NFT buyer acquires only the digital token. In March 2021, Schuyler M. Moore, a Hollywood expert in tax and corporate law, explained in a Forbes’ article that the sale of Despite the fact that NFTs are a worldwide phenomenon, Moore admitted that he considers them “a passing fad...” Schuyler M. Moore An Easy Guide to NFTs How to get started: • Select the IPs that can be sold as digital assets • Find a platform to create and sell NFTs (such as OpenSea, Axie, or Larva). The platform will first ask you to set up a cryptocurrency wallet (through Exodus or Coinbase, for instance). There are a variety of available cryptocurrencies, such as ETH (Ether), LTC (Litecoin), ADA (Cardano), and DOT (Polkadot). • The wallet — connected to the platform — stores crypto funds to pay for services and to receive payments. • The decentralized digital ledgers used to record transactions and store NFTs are the blockchains used by the platform (such as Ethereum or Polygon in the case of OpenSea). How to create art: • The creation of NFTs is called “minting” and is the process that transforms a digital file (like a JPEG, PNG or GIF, usually for a maximum of 100 MB) into a blockchain digital asset. The process requires the upload of the digital file onto the platform, choosing a name, writing up a description, linking the NFT to an external link that will give more details, and the number of copies that can be minted. • The NFT is authenticated by the blockchain and the authentication file is created. This authentication file is actually a link. How much does it cost to create and sell NFTs? • As of October 2021, NFT platforms are no longer charging creators for minting NFTs at the time of creation. Instead of storing data right after creation, NFTs are minted upon purchase. The buyer pays the gas fee (i.e., transaction fee) when buying the item. Platforms, however, charge a variety of registration, listing, cancellation, and conversion fees. • The platform allows sellers to sell at auctions or at fixed prices, and decides on royalty fees (as the original artist continues to earn a percentage of subsequent sales).
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