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 January 2022 - VOL. 42 NO. 1 - $9.75 TradeAd_VideoAge_FrontPage_SonOfACritch.indd 1 1/6/22 4:18 PM ???? (Continued on Page 30) Talent agents in Hollywood and around the world began to be appreciated again in 2015 following the debut of the French TV series Dix Pour Cent, (which translates as “10 Percent,” but is called Call My Agent! in the English version), which centers around the personal and business lives of talent agents. There is also a Turkish version of the series called Menajerimi Ara, and an Indian version titled Call My Agent Bollywood. But the nickname “10 percenters,” which refers to the commission that agents normally receive from their clients’ earnings, is generally not appreciated by most Streaming in Russia is aMatter of Rubles &Sense My 2¢: How streamers can beat studios at their own sales game Series Mania’s lineup of top TV execs bodes well for MIPTV Curtis LeGeyt, NAB’s new CEO, explains NAB’s spring show The City of Cannes wants the MIDEM music market Page 34 Page 16 Page 12 Page 8 In Russia, there are currently 11 major streaming platforms. But for the purposes of this report, VideoAge has selected three of those services: KinoPoisk, since it’s one of the top-rated; KION because of its visibility and entertaining presentation at MIPCOM in October by Alina Martyanova, KION’s head of International Distribution and Co-production; and LAVA, because of its news value. All three services also have the distinction of being known internationally due to their strong marketing presences. As for non-Russian streaming outlets, Netflix is the only foreign service that operates in the country, and it is distributed exclusively by NATPE Miami Cancels Its In-PersonMart (Continued on Page 22) The Age of the Agents, But Success Takes Time NATPE Miami 2022 has been quite the roller coaster. Exhibitors’ plans started in a relatively calm autumn that saw two successful in-person content markets take place, MIPCOM in Cannes and MIP Cancun in Mexico. Then came the Omicron variant, which exploded in December 2021 and disrupted the narrative. (Continued on Page 26) agents. In addition to a number of books about agents, the agents themselves started becoming more visible at trade shows in recent years, also due to the sheer amount of content required by streaming platforms. At the recent MIP Cancun TV market, three major talent agents
Streamers could take advantage of studios’ experience, while studios try to replicate streamers’ experiences, but neglect their own. Page 34 MAIN OFFICES 216 EAST 75TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10021 TEL: (212) 288-3933 WWW.VIDEOAGEINTERNATIONAL.COM WWW.VIDEOAGELATINO.COM P.O. BOX 25282 LOS ANGELES, CA 90025 VIALE ABRUZZI 30 20131 MILAN, ITALY EDITOR-in-CHIEF DOM SERAFINI EDITORIAL TEAM BILL BRIOUX (CANADA) ENZO CHIARULLO (ITALY) LEAH HOCHBAUM ROSNER (NY) SUSAN HORNIK (L.A.) CAROLINE INTERTAGLIA (FRANCE) OMAR MENDEZ (ARGENTINA) LUIS POLANCO (NY) MIKE REYNOLDS (L.A.) MARIA ZUPPELLO (BRAZIL) PUBLISHER MONICA GORGHETTO BUSINESS OFFICE LEN FINKEL LEGAL OFFICE STEVE SCHIFFMAN WEB MANAGER BRUNO MARRACINO DESIGN/LAYOUT CLAUDIO MATTIONI, CARMINE RASPAOLO VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL (ISSN 0278-5013 USPS 601-230) IS PUBLISHED SEVEN TIMES A YEAR,. PLUS DAILIES, BY TV TRADE MEDIA, INC. © TV TRADE MEDIA INC. 2022. THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT IN THE U.S., U.K., AND ALL COUNTRIES SIGNATORY TO THE BERNE CONVENTIO AND THE PAN-AMERICAN CONVENTION. SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL, 216 EAST 75TH STREET, SUITE 1W, NEW YORK, NY 10021, U.S.A. PURSUANT TO THE U.S. COPYRIGHTS ACT OF 1976, THE RIGHTS OF ALL CONTENT DONE ON ASSIGNMENT FOR ALL VIDEOAGE PUBLICATIONS ARE HELD BY THE PUBLISHER OF VIDEOAGE, WHICH COMMISSIONED THEM Cover Stories News The age of the agents, but success in TV and film takes time and money Streaming in Russia is a matter of rubles and sense NATPE Miami in the time of the Omicron surge 4. TV production figures in the U.S. 6. Malaysia fights illegal streaming. Plus: Traditional media on social media perils 8. The City of Cannes could take MIDEM from RX France 30. Streaming terminology, or a FAST understanding of EST 10. Book Review: A century of Black filmmaking 12. New NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt explains strategy for NAB’s spring show 16. Series Mania calls and ups the ante for 2022 edition 20. MIPTV Preview: Market positions to face industry’s challenges 24. Michael J. Solomon on how he got Here’s Lucy 28. Understanding the 3-3-10 packaging fees 32. Calendar of industry events and biz travel news Features
4 World V I D E O A G E January 2022 forced solutions. This had been taken by many as a sign that he could veto the bill. If he had signed the bill into law, it could have prompted a diplomatic crisis with the U.S., which has strongly criticized the legislation, as have other allies, including the U.K. and E.U. Theproposed lawwouldhave barred entities from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) from having a majority stake in Polish media, but the only major outlet that would be affected was the American TVN. PiS has, however, denied that the bill was directed against any company, and argues that it is necessary to prevent entities from places such as Russia and China from buying Polish media. PiS Party chairman Jarosław Kaczyński claimed that it would stop “narco-businesses” from buying outlets to “launder dirty money.” Supporters of the bill have also noted that Polish law already theoretically bans media ownership by entities from outside the EEA, and that Discovery has evaded this by owning TVN through a Dutch subsidiary. Film LA’s Production Figures Film LA, the official film office of the city and county of Los Angeles, just released its 15-page 2021 television report. During the 2020-2021 year, Film LA tracked a total of 331 TV series across three platforms — broadcast, cable and streaming—as shown in the chart below. The report also listed the top 10 filming locations in 2021 and compared them to the previous year, as illustrated in the “Jurisdiction” chart. A bill to restrict foreign ownership of Polish media was unexpectedly passed by parliament in December 2021, but vetoed by Poland’s president two weeks later. The proposed law is thought to be aimed at Poland’s largest private broadcaster — U.S.-owned TVN24, whose coverage is often critical of the Polish government. TVN24’s parent company, TVN Grupa Discovery, is owned by Discovery via a firm registered in the Netherlands in order to get around a ban on non-European firms owning more than 49 percent of Polish media companies. The legislation had been dormant since September 2021, after being rejected by the opposition-controlled Senate. But last month it was rapidly pushed through committee by the ruling national-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) before being passed in a vote by the lower house, where the Polish government has a majority. The bill had to be signed by Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, to become law. Duda, an ally of the Polish government, has previously said that takeovers of foreign-owned media groups should take place on market terms and not with NewMedia Law Tried to Ban TVN in Poland (Continued on Page 6) V I S ION F I LMS WELCOMES EVERYONE TO 2022 WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR! TO KICK IT OFF, HERE ARE SOME OF OUR LATEST RELEASES. PLEASE CONTACT US LISE ROMANOFF: LISE@VISIONFILMS.NET ROBBY AMAR: ROBBY@VISIONFILMS.NET ANDRES SANTOS: ASANTOS@SCREENBRIGHT.NET ADAM WRIGHT: ADAMWRIGHT@VISIONFILMS.NET PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE | WWW.VISIONFILMS.NET
6 World V I D E O A G E January 2022 (Continued from Page 4) This concept is not something new. In the My2¢ editorial of VideoAge’s May 2017 Issue it was reported that “In the U.K., Section 127 of the country’s Communications Act of 2003 makes it an offense to send a message of a menacing character over a public electronic communications network.” Despite the consumer media’s delay in acknowledging the threats that social media present to society, their newfound interest is nonetheless considered commendable. Malaysia Fights Illegal Streaming In December 2021, Malaysia’s Dewan Rakyat (the Malaysian House of Representatives) passed the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2021, which, among other things, will directly address the challenges of illegal streaming. How the amendment will be used remains to be seen, but the scope appears to be intentionally broad. The first section of the amendment deals with those who “commit or facilitate infringement” of copyright by manufacturing a streaming technology for sale or hire, importing a streaming technology, selling or letting for hire (including offering, exposing, or advertising for sale or hire), and/or possessing or distributing a streaming technology in the course of a business. It expands to include distributing or offering to the public an infringing streaming technology or service other than in the course of a business, to such an extent “as to affect prejudicially the owner of the copyright.” Anyone who contravenes these amendments will be guilty of an offense and upon conviction shall be liable to a fine of not less than 10,000 ringgit (U.S.$2,377), but not more than 200,000 ringgit (U.S.$47,545). In addition to the possibility of fines, there are also custodial sentences that could reach a 20year imprisonment sentence in the most serious of cases. In its May 2017 Issue, VideoAge sounded the alarm for the threats presented by social media, and offered solutions as to how to solve the problems in a front cover article. More than 53 months later, on October 30, The Wall Street Journal sounded the same alarm in a front page article in its “Review” section that continued inside on three additional full tabloid pages. One of the Journal’s most interesting articles, titled, “Social Media Should be Treated Like Broadcasting,” was written by Nicholas Carr, a visiting professor of Sociology at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Professor Carr reminded readers that U.S. laws define broadcasting as a privilege (not a right) and require radio and TV stations to operate in the public interest. Broadcasters that ignore this provision risk losing their licenses. Carr continued: “If we’re to solve today’s problem with social media, we first need to acknowledge that companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter are not technology companies, as they like to present themselves. They’re broadcasters.” Traditional Media On Social Media Peril (Continued on Page 8) JAN 2022 JUNIOR PAGE_ 7.284”x 9.055” VIDEO AGE JR. PAGE GRB Studios Genre: Paranormal Duration: 20 X 60’ www. g r b t v . c om l s a l e s@g r b t v. c om Genre: Lifestyle Duration: 32 X 30’ BOOT H 5 1 5 N A T P E M I A M I 2 0 2 2 T H E D E A D W A L K A M O N G U S EXECUT I VE PRODUCER NICK GROFF Genre: Docu-Series Duration: 9X 60’
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
8 World V I D E O A G E January 2022 (Continued from Page 6) April 1-6. No new dates have yet been set for MIDEM 2022 (originally set for June 7-10, 2022). In pre-COVID times Cannes hosted so many trade shows, conferences, festivals, and other events throughout the year that roughly 85 percent of the city’s annual revenues came from those events. Cannes Mayor David Lisnard suggested that in 2020 alone the city lost the euro equivalent of about $941 million. Therefore, if the City of Cannes ends up saving and then hosting the international music market, that will only serve to add to the city coffers, and be another aspect of its already impressive entertainment banner. Lest we forget, in October of 2019, Mayor Lisnard announced that the Palais des Festivals (last given an overhaul in 1979) would get an upgrade, along with a brand new theater, via his “Cannes on Air” plan, which would also see a multiplex (Cineum Cannes), a museum dedicated to the history of the Cannes Film Festival, as well as studios, production and postproduction facilities within a technology park that would also contain a university dedicated to film, TV, video games, and web content creation. At the time the whole venture was going to cost more than $550 million. Thus far, construction of the overall project has yet to be completed, including work in the Palais. In early January 2022, during a visit to Los Angeles, Lisnard, who is a big entertainment industry fan, confirmed that he will be serving his mandate until 2026, and added that he has recently been voted by a group of French mayors as the president of all of France’s mayors. (By Mike Reynolds in Los Angeles) Reed MIDEM organization recently joined forces with Reed Expositions France and changed its name to RX France; in the process, the company dropped the 55-year-old music industry event known as MIDEM, which was a surprise to people in all areas of the entertainment industry. ReedMIDEMhad put onmarkets for television andmusic for decades in Cannes (as well as markets and exhibitions in other countries and for other industries). However, the suggestion being put forth by pundits is that MIDEM, despite facing falling attendance over the last few years, will continue, likely under the stewardship of the City of Cannes, which would be running two shows: CannesSeries and MIDEM. RX France reassured executives that their pulling out of MIDEM would have no effect on their other Cannes events such as MIPTV and MIPCOM. The TV festival CannesSeries was started by the Cannes Municipality in 2018 to run in conjunction with MIPTV. Last year, however, it took place during MIPCOM in October. In 2022, CannesSeries will return in the spring, City of Cannes Could Take On MIDEMMart
10 Book Review V I D E O A G E January 2022 In 1914, the film director D.W. Griffith began work on a silent film that would address the aftermath of the Civil War in the American South. Released the following year, The Birth of a Nation would be hailed as a technical masterpiece, but its story would represent a terrible blemish on the history of many Americans. Ultimately, the film would be remembered for its racist depiction of Black Americans, who were played by white actors in blackface, and for its attempt to heroize the efforts of the Ku Klux Klan. The film was adapted from the play and novel The Clansman by Thomas Dixon, whose Southern family joined the Klan during the Reconstruction era. In the lead-up to the film, Dixon called on his old classmate and friend, President Woodrow Wilson, who then hosted a screening of The Birth of a Nation at the White House. Here is where writer Wil Haygood begins his latest book about a century of Black stories and lives in American cinematic history. Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World (464pgs., Knopf, 2021, U.S. $30) is anencyclopedic account of the ways that cinema has shaped the experience of Black Americans but also how Black filmmakers and talent have transformed the stories that are told in Hollywood. Of the U.S. release of The Birth of a Nation, Haygood reminds the public that Black Americans at the time revolted upon seeing the onscreen depictions, with many groups organizing protests against the film. “The Birth of a Nation was big business in America,” writes Haygood. “During its first theatrical run, the movie grossed between $50 million and $60 million. Men got rich; careers were indelibly made. The Birth of a Nation even helped change the dynamics of how America went to the movies! Theatre owners began keeping theatres open with longer hours.” Colorization inventories many such events across American cinema in the 20th century, events that run the gamut of emotions from joy to heartbreak to disappointment. Throughout the book, Haygood’s prowess as a storyteller and researcher is on display. Haygood, a former reporter for the Boston Globe and the Washington Post, has previously written eight books, including biographies of former Justice of the Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall, pastor and politician Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and professional boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, among others. His writing entered the world of film when his book The Butler: A Witness to History inspired the screenplay for Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which is loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen and his service in the White House. From the infamous screening of The Birth of a Nation, Haygood moves on to explore the life of writer and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, born in 1884 in Southern Illinois. The son of a former slave, Micheaux had a curious and imaginative mind that led him to work as a Pullman porter, which allowed him to see much of the country. In the early 20th century, he came to acquire land in South Dakota, where he lived as a homesteader. Micheaux recorded his life on the farm, and his romances and heartaches, in his work, writing novels that were in part autobiographical. Later on, he made films, adapting his novels and those of others for the screen, serving as director and producer on over 44 films in the early 20th century. “The wonder of it all is that the moviemaking life didn’t crush Oscar Micheaux,” writes Haygood. “He had come into Black filmmaking when it hardly existed, creating much of its origins and giving it ballast and a heartbeat. What D.W. Griffith had drilled into the minds of white America — that Blacks were untrustworthy and devoid of humanity — Oscar Micheaux tried to undo.” Haygood chronicles the cinematic contributions of many Black filmmakers and talent. He presents brief studies on the impacts of Theresa Harris, who starred alongside Barbara Stanwyck in the Warner Bros. drama Baby Face, and Hattie McDaniel, whose performance in the MGM historical romance Gone with the Wind led her to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Black performer to win an Academy Award. Elsewhere, Haygood touches on an abundance of writers, actors, filmmakers — everyone from Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte to Ava DuVernay and Spike Lee — as well as topics such as the Black maid trope and Blaxploitation films. Haygood closes Colorization with a meditation on the present moment by first looking at the past. He tells the story of the escaped slave known as Gordon, who would become memorialized in a photograph featured in Harper’s Weekly in 1863. One of the most famous pictures from the American Civil War period, the photograph was titled The Scourged Back, as it showed the crisscross scarring on Gordon’s back that he received while enslaved. (Gordon’s story would later be dramatized in the Will Smith-starring film Emancipation, which will be released on Apple TV+ later this year.) Colorization attests to the ills in American history and yet also foregrounds the innovation and daring storytelling from Black filmmakers and performers. Haygood has made a hefty contribution to the literature of Black life in film and entertainment. Writer Wil Haygood chronicles Black stories and lives throughout cinematic history in his latest book. A Century of Black Filmmaking: How Black Americans Have Transformed Film By Luis Polanco Colorization is an encyclopedic account of the ways that cinema has shaped the experience of Black Americans but also how Black filmmakers and talent have transformed the stories that are told in Hollywood.
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12 V I D E O A G E January 2022 Below, find a Q&A with Curtis J. LeGeyt, the newly appointed president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). The 98-year- old association represents more than 8,300 U.S.-based radio and TV stations, and is famous for staging two NAB Shows a year, one in Las Vegas in April, the other in New York City in October. On January 1, 2022, the 43-year-old LeGeyt replaced 70-year-old former Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith, who recently retired from his post as NAB president and CEO after 12 years. LeGeyt joined NAB in 2011 as SVP and legislative counsel and became the association’s COO in 2020. LeGeyt previously served as senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and in 2008 was part of Barack Obama’s campaign “Obama For America.” VideoAge sat downwithSmith for itsNovember/ December 2012 Issue (see photo on page 14), and now, 10 years later, it’s LeGeyt’s turn to answer a series of questions: VideoAge: What are some of the changes you’ve made to the NAB Show that will be held April 23-27 in Las Vegas since the last time it was held in person in 2019? Curtis LeGeyt: We are reimagining the NAB Show around three main pillars of the content lifecycle — “Create,” “Connect,” and “Capitalize.” Our show floor and programming will be organized around these three pillars, allowing attendees to elect the experience that is most closely aligned to their business focus. We believe these pillars better represent how content is conceived, developed, produced, distributed, and consumed in today’s world, and we have curated pathways to help NAB Show attendees navigate their areas of interest. “Create” will focus on all aspects of content creation, from pre-production to post. If you want to grow your skills as a storyteller or discover new technologies to elevate your work, this is the place for you. For example, in this area, a Show attendee could learn about cutting-edge production software or try out the latest cameras on the market, or even listen to discussions with preeminent craftsmen in their field. In the “Connect” destination, Show attendees will have the opportunity to explore the changing ways content is distributed and delivered. In a world where consumers can access media with the touch of a button — anytime and anywhere — understanding how to engage with audiences today and into the future is of significant interest to our Show community. “Capitalize” is where content meets commerce. With next-gen technologies changing the way content is consumed, new revenue streams are developing for broadcasters and the larger media industry. This destination will help attendees perfect their monetization strategies through exploration of issues such as audience measurement, the use of data and analytics, overthe-top platforms, and targeted content. The NAB Show experience has also been designed to guide attendees in an easy, accessible, and efficient way through these destinations. Within each of the three Show floor destinations, we are creating “Inspiration,” “Innovation,” and “Implementation” experiential zones. These zones will offer our community the opportunity to discover new ideas, technologies, practices, and products that will help them move ahead with their current and next project. Our conference programming will also be organized around Create, Connect, and Capitalize themes, and will include correlating networking opportunities to connect attendees with like-minded professionals. VA: On the exhibit floor, what new technological developments would be of interest to broadcasters? CLG: NAB Showwill be the best place for media executives and technologists to learn about how advances in computing power, networking, wireless technologies, and IP architectures are changing the business at both ends: from production to delivery. We have created a new destination, the “Intelligent Content” showcase, that explores the shift in focus to a more data-driven media ecosystem and how smart technology is being used to inform how content is concepted and created, is delivered and distributed, and is measured and monetized. Data, artificial intelligence and machinelearning are revolutionizing the future of content. Data utilization can be used to curate content or foster better engagement with audiences. AI can analyze audience behaviors, and inform better decision-making. Machine-learning can help accelerate production schedules and improve workflow efficiency. NAB Show will offer a platform for in-depth learning about this revolution, how it is influencing today’s media landscape and how it will affect the future of the content ecosystem. Broadcasters are also in the midst of the transition to NEXTGEN TV, with the new transmission standard now available in over 40 television markets across the country. There is tremendous opportunity for broadcasters to seize on this technology and provide cuttingedge audio and video innovations for audiences. A powerful feature of NEXTGEN TV is how it combines broadcast with broadband, and our New NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt Explains NAB’s In-Person Show NAB Show Preview Curtis J. LeGeyt, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters The new president and CEO talks about a reimagined NAB Show, the advantages and challenges of new technology for broadcasters, and more. (Continued on Page 14)
14 V I D E O A G E January 2022 We are also seeing rapid changes on a number of fronts and NAB Show will provide many learning opportunities for broadcasters to explore the evolving media ecosystem. With the future of our industry a combination of broadcasting and broadband, the deployment of 5G will certainly have an impact on how we create, deliver, and monetize our content. The COVID pandemic has also changed how people work, with more production work being done remotely. I am sure broadcasters are eager to explore the latest developments that are making out-of-theoffice work easier and more efficient. VA: What safety measures will there be at NAB Show? CLG: Our priority is ensuring a safe, healthy NAB Show for every employee, exhibitor, partner, and visitor who participates in our convention. We have consulted with global, national, and local public health officials to put together guidelines that we believe will achieve that goal, and we firmly believe our attendees can look forward to an NAB Show experience that meets their needs. We plan to require proof of full vaccination for all NAB Show participants, which already places us on the higher end for safety protocols, as well as instituting a touchless registration system while participants get their badges. Socially distanced seating will be in place in meeting rooms and floor theaters, and the Las Vegas Convention Center has also upgraded its facilities to provide greater ventilation. We are also increasing access to health care options for attendees and providing a free contact-tracing app to keep the Show community informed. NAB believes we have set a strong policy that will ensure a safe and healthy convention. We do know that much can change between now and NAB Show, so we are continuing to monitor conditions in case further action is required. Futures Park will feature several examples of how this combination can deliver amazing new experiences and opportunities. At NAB Show, broadcasters will also be able to learn from other broadcasters about making the transition, the ways they are utilizing the standard, and how audiences are responding. VA: What issues facing broadcasters do you think will be addressed at NAB Show? CLG: A major focus will be the role of the Big Tech companies both as partners and competitors to local broadcasters. We know that these tech giants can be important partners for broadcasters, especially when it comes to the technological developments that helpus innovate. However,we are concernedabout the enormous competitive advantage tech giants wield over broadcasters when it comes to the local advertising marketplace. Additionally, these tech platforms serve as gatekeepers when we post content online, determining who can see it and how we can monetize it. We need the opportunity to fairly compete with these tech platforms — whether that is through legislative and regulatory solutions or business developments found on the Show floor. (Continued From Page 12) VideoAge’s Dom Serafini with NAB’s former president, senator Gordon Smith (l.) NAB Show Preview www.videoageinternational.net/topics/watercooler/ VideoAge’s Twice-a-Week Water Cooler: The Industry’s Digital Feature Companion
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16 V I D E O A G E January 2022 SeriesMania, amulti-level TVevent that has taken place in Lille, France since 2018 — after first taking place in Paris for eight years — made a spectacular return to in-person programming in summer of 2021. Held in late August and early September 2021, the festival saw more than 54,000 spectators. There were also over 20,000 participants who took part in workshops and other programming. In addition, Series Mania Forum, the industry arm of the festival, embraced 2,500 professionals, with 400 online participants, representing 66 countries around the world. This year, Series Mania plans to up the ante by following up its most recent gathering first with a return in the spring for the 2022 edition, and second with another in-person event. The festival will take place March 18-25, 2022. The dates were announced soon after the successful run of the in-person festival by Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Paris, Francebased Series Mania. The plans are also viewed as a good prelude to MIP-TV, the market scheduled in the South of France 10 days later on April 4-6, 2022. As usual, the festival will feature an official selection of series in a number of categories, including the International Competition, the French Competition, and the International Panorama, among others. In 2021, the grand prize in the International Competition went to the Icelandic series Blackport, with Best Actress going to Marie Reuther of Kamikaze and Best Actor going to an ensemble including Itamar Rotschild, Orr Amrami, and Shmuel Vilozni from The Echo of Your Voice. The call for entries for the official selection lasted until January 6, 2022. Series Mania Forum, which will be held March 22-24, will once again see a new round of pitching sessions, panel talks, and exclusive screenings, as well as masterclasses with industry talent and leaders. The Co-Pro Pitching Sessions will showcase series projects, which in the past have included series such as the psychological thriller The Head and the Hulu war drama No Man’s Land. The winner of the Pitching Sessions is awarded a prize of 50,000 euros. Additionally, the three-day agenda of the market portion of the festival offers networking opportunities for professionals both in Lille and online. Series Mania Forum also supports the work of developing screenwriters and producers through several initiatives. Participants of the Writers Campus, an immersive writing workshop for fledgling TV drama writers, will be spotlighted in a final showcase held during the Forum so that said writers can pitch their projects to professionals in a pitching session. Similarly, writing duos from the Drama Series Co-Writing Residency Israel – France will be given the chance to pitch their projects, as well. The Forum is one of Series Mania’s sections favored by producers, development executives, talent agents, and showrunners. One of the more recent writing residencies is the DEENTAL (meaning “together” in Peul, the French word for the language spoken in West and Central Africa) Series Workshop, aimed at talent rising from African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. The initiative was launched jointly by Series Mania, FESPACO (the Pan-African Film and TV Festival of Ouagadougou), and the DEENTAL-ACP program, organized by the CNC, with financial support from the European Union. International industry decision-makers and shaker-uppers will convene for Lille Dialogues on March 24. The one-day summit is a propitious symposium that brings together European lawmakers and international TV bigwigs to reflect on the changing landscape and promote international cooperation in the sector. (By Luis Polanco) Series Mania Calls And Ups The Ante For 2022 Edition Fest ival Preview Audra McDonald and husband Will Swenson were among the stars on the red carpet last year. Public screenings and public events to meet with the stars are also on the program again. The 2022 edition will once again see a new round of pitching sessions, panel talks and masterclasses. A preview of things to come in Lille, in the North of France, that also bodes well for MIP-TV, to be held 10 days later in Cannes, in the South of France Revisiting 2021 Festival Winners Series Mania celebrated its award winners at a closing ceremony on September 2, 2021. The grand prize of the International Competition went to Blackport, an Icelandic thriller sold internationally by About Premium Content. Marie Reuther won Best Actress for her role in the Danish drama Kamikaze, distributed by WarnerMedia International TV Distribution. The Best Actor honor went to an ensemble consisting of Itamar Rotschild, Orr Amrami, and Shmuel Vilozni for their roles in the musical drama The Echo of Your Voice for Israeli broadcaster KAN. In the International Panorama track, The Last Socialist Artefact was recognized as the Best Series. The Croatian drama was originally pitched at Series Mania Forum’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. Distribution is overseen by HRT and Pro Plus. The Special Jury Prize went to Colombian drama Vida de Colores, distributed by Garabato Cine. The Best Series – Student Award was presented to We Are Lady Parts, an irreverent comedy for which NBCUniversal Global Distribution oversees international sales. French Competition winners included Jeune et Golri as Best Series. LS Distribution and Mediawan handle international sales for the romantic-comedy series. Ariane Labed was honored with the Best Actress award for her role in L’Opéra, a drama distributed by Newen Connect. Best Actor went to Daniel Njo Lobé for The Code, broadcast on France 2.
INTERNACIONAL SALES
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20 V I D E O A G E January 2022 Road to MIPTV MIPTV is coming back to earth! After two years in cyberspace, with two virtual events in 2020 and 2021, the veteran TV trade market will land in Cannes for its 59th incarnation, to be held April 4-6, 2022. After a successful in-person MIPCOM in October, and MIP Cancun the following month, MIPTV organizers, RX France (formerly Reed MIDEM), have learned how to protect participants from a sanitary perspective. In addition, previous in-person TV trade event Series Mania (to be held 10 days earlier, see story on page 16) will have contributed to build the confidence necessary for participants to return to a “normal” attendance, albeit with necessary COVID precautions in place. And it is believed that an in-person MIPTV will also generate interest for the much larger NAB Show, to be held April 23-27 in Las Vegas, the same venue of CES, the influential consumer tech show, which opened its doors to in-person participants on January 5-7. In terms of this upcoming MIPTV, attendees should expect a new exhibit floor plan with the co-location of Esports BAR — the international esports arena — and four concurrent events: MIPDoc, MIPFormats, MIP- Drama, and KIDS Content. Plus, an International Format Awards is set for Tuesday, April 5. Visibly missing is MIP Sports, but Lucy Smith, RX France’s director of MIPTV and MIPCOM, explained that the company “may address sports in a bigger way in the future.” Then there is the much-vaunted OneMIP online project, which in early January 2022 was still in Beta format. OneMIP was announced by RX France on October 12, 2021 and launched on December 5. It is designed to run year-round and integrates MIPTV, MIP China (June 28-July 1, 2022, virtual), MIP Africa (August 24-26, 2022, Cape Town, South Africa), MIPCOM (October 17-20, 2022), and MIP Cancun (November 1518, 2022) onto one portal, to connect the largest global TV industry community of professionals. The project includes a collaboration with the Petit Lancey, Switzerland-based The WIT, which indicates World Information Tracking of programming trends. Ted Baracos, who recently left RX after 24 years at the trade show organization and who was originally part of the OneMIP project, described the service as “the ability to connect year-round within the industry’s biggest database to see who is registered for MIP markets, and maintain a single user profile and login for MIP markets.” Commented Virginia Mouseler, The WIT’s CEO: “OneMIP gives The WIT an opportunity to keep in touch with the market vibe, generate new relationships, provide updates on trends and offer new points of view on content. For us OneMIP could become the missing link between the services we provide 24/7 to The WIT subscribers and the exclusive Fresh TV sessions we do at MIPCOM and MIPTV.” As for the “new exhibit floor plan,” RX France’s Smith “expects it to be similar to, but bigger than the one at MIPCOM [2021]. All main exhibition halls will be used (Palais 3, 4, and 5, and Riviera 7 and 8), and there will be more flexible meeting spaces.” In terms of celebrations, in addition to the Format Awards, Smith added the MIP SDG Awards (in partnership with the United Nations), the Variety International Achievement Awards, and the regular Opening Night Party. The MIPDrama showcase will take place on April 3 in the Palais’ Debussy Theatre. The seventh edition of the annual event offers an exclusive preview of upcoming drama series for international buyers and commissioners of broadcasting networks and VoD platforms. The showcase will feature up to 12 programs, with the deadline for submissions set for February 4. Hosted by French multi-hyphenate Joséphine Draï, last year’s online MIPDrama edition included Italy’s RAI thriller Don’t Leave Me (distributed by Federation Entertainment), Canada’s CBC comedy-drama Feudal (distributed by Entertainment One), and the U.S.’s Acorn TV crime series Whitstable Pearl (distributed by Cineflix Rights). The 2022 edition of MIPTV has been reformatted to a three-day schedule, with MIPDoc and MIPFormats rolled in. (The two events were previously held the weekend before the market.) Both events will feature pitching sessions. The MIPDoc Project Pitch highlights documentary and factual projects for their original storytelling, innovation, and worldwide appeal, and the MIPFormats International Pitch foregrounds new non-scripted entertainment formats. Deadlines for both pitching sessions is February 22. MIPTV Takes Variants By The Horns, Positions to Face Industry’s Challenges MIPTV 2022’s exhibit f loor plan will be similar to, but bigger than the one set up at MIPCOM 2021. After two years of virtual editions, MIPTV returns to the Palais des Festivals for in-person business and festivities
V I D E O A G E January 2022 22 NATPE Miami Cancels Mart Cracks in the idea of holding an in-person event became clear on January 6, when ViacomCBS canceled its party and Univision called off its breakfast presentation. Pressure to postpone had started even earlier, when reps from MGM announced that they wouldn’t be attending NATPE after all, and participants admitted to increasing concerns about the large number of people infected by the Omicron variant. Additionally, most Miami hotels don’t enforce an indoor mask mandate. At this now-nixed edition, NATPE CEO JP Bommel was expected to announce that next year, NATPE might move move to a new venue, possibly in the Bahamas (with the apparent blessing of all the major U.S. studios). In consideration, among other venues, is the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, a complex in Nassau with 1,800 sleeping rooms. However, in early January, the event coordinator at the Baha Mar was “unable to confirm the status of the group,” and NATPE officials were tight-lipped on specifics. In the view of the Miami, Florida-based Dianne Bissoon, who launched the Lime TV service in 16 Caribbean islands in 2019 for her company, the Bahamas-based Cable and Wireless, “the Grand Hyatt [in the zone called] Baha Mar is a perfect place for conventions.” It has also been pointed out that the Bahamas have the same U.S. telephone country code and are in the same time zone as Miami. A basic room at the Hyatt is 400 Bahamian dollars, which are at par with the U.S. dollar. The Hyatt is a 15-minute taxi ride from the Lynden Pindling International Airport, the country’s largest airport, which offers direct flights to and from the U.S. (with nine airlines operating out of 20 cities, including a one-hour flight from Miami), Canada (with three airlines out of five cities), and London. An informal survey among participating companies had revealed a sustained support for the January 2022 market. These interviews were conducted when NATPE Miami was still on schedule and will therefore need to be considered under the new circumstances. Alexis Rouse of NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, said that her company was “planning to attend NATPE in person in some capacity.” Definitely looking forward to an in-person NATPE was Chevonne O’Shaughnessy, cofounder and president of American Cinema International, who planned on going to Florida for the event, “I’m not a fan of virtual, this is a face-to-face business,” she said. O’Shaughnessy intended to look at how streaming services, which have been known to throw buckets of cash at projects, would conduct business at the event. She, like several others, believes “that the spending bubble will burst soon.” Kristen Bedno, vice president of Distribution and Marketing at Vision Films, reflected on the fact that “the markets we’ve attended in person recently, including MIP Cancun and Cannes, have been well-managed with COVID policies in place. We’re grateful for the safety precautions, which allow us to participate ‘normally’ in our business.” While COVID mainly prevented in-person events and meetings, Vision has “enjoyed spending more time on Zoom calls with our global clients during the pandemic,” according to Bedno, “and will continue to do so in future.” Those Zoom calls since the pandemic began have seen that “our business and relationships have grown stronger than ever over the last two years,” she said. Despite that success, Bedno suggested that “it’s always best to share an in-person meal and a laugh with our long-time friends and clients, so we’re grateful to be able to meet in January — and at the upcoming markets — provided safety protocols are always enforced.” “First and foremost, we’re thrilled to be able to see everyone in person again!” said Melissa Wohl, SVP and head of Sales at New York-based FilmRise before the event’s cancellation. “Our goal is to continue to significantly grow our content offerings and expand our reach around the world.” The excitement was shared by Vision Films’ managing director and CEO Lise Romanoff: “I cannot wait to attend NATPE Miami and my schedule is almost booked solid already with U.S. broadcasters and VoD platforms,” Romanoff said at the time. Regarding the anticipation for an in-person NATPE, Lisa Kramer, president of International TV Licensing, ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group, remarked: “As ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group’s first major in-person market since the pandemic started, we can’t wait to introduce our clients to ViacomCBS’ upcoming slate of world-class content.” Ivan Sanchez, Sales director of Latin America for Global Agency, said that “our projection for 2022 is very optimistic. At NATPE we will be presenting one of our new titles, The Game of My Destiny. Furthermore, our impression after the return to the markets is that TV channels are no longer looking only for ready-mades but that many of them are also open to the production of new projects. That is why we believe that 2022 may become a successful year for our formats in Latin America.” “We are solidifying our position as one of the leading independent TV production and distribution companies,” commented Sonia Mehandjiyska, head of International Distribution at Electric Entertainment. “We are launching a new sci-fi TV series, The Ark, and announcing the renewals of Leverage: Redemption and Almost Paradise. Gavin Reardon, International Sales & CoProductions executive at Incendo, said, “Our expectation is that this will be a much smaller NATPE Miami, but we’re eager to reconnect with our Latin American clients and all the domestic buyers in attendance.” For some attendees, the last market they attended was MIP Cancun, which was a success for its in-person meetings. According to Vision Films’ Romanoff, “there was a really good turnout at MIP Cancun and therefore, I was able to do a lot of business there, but it was mostly Latin America and the United States.” “Things have changed a lot since MIP Cancun,” said Mehandjiyska in what proved to be a prescient interview. “With the Omicron variant so rampant, there is now an uncertainty about NATPE Miami. Our main concern is how the pandemic will affect attendance.” Kramer said, “Every opportunity to gather our team and talk about our top-notch programming is a win for us. In-person gatherings and markets are a huge part of the DNA of our industry.” Global Agency’s Sanchez added, “We, as everyone else in the industry, were looking forward to attending face-to-face markets after such a long break. Both MIPCOM and MIP Cancun were very positive experiences for both buyers and sellers, and hopefully everything will go the same way in Miami.” Concerns for the market primarily have to do with how the ongoing pandemic will affect business and attendance. Wohl said, “I’m sure we share the same concern as everyone else, which is our hope that the market be a safe one for all who attend.” “Unfortunately, recently we have all seen many countries that had to implement restrictions due to the growth of the number of cases,” said Sanchez. “Considering these circumstances, we hope that it will not affect us too much and the market can be carried out as normally as possible.” “In the recurring theme of the past two years, we hope that the Omicron and Delta variants do not prevent our ability to gather at NATPE,” said Kramer. “We have gone to extraordinary efforts to ensure that our meeting environment and gatherings are COVID-safe.” Buyers felt similarly. Said Reardon: “Anyone I’ve spoken to who’s not attending has told me it’s either due to a corporate guideline prohibiting travel, or their own personal concern over the newest outbreak.” (Continued from Cover)
24 V I D E O A G E January 2022 Being the Ricardos is a movie produced by Amazon Studios that had a limited theatrical release during December, and stars Australian Nicole Kidman and Spanish Javier Bardem as American Lucille Ball (playing Lucy Ricardo) and Cuban Desi Arnaz (playing Ricky Ricardo). The movie, which is available on Amazon Prime, revolves around one of the 180 episodes of the TV series I Love Lucy that ran on the CBS TV network from 1951 to 1957. Ball and Arnaz married in 1940 and divorced in 1960. The careers of two prominent international television executives evolved around Lucille Ball (1911-1989): Australian Bruce Gordon and American Michael Jay Solomon. Gordon’s career began in Sydney in 1962 as the head of Sales for Desilu Studios’ produced content in Australia and Asia. Desilu Studios was the production company created in 1950 by the husband and wife team of Ball and Arnaz (19171986) that produced the I Love Lucy shows, as well as many others. Solomon’s career began in 1957 atUnitedArtists. In 1964, he moved to MCA (now NBCUniversal). In 1978, he co-founded Telepictures. In 1989, he became president of Lorimar Telepictures. And four years later, he was tapped as president of Warner Bros. International Television, a position he held until 1995. He’s now chairman of Solomon International Enterprises. In 1974, Gordon became president of Paramount International Television, a position he held until 1997. He’s now chairman of WIN TV network in Australia. In addition to I Love Lucy, Ball was involved with and starred in two other TV comedy series: The Lucy Show, which produced 156 episodes for CBS between 1962 and 1968, and Here’s Lucy, which had 144 episodes (24 of them in color), also for CBS, between 1968 and 1974. Here’s Lucy was produced by Lucille Ball Productions since Desilu had been sold to Paramount in 1967 by Ball, who had acquired Arnaz’s shares in Desilu in 1962 (and thus became the first woman to run a major TV studio). Recalls Solomon: “It took me almost a year to get her lawyer, Mickey Rudin, to make this deal. We put up a guarantee of $3 million, and after three years returned to Lucy $8 million. That helped enormously the great reputation that Telepictures had in the industry.” Solomon also explained that Telepictures acquired worldwide rights to Here’s Lucy, and that the sitcom wasn’t on the market. According to historical accounts, Here’s Lucy was not offered in syndication because there were two other Lucy-related shows already in syndication: I Love Lucy, distributed by Viacom, and The Lucy Show distributed by Paramount. In order to film I Love Lucy in Los Angeles (in 1951 all TV shows were shot in New York City), and use film(instead of the low-quality kinescope recording), Ball and Arnaz decided to contribute to the production costs in exchange for owning the IP of the show, which in 1957 was sold to CBS. To secure the rights to Here’s Lucy, Telepictures execs had to do a lot of convincing. Solomon recalls that famous financier Mike Milken, who was their partner, introduced them to a law firm, which in turn got them in touch with Rudin, who visited Solomon and his partners in their New York City offices in 1981. Solomon added that, even though he and his partner, Michael Garin, negotiated with Rudin, they did not meet Ball. But, he said, “our syndication guys [headed by Dick Robertson] did.” Rudin (1920-1999) served as Ball’s lawyer for 25 years. He practically invented the role of the entertainment lawyer, and also represented other Hollywood stars, including Frank Sinatra, Liz Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe. Today, the first two series are licensed by ViacomCBS, while the third one (Here’s Lucy) was distributed byWarnerMedia. There are also other distributors in the picture, like MPI Media Group from Illinois, and Paul Brownstein Productions in Los Angeles. Neither, however, replied to our inquiry for a comment. Also, contacting the Lucy Desi Museum in Jamestown, N.Y. (Lucy’s hometown) in an attempt to clear up the IP rights’ ownership question failed to yield any results. According to Dixon Q. Dern, who represents Lucie Arnaz (Lucy’s daughter), all licenses for Here’s Lucy have expired and thus returned to Lucille Ball Productions, which is owned by Lucy Arnaz. Michael Jay Solomon on How He Got Here’s Lucy Television History Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in front of the entrance gate to their Desilu Studios Michael J. Solomon with his Italian wife, former movie actress Luciana Paluzzi Solomon The American international television executive offers insight about the licensing rights to series spotlighting the iconic comedic actress Lucille Ball
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