As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of immersion in the ever-evolving world of digital entertainment, I can’t help but draw parallels between the gaming industry and the film and TV sector, as evidenced by this insightful article about Fremantle‘s growth.
Discussions about the rising popularity of mainstream TV shows and the expansion of Fremantle’s film industry, fueled by productions like Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer” featuring Daniel Craig, Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Maria” starring Angelina Jolie, were central themes during a debate among executives from this production powerhouse in Madrid on the second day of the fourth Iberseries & Platino Industria event.
Seb Shorr (Chief Creative Officer for Global Drama) from Fremantle U.K., Olivia Sleiter (Head of Production for Global Drama) from Fremantle Italy, and Manuel Martí (Head of Scripted Development) from Fremantle México participated in a highlighted discussion session.
As a gamer, I’m buzzing about our flourishing film business, currently at 17 projects! It’s a blend of movies for the big screen and TV series. To name a few, Element Pictures, a significant part of our portfolio, has collaborated with Yorgos Lanthimos and is now capturing his next masterpiece on camera.
Shorr expressed to the crowd: “For quite some time, we’ve dabbled in filmmaking, but lately, we’re keen on making it a significant aspect of what we offer… and a key driver for our operations.
He also addressed the current difficulties in the sector. “The market has been challenged and is challenged, and we’ve had, almost in every territory, the sort of perfect storm of production costs continue to go up, broadcasters are struggling and not putting what they would invest up,” he explained. “It has become more challenging to put the financing together on the series. That’s sort of a structural financing challenge that we’re seeing. At the same time, a lot of the buyers move towards what we would call mainstream, or a push for mainstream, mainstream, mainstream, and away a little bit from some of the prestige genres that, particularly the streamers, have been chasing in the last few years.”
Martí emphasized that while aiming for mainstream content, producers and networks don’t have to simplify everything uniformly, but rather, they can enrich their productions by adding depth and complexity.
Short also discussed the implications for Fremantle and other production companies. “The task for all of us producers is to find the appropriate solution to meet market demands, while addressing the difficult financial situations required to produce shows that are profitable for broadcasters. Simultaneously, they aim to make a profit.” He concluded: “Broadcasters are trying to reduce their budgets in almost every territory. This trend towards co-production could increase significantly, as it has not been prevalent in recent years. I believe this will continue to be the dominant trend.
Martin Freeman’s series, “The Responder,” is a show we’re particularly proud of, but it’s also an intriguing case, according to Shorr. The success of the show was built on a substantial U.S. sale that we made. However, if the series were being produced today, things might look different. If we were remaking “The Responder,” we would probably aim for lower costs because there seems to be less demand for it internationally due to changes in the market. We financed the show ourselves initially through the BBC and then waited for a U.S. sale. But I don’t believe we would follow that approach now, given the current market challenges.
The Fremantle team also spoke about the Italian series “Costiera,” starring a former marine with half-Italian roots who revisits his childhood land and tackles issues within one of the world’s most lavish hotels. They stated, “This is the program we created for Amazon in Italy,” which was allegedly the first instance where Amazon in Italy employed the co-production model. They collaborated with Italy, France, and Spain, while keeping the rest of the rights to distribute it globally.
Eventually, Amazon became quite fond of it and expanded its reach even further. “The series has widespread appeal,” Shorr remarked. “It’s been selling exceptionally well. And interestingly, for this one, we’ve managed to sell numerous territories to Amazon that they hadn’t initially acquired, as Amazon was so enthused about the show.
Shorr expressed optimism regarding improvements in the market within the next one to two years, as per the expectations of Fremantle’s leadership.
Sleiter recently discussed Fremantle’s stance on artificial intelligence. “Regarding AI, we’ve formed dedicated teams to ensure we can benefit from its capabilities rather than being impacted by it,” she said. “We are committed to safeguarding our talent while still embracing this technology. We will establish focus groups, and we aim to keep everyone informed about the experiments we undertake, sharing insights across all departments and labels.
She emphasized that AI isn’t exclusive to specialists alone; instead, it’s a resource open to everyone. It’s crucial that we all learn how to utilize it effectively and responsibly.
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2024-10-02 13:54