MIPCOM CANNES brings together the most influential buyers, commissioners, producers, development executives and distributors from the global kids TV industry. Early day-three sessions included the International Mentoring & Networking Breakfast for Women in Entertainment, organised in partnership with MediaClub’Elles
‘A very authentic moment of sisterhood’
The International Mentoring & Networking Breakfast for Women in Entertainment, launched more than six years ago by médiaclub’elles together with the MIP Markets, is a popular event that sees established women professionals provide tips and tools to help younger executives advance their careers.
Seated around breakfast tables, mentors are encouraged to lead and guide debates, either by drawing from personal experiences or responding to specific requests from mentees. Each mentor is free to choose and discuss the issues that have impacted her.
President of médiaclub’elles, Florence Sandis, described the session as “a very authentic moment of sisterhood, which often leads to lasting relationships”. One participant, Sarah Chanderia, owner and president of Oslo-based Hacate Entertainment Group and a regular at the Breakfast, said the event not only serves as a forum where women can share their hopes and concerns for the industry, but also paints a useful international picture for participants.
“It’s amazing what you can learn the breakfast,” Chanderia said. “You can go in with preconceived ideas about a particular country or territory only to find people’s experiences different from what you expected them to be. There are countries where you would presume there are particular problems and you learn that in fact they’re more liberated than you thought.” She added: “It’s always a worthwhile event to attend.”
Wolk calls for ‘more data-sharing between media companies’
For the final day of the Innovation Lab, the focus switched to the CTV (connected TV) Summit. Setting up the session, Alan Wolk, co-founder/lead analyst, TVREV, provided a deep dive into the state of connected TV.
In a data-backed analysis, Wolk identified six key things that delegates “need to know right now”. Picking up on a theme explored this week by industry analyst Evan Shapiro, he kicked off by calling for more data-sharing between media companies: “Other media companies are not the enemy,” he said, “Amazon, Meta and Google are.”
Other key themes that Wolk identified included a growing issue with churn and an industry shift back towards rebundling – what he called “the great rebundling”.
One intriguing trend noted by Wolk is the shift towards ad-supported streaming, as audiences look to cut their outlay on subscription-based TV. He noted that Amazon has stolen a march on the market by switching its general subscription tier to ad supported, then inviting customers to pay a bit extra to return to ad-free.
The growing importance of TV operating systems (OS) was another theme that is likely to have an impact on the CTV landscape, Wolk said, with big tech, TV manufacturers and white-label firms all vying for a share of the TV interface market.
He rounded off by saying that “GenAI is changing everything, with improvements in recommendation and discovery an obvious area where it will have an impact.”
The CTV Summit’s presenting sponsor was Samsung TV Plus, and the conference partner was Wurl. Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES News ahead of the market, Keith Bedford, general manager EMEA, Wurl, said: “Globally, the evolution of connected TV is in different stages depending on where you look. In Europe, the abundance of free-to-air viewing differentiates the region’s FAST growth as compared to other parts of the world, like the US. As we all move the market forward, taking a broader look at these nuances under the umbrella of CTV allows us to consider the challenges and opportunities of the many different approaches to delivering TV over the internet.”
‘Books a more popular source of ideas than scripted formats’
As always, the Grand Auditorium was packed with MIPCOM CANNES delegates for Fresh TV Fiction, the Wednesday showcase of new scripted shows curated and delivered by research consultancy The WIT.
The WIT CEO Virginia Mouseler started the session with a clip from Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story. She used this to illustrate the point that so many new series are based around true-crime events. She then amplified the point with a clip from The Hunt, a true-crime drama from Viaplay in the Netherlands – which explored murder and rape against the backdrop of prejudice towards immigrants.
Mouseler then looked at futuristic dystopic titles, including The Best Immigrant (Caviar TV, Belgium) and Families Like Ours (StudioCanal, Denmark). The latter show imagines all of the population of Denmark being told to evacuate because of rising sea levels. One interesting title in this genre was Descent, a madcap 5 x 10 mins comedy sci-fi series which is available via YouTube channel Grouse House.
Other titles with near-future dystopic themes included Atresmedia Spain’s Sanctuary, which sees pregnant women confined to a massive dome to protect their unborn babies from pollution; and Federation’s Curfew, in which men are locked up overnight to reduce the risk of violence against women. But then a woman is murdered at night…
Mouseler shared some research showing that books are still a much more popular source of ideas for shows than scripted formats. Examples of each that she showcased in her session were: Joan, All3Media International’s story of a jewel thief; and Leyla, a Turkish show based on Brazilian hit series Avenida Brasil.
JC Acosta and team outline ambitious plans for Mediapro
JC Acosta, head of The Mediapro Studio US & Canada, brought a star-studded line up of industry guests to the MIPCOM CANNES stage to help him outline the Spanish media giant’s ambitious plans for expansion into English-language content.
Ahead of his talk, The Mediapro Studio CEO Laura Fernández Espeso provided her own insights, saying that the Spanish media giant is “fully committed” to producing english-language content. “With our new HQ in LA and our existing offices in Miami and New York, we will be able to expand on our production and distribution of scripted, documentary and general entertainment. Our approach will align with initiatives in other territories, where we focus on creativity, talent, relevance and diversity.”
Picking up the story, Acosta said the new US & Canada division will “push boundaries and take risks. We have several competitive advantages including our global studio infrastructure, our library and our amazing distribution team.”
Key projects revealed included Witness 36, which tells the story of a woman who creates witness-protection identities. Her life changes when she goes into a bar and meets a man whose identity she created. Showrunner Evan Katz said he was attracted because “the premise is fantastic. It has big stakes but is very personal.”
Other projects include an adaptation of Juan Jose Campanella’s movie Son Of The Bride and a Ran Tellem project called I Love The Prime Minister. There will also be a movie about schizophrenia directed by and starring screen legend John Turturro and an adaptation of long-running Spanish entertainment series Catch Me If You Can.
Trump: ‘He is a mirage that was created by reality TV’
With two weeks to go until the US Presidential election, MIPCOM CANNES delegates were given an insight into the impact reality TV has had on the mind of former President and 2024 candidate Donald Trump.
In a Media Mastermind Keynote, Ramin Setoodeh, Variety co-editor in chief and the author of Apprentice In Wonderland: How Donald Trump And Mark Burnett Took America Through The Looking Glass, explained how Trump’s tenure as host of The Apprentice shaped his approach to politics.
“The idea of Donald Trump the mogul was created on the show. Until The Apprentice he wasn’t really known in middle America. He was a New York celebrity who popped up in cameos on Home Alone and loved playing golf. After The Apprentice he became a folk hero for blue-collar workers because he had this no-nonsense style about him. But this was created in the editing room by Mark Burnett. What is so fascinating about Donald Trump is that he is a mirage that was created by reality TV.”
Setoodeh interviewed Trump in his early 20s as a reporter at Newsweek, and then secured six on-the-record interviews with him post-Presidency. During the session he played some previously unheard audio clips and shared an anecdote that Trump had thought about running against Barack Obama, but was talked out of it by Mark Burnett.
“What I learned in spending all this time with Donald Trump is that he hadn’t changed really at all as a person, in terms of wanting to get publicity. He wanted attention. He was thinking about celebrities and really wanted to be a star. He’s a reality TV star, not a politician. And he sees the entire landscape of the White House, of the political world, as a reality TV set where you get drama and ratings.”
The seventh Wisdom in China Original Formats Showcase
On Wednesday the seventh Wisdom in China Original Formats Showcase took place at MIPCOM 2024, spotlighting China’s innovative contributions to global entertainment formats. Moderated by Zhang Jinchao, consultant at iFormats, the session brought together industry leaders from various sectors, including formats, animation, and drama, to introduce new programmes available for international adaptation.
The event kicked off with opening remarks by John Viet Park from Vietnam’s Dong Tay Production, who highlighted their acquisition of iFormats’ programme Singing With Legends. The panel featured Zhao Xiaotong, a contestant on Blue Sky Media Group’s popular new format New Farmer, and Mia Gu, Business Manager at Dragon TV, who showcased their new musical-themed format The City of Musicals. Fred Gao, representing Tencent Video, presented the new hit animation series The Blades of the Guardians, while Daniel Zhang, business director at iFormats, provided insights into their successful crime thriller Regeneration as well as sci-fi thriller The Heart of Genius.
The showcase highlighted China’s growing presence in the global entertainment industry, with a focus on formats that can resonate with audiences worldwide.
MIP London ‘is about more content, more deals…more networking’
At her end-of-market address to the press, director of MIPCOM CANNES and MIP LONDON, Lucy Smith, announced that just over 10,500 delegates from 110 countries attended the 40th anniversary edition of the International Co-Production and Content Market in Cannes, including an increased number of exhibitors and countries represented.
The total number of 10,500 delegates includes 3,240 buyers, with most hailing from the US, followed by the UK, France, Germany and Spain. Some 110 countries were represented at the market overall, an increase from the 100 that were present in 2023.
“As the definitive once-a-year week where the whole global industry convenes, MIPCOM CANNES has proved again to be unique and unmissable,” she said. “The feeling has been one of optimism, and the intense volume and concentration of activity in Cannes can only be a benefit and a boost for the whole industry internationally.”
Figures released on the penultimate day of the market showed 347 companies exhibiting in and around the Palais des Festivals in 2024, up from 320 year on year. These included 34 country pavilions, 10 of which were new for 2024 including Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria and Qatar.
A total of 73 companies made their debut with stands at this year’s market, many from tech-led sectors which were based in the newly expanded MIP Innovation Lab which hosted a full programme including FAST and AVOD, AI, Streamer and Connected TV summits, networking events and demonstrations.
“The MIP Innovation Lab we built this year was a big investment,” she said, “but we wanted to place the tech-led areas shaping the future of the industry at the heart of the market, and help get the more traditional companies up to speed.”
She added that “Spain’s Country Of Honour has caught a wave. Yes, it’s a fitting recognition for such a cultural powerhouse and production hub as Spain, and recognises its growth in recent years.”
Looking ahead, February next year sees the inaugural MIP London, which is “is about more content, more deals…more networking. It is an all-new, multi-genre international content and networking marketplace, just off the Strand on Savoy Place, which will be staged from Sunday 23 to Thursday 27 February.” As of today, she said, “we have over 250 companies from 36 countries who have already confirmed their presence — so a truly muti-genre and international MIP market.”
