Welcome to “Going Bionic,” #205. Today we’re diving into part two of our focus on MIPTV 2014. I’m heading to Cannes for MIPTV this Saturday, so I’ll surely give you a real-time update of the happenings in the South of France in the coming weeks. Until then, here’s more about MIPTV, the World’s premiere content market for “screens of all sizes.”
Producers Program at MIPTV 2014
The Producers Program is divided into three parts, Conferences: Breakthrough Drama and the Power of Original Content, Producers Toolbox (How to Sessions), and the International Drama Co-Production Summit. All three segments are uniquely crafted help producers develop, create, and ultimately sell their content. MIPTV is also known for either streaming their keynote speakers, or uploading parts of the speeches online, so you should check the www.miptv.com website between April 7-10 in order to check it out. Now let’s go over all three portions of the Producers Program.
Conferences: Breakthrough Drama and the Power of Original Content
The Keynote Series: The Original Content Strategists, The Showrunners MIPTV talks, and The Original Content Commissioners Panel make up this section, where Industry leaders discuss the trials, tribulations and trends of where original content is headed in the ever-growing marketplace.
Producers Toolbox (How to Sessions)
These are four-day immersion courses in “content innovation,” meaning they’re intense R&D sessions that include new production techniques, distribution, marketing and developing creative ideas.
International Drama Co-Production Summit
This segment is an “invite-only” closed-door session, where television titans like HBO, BBC, Starz, among others, join 60+
Producers engage in an intense two-hour networking session. The purpose of this session is to explore co-production opportunities. As I’ve stated many times before, international co-productions are where it’s at these days. So many countries are open to co-productions that it’s beyond insane for you not to explore co-production opportunities.
MIPDOC
MIDOC is the World’s premiere documentary conference. It occurs April 5-6, which are two days before MIPTV starts. The key elements of MIPDOC include 30,000 screenings available, 400 buyers present from 53 countries, 470 companies, and 688 participants. Those who participate in MIPDOC can also learn about new financial models to get their projects funded, can pitch their project to buyers, and can meet with many entities that are interested in co-productions.
Since documentaries are extremely difficult to sell in the current marketplace, events like MIPDOC are essential to all documentary filmmakers. Thus, if you’re making a doc, are planning to make one, or made a documentary and need to find a home for it, MIPDOC is your sanctuary. Don’t worry if you can’t drop everything and head to Cannes this weekend to experience MIPDOC. Like MIPTV, MIPDOC usually lists a lot of useful information for documentarians everywhere.
JUNIOR at MIPTV
This section of MIPTV focuses on the future of Children’s programming. Like the other sections of MIPTV, Junior showcases major buyers of kids’ content and also offers several co-production opportunities for makers of Children’s content.
Okay, friends. That’s what I have for you today. Now I get to prep for my trip to MIPTV. I’ve got content to sell, people to meet and of course, articles to write, so I can give you an “on the ground” glimpse into MIPTV, 2014. Thank you again for lending me your eyes, and I look forward to borrowing them again next Tuesday. Until then, enjoy your week! I can be followed on Twitter @Lonelyseal.
