MUMBAI: The stage is set for Mipcom 2002 (International Film and Programme Market for TV, Video, Cable and Satellite), to be held in Cannes, France, from 7 to 11 October. One section that is going to have Indian programming executives looking for the next Kaun Banega Crorepati keenly interested is likely to be Formats Day, on 9 October, featuring a keynote, a high-powered panel and a pitching session.
As broadcasters and format providers around the world respond to voracious demand for innovative and exciting entertainment concepts to a degree never seen before, Mipcom has devoted a full day to it.
Formats Day will kick off with an exclusive keynote, Formatting The Future Of TV Entertainment, by David Liddiment, director of programmes, ITV Network (UK) who will look at the benefits broadcasters can expect from investing into formats.
In Getting Creative: Formats Specialists Bring New Twists To Tale an international panel of formats specialists will show how "genre-mixing" is changing the business and how format providers are sprucing up well-worn game show, reality and infotainment concepts and introducing strong elements of variety, comedy and drama into their newest shows. Citing the latest and most innovative examples, speakers will also examine how the creative process is influenced by the need to generate cross-platform revenues and bolster channel "brand".
Following a similar pitching session held at last MIP TV, Star Turn: What Are Tomorrow's Format Hits?, will give five producers the chance to demonstrate why they think their formats are destined for international acclaim. The formats, which have been selected by NOTA, have been broadcast to excellent ratings in their home countries, but have not yet been sold abroad.
Selected formats include:
- game show Heaven Or Hell, presented by Uri Shinar, president & CEO and Illi Edry, head of marketing and business developing, Keshet Formats (Israel);
- Lance In Space, a spatial reality soap (David Krieff, president & CEO and Mike Nedjar, V-P, Destiny Productions / Celebrity Mission, USA);
- Liar, a game show (Harry Thompson, senior comedy producer, Talkback Entertainment, UK);
- The New Retreat, a spiritual reality series (Patty Geneste, managing director, Absolutely Independent, and Kirsten van Nieuwenhuijzen, creative director, Intellygents, both companies are from the Netherlands);
- and reality show Vis Ma Vie (Patrick Ballarin, director and partner, Rservoir Prod, France).
The pitching session is organised with the support of NOTA (NOTA is developed by IMCA, Eurodata TV and Mediametrie). Formats Day partners include: IMCA (International Media Consultants Associes) and TvFormats (UK) (Formats marketing company, www.tvformats.com).
Meanwhile, among the many programme shoppers attending Mipcom this autumn are two major Chinese companies, a new indigenous free-to-air channel from New Zealand and a large delegation of Indonesian executives.
Mipcom, the international film and programme market for TV, video, cable & satellite is, with MIPTV, the leading international television programme market. Last year it featured 9,943 executives, 2,783 companies including 1,228 exhibiting companies.
