Videoage International August-September 2021

V I D E O A G E August/Sept. 2021 22 The Return of In-Person Marts Since June 2021 Reed Expositions and Reed MIDEM have been united under RX France and run by Fizi, who has also served as CEO of Reed Expositions since 2014. The summer and fall seasons have seen the revival of a number of in-person gatherings and events, including the Berlinale’s summer special, the Cannes Film Festival, Series Mania, and the Venice Film Festival. With expectations high for the return of MIPCOM, VideoAge reached out to companies from the U.S., South Korea, Turkey, India, and France that are planning to attend MIPCOM to hear about their plans, concerns, and new content. VideoAge: Are you looking forward to the first major in-person TV trade event since NATPE Miami in January 2020? “Yes!” was the decisive response from Chevonne O’Shaughnessy , co-founder and president of American Cinema International, an independent entertainment company based in Van Nuys, California. “ACI’s last in-person event was EFM 2020. Since then, we have only attended virtual markets, and those just don’t do in-person markets justice. We havemissed the energy of real markets, getting coffee with buyers, connecting with them on a personal level, and feeding off each other’s excitement within the market.” “Of course. It is what we have all been waiting for,” concurred Christine Kim , VP and head of Sales & Licensing at Something Special, a Seoul- based TV format agency. “Ever since COVID struck, we all could only meet virtually. With MIPCOM in-person, I am excited to finally meet again with fellow buyers, producers, and sellers from studios, TV networks, OTT platforms, and more, all over the world.” Ekin Koyuncu , who was appointed the new executive director of Turkey’s Kanal D International, the business arm of Demirören Media, said: “It has been so long sincewe havemet with our friends and colleagues from the industry and really missed our face-to-face conversations. We are definitely looking forward to it.” Jimmy George , VP of Sales & Acquisitions at GoQuest Media, a global distributor head- quartered in Mumbai, India, was similarly hopeful. “Like many of us in the industry, I too have missed the irreplaceable experience of meeting people face to face, and if travel conditions are favorable, we will attend MIPCOM 2021,” he commented. “It will be interesting to see what coming back to a physical event will look like. We also anticipate that conversations around and about the trade/industry will have changed because of the re-inventing we have had to do over the last 16 months. We are keeping a close eye on when travel restrictions will lift, and we will make plans accordingly.” “Well, our first major in-person event was [the animation film market] at Annecy [in June]. It was lovely to see everybody again, but having said that, ‘only’ the French were there!” said Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin , a partner at Paris- based animation production and distribution company Dandelooo. “MIPCOM will certainly be the first ‘international’ event and I can’t wait to see my friends again, so yes most definitely!” VideoAge: What are your main concerns (health safety, buyers, etc.) heading into MIPCOM? ACI’s O’Shaughnessy put it very straightforwardly: “Our biggest concern headed into MIPCOM is the Delta variant, but we are confident that the market will go ahead with asking for proof of vaccination.” “With the increased percentage of vaccinated people, I was optimistic for the fall season,” added Koyuncu. “But it seems like the virus is still in power with different variations, and we need to seek ways to protect ourselves by taking all precautions, so travelling long distances would be one of our main concerns.” “One concern is the unpredictability of the COVID situation when MIPCOM is actually happening, and if health safety will be in place at the moment (i.e. temperature checks, QR code checks, mask rules, etc.),” noted Kim. “Another onewould be how to revisit physical presentations and make exhibitions efficient for both offline and online. Prior to COVID, a networking event was a great place to meet up with new potential buyers. With COVID still ongoing, we may have to rethink how a networking event is usually held with F&B [food and beverage] and think of interesting ways this can be done offline and virtually at the same time, so those attending at home could still enjoy as well.” GoQuest Media’s George expressed concerns about how the possibility of international travel might affect business. “Many industry executives who usually attend the market come from countries where the pandemic is still rampant, so we’re concerned about the number of buyers who will be able to make it to this year’s market,” he said. “Even though I ampersonally fully vaccinated, I do fear that a fourth wave would halt all of our hopes to return to a little bit of normality again,” said Sirvin, before adding, “I’m sure all measures are being taken to make the market as safe as possible.” “We did just participate in Cannes for the Film Festival, so we experienced how organized the French were in making sure everyone was tested every 48 hours before letting them into the Palais,” commented Lise Romanoff , managing director and CEO of Vision Films, a worldwide distributor based in Marina Del Rey, California. “I amassuming that it will be the same for MIPCOM. There was a free COVID testing site in front of the pier, and we got our results in 4-6 hours. So, as everyone was tested, I felt safe inside the Palais and in my booth at the market.” VideoAge: How has the pandemic changed your business outlook? KDI’s Koyuncu said, “This past year has been a hugechallenge foreveryone, but asa teamwewere able see the opportunities quickly and determine our priorities. At the beginning of the pandemic, people could not foresee many aspects, especially traditional broadcasters. Productions and daily formats were paused. This led broadcasters to lose their advertising revenues and seek changes in plans. This quickly reflected on their yearly budgets for acquisitions and related expenses such as marketing and localization. “In these circumstances, while keeping the expenses under control and maintaining the slots running with good performances, many territories went after strong reruns. We have been underlining the strength of our all-time favorites such as Forbidden Love, Fatmagul, and Time Goes By for many years. Once again, the strength of our library provided us a much wider playground. (Continued from Cover) ACI’s Chevonne O’Shaughnessey KDI’s Ekin Koyuncu We have missed the energy of real markets, getting coffee with buyers, connecting with them on a personal level, and feeding off each other’s excitement.