Aim High to Cannes

This month marked one year since the Aim High Production Trainee Scheme began, and appropriately the trainees made another field trip. A far cry from BBC Wood Norton in Worcester, England we were flown to MIPCOM, Cannes.

Twelve months on from the intense training we had received at the BBC Academy “bootcamp” to give us the skills we needed to begin in TV, we were given the chance to see the value that one idea can have in the international television market. The market place itself was overflowing with ideas for scripted and unscripted TV programmes from the four corners of the world.

Amongst the most popular shows was unsurprisingly SYCO’s ‘Got Talent’, the number one selling format being broadcast in 54 countries – so the looped trailer repeatedly informed us. The drama ‘Homeland’ was also the talk of the market (both the original Israeli version and the American hit), whilst Belfast-set, and shot, BBC drama ‘The Fall’ was making its first appearance before it had barely left the cutting room.

We were privileged to meet some of the best distributors, agents, and broadcasters in Europe and the USA. Pat Quinn of Quinn Media was a very attentive listener being a self-confessed fan of Northern Ireland’s productions, eager to find out what programmes we had been working on. Google’s Joe McDermottroe, YouTube Sales Development Manager based in London, gave us a very honest and excited look into the future of content making. YouTube London has just launched the YouTube Creator Academy to support “partners” (YouTube channel owners) to become the next stars on the platform and help them enhance their, often already popular, content.

To balance out the sometimes overwhelming commerciality of the market, Ruth McCance of Sparks Network told us about the fascinating and insightful benefits beyond the dollar and euro signs, of working in programme distribution.

These are just three of the inspiring professionals we met. We also had the chance to pick the brains of UK and Ireland distributors; Derry O’Brien from Network Ireland, Tim Morley founder of Content West, Helen Jackson from BBC Worldwide, Andrea Jackson of DRG (Digital Rights Group); and the film music library and rights specialists, AudioNetwork.

All of the industry professionals we met had ambitions and dealings beyond the boundaries of our established comprehension of TV. But they all had a link or connection to the work we are doing back in Northern Ireland, whether it be acting as an agent for many of the companies we have worked for, or selling the documentaries and dramas made for audiences back home, to untapped international broadcasters.

The whole experience raised our perspective on developing ideas and stories for broadcast onto a much bigger scale. But it also reminded us that the humble beginnings of those ideas are the universal experiences and values that appeal to global audiences and translate into countless languages and formats.

We also left with some especially trendy bags sponsored by French company, Banijay. You’ll see us rocking these in and around Belfast!