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!
