by Hilary Sparrow. Sometimes serendipity opens doors you never even knew were there. I met Noel Kok at the Jackson, WY airport last September. I was eavesdropping on a phone conversation between Noel, his wife and kids. He let them know he’d safely landed after a long journey and would now find a taxi to …
A letter from Christian Beetz: Dear Peter, Thank you very much for your Case Study and your moderation at Sunny Side. Before you go into the well deserved summer break, I would like to give you a brief update on THE CLEANERS. Christian Beetz with ARD/WDR’s Christiane Hinz. Credit : Jean-François Augé / studio-ouest.com Oscar …
The “Best of British” is one of my most popular posts that lists the year’s highest-rated unscripted programs in the UK. For a different look at 2018 through June 30, I combined the Documentary, Factual, Lifestyle & Current Affairs categories. My expanding coverage of Audience Analysis is sponsored by Parrot Analytics. Watch out for more …
THE CLEANERS ticked all the boxes. Despite Sundance selection and sales to prestigious broadcasters worldwide, the producers are digging out from a deep deficit. The business model for investigative documentaries has always been risky. It is now under siege… and needs new solutions. That’s the message presented by Christian Beetz, co-CEO of Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion …
NATIVE AMERICA is a premium PBS series that explores the world created by America’s first peoples. It describes their foundational belief systems that synthesize science and spirituality. The 4-part series captures the incredible diversity of the expressions of these beliefs across North, Central and South America. Providence Pictures’ President and Executive Producer/Director, Gary Glassman is …
Welcome to the first of my podcasts on the business of the unscripted business. The topic: Barack and Michelle Obama have formed a production company with Netflix‘s backing. The definition of “A-Lister” will never be quite the same when it comes to pitching. What does it mean for producers that the competitive bar to earn your buyers’ …
What caught my attention at MIPDoc and MIPTV this year? Lots of producers and network executives called to ask. They are curious because their business models and career options are becoming more unsettled by the rise of Netflix and online video distribution platforms. Here are my Takeaways from Cannes (#1-5): 1. What You Know. And …
At the invitation-only MIPDoc Co-production Summit, Woodcut Media‘s Kate Beal explored the three big ideas that are guiding her company’s successful strategy. Kate kindly shared her presentation with my readers. by Kate Beal. We started out as a small UK-based Indie, and thankfully have been growing steadily over the past three and a half years. I’ve been asked …