Public funding has been an important resource for producers for some time. Public bodies in Europe have paid particular attention to the sector since it came into existence. Public intervention was made necessary by the domination of the international film market by the Hollywood giants since the end of the First World War, as well as by the economic weakness of national film industries and the political and cultural issues associated with the production and distribution of images.

Reaching European financing

Currently, Europe has a vast range of sources, from direct cash injections to tax credits & shelters, favourable loans and guarantees as well as support in promotion. Given the complexity of film finances, producers need to be aware of all the various support mechanisms that are available.

This year’s review covers key issues and questions:

• Exhaustive coverage: from influential national film agencies to small-scale local initiatives
• Direct public funding in 37 European countries
• Unique overview of the geographical spread, scale and scope of direct public funding
• With authoritative answers to the key questions:
  • How many funds?
  • How are they financed?
  • What is the total volume of funding?
  • Which activities are supported?
  • National versus regional funding – how do they differ?

The report also provides brief insights into a selection of special topics, including funding for the transition to digital cinema, tax incentives, public financial institutions active in the sector and a review of the public policy context at European level.

What is the Creative Europe programme?

The Creative Europe programme would support European cinema and the cultural and creative sectors, enabling them to increase their contribution to jobs and growth. With a proposed budget of €1.8 billion for the period 2014-2020, it would support tens of thousands of artists, cultural professionals and cultural organisations in the performing arts, fine arts, publishing, film, TV, music, interdisciplinary arts, heritage and the video games industry. The goal is also to stimulate operations across Europe,  reach new audiences and develop the skills that are needed in the digital age. In this way, the new programme will also contribute to safeguarding and promoting Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

Why does Europe need a Creative Europe programme?

Culture plays a major economic role in the 27 countries. The cultural and creative industries account for around 4.5% of EU GDP and 3.8% of employment (8.5 million jobs and many more if account is taken of spill-over into other sectors). Between 2000 and 2007, employment in these sectors grew by an average of 3.5% a year, compared to 1% in the overall EU-27 economy. Europe is by far the world leader for exports of creative industry products. So the goal is to retain this position.

Creative Europe takes account of the challenges created by globalisation, in particular the impact of digital technologies, which are changing how cultural works are made, distributed, and accessed, as well as transforming revenue streams and business models. But these developments also create opportunities for the European cultural and creative industries and the programme seeks to help them seize these opportunities, so that they benefit from the digital shift and create more international careers and employment opportunities.

The move inevitably raises many questions, which the European Commission addressed in a recent press announcement.

Why is the Commission proposing to merge the existing Culture, MEDIA and MEDIA Mundus programmes into a single programme?

These sectors face similar challenges, including market fragmentation resulting from cultural and linguistic diversity, globalisation and the digital shift, as well as severe difficulties in accessing commercial lending. They also have similar needs in terms of safeguarding and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity, and strengthening their competitiveness in order to contribute to jobs and growth.

However the Commission recognises that the structure of these sectors is also diverse. That’s why it is proposing a single framework programme, but with separate strands to provide appropriate support.

How will Creative Europe differ from the current MEDIA and Culture programmes?

The Creative Europe programme will combine the current separate support mechanisms for the culture and audiovisual sectors in Europe in a ‘one-stop shop’ open to all the cultural and creative industries. However, it will continue to address the particular needs of the audiovisual industry and the other cultural and creative sectors through its specific Culture and MEDIA strands. These will build on the success of the current Culture and MEDIA programmes.

In addition, it will create a new financial guarantee facility which will enable small operators to access up to €1 billion in bank loans.

What will the programme achieve?

The Commission estimates that, in 2014-2020, at least 8,000 cultural organisations and 300 000 artists, cultural professionals and their works would receive support to cross borders and acquire the experience which will help them to develop international careers. The programme will also support the translation of more than 5,500 books and other literary works.

The MEDIA strand will support the worldwide distribution of more than 1,000 European films, via traditional and digital platforms; it will also provide funding for audiovisual professionals to help them access and successfully work in international markets, and will foster the development of films and other audiovisual works with a potential for cross-border circulation.

There is a lot to build on: thanks in part to MEDIA support, the proportion of European films among all newly released films in European cinemas grew from 36% in 1989 to 54% in 2009. The Europa Cinemas network, comprising over 2,000 screens in mostly independent cinemas, helps to ensure a broad and diverse mix of films for audiences in 475 cities. Their films attracted 59 million admissions in 2009 compared to 30 million in 2000.

What challenges is the programme tackling?

The cultural and creative industries do not currently make the most of the Single Market. One of the difficulties the sector faces is language: the European Union has 23 official languages, 3 alphabets and approximately 60 officially recognised regional and minority languages. This diversity is part of Europe’s rich tapestry but it hinders efforts by authors to reach readers in other countries, for cinema or theatre goers to see foreign works, and for musicians to reach new listeners. A Eurobarometer survey (2007) has shown that only a minority of Europeans watch foreign language TV or films and only 7% read foreign language books.

A stronger focus on support for audience building and on the sectors’ capacity to interact with audiences more directly, for example through media literacy initiatives or new interactive online tools, has the potential to open up many more non-national works to the public. The Commission estimates that well over 100 million people will be reached directly or indirectly through the projects supported by Creative Europe.

Are individuals eligible to apply for funding?

Creative Europe will not be open to applications from individuals. But around 300 000 individual artists and cultural professionals, as well as training institutions, will be reached through the projects submitted by cultural organisations. This is a much more cost-effective way to achieve results and a lasting impact.

Which countries are eligible to apply for funding?

Creative Europe will be open to Member States, as well as the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), EU accession and candidate countries, potential candidates and neighbourhood countries. Other countries may be involved in specific actions. Currently, EU Member States, the EFTA countries, Croatia, Turkey, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina are participating in the Culture Programme.

EU Member States, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland participate in the MEDIA Programme.

What would happen to MEDIA Mundus?

MEDIA Mundus, the existing programme which supports cooperation between European and international professionals and the international distribution of European films, will be integrated into the MEDIA strand of Creative Europe.

Creative Europe still needs the approval of the Council of Europe and European Parliament. Can you see any implications for your work and relations with international production partners? Let us know in the forum below.

Calculating the return on investment of a trip to Cannes is not easy. Rather than look at that, I’d like to ask a few questions that can help those that have decided to attend a trade fair in Cannes, notably how do you get the most from your visit?

Plan for success

At the risk of stating the obvious, the “secret” of success is to plan. But plan for what? And how? This very much depends on what brings you to Cannes and how you define success. Take a second to think of the one big reason you have to attend either Midem or the Film Market (the other events work along similar lines). Let’s say you have a new product you think you can license worldwide. If you are reading this, you are probably a relative newcomer, so what are your realistic expectations?

Nearly everyone you might want to reach will be there. So how do you reach them? How do you then approach them? With what, and with what expectations?

You should know that very few deals are done directly at Midem or the Film Market. Although you are entitled to try, it is far more likely that what you are getting at Cannes is two very simple but precious things: access to interesting people and – hopefully – the permission to keep in contact with them afterwards. That’s it.

Wait, what about my sales figures? I’m not going to Cannes to waltz around the Croisette! Nope, you are going to build partnerships, to find the perfect fit for your product or service in a few if not dozens of territories. You are going to find people that need you in some way. This is not to say you won’t sell stuff – the trade fairs would crumble overnight if that was the case, and some companies report 75% of their annual sales are a direct result of contacts made at the fairs – but you have to focus on connecting with people first.

 

Midem, TFWA and MAPIC offer great networking opportunities

How do I meet the right people in Cannes?

Don’t wait for Cannes to come around to meet the right people. Start as soon as possible. I strongly advise getting one of the early bird event rates for two reasons: you save money (sometimes enough to cover a cheap hotel); and you have a head start in mining the database. Again, with your new product, you go looking for licensors. First, pick off the big names in territories you know. That part is easy (although getting a reply from them is more difficult). Then comes the time-consuming but fun part: investigating the hundreds of smaller players in each region. This could well be where your business comes from.

Why? Because these people are usually more open to deals. There are far more of them. They are less courted and might have more time for you. Check their profiles completely. Visit their website. Check every angle of their work. What other activities are they involved in? Google/Bing/EntireWeb them. Have they sent out press releases recently? What does that tell you about them? Is there  something else you can suggest them? Think wide.

Offer more to stay in the game

Although some companies can afford to attend Cannes with one hot product, I strongly advise against it. There is  nothing more gutting than to realise after the first three meetings that your product is totally dead in the water for whatever reason and you have three more days of spending money to look forward to. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll know the people you are meeting are also active in character licensing, physical distribution, packaging, music supervision or whatever. Move the subject in that direction and hit them with the back-up plan. Rep someone else, if necessary. Mention your next upcoming project (if it is notably different from the one you did not impress them with right now). It could pay for the trip and more.

And when all else fails…

Never let yourself feel down when all else fails – there’s time enough for that in the plane going home. Analyse what people are telling you. Look for new angles. How could your idea be re-packaged? And in your time off, attend the conferences, they are a source of great ideas and also offer great networking opportunities. Read the dailies and determine to try and meet at least one company mentioned in them per day (I have a trick for that, more of which later).

And lastly, I strongly recommend doing what only about 15% of people do properly: follow up every contact 10 days later and see who is still open to some sort of business situation. Remember also that your Cannes event is usually about five days. The database, however, is open for 12 months. Armed with your new knowledge, you can develop products that fit what you learnt and can then go find exactly the right person to contact in each territory. The fact that you did not make a sale this time does not mean you never will – on the contrary. A slap in the face is often  a great stimulus for business. You are now armed with greater insights and access to the people that can make them work.

I’d really love to get some debate going. So feel free to make comments ask questions (below). I deal with specific aspects of travelling to Cannes on the rest of the site. Keep up to date using the RSS feed, follow me on Twitter or why not get Cannes news straight to your mailbox. I cover Cannes, music and movie biz news.

Michael Leahy

“We are extremely pleased to honour Anne Sweeney as our MIPCOM 2011 Personality of the Year in recognition of her unparalleled contributions to the global entertainment industry,” said Paul Zilk, Chief Executive of Reed MIDEM. “Of special note is her contribution to the expansion of Disney’s portfolio of channels, brands and programming worldwide, as well as her visionary leadership in fostering content on emerging digital platforms.”

Sweeney will notably be giving a keynote address at MIPCOM, which will be held October 3-6, 2011 in Cannes. “The accomplishments which have led to this honor are not mine alone,” she says. “This event will allow me to acknowledge and celebrate everyone on the Disney/ABC Television Group and Disney Media Distribution teams, who not only create some of the most acclaimed and popular programming around the globe, but also continually develop new, innovative distribution methods that meet the ever-evolving needs of consumers.”

Inevitably, it is Sweeney’s role in driving Disney and ABC material onto new platforms that picks up particular attention at cross-media events such as MIPCOM. Her talk on Wednesday 5 comes under the MIPCOM Media Mastermind banner.

Get more MIPCOM news

Check for Cannes hotels during MIPCOM 2011

The Media Stands team organises umbrella stands for independent European producers and their distributors at international film and audiovisual markets on behalf of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, including the Cannes Film Festival, MIPCOM and MIPTV. They also provide information services. Check Media Stand. THe cut-off date for applying for the special rate is September 2, 2011.

You can also save money by booking your hotel for MIPCOM well in advance. Many do not require a deposit.

The Connected Creativity Forum will bring content creators and distributors from all creative industries together with mobile operators and others in the broad mobile ecosystem, including makers of smartphones and tablets, connected consoles and networked television. As such it will be a unique platform through which the technology and entertainment communities can meet, share key industry insights and perspectives and “catalyze new business opportunities”, as the press release points out. A showcase of the latest technology and interactive content is also planned.

More stories about MIPTV

But the service also opens up many questions. This is the sort of approach that Philips would have pursued in previous times, and there are already several services that provide web connectivity (the PS3 immediately springs to mind). But how will a TV set integrate web images, such as buttons and text? What will happen if a family – or a whole neighbourhood – has everyone on the web at the same time and also watching movies? Will bandwidth support this? Several VOD providers already had problems with this as they don’t control the whole distribution chain. Will the major broadcasters such as BBC that are already working on variations of the theme be willing to play ball?

Just like with music, some pundits are already hailing the arrival of a open market for consumers’ eyeballs. Who cares if you don’t get airtime on a channel when you can go direct to the viewer via Google TV? If I was a producer, I would definitely care. Broadcasters pay rights and commission programming. What will happen in thes new environment?

The experience of music

The experience of the music industry is that in an open environment like this, the only ones that can afford to fund major productions are the companies that are already sitting on top of the pile. The idea of producers being able to reach out and monetise their creations to millions of people worldwide is, frankly, a pipedream. The cost of producing a “Mad Men” leaves little room for improvisation with your business plan. The music industry has seen a concentration of producers at the top (often associated with TV show, incidentally) and a dramatic thinning out of the all-important mid-sized companies.

The prospect of web TV is an interesting one. But until a new financing model is developed, it could ultimately spell bad news for independent producers in the mid term.

Korean pop at Mipcom 2010

On the eve of MIPCOM 2010, one of the words that seems to be coming back repeatedly is cross-platform. The trend has been growing over the past few years and is now reaching maturity.

Asked if he set out to be a pioneer in cross-platform content last year, writer/producer Tom Kring (“Heroes”) replied candidly, “No, I wanted to stay employed”. As the effect of instant availability kicks in worldwide, it is increasingly important to be available across media and build followers and revenue from various sources as people move way from traditional TV viewing. “It’s a quest to stay relevant,” said Kring. “We wanted to reach the audience wherever they are going.”

TV seems to be leading the path on this, rather than the more traditional cinema industry. This year, a number of projects are coming with a comprehensive platform strategy. These include sci-fi series “Resonance” from the UK and a umber of project from Armoza. “The support that we have been receiving, and the excitement and buzz that we’ve been generating with our 3.0 formats, has proven that cross-platform is the way forward,” according to CEO Ari Armoza.

Almost inevitably, the first division teams are coming with the biggest fire-power. Endemol will be unveiling a portfolio of programmes under the Hybrid banner that “cross over programming genres and media platforms.” They include “The Money Drop”, “Zoom” and “Timeline”.

The big goal is to try and connect with people using the power of social media, effectively blending the TV product into people’s live in ways that were unthinkable only five years ago.

What about the Wonder Girls? Well, every MIPCOM has its pop moment. This year’s hot ticket seems to be Korea’s Wonder Girls (photo). It’s not that I know anything about the group, it’s just that the sheer number of blog comments and Tweets about them shows there is some sort of latent demand there. They had a hit in the US with “Nobody” recently and will be appearing at the opening MIPCOM party, under the wing of Korea’s KOCCA.


Wonder Girls - Tell Me
envoyé par 99ca. - Regardez d'autres vidéos de musique.

Premiere at Cannes

The MIPCOM World Premiere TV Screenings is a showcase for television and film companies to screen programmes to influential buyers, industry players, and international media from over 100 countries. The inaugural event, to be held in the Palais des Festivals’ prestigious Grand Auditorium, is open to all MIPCOM delegates and will present an unaired episode from the 4th season of Lionsgate’s hit drama “Mad Men.” The event will also welcome cast members of the series which won the 2010 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Created and executive produced by Matthew Weiner, “Mad Men” airs in over 100 countries worldwide. The 4th season launched in July 2010 to stellar ratings.

The premiere will be preceded by the first international preview of the second episode of Lionsgate’s new romantic comedy, “Running Wilde” from the Emmy Award-winning creator and the star of the critically acclaimed FOX series, “Arrested Development”.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer

Jon Feltheimer, Co-Chairman and CEO of Lionsgate, is MIPCOM ‘s 2010 Personality of the Year. The Cannes event is recognising Feltheimer “for his leadership at the helm of Lionsgate and for driving creative productions and developing award-winning TV programs”. These include the recently successful “Mad Men”. Feltheimer will be honoured on 5 October during the annual MIPCOM Gala Dinner. On October 5, Mr. Feltheimer will also share his vision of the future of the entertainment industry with MIPCOM delegates during a keynote address as part of MIPCOM’s Media Mastermind series of presentations.

“I am honoured to receive this award from MIPCOM and to be recognised in the company of so many of the pillars of the global entertainment community,” said Feltheimer. “We at Lionsgate remain committed to joining the rest of our community in harnessing new business models, new technologies and new markets to bring the work of our creative visionaries to a global audience.”

Jon Feltheimer has served as Chief Executive Officer of Lionsgate since March 2000. He previously served for nine years at Sony Pictures as head of the Columbia TriStar Television Group, head of Sony Entertainment Television and executive Vice President of SPE, leading the television group’s evolution into an international powerhouse that launched or partnered in nearly 30 branded channels, regional networks and co-production ventures around the world. While at Sony, Feltheimer’s strong creative talent relationships helped lead to such hits as “Mad About You,” “The Nanny,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Party of Five” and “King Of Queens“. He previously was President of New World Entertainment.
Feltheimer joins an elite list of previous recipients that includes CNN founder Ted Turner, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone, CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves, former Time Warner Chief Executive Officer Richard Parsons, MTV Networks Chairman and CEO Tom Freston, former News Corporation President and COO Peter Chernin, Gustavo Cisneros, Chairman and CEO of the Cisneros Group, Gerhard Zeiler, CEO of RTL Group and Canal Plus founder André Rousselet.