Playing the market

Content creators heading to MIPTV, Cannes and any other international markets must plan their activities carefully if they want to stand out at these extremely competitive events. Miguel Gonzalez reports.

Every year hundreds of content creators from all over the world travel to Europe, Asia and the US to do business at the big festivals – Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance – because they feature a market component for buying, selling, screening and financing films. Television creators have MIPTV and MIPCOM; documentary filmmakers have IDFA and HotDocs. There are, of course, many more markets – old and new – taking place in different territories and filmmakers, whether they’re financing their next project or looking for a sales agent or distributor, must identify the one that is right for each film, documentary and TV program.

While the idea of warm spring nights in Cannes, in designer outfits and sipping drinks while selling/ buying the next big film or TV format sounds idyllic, reality is much less glamorous. Whether their first time was in 1975 or last year, the experience is similar for all first-time attendees – with thousands of people and projects all vying for a small window of attention, these events represent a sobering and overwhelming process of discovery of the scale and operation of the international screen industry; one that can be full of opportunities but must be navigated carefully and in the company of the right partners in order to make the most out of the thousands of dollars spent in travel and other costs.
The first step is finding support before even heading to the airport. The state agencies provide travel grants to companies interested in attending the major international markets, and Screen Australia has a strategy to provide a range of business facilitation services – from basics such as internet access and a table for you to have a meeting, to targeted networking events with key international players, promotional activities, publications, case studies and management of the country’s presence at these events. At this month’s MIPTV, for example, the federal agency will host and manage its umbrella stand, where Australian companies can do business.

“We will provide resources such as a directory of all the Australian companies represented in the market, the Australian Documentary 2011 Catalogue, a directory of Australian Children’s’ Content Producers and the Doing Business with Australia booklet which outlines the Producer Offset and the Co-Pro Guidelines,” said marketing manager for industry support Dale Fairbairn. “We can provide information and resources to assist filmmakers to plan and book meetings well in advance. Screen Australia will also be hosting a series of events, including an Australian networking event, an event for co-production opportunities with the UK, a  factual matchmaking event and an Australian/Canadian producer-toproducer speed-dating event.”
WALKING NAKED DOWN THE CROISETTE
Transmission Film’s co-director Andrew Mackie is a market veteran, and he doesn’t sugar-coat his opinion of such events – which he says can be “a brutal and unforgiving experience for filmmakers”.
“Market screenings represent the worst side of buying, and we always recommend producers and directors never attend those,” he admitted. “But the market experience is a great way for producers to get a snapshot of the global marketplace and understand very quickly what the competition is and why their project needs to stand out. When I’m roaming the market hallways, I still wonder who is funding all these movies and where they all end up. MIP can feel a bit like the place films go to die.”