Tanya Batson-Savage, Staff Reporter
LOCAL FREE-TO-AIR television is still filled with material from the United States. While this makes it great for catching up on your favourite cable show if you missed that particular week's episode, it leaves producers of local content without support for their products.
However, the issue of increasing local content is a long-dead horse which had already been severely whipped. Last November at the Women in Film and Television (WIFTI) 2002 conference at the Ritz Carlton Montego Bay, then general manager of TVJ, Marcia Forbes, made it clear that local stations could not afford to increase local content, because it was simply too expensive.
NO SURPRISE
This statement should have surprised no one in the industry. Television economics is more than a case of supply and demand. The consensus is that while there is demand for local content, simple demand is not enough. The television industry revolves around the advertising dollar.
At WIFTI, Forbes explained that the English-speaking Caribbean generates US$156 million. She explained that it does not allow for sufficient profit for the local television stations.
As such, local film and video producers are beginning to look toward more lucrative pastures to sell their material to. While the United States' market looks very appealing, the television industry there is quite akin to that country's draconian national security programme. Big Brother has no intention of watching us at least, not on his television.
Rather than simply wail and gnash teeth, as entertaining as the prospect may be, some of the industry players have therefore decided to take their products to the European, Asian and African markets.
Through the organisational efforts of the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), a contingent of Jamaican producers made their way to the Coronation Market of the television and video world, MIPCOM, this year.
MIPCOM is a 19-year-old trade market for audio visual professionals. Organised by Reed MIDEM, MIPCOM is for "those involved in TV broadcasting, programme production & distribution for TV, video & the Internet, advertising, licensing & merchandising, consultancy, service companies, and new media", as stated on the website MIPCOM.com.
The website goes on to state that the trade show is the 'Must Be' event for television professionals since not only are attendees able to spot trends but programming policies are also implemented at the event.
According to mipcom.com, MIPCOM 2003 featured 10,186 delegates from 93 countries. The annual trade fair takes place in at the Palais des Festivales in Cannes on the French Riviera.
The Jamaican contingent was comprised of Hopeton Dunn of the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC), Brian St. Juste Apex Productions, Natalie Thompson Cinecom Productions, Lennie Little-White Mediamix Limited, Kimani Robinson RE Television amd Max Earle Frame by Frame. The Sunday Gleaner spoke to all but the representatives of Frame by Frame, whom we were told were unavailable.
A WELL-MANICURED PINKY
Members of the contingent explained that they stuck out like a well-manicured pinky at the fair. The group were decked in yellow Jamaican shirts, immediately proclaiming their nationalities. According to Dunn, St. Juste and Little-White, this worked very well in drawing attention to the group. "Seventy per cent of the people we met is because we had Jamaica on our pocket," says Little-White.
They explain that despite everything, Brand Jamaica remains strong and thus there is a great opportunity to take advantage of that strength. "It is my impression, having gone to MIPCOM, that there is a strong interest in Caribbean content," agrees Dr. Dunn. He further argued that the marketplace is currently underserved.
GENERAL CONSENSUS
The general consensus from the group is that the experience was a meaningful and successful one. St. Juste explains that the mission was threefold, as the group went to see what the market is like and how to get in as players, learn what it will take to create an impressive booth next year, and take products for sale.
Another benefit from the trip was the networking that could result. Natalie Thompson went to the fair primarily for these possibilities. She explained that she did not take any products, as she was hoping for the possibility of creating partnerships which can lead to co-productions. She noted that Jamaica's culture is its unique selling point, and as such, we need to create more programmes which reflect that.
Like many local production companies, commercials are what butters Cinecom's bread, Thompson explains. However, what she sees for the company's future are co-productions. She notes that Jamaica has the technical crew and the location, but needs the financing and marketing expertise. Though she notes that nothing is concrete, she is upbeat about the outcome.
Robinson was more cryptic with his comments about the value of the exclusion to RE Television. Stating that he believed it to have been a very commendable action on JAMPRO's part to organise the venture, he made reference to having made 'invaluable associations' and left it at that.
"We never went to make millions, but people who went to give out stuff received positive interest," said St. Juste pointing to reports from the rest of the group that the seeds of very lucrative deals were planted.
Based on the experiences, the kind of content with the strongest appeal were magazine programmes which dealt with lifestyle, music or sports, as well as travel documentaries.
Dunn went to MIPCOM armed with the CPTC catalogue, samples of some of the documentary work and a show reel of the best of CPTC. He explained that the CPTC has 100 hours of programming for which they are seeking exposure. The catalogue of programmes includes music, education, religion, literature, and drama. Dunn took along with him Rivers, Waterfalls and Caves, The Best of Hill and Gully Ride and Random Access.
Interestingly, the biography of 'Herb McKenley: A Sporting Legend' is one of the pieces which made the CPTC hand luggage and Dunn notes that it generated particular interest in the Arab world, though no contract has yet been signed.
"It's not about signing on the dotted line in the corridors," Dunn explains. He argues that what is important is understanding the issues surrounding international productions and making contacts. Among the benefits, Dunn lists the book of all the participants and their contact information, which he points out allows for follow-up after MIPCOM.
Mediamix also generated interest with the work they took along. Little-White says that production companies in Switzerland and Japan are interested in leasing the format of The Golden Nugget, Palm Productions' newest show.
Little-White says that the visit to MIPCOM "opened our eyes to what the world wants." This opening up apparently involved the shedding of rose-tinted glasses.
Little-White explains that in creating productions, it must be realised that all cultures have their "social biases" and thus the programmes need to work around them. He continued that many of these biases course along the racial vein and cannot be ignored. "We have to package the thing in a way that is more palatable," he says.
According to Little-White, programmes are more easily digested when they have some reflection of the audience they are targeting. "All cultures want to see themselves in the production," he argued. He gives an example of a reggae documentary without a Jamaican voice narrating it.
He noted that Buzz, the programme on Jamaican artistes, was one of those that generated interest. Little-White explained that aside from its content Buzz works because it has no narrator, so the artistes are the storytellers.
"The producers have to wake up." he said. "While content is important, style and technique is also important." He argued that if Jamaica is to make an impact, our productions and everything about them, including material sent with them, must be comparable to that created by the First World.
IMPROVING PRESENTATION
St. Juste agrees with the need to improve presentation. He noted that in order take proper advantage of the interest in the Jamaican brand the producers must further "cultivate" the appetite.
"We got an idea of how the big boys and even the medium and small boys do it," he explained. "'It awright' not going to be good enough." St. Juste argues that though the content of programmes such as ER and Island Stylee can "match stride" with First World productions, there are areas which need to be improved.
Despite all the potential positives which have been born from this venture, the players are adamant that the harvest may not be quick. Noting that MIPCOM should not prove an immediate 'panacea' to the production of local content, St. Juste said that real fruits may not be reaped until three to five years of involvement. Additionally, almost every one spoken to argued that for the venture to be truly effective, Jamaica needs to be consistently involved in the trade fair.
