As it gets closer to easing out of lockdown, the audiovisual industry is beginning to move beyond crisis management. Now what? We know there will be changes to the industry in the short and medium terms. But what about long term? How is the industry reacting to ― and anticipating ― these changes? What are the big questions that we need to ask ourselves moving forward, and who will answer them? This is the final article of a series about what’s next for Canada’s TV production sector as it slowly emerges from the shutdowns put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

> Read the other articles in the series

The previous articles in this series took a close look at different silos of the screen-based industries — namely, TV production, distribution, short-form digital content, interactive digital media and documentary production. But there were several issues that came up during the interview process that were common to all sectors and that deserved their own discussion.

Getting back into production

The top issue across all forms of production other than interactive digital media has been — and continues to be — insurance. Going forward, insurance companies will not cover the risk of productions shutting down due to a second wave of COVID-19. This exclusion not only puts producers at financial risk should shutdown happen, but may also make it difficult or impossible to secure financing or interim financing, as broadcasters and banks are unwilling to take such a risk. EOne Television Canada President Jocelyn Hamilton advises that “broadcasters aren’t commissioning new content because of the risk.” According to Eagle Vision Partner Kyle Irving, “there will be a serious shortfall in supply if this problem isn’t solved.” The Canadian Media Producers Association is actively lobbying the federal government for an indemnification fund to allow the sector to get back into production, as has been done in other jurisdictions. Producers are hopeful the issue will be solved soon.

All productions anticipate extra costs due to the pandemic. Those include expenses related to personal protection equipment and additional crew members dedicated to cleaning and maintaining protocols, but also costs associated with shorter shoot days and longer shoot periods (to maintain optimum conditions for crews), and quarantining out-of-province or out-of-country cast and crew, and additional equipment for those continuing to work from home.

Who will cover these? “I’d like to see a tax credit for added health and safety costs,” says Shaftesbury CEO Christina Jennings. For WildBrain Chief Commercial Officer Anne Loi, dealing with the extra costs of health and safety measures is more pressing than the insurance issue. “How can we put people back to work if we can’t cover the extra costs of COVID?,” she wonders.

A new way of working

The transition to working from home has been relatively easy for most of the production sector as a whole. While video production and motion capture work has been impossible under lockdown, and audio work and post-production has proven difficult, many other activities in the screen-based content production — business development, creative development, and some forms of production such as animation and interactive digital media — could be accomplished remotely with varying levels of ease. “We may even be more productive than before, given that we’re not dealing with commuting,”Jocelyn Hamilton thinks. “Some people need to juggle work and kids, but the company is being supportive and everyone is shifting as necessary.” Sabotage Studios Executive Producer Philip Barclay puts it differently. “Those who can be flexible, are, for the people who can’t. There’s a sweet spot between managing a business and supporting a complex human situation.”

That parental juggling act hasn’t been easy for iThentic Vice President Lisa Baylin:“I’ve gotten better at prioritizing and saying ‘no’ because I have limited free hours,” she says. Token Entertainment Co-Founder Trinni Franke is hopeful this can lead to long-term change. “In the past, women would have to work and pretend they’re not parents. Maybe this is an opportunity to stop pretending and to have a better work/life balance, and shorter work hours.”

Due to the relatively easy transition and the uncertainty around the return to “normal,” many producers are in no hurry to return to offices. “Our back-to-office plans emphasize maximum flexibility,” insists Boat Rocker Media CEO John Young “We will provide an office if that is preferred, with protocols in place to keep it safe.” Production companies will look carefully at their needs. “We won’t be spending as much on real estate if everyone can effectively work from home and have a better work/life balance” Young adds. Lisa Baylin is bolder in her assessment: “There is no need for the office as a status symbol anymore. I think that will be a permanent change.”

It’s a similar story at WildBrain, who was in the middle of moving to a smaller Toronto office when the pandemic hit. The space was being designed with the typical suite of small offices in mind. Now, it will be adjusted to prioritize meeting spaces over work spaces, as the company expects staff to continue to work from home, but to come in for periodic team meetings. “The office work won’t bounce back the way it was. We’re looking for guidance, but haven’t yet found any direction on post-pandemic design thinking,” Anne Loi says.

Several of the studios interviewed — Big Bad Boo, Stitch Media, and Bloom Digital, for example — had already been operating virtually, at least partly, so the transition to remote work was easier. They, and others, are now considering whether they need to return to an office at all. Mosaic Entertainment, for one, had just moved from Alberta to British Columbia when the pandemic hit, and had not yet set up a BC office. “We have been efficiently working from home with contract workers, so we are considering not going back to a formal office,” says Eric Ribalkin, the company’s co-founder.

Technology has ensured a smooth transition to working from home. Some of the necessary adaptations undertaken to allow for better teamwork and collaboration will persist after the pandemic. Boat Rocker, for instance, has instituted virtual town halls for its 750 staff across seven locations, a move that has garnered a lot of positive feedback. Staff now say that they feel closer to senior executives and that they expect the town halls to continue. “After we’re through this, someone will have to write a playbook for us all to use the next time,” John Young jokes.

With WildBrain offices around the world, pre-pandemic Anne Loi had been trying to implement more video conferencing rather than travel. Others, however, were resistant. “Now, out of necessity, everyone is doing it.” As a consequence, she expects less travel going forward. Zoom doesn’t work for every situation, though. Lisa Baylin finds that video calls work well for business calls, “but it’s tough, creatively, to not be in the room. For creative calls, a conference call is better because everyone can focus on the work.”

Animation, interactive digital media and post-production work all rely on large digital files. It has been challenging for those who work at home to manage the files with the quality and speed of their home internet. Hard drives can be shipped, but that slows down the process and, in some cases, is simply impossible. For proof: Dark Slope has been working with an animation studio in India, but that company being at the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, international mail has been shut down. RTR Media has explored using cloud-based technology with their staff to avoid hard drives.

Across the board, producers recognize that they are experiencing a loss of productivity due to the stress induced by the pandemic, the distractions of working from home, and logistical challenges. Estimates point to a 10-to-20 percent loss in productivity. The consensus is that such a loss is acceptable, given the circumstances.

“As a studio, we had to realize that we couldn’t operate just for productivity,” Philip Barclay says. Kitfox Games Co-Founder Tanya X. Short has a great way of formulating the same idea: “A little bit of lost efficiency is ok. It would be worse if employees were working while stressed out” she counters.

The post COVID-19: A Look at Operations appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

As it gets closer to easing out of lockdown, the audiovisual industry is beginning to move beyond crisis management. Now what? We know there will be changes to the industry in the short and medium terms. But what about long term? How is the industry reacting to ― and anticipating ― these changes? What are the big questions that we need to ask ourselves moving forward, and who will answer them? This article is the fifth in a series about what’s next for Canada’s TV production sector as it slowly emerges from the shutdowns put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

> Read the other articles in the series

Documentary producers are experiencing many of the same challenges and opportunities as TV and short-form video producers during these difficult times. Rigorous health and safety protocols and the opportunity of going into production before other jurisdictions come to mind here, to name but two. Some challenges and opportunities, however, are unique to the genre.

Managing the risks

Documentaries can be shot with much smaller crews than dramas or even short-form video content. During the early days of lockdown, Rezolution Pictures Executive Producer Christina Fon explored ways to continue filming, namely by having subjects film themselves, by sending equipment to a community, or by having someone in a subject’s household shoot. OYA Media Group has sent equipment to the Brooklyn-based LGBTQ activist who is the subject of a documentary they are working on. The director trained her remotely ― not just on how to use the equipment itself, but also on what to look for in documenting herself and shooting b-roll. It is an experiment, but OYA didn’t want to miss opportunities pertaining to their subject’s activism.

With documentaries, it is “easier to respect the [health and safety] protocols because teams are smaller, says Babel Films Co-Founder Eric Piccoli. It is easier to ensure everyone is comfortable and safe, and there is no need for on-screen physical contact such as kissing and hugging.” However, as with short-form digital video content, there are still the added costs of said protocols, which are harder to absorb for smaller budgets.

Some producers such as Eric Rebalkin, co-founder of Mosaic Entertainment, are exploring documentaries for the first time precisely because they can be produced with smaller crews. Others, such as Christina Fon and marblemedia Co-CEO Mark Bishop, are exploring different forms of documentaries ― ones that rely heavily on archival footage and animation, for instance.

However, documentaries also have their own challenges. While scripted shows are often shot in one location or can be limited to a studio, many documentaries are dependent on travel. “We were supposed to have a doc in production this fall but it requires travel around Canada, explains Kyle Irving, a partner at Eagle Vision. We may have to change subjects, locations, or at least limit the locations that we go to.”

Babel Films had just finished shooting a documentary in France and another on the Iran-Iraq border when lockdown started. “Luckily, we were able to finish shooting, but that’s not the sort of production we expect we will be able to do again anytime soon,” Piccoli says. OYA Media Group had three feature docs with international stories ready for exploratory filming at the time of lockdown. Today, they are optimistic that they will be able to get back to those stories at some point. In the meantime, they are digging into archival material and putting more time into story development without the distraction of being in production on other projects. “With the lockdown, we can focus on development and the result will be a richer story with a better narrative arc,” Co-Founder Alison Duke thinks.

Shifting markets

Broadcasters continue to be slow to commit and greenlight new productions as they assess their revenues. “Broadcasters are slower to commit, but we have seen some ‘nos’ turn into ‘yesses’,” Alison Duke mentions. Kyle Irving finds that the biggest hurdle lies in convincing broadcasters that a business model exists and that there is market demand.

As with other forms of content, the documentary market is looking for more entertaining, but also more politically engaged, productions ― what Kyle Irving refers to as “shifting to the light.” For those working on social justice, equity and stories from underrepresented communities, this is a time of heightened interest. “It’s an exciting time for us because of the kind of work we do, Alison Duke appreciates. Stories from the Black community, social justice and the environment are of interest right now. Before, broadcasters would say, ‘But what does this have to do with Canadians?’ Now, it is clearer to them. For example, they now know that anti-Black racism happens here.”

“As an Indigenous-owned production company, we are really noticing the focus on redressing racial inequality and lack of diversity, notes Kyle Irving. We’re seeing the market respond to the opportunity for stories both Indigenous and diverse that we’ve known for a long time.”

Irving also points out that this shift is not limited to Canada, but also noticeable in the United States. “It’s a watershed moment to see interest from the U.S. in Indigenous storytelling, not just the romanticized versions of history as in the past but real ― sometimes shocking, sometimes uplifting ― stories,” he says.

He is hopeful, but also a bit impatient. “After decades-long underrepresentation, broadcasters are finally starting to catch up, he observes. We’re hoping that the trend continues and that it’s not just a response to current situations. But I’m so done with planning. I just want to shoot.”

Photo credit: Innocent Mtui on Wikimedia Creative Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

The post COVID-19: What’s Next for Documentary Producers appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

As it gets closer to easing out of lockdown, the audiovisual industry is beginning to move beyond crisis management. Now what? We know there will be changes to the industry in the short and medium terms. But what about long term? How is the industry reacting to ― and anticipating ― these changes? What are the big questions that we need to ask ourselves moving forward, and who will answer them? This article is the fourth in a series about what’s next for Canada’s audiovisual and interactive sectors as they slowly emerges from the shutdowns put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

> Read the other articles in the series

Game studios have not been as hard hit as linear TVproduction companies because of how most games are produced with developers and designers working on computers. Many in gaming were already partially or fully working from home, so the transition to teleworking has been easier.

The working-from-home challenge

Evan Jones, the owner and creative director of Stitch Media, has been working from home since 2012. It was still a challenge, though, as he and his wife had to add parenting and schooling their son to their professional responsibilities. Many of Jones’ staff experienced the same challenges, and he had to recognize there would be a dip in productivity. “There is nothing I can do but understand, accommodate, and adjust schedules,” he says. Stitch Media had to shift milestones and re-balance the amount of time put into work. “To some extent this is just what game development is ― assessing ‘is it good enough’ and knowing when to stop trying to make it better. But the pandemic has made this,” Jones adds.

Game development is a team effort. As such, working remotely presents challenges for studios trying to keep their team together. “There is a lot of advice out there for establishing a remote studio, but they don’t consider the added stress of a pandemic, so it is new territory for everyone,” says Tanya X. Short, the co-founder of Kitfox Games.

“There is a creative tax to the new reality. A lot of good ideas come from working together,” states Philip Barclay, the executive producer at Sabotage Studio. Brass Token Executive Producer Sapna Dayal, for her part, says that in the sheer size of digital files exchanged between members of a team lies an additional challenge to working from home, as most home internet connections aren't robust enough to manage them. This slows down production and may impact schedules.

Her company created an in-house motion capture studio since their current game, Chant, relies heavily on it. For the studio, it made more sense economically to have its own motion capture studio than to use someone else’s. They were just about to shoot before the pandemic hit. Though Brass Token is established in British Columbia and is now able to go back into production, the team is not sure when it will. They feel that it is more about the comfort level of those involved than government guidelines. Dayal says that they have been contacted for service work by companies in other jurisdictions that are already going back to work, but that Brass Token is influenced more by what their fellow Vancouver studios are doing.The consensus around returning to work, she says, seems to be “not any time soon.”

“Quebec City is a very tightly knit indie community and we talk to each other a lot” advises Philip Barclay. The city’s studios swap tips about managing staff in this new reality.Experienced studios share insights with smaller ones, who often have a lot more junior staff. The challenge lies in managing workflow ― without micromanaging to the extent that you kill creativity. “You need a management structure that allows you to know what people are doing without being a control freak,” explains Barclay.

Taking time to shift the culture

For Dan Fill, the president of Dark Slope Studios, “COVID has let us take a step back and consider who we are and where we need to make change.” For example, in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter protests, Dark Slope leadership took a look at their office and realized that despite their staff being multicultural, they have no Black employees and their board has no women. Dark Slope is planning to implement changes in hiring practices as well as to explore content development to address these gaps.

More recently, the North American game sector has been shaken by a number of harassment claims, leading at least one Canadian major studio to restructure its leadership. [According to Tania X. Short, “game companies have been allowed to prioritize profits and efficiencies over the health of their employees. It has been slowly changing, but the silver lining to this pandemic is that the industry is collectively demanding that companies prioritize the health and wellness of their employees.”

Miriam Verburg, the CEO of Bloom Digital Media, hopes that there will be a positive outcome. “Many bad actors are being called out. With people now at home, I think they feel it is safer to speak out. The sector is making money and they need their employees. The end result hopefully is more equity in how they conduct business.”

Managing the runway

Many of the game developers interviewed for this article were grateful for the sectorial and federal assistance that helped them pay bills, particularly as service work dried up. A lot of game studios rely on service work to maintain cash flow while they work on their own intellectual properties. Stitch and Dark Slope both reported a collapse in service work and a concern about long term business development (more on this in the Nordicity study on the impact of COVID-19 on the interactive digital media sector.

“Stitch has been shielded from many market effects because of support from Ontario Creates and the Canada Media Fund. However, nothing has been financed yet for 2021,” Evan Jones says. Brass Token’s Sapna Dayal echoes his thoughts. “Finances are a huge challenge. We were not eligible for many of the COVID emergency benefits because we are a pre-revenue company. The Canada Media Fund and Telefilm have been very supportive, and we’re grateful,” she states.

Location-based entertainment (LBE) ― that is, VR games in VR arcades or theme parks ― make up a significant portion of Dark Slope’s business. Of course, that business has all but completely dried up during lockdown. “Dark Slope would have been completely wiped out if it hadn’t been for CMF funding and emergency support” advises Dan Fill. However, he remains optimistic that LBE will bounce back ― venues have already reopened in some U.S. jurisdictions. For Dark Slope, the focus is on safety.The company wants to ensure that funders don’t second-guess this business model. If funders do not support content now, there will be no content for LBE venues when they do re-open.

Still, Dark Slope isn’t putting all of its eggs in the LBE basket. Before the pandemic hit, the company had started exploring VR learning simulations. Two such projects turned out to be very timely. The first, developed in partnership with Ryerson University, teaches de-escalation tactics to police officers. The second offers training on respirators to nurses. Dark Slope says it is now shifting more developers into developing this branch of its business.

The marketing challenge

Selling indie games is already a challenge, with discoverability and price point being the biggest hurdles. “We are already climbing Mount Everest. COVID is adding just a few extra metres to that climb,” Evan Jones says. Video game marketing and business development activities rely very heavily on in-person trade shows like the Game Development Conference (GDC), Nordic Games and Gamescom. Stitch attended the virtual versions that many put on, but the company did not find them as effective. Attendance was lower and there was no multiplier effect from audiences being attracted to neighbouring booths and flowing to the next one.

Brass Token hasn’t attended virtual conferences, as they need to stretch every dollar they have. Instead, the studio has been focusing on meetings they can get on their own.

Sabotage Studios was scheduled to reveal their upcoming game Sea of Stars at GDC. When it was cancelled, they were able to reschedule 90 percent of their meetings remotely with only a little chaos. They are also exploring new marketing channels that have developed in the meantime, such as presenting a trailer at Summer Games Fest, a new YouTube channel dedicated to the promotion of games. Everyone agrees, however, that what is lost is the ability to meet new people and the random encounters that happen in hallways or social events. There are no technological solutions to the loss of serendipity.

Bloom Digital was set to launch their visual novel Later Daters at this year’s GDC, Gamescom and Pax West. After these events were cancelled, they hired a PR firm and ramped up their social media plan to reach consumers directly. They also used paid streamers for an influencer campaign. These new tactics raised the profile of the game, and its launch turned out to be more effective than that of their pre-COVID game, Long Story. It is not clear, though, whether the strategy yielded higher sales. “I expect that, moving forward, I’ll use both strategies. But I know I’ll never spend as much on events again,” Miriam Verburg states.

Sapna Dayal sees the current context as a time of opportunity for video game producers, as “people can only watch so much Netflix.”Philip Barclay thinks platforms are getting more aggressive in trying to grow their market shares, and will need content to do that. “It’s an opportunity for indie players. Deals are being made very fast.”

As with television content, the market is looking for more feel-good content and story-rich gameplay rather than action-heavy games. According to Verburg, “the audience is growing and that will change what needs to be made. Families are not looking for super violent and long games.” She sees this as an opportunity for the kinds of story-based games that Bloom Digital produces. As a game designer Tanya X. Short has always been interested in “cosy” and co-op games.. These are game styles that are growing in popularity right now, according to her. Kitfox’s sales have been up since March, and Short feels that is because “people are looking for distracting and comforting, escapist games.”

The post COVID-19: What’s Next for Video Game Studios? appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

As it gets closer to easing out of lockdown, the audiovisual industry is beginning to move beyond crisis management. Now what? We know there will be changes to the industry in the short and medium terms. But what about long term? How is the industry reacting to ― and anticipating ― these changes? What are the big questions that we need to ask ourselves moving forward, and who will answer them? This article is the third in a series about what’s next for Canada’s TV production sector as it slowly emerges from the shutdowns put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

> Read the other articles in the series

The first two articles in this series focused on television production and distribution. This third piece will take a look at what is commonly referred to as web series.

But first, a word on that label.

One of the first themes that came out of the interviews conducted for this article was a pushback on being called a web series producer. “I’m a content producer,” countered iThentic Vice President Lisa Baylin.

Most of the interviewees create content of various lengths for multiple platforms and audiences. All of them have experienced unique challenges due to COVID-19.

The short-form digital advantage

According to Baylin, short-form content is about “new voices, easier access, quick turnaround,” and that has not changed. Producers who are already in this space are used to telling rich stories with smaller teams and fewer shoot dates. For example, Baylin recently shot a trailer for a funding application with one performer, a camera operator, and herself both directing and hauling gear.

Short-form video being easier and cheaper to produce, the format may start to attract more people. Feature filmmaker Jeanne Stromberg, of Stromhaus Productions, is exploring animated short-form digital with VNN Comedy Network while on hold or in extended development on her feature films. “A producer needs to produce,” she says.

Some short-form content producers have produced low-budget, ‘pandemic’ content ― content that is easy to shoot, deliver and release during lockdown. The quick turnaround for digital content allows them to create timely content that is not expected to have a life outside the pandemic. “We have had productions ordered, made and paid for during the pandemic,” asserts RTR Media’s Creative Head Jenna Keane ― digital content attached to linear with an existing audience that needed to be supported. Meanwhile, animated producer Big Bad Boo produced public service announcements for kids using the characters from their animated kids web series ‘16 Hudson’. Co-Founder Shabnam Rezaei feels that it was their responsibility, as kids content producers, to do something to help kids during this time.

Getting back into production

While some producers are rewriting content for fewer locations and smaller cast and crew, Babel Films Co-Founder Eric Piccoli is spending more time in development so that he’s ready when normal production can resume. Token Entertainment’s Co-Founders Winnifred Jong and Trinni Franke had hoped to leverage the second season of their short-form series ‘Tokens’ to produce a bigger show with more locations and a bigger cast, but now they’re considering how they may have to condense it. As a small team with limited resources, they have decided to wait until industry protocols are released and watch how larger productions cope before making decisions on creative and production changes.

Now the question is: Wait, but until when? They anticipate that broadcast productions will resume at the same time and that it will be hard for them to compete for equipment, cast, and locations. They need to find a window, but they don’t know yet when the busy time will be for both Canadian and U.S. production as they restart.

OYA Media Group Co-Founders Alison Duke and Ngardy Conteh George have both been personally impacted by COVID-19. Analyses have demonstrated that the Black community, which they are a part of, has been hit harder by COVID-19 than the general population due to factors such as systemic racism, high representation in frontline service jobs and density of housing.

As a result, Duke and George intend to wait till they are certain that it is safe for their majority Black casts and crews to go back to work, or that they can put more resources into safety protocols before they start production. In the meantime, they received CBC Creative Relief Fund money to develop an archival-driven non-fiction web series that tells stories about the Black community using personal archives. They expect to be able to move forward safely with that project during lockdown.

Looking forward

Short-form digital content faces many of the same hurdles as broadcast content in terms of managing the health and safety of production. But with lower budgets, it is a lot harder to accommodate the increased costs of PPE, physical distancing, and shorter work days. At the same time, with smaller crews, those costs won’t be as significant as they are for television productions. Broadcast producers are looking at hiring health and safety experts, but with the kind of budgets that short-form digital productions have at their disposal, Lisa Baylin doesn’t expect to be able to afford experts “unless they’re also cleaning something.”

It isn’t just about when and whether to produce, though. Platforms are being cautious. While short-form digital, in many ways, exists to showcase new voices, both Baylin and Shabnam Rezaei are concerned that, due to the pandemic, platforms will be less interested in taking risks and will instead stick to tried and true creators. Without in-person events, it is also harder for new voices to get pitches and meetings. Even those with existing relationships are experiencing a slowdown in greenlights.

Token Entertainment was on a roll, with multiple nominations and awards for the first season of ‘Tokens’, the Banff Spark program, Bell Fund Slate Development and a planned trip to L.A. All of that is now on hold, and Jong and Franke are worried that by the time they can travel again, they will have lost momentum.

The lockdown hasn’t impacted the marketing of short-form work for Piccoli, however. The market for their French-language digital drama is primarily Quebec-based, so there are fewer opportunities to miss out on in the global market.

While not directly linked to COVID-19, producers of short-form digital content find that the impact of Black Lives Matter protests during lockdown have impacted the kind of content that buyers are looking for much more than the pandemic has. “I grew up in a multicultural environment, so my content always has that representation. Now broadcasters are looking for it,” says Eric Piccoli. He sees that as an important development, as long as it is done with respect and not viewed as a checkbox.

Shabnam Rezaei hasn’t seen a change in demand, but that may be because she already works in the space where they create content that showcases “children’s emotional ability to be inclusive.” She hopes that continues because in the long run, inclusivity and representation is more important than responding to the pandemic.

The post COVID-19: What’s Next for Digital Video Content Producers? appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

As it gets closer to easing out of lockdown, the audiovisual industry is beginning to move beyond crisis management. Now what? We know there will be changes to the industry in the short and medium terms. But what about long term? How is the industry reacting to ― and anticipating ― these changes? What are the big questions that we need to ask ourselves moving forward, and who will answer them? This article is the second in a series about what’s next for Canada’s TV production sector as it slowly emerges from the shutdowns put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

> Read the other articles in the series

While the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled television production, the distribution of Canadian television content has remained strong. With people around the world stuck at home for weeks on end, demand for new content surged.

Canadian producers and distributors are well positioned to take advantage of this moment.

New opportunities

Buyers are looking for finished content. But, as fewer new productions are on the market and productions that were to be delivered are on hold, many find themselves reexamining projects that they had initially passed on.

“If the buyers didn’t like the project, they still won’t, says marblemedia Co-CEO Mark Bishop. But now, buyers have gaps in their catalogues, as new productions fall out. There are opportunities, as they circle back to look at projects they liked but didn’t have room for.” Distribution 360, marblemedia’s distribution arm, is also seeing an uptick in acquisitions, as other producers look for distributors who can take advantage of existing relationships.

Over at Rezolution Pictures, Executive Producer Christina Fon reaches out directly to buyers ― whereas before she might have used a sales agent or distributor ― and talks to larger companies that have the international connections Rezolution lacks. Fon finds that being unable to travel does not impede her ability to make deals. In fact, she feels that the conversations she has are now more intimate than those she would have had on a busy trade show floor. As people work from home, they seem to have more time to talk, so it is easier to connect, have in-depth conversations, and build relationships.

Mark Bishop agrees that buyers seem to have more time for conversations and thinks it has proven that some of the business travel in the past wasn’t necessary. He therefore expects to see a lot less of it in the future. Similarly, Mosaic Chief Operations Officer Eric Rebalkin will not fly until there is a vaccine for COVID-19. “As a parent, to do otherwise would be too much of a risk,” he deems. In the same vein, Boat Rocker Media Chief Executive Officer John Young says he is “personally not missing the time or expense of travel,” but worries that he could be “missing something,” and adds that time will tell if he is right.

Following new trends

Some markets, like MIP TV, have moved online and offer showcases, pitch sessions, and networking tools. But Christina Fon says that they are not always easy to navigate.

However, the collaborative approach we see in the development of production protocols is also seen in distribution. Markets have always been competitive. But now, everyone is working under the same restrictions. This has levelled the playing field between producers and distributors of different sizes and from different territories, as everyone works to find new ways to conduct business. “There’s a different energy as we try to get the same results in new ways, says Entertainment One President of Television for Canada Jocelyn Hamilton. There is no more fear of missing out.”

Some note a shift in what buyers are looking for. According to Christina Fon, they now look for light and entertaining documentaries and avoid darker subjects in scripted dramas unless, as with Rezolution’s sixties scoop story ‘Little Bird,’ in development for CBC, it is framed as a hero’s journey and is, ultimately, a hopeful story. Rezolution is also developing an escapist action-adventure that seems right for the time.

Shaftesbury feels well positioned to take advantage of new opportunities. Their current prime time drama slate (‘Murdoch Mysteries’ and ‘Frankie Drake’) is popular internationally because the shows aren’t as sombre and heavy as comparable productions.

Shaftesbury Chief Executive Officer Christina Jennings thinks that non-serialized, character-centric, and hopeful content has an advantage in the current market. Her company is selling into new markets as a result. For its part, marblemedia sees a global trend in favour of family-friendly and co-viewing content. Mark Bishop notices that buyers are looking for everyday heroes and relatable content. “Now is not the time for renovation shows with big fancy houses,” he adds.

Lastly, production restrictions in the United States provide an opportunity for existing Canadian intellectual property, as U.S. broadcasters and platforms need to fill voids in their programming. They could thus turn to Canadian productions, knowing they are quality content. ‘Transplant’ being sold to NBC and ‘Coroner’ finding a home on The CW may be just the first manifestations of that.

Photo credit: Maximilian Bühn / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

The post COVID-19: What’s Next for Distribution? appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

As it gets closer to easing out of lockdown, the audiovisual industry is beginning to move beyond crisis management. Now what? We know there will be changes to the industry in the short and medium terms. But what about long term? How is the industry reacting to ― and anticipating ― these changes? What are the big questions that we need to ask ourselves moving forward, and who will answer them? This article is the first in a series about what’s next for Canada’s TV production sector as it slowly emerges from the shutdowns put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.

> Read the other articles in this series

The pandemic has had little impact on animation other than a short-term adjustment, as workers shifted to working from home. Development is also moving forward with few challenges. People, of course, prefer an in-person writing room. But by all reports, the shift to virtual is going well. Shaftesbury, for example, has ten writing rooms working across various genres, and the company reports that all are working well and meeting deadlines.

Perhaps expectedly, things are a tad more complicated in live-action scripted and documentary production.

Collaboration is the word of the day

Various actors within the industry are working together to develop protocols for safe production. Health and safety being of provincial jurisdiction, each province has its own structure for working collaboratively to develop said protocols.

For example, Quebec’s health and safety board released guidelines created with the input of the industry, to be applied starting June 8, 2020.

Manitoba released its guide for production, developed by On Screen Manitoba with the assistance of the industry, to govern the re-opening of production June 1, 2020.

In British Columbia, Creative BC is working with the industry to develop a plan to resume production safely, manage risk, and respond to any subsequent outbreak.

In Ontario, the S.21 Committee has submitted similar protocols to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development for review. “Everyone will have to realize that it is a different world,” says Shaftesbury Chief Executive Officer Christina Jennings. “We need to work together. It isn’t going to be the way it was for at least 18 to 24 months."

Producers are collaborating on a global scale as well. Many in Canada check in with their peers in Australia, Iceland, and South Korea, where economies have opened up earlier. “There will always be competition for profits,” deems Boat Rocker Media CEO John Young. “But in the meantime, the industry is coming together in this crisis. Preparedness is very collaborative all around the world.”

Challenges are aplenty ― but so are opportunities

In terms of being ready to go back into production, Canada may be ahead of other countries ― particularly the United States. This could provide an opportunity for U.S. companies to work in Canada and hire Canadian producers, or for U.S. broadcasters and platforms to commission Canadian content. Mosaic Entertainment Chief Operations Officer Eric Rebalkin says the company is planning for limited summer production, but that it is ready to ramp up as soon as restrictions are lifted. Christina Jennings also sees a competitive advantage. “Canada is well placed because we have been producing content with smaller crews than the U.S. already,” she says. “We are well positioned to transition to new protocols.”

Producers recognize that safety protocols will usher in creative changes. As it will be easier to manage health and safety on smaller productions, this could mean simpler stories, fewer extras, and fewer set, wardrobe, or hair changes.

Then there’s the real estate. To film ‘Murdoch Mysteries,’ Shaftesbury will use its standing backlot and studio for more of their shoot days, as those locations are safer and easier to control. Christina Jennings says that the company is even considering investing in a second backlot to shoot ‘Frankie Drake’ for similar reasons. Concurrently, marblemedia Co-CEO Mark Bishop is looking to use the company’s property in Orangeville as a self-contained backlot.

Some production companies that do not own backlots or studio space are exploring genres that will be easier to produce with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Documentaries may be easier in the short term, as they typically require smaller crews.

Eric Rebalkin says that after having focused on scripted drama, Mosaic is working on its first documentary for that reason. Rezolution Pictures Executive Producer Christina Fon is looking at ways for subjects to film themselves or for equipment to be sent directly in communities. For her part, Christina Jennings says that Shaftesbury had not done much animation in the past, but just happened to have two projects in development when COVID-19 hit. Those are moving forward without delay. The company is also working on a podcast series that can be produced remotely.

Limitations made necessary by the pandemic are frustrating and scary. Yet, the need to adapt and keep working is pushing producers to be more creative ― some even find it an exciting challenge. Eric Rebalkin feels a “creative resurgence” as Mosaic Entertainment comes up with new ideas that would work if physical distance or working from home became the norm, and as the company tries to adapt what it was already developing.

Entertainment One is adapting content to be safer ― no sex scenes, no actors hugging, etc. ― but also to be more in tune with the times. According to the President of eOne Television Canada, Jocelyn Hamilton, “television has always been a reflection of reality and today’s reality will be written into stories, without them actually being a coronavirus story,” to avoid the cognitive dissonance of seeing pre-pandemic activity.

Shows that require travel ― such as marblemedia’s ‘Restaurants on the Edge’ or Boat Rocker subsidiary Insight Production’s ‘Amazing Race Canada’ ― will not be able to shoot for a long time. Their producers are instead prioritizing “fast-to-market” shows, without sacrificing quality. For example, Boat Rocker expects production of another season of ‘Top Chef Canada’ to be easy to manage, even under safety protocols.

Jocelyn Hamilton hopes that the crisis is an opportunity to reboot the system and that it sparks an honest dialogue about ways in which producers can be more efficient and strengthen the industry. “For example, have shorter shoot days so everyone works less hard and stays healthy,” she says.

She concludes by emphasizing the need for unity throughout the industry. “We need to be together in this as an industry. 'Stronger together' is not just a hashtag.”

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