
Producers and factual content are in high profile at MIPTV this year. So ahead of this year's market we asked Thierry Detaille - head of Brussels-based factual distributor and co-production company Visible Film, president of the European Co-ordination of Audiovisual Distributors (ECAD) and a past MIPDOC Project Pitch winner - for some advice to producers about choosing the right distributor. Over the past 10 years it has become less of a pure sales market and more of an editorially defined business, Detaille says. So our world is changing. In our business, distribution has to come as early as possible - as it has always done in fiction
Thierry Detaille, head of factual distributor and co-production company Visible Film and president of ECAD
It is not unknown for some producers and production companies distribute their own shows. Would you ever advise a producer to take this route? I really believe that anything we are doing in this industry is closely related to personality.
Everything is down to personality and distributors are people who are conveying content in the best way in order to reflect the creative intentions of creators. That is particularly the case with independent distributors. In that regard I would just ask, Are you a team player or do you prefer to do things on your own?' Everything I've done over the past 27 years has been as a team player. I really believe that distributors have an important place in the chain when it comes to conceptualisation, finance, pre-production, production and then releasing the content. And in that regard, I would just say to anyone who wants to do the job on their own, work according to where your energy is. But the market is no longer a straightforward sales market; I think you need a partner with whom you can talk things over in terms of being represented internationally. But if you want to do it on your own, do it on your own. You live and learn.
How do I know if there is a market for my show? When you are at the moment of conception, you are already engaging in the marketplace. So speak with people who are aware of the market and particularly who are aware of existing programmes that relate to the theme that you are working on. Are there already 10 productions on the same subject? That may not matter. But good feedback and good interpretation of market needs from a distributor, may enable you to be flexible enough to re-think your proposition and bring something new to the market.
Should I try to match my show to a distributor who has had success with similar shows? I think the answer is in the question. It's only logical to do that. Every distributor has a particular profile and I believe that looking at the catalogue of a distributor, before you discuss business, makes sense. Ask if you fit in with that distributor's business - or am I disruptive with my project? Disruption can be good. Findability' is the big word today. More of the same is not always a good thing, but similarity is something that can help the findability' of a project.
What are some of best ways to meet distributors? We are aware that access to television events or festivals depends on a lot of things, including where you are based. But don't worry. There are multiple ways to contact people. I really believe that physically meeting is very important. Even in 2023, physical meetings can help to determine whether or not you are likely to be well matched in professional and personal situations. Travelling can be considered a bit of a luxury nowadays and if it's not always possible to attend such events, the best way to meet distributors is to write to them. We reply to all our emails and it's very important to do that. And if somebody doesn't reply to you, then that's already proof of a no-go.
But however you communicate with a distributor, always be extremely clear about what you are offering. Put it simply to start with. We are trained to understand even one-liners and to be extremely efficient. We can have a 15-minute meeting with a client and we know how to get straight to the point. And this is what we expect from other people too - even creators. Also, there are multiple platforms - physical and online - where you can pitch your projects, and for distributors these work as filters. At markets, our priority is to meet our clients - to sell.
The traditional film industry has Festivals everywhere in the world where their work can be seen before a distribution deal is in place. Is there an equivalent for television? It depends on the genre. But there are multiple events that serve as co-production forums, gap-bridging events, where there are rough-cut screenings where you can present your work to professionals. Otherwise, you have online solutions - in my case I have tried to introduce online marketing to get buyers interested in a project. But television is different from film - you have to know who you should be talking to and who should be sitting there watching your rough-cut. I really believe that producers should team up with distributors for that purpose because we know the people who should be seeing your work - we wouldn't exist if we didn't. We have learned not to waste people's time, so if we invite someone to see a rough-cut, they know it's for a good reason.
Windows are complicated especially now the streamers are so dominant. How do I navigate the complexities of windowing? I really believe that today any model has to fit with the project itself. Channels are very editorialised and platforms are becoming increasingly aware of their audiences' needs. Channels have defined more and more over the past 10 years what is the target audience of a given slot. And you have to know your audience if you are producer too; you have to know if you should be playing both games - pla
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content Feature marks Rokus first women's league-branded zone within service By Bra...
13/03/2025
Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew...
13/03/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size ...
13/03/2025
IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036;...
13/03/2025
NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical...
13/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive...
13/03/2025
Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...