Prime Time Anytime

Canadians have stories to tell, and global companies are recognizing the great opportunities that can come from these projects. How can you partner with a broadcaster or studio to develop content that can be sold globally? Hear from our panel of experts who are producing and monetizing Canadians’ stories, and about the global opportunities that exist for Canadian producers

Independent producers with a great story to tell know that one of the biggest challenges to getting a project completed is securing the funding. In today’s evolving industry, how have finance models changed? What strategies are available that have proven results? This panel of experts will provide real world solutions to the challenge of production finance, and outline novel approaches to the funding puzzle that will get your project rolling, and content made. Moderated by Lon Hall.

Great animation can come from anywhere and watched everywhere on Netflix. It’s an opportunity for Canada’s exceptional animation talent to create stories for the global stage. In this session, Netflix manager of original animation Jane Lee will break down how Netflix animation works with local creators. She’ll be joined on stage by Greg Sullivan, the creator of the Netflix original animated series The Hollow, which was made in British Columbia and watched by fans all over the world. They’ll present a case study of howThe Hollow came to Netflix, before and after the greenlight. This session is moderated by Kidscreen news and social media editor, Alexandra Whyte.

In their first public appearance following the release of the long-awaited Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review (BTLR) report, the Chair of the government-appointed BTLR expert panel, Janet Yale, and panel member Monique Simard will discuss their recommendations to the government.

Joined by the CMPA’s President and CEO Reynolds Mastin, the pair will discuss the current state of the screen-based industries and Minister Guilbeault’s vision for the future of Canadian content creation.

If Gen Zers have proved anything, it’s that if you want to reach the next generation of consumers, you’re going to have to invest in video. This reality is giving media companies incentive to create more targeted content as Gen Z shuns traditional media. Content creators are adapting to Gen Z’s consumption habits and bringing content to them where they live – on mobile devices. Join our panel of experts as they discuss and provide key insights about how to successfully target and reach the Gen Z audience from every angle. Moderated by Agnes Augustin.

What if consuming content meant being together in 2020? This is one of the questions explored in the Canada Media Fund’s 2020 Trends Report, entitled Closer, Wider, Faster. Join Catherine Mathys for an in-depth analysis of the current trends affecting the screen industry.

The Prime Time Throwdown is back for 2020! This year, three finalists will be selected to take the stage and pitch their projects for chance to win up to $35,000 in in-kind post-production and marketing services from Stamp Audio and Innovate by Day for their project.

The rapidly evolving rights market has led to major changes in how distribution deals are getting done, causing producers to re-evaluate their strategies for optimizing the value of their content. What are the key negotiating points that make or break profitability in our constantly changing reality, and how can producers leverage this knowledge to make the best possible deal?

Five experts. Five verticals. Three questions. Ten minutes each. Five leaders in feature film, documentary, short form, lifestyle/unscripted, and scripted will each have ten minutes to present up-to-the-minute market intel by answering three questions: what’s working in your marketplace, what’s not, and where are the gaps and the opportunities?

In Dragon’s Den style, three producers will each pitch their projects, with their marketing strategies, to our audience building experts with $10,000 in in-kind services from Innovate By Day at stake. Through the pitches and our experts’ responses, we’ll do a deep dive into the latest and best approaches to innovative and immersive cross-platform strategies for audience engagement.

The OTT landscape, often characterized by its biggest brands, offers many highly varied opportunities for content owners and creators. This panel will explore everything from new platforms developed by broadcasters, to the evolution of early-entry niche OTTs, to creator-driven channels, and more. In a constantly evolving environment, these leaders will explore the possibilities most relevant to content makers and owners.

One of the most challenging decisions entrepreneurs confront is whether to diversify their business. The risks and rewards can be extraordinary. We will explore this topic with a corporate finance advisor, and with three leaders who have successfully diversified across platforms, technologies and markets. They will discuss key questions that will help you cut through the issues and build your best business.

Offering a glimpse ‘behind the curtain’, this panel will explore the process of pitching, developing, and producing a property with Netflix. How does it differ from working with broadcasters? And what lessons can be learned from the experiences of those who have successfully produced with this digital juggernaut?

Producers and their partners are increasingly confronted by the challenge of talent scarcity as top names migrate towards players with deep pockets and unlimited shelf-space. This panel will focus on ways independent companies can compete. What are innovative strategies for attaching or incubating talent, and what roles do diversity and new voices play in this?

Keynote: The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism

The Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts have not been updated since before the internet entered our homes. In many ways, they are the bedrock of our industry, and the government’s current initiative to review these acts could set a new course for the future. Canada’s key leaders are assembled for the first time to debate the critical issues at the heart of this review.

Opening address by CMPA President and CEO Reynolds Mastin

INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY DIRECTOR OF THE INDIGENOUS SCREEN OFFICE

NEW FORMS OF CONTENT

IN CONVERSATION WITH THE HONOURABLE MÉLANIE JOLY

A look forward from leaders in four key sectors that support and drive content production: cable, devices, broadcast and independent production.

OPENING ADDRESS BY CMPA PRESIDENT AND CEO REYNOLDS MASTIN

Roundtable – Harassment: Changing the Culture

OTT players are breathing new life into production and distribution, but the OTT landscape changes significantly and constantly.

With the variety of platforms and formats, and with quality at an all-time high, writers must be more creatively dextrous than ever before.

The dominance of traditional data is being challenged by social listening and by direct relationships between creators and their audiences.

Content by diverse creators often struggles for financing because of the perception of a limited market.

Global leaders in formats will discuss how they develop formats for export, how they spot formats ripe for import, and how good ideas can be translated to work for audiences around the world.

American and Canadian broadcast and production leaders will discuss new ways to capitalize on the partnership potential between our two countries.

The increasingly complex environment for feature-length content demands unprecedented innovation and customization in distribution strategies.

This panel will explore a mix of content styles and business models used in VR, AR and 360, all in the entertainment space.

‘Long tail’ revenue from merchandising and licensing is typically realized well after the big dollars from production.

The international marketplace is becoming more competitive as local content increasingly dominates in markets around the world.

At a time of accelerating change, strategic risk-taking is crucial to drive success. Established businesses are diversifying into digital, digital businesses are finding toeholds on linear platforms, and new platforms and business models compete for survival. How do key players in content creation and distribution sort through the threats and opportunities to drive growth?

Closing Keynote at PTIO

Online video consumption is experiencing explosive growth driven largely by mobile, which experienced a 19.8% increase in 2016.

Valerie Creighton, President & CEO, Canada Media Fund interviews David Purdy, Chief International Growth Officer, VICE Media.

Minister Joly ‘In Conversation’ with Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO of the CMPA.

Canada’s broadcast leaders explore recent changes in Canada’s broadcasting industry and the impact they have had, or are anticipated to have, on their businesses. Hear what’s next in programming strategies for their multiple broadcast and digital platforms. How are they responding to shifting trends in advertising, and to competition for both content and audiences from international, unregulated platforms? And of course, we will explore opportunities for producers in this rapidly changing environment.

Join CMPA President and CEO Reynolds Mastin as he launches Prime Time with his inaugural State of the Industry opening remarks.

As Canadian broadcasters and producers focus more on discoverability, particularly at early stages in production, how can they work together to create success? Who owns the audience, who pays, and can the risk, the labour and the rewards be shared? Are the efforts best tied to the IP, the talent, the broadcaster or all of the above? We’ll explore what a collaboration between the two parties could look like, and discuss best practices to leverage the strengths of each in order to build a critical mass of successful Canadian brands.

This session explores the nuts and bolts of one of 2016’s most anticipated new television series, the official treaty co-production, Houdini & Doyle, as well as a US/ Canadian co-venture. In both cases, the conversation will focus on the creators’ innovative approaches to the financing and packaging, and the impact these decisions had on creative outcomes and IP exploitation. We’ll candidly discuss how these shows originated, and the development and implementation of the strategies that lead to the project’s success on an international stage. Moderator: John Hadity, EP Financial Solutions Speakers: • Daniel Bekerman, Scythia Films • Lisa Godfrey, Shaw Media • Christina Jennings, Shaftesbury Recorded: February 5, 2016, Ottawa. Find out more at www.primetimeinottawa.ca

Packaging is often the secret sauce to a project’s success, but what makes someone a packaging genius? Further to that, how do producers successfully package within Canadian content parameters while appealing to international digital, television and feature film markets? We’ll explore successful Canadian projects and best practices internationally to reveal elements to consider when packaging for a competitive global marketplace. Moderator: Noreen Halpern, Halfire-CORE Entertainment Speakers: • Tassie Cameron, Tassie Pictures • Lorenzo de Maio, William Morris Endeavor • Rob Kenneally, Creative Artists Agency • Miranda de Penicer, Northwood Entertainemnt Recorded: February 4, 2016, Ottawa. Find out more at www.primetimeinottawa.ca

As consumers find more ways to bypass traditional television advertising, branded entertainment has become more crucial for advertisers. What does branded entertainment look like now? How are creative objectives affected? And as the business models evolve, how do partnerships between brands, producers, media agencies and broadcasters come to be? How are these deals financed and structured? What hurdles have the partners overcome as these relationships evolve, and what are the best-in-class models for achieving sustainable success? Moderator: Vibika Bianchi, Force Four Entertainment Speakers: • Jay Bennett, Smokebomb/Shaftesbury • Jim Kiriakakis, Buck Productions • Justin Stockman, Bell Media • Lindsay Wilson, MediaCom Beyond Advertising Recorded: February 4, 2016, Ottawa. Find out more at www.primetimeinottawa.ca

Technology is creating new ways for stories to be told, and mined audience data is a huge advantage as early as the pitching stage. From long form content developed iteratively with the audience, to rapid prototyping, to stories told and monetized on multiple platforms, this panel will look at new forms of storytelling and how added IP value can be created by building the audience as the story is being developed. Moderator: Amy Davies, CFC Media Lab Speakers: • Jay Bushman, The Horizon Factory • Mackenzie Donaldson, Aberrant Pictures • James Milward, Secret Location • Sandra Rodriguez, Filmmaker and Scholar, Fellow – MIT Open Documentary Lab Recorded: February 4, 2016, Ottawa. Find out more at www.primetimeinottawa.ca

In this far-ranging interview with Sam Toles, Vimeo’s VP of Content Strategy and Business Development, we explore the many ways Vimeo helps creators advance content discovery and monetization. Sam Toles, in conversation with CMPA’s Marguerite Pigott, discusses everything from self-created channels to the journey of High Maintenance from web series to HBO, along with Vimeo’s many points of access for creators.