3rd Symposium 2006

AGENDA

FRIDAY JULY 7, 2006

13:00-14:00
REGISTRATION

14:00-14:30
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

· Donata von Perfall, Discovery Campus
· Ruth Berry, Discovery Campus

· Jacques van Heijningen, The Rotterdam Film Fund
· Dominique van Ratingen, MEDIA Desk Netherlands

14:30-16:00
Hypothetical
TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT

· Susan MacKinnon, Sydney: “Moderator”
· Andrew Buchanan, Westbury Media Consultants Ltd., Bristol: acting as “the Producer”
· Dr. Stefan Rüll, Anwaltskanzlei Dr. Rüll, Berlin: playing himself “the Lawyer”
· Simon Willock, Swift, Send: acting as “the Broadcaster”

Witness a hypothetical contract negotiation between a broadcaster and a producer. The object is to demystify the mass of confusing terms that have proliferated along with the expansion of digital and new media technologies. We concentrate on rights negotiations for different media and territories. Andrew will be told by his lawyer Stefan, what the various terms mean. Stefan will help Andrew get the best package of rights he can and from time to time he’ll ask Simon to define terms which are unclear or too broad (for example, what does “media that has not yet been invented” actually mean?). The project and the contract will be fictitious but the terms will be gleaned from real contracts. What is discussed in this hypothetical will prepare you for discussions over the next days.

16:00-16:30
COFFEE BREAK

16:30-17:45
Presentation
NEW MEDIA ALMANAC *

· Andy Wilson, BBC Training and Development, London

What is iTV? What should producers know about New Media? Andy Wilson will lead us through the plethora of new media technologies. He’ll explain what works and why, showing examples of effective BBC productions. The New Media almanac is an exciting bag of possibilities but to use it, will require different ways of perceiving and conceiving “the programme.” Andy will open a window on these new ways with the hindsight of BBC wisdom.

17:45-18:45
Case Study
PERFECT MATCH
Equator: Power of an Ocean *

· Peter Hayden, NHNZ, Dunedin
· Ellen Windemuth, Off The Fence, Amsterdam

A factual entertainment producer and a distributor living at opposite ends of the globe have combined to create high-quality, highly sought after documentaries. “Power of an Ocean,” one of the six-part Equator series, has just won a gold medal at the prestigious New York Festivals. This case study is a backdrop to understanding how a successful producer/distributor relationship works. Executive Producer for the project, Peter Hayden, and Ellen Windemuth, who distributes NHNZ’s extensive catalogue discuss the project and the history of this successful relationship.

18:45-19:45
Case Study
MOBILE TRIAL
Coast Mobile

· Mark Jacobs, BBC Natural History Unit, Bristol

Mark Jacobs is the Executive Producer of “Coast Mobile”, a digital collaboration between BBC, Hewlett – Packard labs and Gavitec. They created a multi-media experience where people are able to enrich their understanding of areas referred to in the BBC TWO series “Coast Mobile”. While visiting the locations they could use their mobile phones to access stories, drama and surprising facts. In May this year “Coast” won the first ever BAFTA award for Interactivity. Mark’s task with the BBC is to help pioneer new ways of using multi-media content and natural history. Find out more about how “Coast Mobile” was produced and the outcome of this innovative BBC trial.

SATURDAY JULY 8, 2006

09:30-11:00
Discussion
COMMERCIAL IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

· Kaisa Kriek, NPB Sales - Netherlands Public Broadcasting, Hilversum
· Bettina Oebel, German United Distributors, Cologne
· Reema Patel, iD Distribution, London
· Louise Rosen, Louise Rosen Ltd., Brunswick
· Simon Willock, Swift, Send

Distribution has altered in the last five years. This panel will discuss those changes and present the realities of today’s market. We introduce a number of highly regarded, yet very different international companies who will raise the issues most affecting their businesses including the confusion over New Media in the area of rights negotiations and ownership. Find out how a distributor works and how you can work with them to achieve the maximum potential for your programmes in a dynamic international marketplace.

11:00-11:30
COFFEE BREAK

11:30-12:15
Case Study
GRASSROOTS MARKETING *
“What the Bleep Do We Know”

· Pavel Mikoloski, Living The Field, London

What is the secret behind a low budget “pseudo” documentary feature that made over $10 million at the box office? In the US it sold out small theatres for months and was then launched into 60 theatres by Samuel Goldwyn Films. It has created an overwhelming buzz on the internet (not all positive). So what was the marketing genius behind getting “What the Bleep Do We Know” out there? Marketing director Pavel Mikoloski will explain how it was done from the ground up.

12:15-13:00
Interview
HOW TO HIJACK AN AUDIENCE
Airline distribution and how it works

· Jörg Schiffmann, Atlas Air Film + Media Service, Duisburg

Jörg’s company began distributing films to cruise ships in the 1970’s. Today Atlas Air distributes to airline companies around the world. Hollywood features comprise the majority of his catalogue, but there is now a growing demand for shorter programming including documentaries. So what is working for the viewers in the air and is this a market available to you? Find out from Atlas Air’s Managing Director.

13:00-14:30
LUNCH BREAK

14:30-15:30
Case Study
RIGHTS STUFF
“Beyond the Margin: The life and work of John A. Alonzo”

· Stehanie Bahr, Montagnola Productions Ltd., Wachtberg
· Axel Schill, Montagnola Productions Ltd., Wachtberg
· Barbara Truyen, Films Transit International, Amsterdam

John A. Alonzo (1934-2001) is one of the most accomplished Directors of Photography of American cinema. Using interviews with Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Michael Crichton, Roger Ebert and many more, this portrait shows his life and work. “Beyond the Margin” is supported by NRW Film Fund, Düsseldorf, Molinare, London and yet to be sold to a broadcaster. Montagnola had to clear the rights for clips from a range of Hollywood feature films. We will learn how they went about it, and how important their careful rights clearance strategy was for this film’s unencumbered distribution pathway. Barbara Truyen will present Films Transit’s plan for getting this film out there.

15:30-16:15
Interview
DVD INTELLIGENCE

· Jean-Luc Renaud, Globalcom Ltd., St. Albans

DVD is already in well over half the homes in the key European countries and its appeal continues to grow rapidly. European DVD households passed the 90-million mark. Consumers currently spend in excess of €250/home a year on DVD. And DVD is Hollywood’s Number One source of revenue and profit. Is it time for independent film producers to tap into the DVD market? Find out how from Jean-Luc, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of DVD-Intelligence, the premier source of news, data and analysis for the DVD professionals in Europe.

16:15-17:00
COFFEE BREAK

17:00-18:15
Panel
WHAT’S IN A NAME?

· Tom Koch, WGBH International, Boston
· Christina Willoughby, Channel 4 International, London *

When someone buys a film from Channel 4 International or WGBH International, the brand speaks for itself. Christina and Tom will introduce their companies and explain how they are helping producers to get their projects made and sold into the international market. See the types of projects that have been successful for them and what they are looking for from independent producers.

18:15-19:15
Case Study
BIG PICTURES, LITTLE SCREEN *
“Scrooge or Saint, Real Time Commuter Quiz”

· Fiora Cutler, Big Structure Creative, Launceston
· Andrei Maberley, Big Structure Creative, Launceston

Two young filmmakers won this year’s mobile phone content pitching session at MIP’s Content 360. They developed the idea for “Scrooge Or Saint”, a real time Commuter Quiz, in Tasmania, and then travelled to Cannes as finalists to present their project in front of an international audience. They chose an idea that they thought would suit the platform. Now they’re going to pitch it to us and reveal how they are going to produce TV for a mobile phone screen.

19:15
DINNER RECEPTION & FOOTBALL (21:00)

SUNDAY JULY 9, 2006

10:00-11:00
Presentation or Panel
BEAM ME UP
Digital Cinema explained

· Kees Ryninks, CinemaNet Europe, Amsterdam

Big screen documentaries and other specialist films are growing in popularity but distribution costs for traditional celluloid remain prohibitive. Digital technology has changed all of this, making it easier and more affordable to get films to a wider audience. CinemaNet Europe has brought documentaries to the big screen by transforming independent cinemas across five countries into digital cinemas. Kees Ryninks will explain how this has been achieved and what new opportunities are now open to factual programme makers. He will give facts and figures and show examples of what works well for this new breed of cinema going audience.

11:00-11:30
COFFEE BREAK

11:30-12:15
Case Study
REVERSE DISTRIBUTION
“Loose Change 2”

· Tim Sparke, Mercury Media, London

“Loose Change 2” appeared on the internet in January and 6 million downloads later is the most watched film in internet history. The film examines alternative theories behind the acts of terrorism in the United States on the 11th of September 2001. The filmmakers never thought what they were doing would make them famous, but they also never thought they would get death threats either. Broadcasters all over Europe are now scheduling it for the fifth anniversary of 9/11 and it has been selected at the Venice Film Festival. Distributor Tim Sparke will show some clips and explain the sort of challenges he is up against. He will also share a new approach to distribution using the power of on-line promotion.

12:15-13:15
Panel
INTO THE UNKNOWN
How broadcasters are reacting to the changing media landscape

· Fabrice Blancho, ARTE, Paris
· Wolter Braamhorst, AVRO, Hilversum

Broadcasters talk about the challenge of surviving in the changing media environment and what it means to traditional business models. Find out how they are thinking about New Media. Hear about their plans for working with producers to maximise the exposure of productions using multi-media platforms.

13:15-14:30
LUNCH BREAK

14:30-15:30
Case Study
“Arna’s children”

· Matthijs Koenen, Pieter van Huystee Film & TV, Amsterdam
· Esther van Messel, First Hand Films, Zurich

“Arna's Children” spans 15 years in the lives of a theatre troupe established in a West Bank refugee camp by Arna Mer Khamis, a former Zionist who married a Palestinian Arab in the 1950s. Arna's son, Juliano, co-director of this film and also one of the directors of Arna's theatre, filmed the children during rehearsal periods from 1989 until his mother died of cancer in 1996. Five years later, Juliano goes back to find out what happened to Arna's children. A case study on the importance of the festival circuit for successful sales of what was initially a film made without full finance in place.

15:30
FAREWELL

We reserve the right to make changes in the programme.

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(*) not included in the Discovery Campus Yearbook 2006.