Michelle Wasserman
Head of International Sales / Programming Distribution
Telefe International
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What are the advantages / difficulties of selling telenovelas to Western European countries?
The demand is not as great as in Eastern Europe and the slots are reduced, which means that, consequently, the possibilities of introducing a product are more restricted. Basically, we compete not only against other products in a pure competitive style, such as it is the case of telenovelas from other distributors, but there is also a struggle for seizing a Latin product space over local production, which makes the environment even more challenging. In this territory, the daily follow-up and the constant visit to clients are very important, plus the follow-up itself and the appointments made at fairs or the tours scheduled to those countries. We are talking about a constant presence in the territories. The negotiations usually take longer than the standard times, since not only the product must be assessed but there's also a far more demanding verification of the technical features. There are also advantages on ready-made programs (tinned material). The economic development of the countries of the region is quite bigger compared to that of other regions, which means that a sale made in Western European territories may reflect the total amount of 8 to 20 sales in another region.
Do you sell ready-made telenovelas to Western Europe ? Can you give us examples of successful telenovelas that are on the air in Western European countries?
We've had different moments in the industry, within the Western European territory. Over 12 years ago, we sold the first telenovelas to Spain. I remember it because at that time, I began my career in this area. The telenovelas was "Dejate querer".... and the same ocurred in Italy. With time, the markets of this region became mainly oriented to the local production so they limited their purchases to either European products or to American series and movies. Basically, the Argentine productions have an additional element that makes them different from other Latin productions, and that is the European touch. Besides, the top-quality and high standards of Argentine products are very much appreciated in this territory, where the demand for technical features is stronger than in other territories. This provides an added value to our products and we feel very proud of their distribution. At present, we are very happy with the performance of several productions that are aired in Spain, both on national and regional channels, and on cable TV: "Flinderella" on TVE, "Rebel's Way" on Localia, or "Love's Guard" to be soon broadcast in Telecinco. We also have other series and telenovelas on local channels, such as "Tiny Angels", "Wild Moon", "Yago", "Maximo in my Heart" and "The Freedom of Music", among others, including also series, documentaries and clips that we usually sell in the territory. As regards Italy, we have closed a deal for an important pack of titles for Fox Italy, to be aired on several channels, ranging from an important pack of documentaries for National Geographic to series such as "Sex Stories of Ordinary People" and "Mosca & Smith" for FX. "Batticuore" ("Maximo in my Heart") is being broadcast at present and we have also sold other classic titles such as "Passions or Black Pearl". As regards to France, at present the market panorama for Latin content distributors is very promising. This market has welcomed Latin fiction and this gives us a great chance. I always say that when a colleague is doing fine with the sale of a telenovelas, it is very encouraging news for the promotion of this genre, and at the end of the day it becomes beneficial for the industry. This market is opening up to the classic telenovelas, and that is a good sign for the industry. We, however, have used an alternative door to get into the market and that's the reason why we have stood out in the last few years: fiction oriented to young audience. "The Freedom of Music" is being successfully broadcast on Canal J. Germany has started developing the Latin product, but based on its local production, i.e. working with the format. Even though our goals are to become part of this small and quiet opening, we are considering not only the possibility of producing in said country, but of introducing tinned products, after the tendency experienced by its bordering countries, which we believe is definitely catching. We are working on strategic alliances in order to develop our products in this region; we understand they have a great potential, not only because of the market's conditions but also because of the acceptance of a product that, although it's essentially Latin, has a European look that provides extra benefits in local screens, because the viewers' perception makes them identify with the characters, and programmers are definitely aware of that.
Do you participate in Reed Midem's Telenovelas Screenings? What do you expect from this event?
Yes. We expect that this event will become an added value both for the buyers and the sellers. For those buyers who don't want to rush to their next appointment, we give them the chance to see and analyze the demos of the various telenovelas on sale, and they can choose among the different alternatives available in the market. In this way, there's a better use of the time and the meetings are more oriented to negotiations than to visualization. Besides, we make sure that the client that for some reason has not been able to see the demos prior to the fair, has a chance to do it. As far as we distributors is concerned, apart from providing this added value service in the offer, we have the chance to capture new opportunities and make a strict follow-up of the interest on the client and the product. |
Se dice amor / The name is love |
