Nothing Stays in Vegas
As TV, Web and Social Media
Tie the Knot
By Jonathan Hiltz
Amidst the gargantuan resorts and lavish lifestyles along the Las Vegas strip, one of the film and television industries most important events recently took place in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
It may be Vegas, but the word is getting out.
The National Association of Television Program Executives, otherwise known as NATPE, is well-known a business hub of buying and selling. Media producers, executives and television network head honchos alike mingle and make deals for three solid days.
(And yes, my team at Hiltz Squared made one of those deals! There's more 'shameless self-promotion' below! And there's is a link to a short YouTube spot from the show.)
We stayed down the street from Mandalay Bay, at the Treasure Island Hotel - close enough that we could easily get to the action at the NATPE market, but far enough away that we weren't right in the middle of all the buzz and festival action day and night. The market and events usually end around 6:00pm and Treasure Island had excellent accommodations, with amenities including Khotan Restaurant, Isla Tequila Bar and O Spa. They also have a great outdoor show at night in front of the hotel, complete with pirate ships and fireworks.
Down the street at the market and conference things seemed somewhat smaller, with not as many days than as in the past however there was no shortage of deals, celebrities and enthusiasm at the 2010 event. One such innovative session paired industry executives with celebrity chefs in a seminar called NATPE Celebrity Chef Kitchen, in a tribute to reality food TV.
Many of the talks were focused around the content lifecycle of television programs and speakers included Hugh Laurie (House), Judge Judith Sheindlin (Judge Judy), Donald Trump (Celebrity Apprentice), Lisa Hsia (SVP Digital Media at Bravo), Neal Baer (Executive Producer, Law & Order SVU), Michael Eisner (CEO The Tornante Company), David E. Kelley (CEO, David E. Kelley Productions) Curt Marvis (President, Digital Media Lionsgate), Vivi Zigler (President, NBC Universal Digital Entertainment) and Jeff Gaspin (Chairman NBC Universal Television Entertainment).
In the Presentation Theatre, there were discussions on the marriage of TV, web content and social media. These included talks on the changing revenue streams for both mediums and the potential death of the 30 second commercial spot.
Addressing the NATPE audience, Elisabeth Murdoch (daughter of Rupert) said she believes that 'audiences want to be more immersed and involved in their programming' and they can be through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. She then added that the more people that can get involved online with the programs they love, the more they will pay in various ways to watch the programs. This would include buying the episodes online or downloading them into personal devices such as Blackberry's or iPhones. She added that producers 'need to harness the web 3.0 system'.
As a producer myself and also having spoken with some colleagues in the industry, these new and constantly modified forms of media and the change of television itself, raise some interesting if not daunting challenges.
On one hand, the movie and television industry previous to the Internet and downloading age, offered only 'traditional' forms of business to be done with a few handfuls of regular players and an even smaller handful of big companies and conglomerates.
One knew who to deal with and how to 'play the game' so to speak but there was less room to make creative and 'lateral thinking' moves. With this digital ever-changing landscape it requires many producers, networks and conglomerates to constantly adapt to the audience rather than the other way around. People creating and selling programming now have to be aware of all the mediums that audiences choose to watch and get involved with and not only produce content for those outlets, but also figure out a way to make money with them at the same time.
This requires some fancy footwork and creative thinking. It can certainly be done and many would argue that the industry hasn't had a playing field this open in a very long time, an assumption I would agree with, but the big companies that are not used to moving and changing this quickly have had to scramble to deal with shrinking TV ad revenues and a growing online audience.
To promote and generate discussion in these new forms of audience presentation and participation, on the market floor was the Digital Theatre which presented the most prominent focus on digital media at the event. These included:
DAY 1
Formatting content for digital delivery
The Future of Mobile Monetization on TV
All You Need to Know about Mobile Media Creation and Distribution
DAY 2
Of the Web, By the Web, For the Web
What is Working in Online Video Syndication and Advertising
DAY 3
Buying Online Video Advertising
The Art & Science of 3-D
Another unique addition in the digital realm to this year's conference came from the Stickcam.com company (www.stickcam.com). Their technology allowed NATPE to have live streaming video coverage of the event. This was the first time the entire conference was available online. In a year where both budgets and belts were tightened, companies who couldn't attend the event could watch it on their own computer for a fraction of the cost.
Another exciting technological enhancement for NATPE was their new three-year agreement with the Global Media Exchange (GMX) (www.gmxmarket.com). This company is an online media marketplace working cooperatively with NATPE to connect buyers and sellers of film and television content throughout the year. For content providers from Canada, this new road is a great way to sell their materials to buyers worldwide and also look for Canadian buyers who are interested in filling their Cancon requirements.
NATPE on its own also boasts their Tech and New Media eGuide which provides detailed information in these industries.
All in all, NAPTE is a one of a kind event and continues to adapt to an ever-changing industry and strict competition in the festival marketplace. Its move next year could very well mean a gain in size and attendance and proves that whatever happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there.
In fact, NATPE won't even stay there. In a move that's making a lot of news, NATPE CEO & President Rick Feldman announced that the 2011 event will be held in South Beach, Miami, Florida.
He said one reason for the move across the country was to be more easily accessible to their growing attendees from the U.S., Europe and Latin America.
Should we add 'What about Canada?'
Among many Canadian producers, distributors and media magnates in attendance (folks from NFB, Rogers Cable and more among them), our own growing media company,
Hiltz Squared Media Group (MSHG).
HSMG has inked a deal with Vanguard Cinema allowing us to sell Vanguard's celebrated library of feature films and television content exclusively in Canada. The deal was first discussed at NATPE, then finalized shortly after the conference.
Vanguard has over 500 films in its catalogue - and many of them feature famous names like Mel Gibson, Janeane Garofalo, Amanda Peet, Ewan Mc Gregor, Edie Falco, Jon Favreau and others.
The deal was negotiated by Vanguard CEO Freyr Thor and Myles Shane, VP of Hiltz Squared Media Group. Shane is confident these titles will play well with Canadian audiences, noting "These films have yet to be broadcast on television or released for home entertainment in Canada. We're very pleased to be working with Vanguard on this, as it will enable Hiltz Squared to provide Canadians with hundreds of exciting new films and television programs to enjoy."
Some of the titles include: Disco Pigs (Cillian Murphy), Public Access (Bryan Singer) and Painful Secrets (Norma Bailey).
Ed's Note:
Hiltz Squared Media Group Inc. (HSMG) was incorporated in 2000 by brother and sister Jonathan and Naomi Hiltz, along with and Myles Shane. HSMG has ventured into many new projects in the film, television, new media and live entertainment industries. Its current focus is feature film and television production and worldwide distribution with a growing library of its own content as well as representing many others in the industry.
The team also contributes industry analysis and event coverage to Mediacaster and Broadcaster Magazines, published online and in-print.
For more information on Hiltz Squared visit http://www.hiltz2.comand for Vanguard Cinema see www.vanguardcinema.com.
To see a multimedia report from NATPE, click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vP8cNKD-Eg