When asked what I do my pat answer is “I represent animation production studios from around the world and content creators.” Oh what a simplistic and meaningless description. If I really want to make it easy, I am a “match maker,” “a butterfly going from flower to flower” or a “Mix Master.” My job is to put the right people together so they can do business. Then I get into the thick of it and help out with the business deal, contracts and even pipeline.
Just this week I visited several studios with a software client. The industry is preparing for MIPCOM in October. The buzz in town is “are you going?” and “who is not going?” When MIPCOM, the biggest television market, is insight, the industry changes gears and is looking for something fresh and new to whet the appetites of the international buyers.
During this trek around animation town, I absorbed a lot of information from a lot of different sources. I was reintroduced to a gal that has a year old distribution company which is producing low budget films for the world market. These are titles you would rarely see here, but are wildly successful in every other markets. Coming out of the home entertainment and video business, she knows what sells. She is coming up with concepts and looking for co-production partners, which one of my clients might fit the bill.
I was in a major film company that has a long legacy of film making under its belt. It is floundering right now but the head of print licensing is looking at new ways to exploit their massive library. Digital and print seem to be on a collision course there, each wanting to have its own domain over the IP.
Other stops this week took me to a couple of smaller studios that are really cranking out content, whether it is for clients or for themselves.
All long the way this week “branding” was the key word. Everyone is concerned about branding and IP rights. These are topics that I’m continually involved with and bring them to this blog.
In the future, as I get comfortable with blogging, I will name names and companies when possible. Everyone in the biz wants to be in the spotlight at one point or another. .
This will be the place you will turn to learn about the back room goings on. You will always get a frank view of what is going on the business and how it might affect you. Check in again soon.