It’s maybe becoming that as prime TV creators and execs dealing with an industrywide contraction head to the Canadian Rockies for the 2024 Banff World Media Competition, one of many panels they may encounter known as “Transferring Mountains: Canadian Producers Deal with the Rocky Panorama.”
Certainly, this yr’s confab, which focuses on content material within the improvement part, arrives at a tenuous second for the worldwide tv sector, as the most important streamers trim their spending and the trade continues to wrestle to rebound after final yr’s twin Hollywood strikes.
Because the Peak TV bubble bursts, the recommendation from Banff World Media Competition government director Jenn Kuzmyk comes right down to this: Adapt or perish. “Those which might be modern, those that take a look at totally different fashions, those utilizing expertise and being attentive to international tendencies and what audiences need — will thrive,” says Kuzmyk. “These that don’t adapt, is not going to.”
And that, Kuzmyk says, is the place Banff is available in, providing a bunch of keynotes and panels that includes execs from Netflix, Lionsgate and Amazon MGM Studios to assist trade insiders and content material creators navigate a quickly altering international tv panorama. Nevertheless it’s not all store discuss — the fest may even current its signature Rockie Awards, which pit American exhibits in opposition to one of the best of the world. Nominees this yr in English-language classes embody Abbott Elementary and Poker Face for greatest comedy sequence, whereas the dramatic competitors consists of American exhibits Succession, Gen V and the The Final of Us, alongside the U.Ok.’s Completely satisfied Valley and The Newsreader from Australia.
Kuzmyk talked to THR in regards to the existential points dealing with the worldwide TV sector, the necessity to preserve DEI initiatives, and surviving in an age of “enshittification.”
The tip of the twin Hollywood strikes final yr additionally signaled the tip of Peak TV and splashy content material spending in Hollywood. How will Banff’s 2024 programming mirror the TV trade’s existential challenges?
When there are occasions like this, which might be actually an inflection level within the trade, each in Canada and worldwide, frankly, individuals want to assemble. There’s much more of a necessity and a drive to get collectively and determine it out. We’re benefiting from that. We’re attempting by way of our convention program to have a look at all of the issues you may think, together with consolidation and M&A, AI and adjustments in viewing habits and a contraction of commissioning right here and all over the world.
Trade gamers coming collectively must work collectively, maybe, as much less TV content material is being made and main studios and streamers get pickier about what they greenlight?
What meaning for many is extra partnerships and that’s an excellent factor for festivals and occasions. That’s the place individuals discover and construct relationships to do co-productions and do multi-territory financing. So we’re seeing there’s extra curiosity from that standpoint.
Banff at all times catered to established and rising gamers. However this yr trade newbies might by no means have identified a post-strike trade the place Hollywood cash doesn’t circulation freely. You might have programming aimed toward rising expertise?
That’s a part of our secret sauce. We’re at a excessive stage [as] a world media leaders occasion, however we usher in contemporary faces, new expertise and that blend — plus a little bit of the mountain air — is what makes Banff particular. As a result of it’s very easy on this trade to develop into jaded. However when you may have new individuals, they’re enthusiastic about what they do. That results in extra content material being commissioned out of the pageant.
What about established gamers capable of see past present uncertainty to assembly market wants two or three years down the street?
This yr, we’ve acquired a panel on mergers and acquisitions and personal fairness and funding in IP that we haven’t performed in that approach earlier than. The session title is “Deal Making and Funding Put up-Correction.” That’s extra on constructing the trade, funding in manufacturing shingles, in media corporations, clearly, mergers and acquisitions at a better stage than funding in content material. That is about constructing companies, constructing international manufacturers. There’s been loads of motion in that realm.
Is that about Hollywood gamers doing greater than cementing their beneficial properties amid trade contraction to successful as others lose?
In occasions of nice change, there’s at all times alternative. Those which might be modern, those that take a look at totally different fashions, those utilizing expertise and being attentive to international tendencies and what audiences need will thrive. These that don’t adapt, is not going to. And actually loads of what the pageant goes to be about is simply seeing totally different eventualities for the best way issues are going to land amid loads of disruption.
On that theme, Banff has a panel entitled “Disrupt or Be Disrupted: The Media Trade within the Age of Enshittification.”
It’s acquired fairly an fascinating title. It will be offered by Adam Cunningham, chief technique officer for Allied World Advertising and marketing. It’s meant to be provocative. Adam is fairly sensible and consults with the most important media manufacturers on this planet and helps to offer them steering about the place to maneuver their corporations and their methods. It’s meant to get individuals’s consideration, in fact, however actually, it’s meant to chart a path in some methods, to ask extra questions than it solutions. However typically, the trade and, for lack of a greater phrase — conventional media corporations and the way they’re adapting and what they’re up in opposition to — is totally different than it’s ever been earlier than with all the social media platforms, the TikToks, and so forth. Inside just a few years, the trade goes to look very totally different than it does now because the competitors for eyeballs is bigger than it has ever been.
Simply as linear TV networks are shedding share to streaming platforms, will digital TV providers in flip fall prey to TikTok and different social media platforms?
I’m not a pundit. I’m an observer. However no, I don’t suppose so. There’s nonetheless an incredible place for premium content material. There’s an incredible place for long-form sequence and have movies and people streaming platforms are doing that in an unimaginable approach. There’s nonetheless extra, in all probability, mergers and acquisitions and partnerships. We’re seeing alliances and virtually a coming collectively of what appears to be like lots like how cable bundles used to work. We’re seeing sports activities content material [rebundling] being embraced by the streamers that appears lots like how cable channels used to look in some methods. For premium content material, that also needs to be financed, however there’s a need from audiences to observe that and the social platforms are as but not creating that sort of content material in a significant approach. There’s greater budgets. You take a look at Mr. Beast and issues like that. These are unimaginable examples. However I do suppose that they nonetheless serve two totally different wants.
For premium content material, is there an argument as by no means earlier than that Canada and its delicate cash and forex financial savings and areas and expertise is a part of the answer?
Inside the subsequent yr or so, all eyes are going to be on Canada, frankly. Already the most important productions on this planet are shot right here from a U.S. service manufacturing standpoint. The crews are right here. And a part of that enterprise occurs in Banff, with the institution of studios and massive manufacturing offers by U.S. producers, that’s a part of it. So long as Canada continues to serve the necessity and has each the infrastructure and the monetary advantages from a overseas location taking pictures standpoint, completely we see totally different areas and totally different cities are persevering with to do what they’ll. Alberta is a kind of and that’s a spotlight for Banff, bringing worldwide productions to the doorstep of the pageant.
That brings us again to worldwide co-productions and co-financing dealmaking. That’s been the Canadians’ bread and butter through the years.
Canadians are actually good at that. They perceive that, their system is constructed for that. So when it comes to making high-end content material that works globally, Canadians know what they’re doing. And so it actually feels slightly bit like horses on the beginning gate to me, I hope. It’s a extremely difficult time. However I believe that producers in Canada are properly primed to reap the benefits of the challenges.
Is it useful Banff is concentrated on hatching new TV exhibits and ideas, slightly than promoting completed product, when the trade is debating what content material will work with international audiences in a post-Peak TV period?
It does work to our profit. On the finish of the day, you continue to preserve must preserve feeding the machine. New content material needs to be made to draw audiences. It may not be as a lot as earlier than. However that stems from that very basic place of an thought and Canadians are simply as nice at making exhibits that may resonate with international audiences. The multicultural make-up of this nation, the diasporas, may be very distinctive and it helps to make our content material journey.
Banff has at all times been about conversations round fairness, illustration and inclusion. How is your programming shifting these debates ahead this yr?
That may be a massive piece of what we do and we do it higher and better and greater than every other convention or market on this planet when it comes to recognizing the worth of content material made and created by various writers and administrators and producers. We do the indigenous Display Summit. No person else is doing that in that approach. Final yr, we had 14 producers pitching and we had eight of these initiatives financed. That’s working.
So that you stay bullish on the trade, that extra content material will get remodeled subsequent few years, whilst programmers are extra choosy about what will get greenlit?
On the finish of the day, exhibits are nonetheless going to get made. Reveals are nonetheless going to be pitched after which there’s nonetheless going to be commissions. So it’s by no means been simple. I believe it could be tougher than it’s been in a very long time proper proper now. However nice stuff will rise to the highest. Three issues stay true. One is individuals will at all times be pushed to make and create issues. Two, audiences at all times wish to watch content material, whatever the platform, whatever the format and, third, individuals will at all times wish to purchase issues. So we’re seeing a resurgence of promoting into the streaming universe. These three issues have at all times been true and at all times might be true. And with that drive for brand spanking new content material to be made, we wish to be the place the place that occurs.
Banff has a panel on AI this yr. Will that be about speaking about innovation, whereas encouraging guardrails?
It’s AI, but in addition new applied sciences. For those who’re speaking about new expertise, sure, persons are embracing it, the sensible ones in methods which might be moral, hopefully. That’s thrilling. It’s going to result in totally new experiences for audiences. And sure, some efficiencies, sure, some casualties. However we’re at a time when individuals wish to determine it out. So loads of discussions are going to occur.
You might have panels with titles like “Disrupting Racism: A Name to Motion,” and “Past the Backlash: Addressing the Retreat of DEI within the Leisure Trade.” You’re feeling the trade wants encouragement to keep up progress in these areas?
I don’t suppose the trade is popping its again on range, fairness, inclusion and illustration. I believe the dialog must evolve and proceed. There’s are better alternatives than ever earlier than in embracing content material that’s consultant of the worldwide viewers. And Banff is the place the place you need to be capable to have some fairly candid conversations about wants within the trade and, on the finish of the day, there are precise enterprise and monetary causes to embrace various content material. Now we have one other panel on the Pink Triangle research [on 2LGBTQ+ representation.] With the intention to be the sort of media trade that the majority of us would love, now we have to maintain your foot on the fuel and that’s what we’re doing.
The TV enterprise stays more and more international and that’s a giant focus for Banff?
Sure, greater than ever, it’s a world trade. That is the place the social media ties in. All of us are uncovered to international content material and international tales greater than we ever have been earlier than. And the factor that also excites me is the rise of non-English language content material as properly. A few of the best possible exhibits on this planet — a lot of which might be showcased at Banff by way of the Rockie Awards and elsewhere all through the pageant — that globalization may be very actual. For the subsequent technology, it’s simply the water they swim in, simply a part of a part of who they’re, having that international mindset and watching the present from Sweden or Germany or Korea or Australia or Canada or Quebec. It’s so pure, greater than it ever was earlier than.
Are you able to discuss a bit about Banff’s tribute to Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts?
That’s a really massive deal. She is a kind of trade personalities who’s well-known, however maybe one of many causes she’s coming is she has her personal manufacturing firm [Rock’n Robin Productions]. And one of the best factor about Banff is that it’s such an fascinating cocktail of individuals within the trade that you can find nowhere else. And once you get Robin Roberts in a room with among the different spectacular individuals on the pageant, and a few rising expertise, cool issues occur.
This story first appeared within the June 5 difficulty of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe.