Prime Time Anytime

IN CONVERSATION WITH THE HONOURABLE MÉLANIE JOLY

A look forward from leaders in four key sectors that support and drive content production: cable, devices, broadcast and independent production. What are the challenges and opportunities facing each player, how are they pivoting and creating strategies for growth and how will everyone else in the value chain be affected?

OPENING ADDRESS BY CMPA PRESIDENT AND CEO REYNOLDS MASTIN

Roundtable – Harassment: Changing the Culture

OTT players are breathing new life into production and distribution, but the OTT landscape changes significantly and constantly. Learn about the drivers behind the changes, and what can be expected for future opportunities with these platforms.

With the variety of platforms and formats, and with quality at an all-time high, writers must be more creatively dextrous than ever before. How is their process affected by the means of distribution, how do they work with available data, and how can we do a better job of developing writing talent and diversifying the staff in the writers’ room?

The dominance of traditional data is being challenged by social listening and by direct relationships between creators and their audiences. Unlike traditional data, the new data is available to all players. How do producers and their partners access and distill this data, and how can it become a constructive part of development, pitching and production?

Content by diverse creators often struggles for financing because of the perception of a limited market. We’ll engage with this perception by exploring best-in-class examples that either served a specific audience in an exhaustive way, or that targeted and found a mainstream audience. In the era of “peak TV”, under-served audiences may be much more than a ‘niche’.

Global leaders in formats will discuss how they develop formats for export, how they spot formats ripe for import, and how good ideas can be translated to work for audiences around the world.

American and Canadian broadcast and production leaders will discuss new ways to capitalize on the partnership potential between our two countries. How are people putting innovative deals together in a way that plays to the greatest strengths of each party? As digital platforms start stepping up, is this affecting how deals are put together? And what can we do to make this partnership even more seamless?

The increasingly complex environment for feature-length content demands unprecedented innovation and customization in distribution strategies. Some of the best minds in the business will discuss new ways of reaching and monetizing audiences, the impact of SVOD, innovative windowing, new tools for self-distribution and discoverability, and more.

This panel will explore a mix of content styles and business models used in VR, AR and 360, all in the entertainment space. Focusing on the creative and business potential of these ascendant platforms, international leaders in these technologies will discuss the viability of the various business models, how each is trending in terms of accessibility, and how they are being adapted to narrative.

‘Long tail’ revenue from merchandising and licensing is typically realized well after the big dollars from production. But can products and content related to IP engage, grow and monetize audiences even before a show is produced and aired? This panel will explore innovations in licensing and merchandising, looking at winning examples in traditional models, as well as newer models that create new revenue streams.

The international marketplace is becoming more competitive as local content increasingly dominates in markets around the world. From development to production and sales, this panel will explore best-in-class strategies to optimize exports from Canada. What can we learn from studios, globally respected sales agents and distributors, and from other countries that have successfully established international brand?

At a time of accelerating change, strategic risk-taking is crucial to drive success. Established businesses are diversifying into digital, digital businesses are finding toeholds on linear platforms, and new platforms and business models compete for survival. How do key players in content creation and distribution sort through the threats and opportunities to drive growth?

Closing Keynote – Jesse Wente, Broadcaster, activist and curator

Online video consumption is experiencing explosive growth driven largely by mobile, which experienced a 19.8% increase in 2016. What are the opportunities? How is mobile working as a unique content platform, and not as just another place to access apps and the web? How are producers and rights holders using mobile to reach consumers directly with longform content, or with snackable content, or to extend brands across multiple platforms?

Valerie Creighton, President & CEO, Canada Media Fund interviews David Purdy, Chief International Growth Officer, VICE Media. Recorded: February 4, 2016, Ottawa. Find out more at www.primetimeinottawa.ca