mipcom 2014 - Canada Media Fund

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MIPCOM 2014
Canada took part in the 30th anniversary of MIPCOM, the world’s premiere television market, in a big way. The
Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada partnered once again to showcase and feature some of the best
Canadian TV and digital media entertainment.
Combined marketing, public relations and media strategies heightened awareness of Canadian productions, its
industry and Canada as an ideal coproduction partner.
The Focus on Canada campaign set out to:
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Elevate global awareness of the quality and genres of Canadian-produced content in Canada and abroad
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Drive content export deals and inspire international production investment in Canada
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Create networking and matchmaking platforms to increase deal-making with Canadian companies
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Spotlight and promote Canadian talent
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Screen and showcase exemplary Canadian productions
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Communicate the benefits of the rich and attractive audiovisual business climate in Canada
MIPCOM 2014 hosted a record number of over 13,600 delegates from 100 countries, including 4,500 buyers and
1,365 digital buyers. Numbers were up from the US, UK, France, Canada and Germany, as exhibition space
reached an all-time record. MIPJunior also had its best event attendance with 1,300 delegates including more
than 550 buyers.
With 664 Canadian delegates, Canada ranked fifth in attendance at MIPCOM after the US, UK, France and
Germany. 279 Canadian companies were registered at MIPCOM, compared with 252 the previous year.
Creators, talent and industry representatives for The Book of Negroes. Left to right: Bill Niven, Lisa Bugden, Lawrence Hill, Carrie Stein, Carolle Brabant,
Aunjanue Ellis, Clement Virgo, Valerie Creighton, Lou Gossett, Jr., Damon D’Oliveira
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CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS
The CMF and Telefilm invited Canadian press to MIPCOM 2014 building on the successful media strategy for
Canada, Country of Honour in 2012 and continued in 2013. In total, 10 Canadian journalists, including those
invited by the CMF and Telefilm attended MIPCOM 2014 to cover the event and to contribute to coverage of
Canadian productions.
The press strategy included a ‘strategic content’ press release on the success of Canadian historical dramas
around the world. The CMF and Telefilm incorporated statistics from Eurodata TV Worldwide, which analyses
and distributes programming and audience information, to demonstrate how Canadian productions and
coproductions are appreciated by international audiences. Other news releases were about the line-up of
Canadian activities at MIPCOM and the talent in attendance as well as children’s productions that were featured
at the MIPJunior screening.
Click here to access the CMF press room to read all releases.
The CMF and Telefilm worked with Canadian and international press to cover talent in attendance. In turn, this
produced print and broadcast interviews at home and abroad.
“If you accept MIPCOM is the
Olympics of television,
Canada is working hard to
‘own the podium.’”
- Bill Brioux, Canadian Press
The press strategy garnered notable media attention in the
Canadian market reaching mainstream newspapers as well as
trade publications. Bill Brioux, a freelancer for the Canadian
Press, published an article that was picked-up by several
regional media outlets across the country from Kelowna, BC to
Medicine Hat, AB, to Pembroke, ON.
In an effort to promote Canadian talent to younger audiences, Telefilm and the CMF, for the first time,
approached top-rated video game show EP Daily. EP Daily has a daily audience of 48K with 60% of that hitting
the 18-49 demographic. The show also broadcasts daily in the US, which more than doubles these numbers. The
program, which also does genre TV and movie reviews, produced five segments on the Canadian presence at
MIPCOM:
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http://epn.tv/all/spotlight/canada-invades-mipcom/
http://epn.tv/all/spotlight/behind-the-screams-of-darknet/
http://epn.tv/all/spotlight/adapting-the-book-of-negroes/
http://epn.tv/all/type-of/previews/yannick-bisson-on-murdoch-mysteries/
http://epn.tv/all/spotlight/the-coolest-shows-from-mipcom/
Combined efforts resulted in 112 articles and reports monitored in Canadian and international media, an
increase of 107 per cent over the previous year. In addition to press, a Twitter strategy was also deployed to
contribute to promoting the event. The CMF issued 29 tweets and a total of 13 CMF Tweet mentions and 47
retweets happened during and around MIPCOM. The hashtag #eyeoncanada was used a total of 19 times and
#vuesurlecanada was used 11 times throughout the festival. Telefilm Canada issued 14 tweets and of which they
had 74 retweets and 109 favorites during and around MIPCOM.
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Canadian Press in Attendance:
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Bill Brioux, Freelance journalist, Canadian
Press, Toronto Star
Etan Vlessing, Canadian Bureau Chief, The
Hollywood Reporter
Victor Lucas, reporter, Electric Playground
Network (EPN)
Enzo Zanatta, reporter, Electric Playground
Network (EPN)
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Hugo Dumas, Reporter, La Presse
Katie Bailey, Reporter, Playback
Adam Benzine, Associate Editor, Realscreen
Magazine
Manori Ravindran, Writer, Realscreen
Magazine
Lana Castleman, Editor, Kidscreen
Jeremy Dickson, Features Editor, Kidscreen
PRESS CONFERENCE—The Book of Negroes
Valerie Creighton and Carolle Brabant introduced The Book of Negroes press conference which took place on
Monday, October 13. This Telefilm/CMF-funded international coproduction with South Africa was at the core of
a communications strategy to keep Canada top-of-mind as a coproduction partner. Canadian organisations
worked with MIPCOM which hosted the world premiere screening of the television miniseries before a packed
auditorium. This was the first time a Canadian production was featured at this prestigious MIPCOM timeslot
which drew great attention from MIPCOM delegates and press.
Creators and talent of The Book of Negroes answering questions from the press.
CANADIAN TALENT
A key component of the promotional strategy was to feature Canadian talent to spark media attention as well as
interest from delegates from all participating countries. With the help of several partners, particularly
producers, Canada featured 18 actors, producers, and directors from Canadian productions.
Canadians took part in a number of activities including the Red Carpet, the Book of Negroes Press Conference,
photo calls, as well as panels.
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Talent at MIPCOM
 Clement Virgo, Director and Cowriter, The Book of  Messmer, Hypnotist & Illusionist, Hyp-Gags with
Messmer
Negroes
 Damon D’Oliveira, Executive Producer, The Book of  Michael Souther, Executive Producer, The Stanley
Dynamic
Negroes
 Lawrence Hill, Author and cowriter, The Book of  Christina Jennings, Executive Producer, Murdoch
Mysteries
Negroes
 Yannick Bisson, Actor, Director, Producer, Murdoch
 Aunjanue Ellis, Actress, The Book of Negroes (US)
Mysteries
 Cuba Gooding Jr, Actor, The Book of Negroes (US)
 Ricardo Trogi, Director, Le Berceau des Anges
 Lou Gossett Jr, Actor, The Book of Negroes (US)
 Marianne Fortier, Actress, Le Berceau des Anges
 Zack Mirza , Magician, Illusions of Grandeur
 Sébastien Delorme, Actor, Le Berceau des Anges
 Alex Nisenker , Producer, Illusions of Grandeur
 Sylvie Roy, Producer, Le Berceau des Anges
 Michelle Alexander, Actress, Darknet
 Steve Hoben, Producer, Darknet
THE RED CARPET
The MIPCOM Red Carpet took place on Monday, October 13 and
Canadian talent walked down the red carpet before the paparazzi that
gathered for the event.
The following Canadian productions were featured on the red carpet:
 The Book of Negroes
 Murdoch Mysteries
 Darknet
 Le Berceau des anges
 Illusions of Grandeur
 Hip-Gags with Messmer
Yannick Bisson & spouse Chantal Craig and Christina
Jennings from Murdoch Mysteries.
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MIPJUNIOR SESSION AND NETWORKING BREAK
Valerie Creighton, CMF President and CEO, curated a selection of six Canadian leading-edge and innovative
transmedia series made specifically for children and youth. Each project was presented with commentaries and
a walk-through video before a standing-room only audience of 250 Canadian and international MIPJunior
attendees. CMF-funded productions featured during the screening were added to Canadaonscreen.ca.
For each project, a tweet was sent out inviting our followers to view the project page on Canadaonscreen.ca.
Featured productions:
 Les Argonautes, Pixcom Productions
 Camp Lakebottom, 9 Story
Entertainment
 Dino Dan Trek’s Adventures, Sinking Ship
Entertainment
 Guardians Evolution, Karma Films
 Time Tremors, Xenophile Media
 The Stanley Dynamic, Amaze Film +
Television and 9 Story Entertainment
CANADIAN CONFERENCE: THE SHOWRUNNER MASTERCLASS
Four Canadian panelists from The Book of Negroes and Murdoch Mysteries shared their experience and insights
on being showrunners given today’s international
market realities as well as budgets and creative
demands. Over 100 delegates attended the session.
Panelists:
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Christina Jennings, Chairman & CEO,
Shaftesbury, Canada
Clement Virgo, Director and Co-writer,
Conquering Lion Pictures
Damon D’Oliveira, Executive Producer,
Conquering Lion Pictures
Yannick Bisson, Executive Producer and
Director, Murdoch Mysteries
The session was moderated by Michael Idato, Editor-at-Large for the Sydney Morning Herald.
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ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
The CMF and Telefilm provided tailored messaging for a
series of ad placements and visibility opportunities
featuring Canadian branding. See big / Voir grand was the
tagline used as a sequel to previous ad campaigns
developed for MIPCOM: “It’s a big country” at MIPCOM
2012 and “Canada, even bigger” at MIPTV 2013.
The ad was included in a promotional magazine published
by Reed Midem one month before the market.
In the ad, -Canadian productions showcased at MIPJunior
and MIPCOM are featured, enticing participants to meet
with Canadians producers.
In keeping with the strategy highlighting Canada’s interest in
working with Latin America, ads were adapted in publications
targeting the Latin American audiovisual industry as Mexico
was the Country of Honour 2014.
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Prensario Magazine, trade publication targeting Latin
America
Essential Mexico, trade publication produced by Reed
Midem
PROTOCOL AND NETWORKING
Key Canadian representatives took part in high-level networking events throughout MIPCOM, including
MIPJUNIOR Opening Cocktail, Brazilian TV Producers cocktail, Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch,
Espace Québec Reception, Latam Global Dealmakers Networking Lunch, Screen Australia Reception, and the
Personality of the year dinner honouring Simon Cowell.
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The Canada Networking Reception took place on Tuesday, October 14th.
CANADA PAVILION
The Canada Pavilion remains a hub for
roughly 30% of all Canadian companies
attending the Market. Throughout
MIPCOM the pavilion provided a
meeting point for clients and guests as
well as a location to conduct interviews
with the press. The Pavilion hosted
more than 60 Canadian companies,
providing them with access to a firstclass exhibition space that benefits
from strong branding and an ideal
location in a very busy section of the
exhibition area. Additional services From left to right: Sébastien Delorme, Marianne Fortier, Sylvie Roy, Carolle Brabant,
were also available to Canadian Pavilion Valerie Creighton, Messmer and Messmer’s assistant.
exhibitors.