“Mediocre content has no place in today’s market,” stated David Atlan-Jackson, Chief Content Officer at Vuelta Group, during the opening remarks at the Creative Investors’ Conference in San Sebastian.
Atlan-Jackson was part of a discussion panel named “The New European Powerhouses” alongside Christian Vesper from Fremantle, Rodolph Buet of Studio TF1, and Elisabeth d’Arvieu of Mediawan. The session was moderated by Wendy Mitchell who engaged the executives in a discussion about their perspectives on the evolving industry and their strategies for expansion and increasing their projects’ ambitions.
He further emphasized that the main obstacle he faces is the “fragmentation of the distribution landscape.”
“We’re now competing against platforms like YouTube, along with traditional TV and cinema,” Atlan-Jackson remarked.
He noted that today’s audiences are discerning and selective, making it crucial to produce compelling content that resonates on a deeper level. “There’s simply no room for content that doesn’t make an impact,” he added.
This sentiment was shared by other panelists, including Vesper, who pointed out the specific challenge of fostering growth within Fremantle’s production companies without compromising the scale or vision of their projects.
Vesper questioned, “What does growth entail?” He elaborated, “We need to figure out how to support both small and large projects, like a £3 million film alongside a $40 million project. It’s vital for our companies to find a balance to thrive.”
Vesper also remarked on the relative ease of producing films in Europe compared to television production globally, due to favorable financing terms and collaborative opportunities within the European market.
He explained Fremantle’s approach: “We focus on empowering our production companies to create the films they envision. For instance, with the film Bugonia, we were able to greenlight it pre-market, showing our commitment to the project.”
Discussing the film The Chronology Of Water, Vesper highlighted the strategic decisions made to minimize risks, such as relocating the shooting from Portland, Oregon, to outside Riga, Latvia, leveraging their European connections and expertise.
During the discussion, Buet explained TF1’s strategic partnership with Netflix, set to commence next summer, which aims to capture a wider audience as traditional TV viewership declines across Europe.
“With ad revenues falling and strong competition from online and VoD platforms, it’s crucial for us to access Netflix’s audience, many of whom haven’t engaged with TF1+ content,” Buet said.
Contrarily, d’Arvieu of Mediawan warned against blindly following market trends. She brought up their series Adolescence, which contradicted mainstream preferences for lighter, more accessible content yet achieved substantial success.
“It became the second most-watched series on Netflix, just behind Wednesday. This proves that premium, well-crafted content that treats the audience with respect can still secure engagement,” d’Arvieu concluded.
The San Sebastian event will continue through September 27.
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
His sharp analysis and investigative reports make complex financial topics accessible to all readers.
