miptv 17-19 april 2023 palais des festivals, cannes

Documentary Business

Documentary Business
Peter Hamilton Consultants, Inc
Documentary Business
Peter Hamilton Consultants, Inc

Panels

Discovery Documentaries: SVP Howard Swartz reveals “The docs we’re looking for!”

2022 July 1 / Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, discovery+, Documentary TV, Funding a Documentary, Interviews, Network Profile, Panels, Pitching, Sunny Side of the Doc, Unscripted TV

Howard Swartz is the Senior Vice President Docs and Specials, Factual Networks & Streaming, for Discovery. For Sunny Side of the Doc‘s Meet the Executive session, he joined Peter Hamilton to share Discovery’s documentary strategy and key buckets. Following are session highlights, including clips of several projects that reveal Howard’s priorities. MISSION & STRATEGY What …

Discovery Documentaries: SVP Howard Swartz reveals “The docs we’re looking for!” Read More »

Discovery Transformed by WarnerMedia: Pro’s & Cons. Winners and a Loser.

2021 May 18 / Amazon, Commissioning Process, discovery+, Disney +, Distribution, Internet Economy, Netflix, Panels, Streaming Video, Sunny Side of the Doc, Theatrical Documentary, VOD

Three years ago, I wrote here: “Discovery must be in play after AT&T’s recent takeover of Time Warner with its Warner Bros, HBO and Turner programming assets.” (Discovery for Sale, June 20, 2018) ATT confirmed today that it will spin off its renamed WarnerMedia unit into Discovery Inc. My Initial Takeaways: 1.Discovery Transformed A leading …

Discovery Transformed by WarnerMedia: Pro’s & Cons. Winners and a Loser. Read More »

Off The Fence execs reveal Sales, Acquisitions & Commissioning strategy at our Sunny Side Global Pitch. Webinar

2022 July 1 / Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Distribution, Documentary Production, Internet Economy, Netflix, Off The Fence, Panels, Pitching, Sunny Side of the Doc, Webinars, ZDF-E

Loren Baxter (Head of Acquisitions), Stefanie Fischer (MD of Sales) & Leila Monks (Head of Commissioning) joined me for a revealing Off the Fence webinar at Sunny Side’s Global Pitch. My key questions: What is your key focus in Sales, Acquisitions and Commissions? What is Off the Fence working on? How do you work together …

Off The Fence execs reveal Sales, Acquisitions & Commissioning strategy at our Sunny Side Global Pitch. Webinar Read More »

NOVA: What do they want? Watch Sunny Side’s Meet the Executive Presentation

2020 December 6 / Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Digital Video, Distribution, Documentary Production, Foundation Funding, Funding a Documentary, Interviews, Network Profile, Panels, Streaming Video, Sunny Side of the Doc

Meet Chris Schmidt and Julia Cort, Executive Producers of NOVA, and Melanie Wallace, Senior Series Producer. They joined me at this year’s Sunny Side of the Doc for a revealing MEET THE EXECUTIVE presentation, including clips of program highlights. Watch the NOVA / Sunny Side video here: And don’t miss my detailed coverage of NOVA …

NOVA: What do they want? Watch Sunny Side’s Meet the Executive Presentation Read More »

Who are the documentary buyers? What do they want? How many? Deal highlights and more

2020 November 21 / Case Study, Commissioning Process, Distribution, Documentary Budget, Documentary Production, Footage.net, Netflix, Off The Fence, OTT, Panels, Pitching, Producers' Tool Kit, Public Television, Sunny Side of the Doc, Uncategorized, VOD, Webinars, ZDF-E

Twelve documentary buyers and producers reveal what drives their decisions. Each commissioner is driven by a particular strategy, pipeline and budget ‘sweet spot’. Each producer describes a unique path from concept through funding and production to distribution. Since 2010, the mission of my Documentary Business newsletter has been to reveal how these individual production pathways …

Who are the documentary buyers? What do they want? How many? Deal highlights and more Read More »

BBC STORYVILLE: Mandy Chang guides her legendary documentary strand through COVID turbulence. Our panel at virtual CCDF-CNEX

2020 October 15 / 'Sweet Spots', Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Coronavirus, Distribution, Documentary Production, Panels, Public Television, Ratings, UK, Webinars

Mandy Chang, commissioning editor BBC-STORYVILLE recently joined my panel at Taiwan’s virtual CCDF-CNEX Documentary Conference. In this post, we recap Mandy’s valuable insights into the legendary STORYVILLE stand, and the impact of COVID on the BBC’s documentary commissioning process. Our fellow expert panelists were: Hong Kong-based, Phoenix TV exec Haibo Huang And from Washington DC, veteran …

BBC STORYVILLE: Mandy Chang guides her legendary documentary strand through COVID turbulence. Our panel at virtual CCDF-CNEX Read More »

Netflix 2023 What You Need To Know Now

NETFLIX: What do they want? True Crime, Reality Formats, the Sussexes and more. Plus my new guide! NETFLIX 2021: What You Need To Know Now!

2020 September 2 / 'Sweet Spots', Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Distribution, Documentary Budget, Documentary Production, Internet Economy, Netflix, Network Profile, OTT, Panels, Reality Television, Streaming Video, Theatrical Documentary, UK

Netflix is steadily expanding its programming appetites in the feature documentary, popular Factual and Reality Formats. Follow recent reports from the field, and in my new and expanded guide NETFLIX 2021: What You Need To Know Now! True Crime: Netflix is launching the original True Crime documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door. The feature …

NETFLIX: What do they want? True Crime, Reality Formats, the Sussexes and more. Plus my new guide! NETFLIX 2021: What You Need To Know Now! Read More »

What producers need to know about the virtual film festivals and online markets. A podcast with Peter Broderick

2020 July 4 / Commissioning Process, Conferences & Markets, Internet Economy, Panels, Pitching, Podcast, Producers' Tool Kit, Public Television, Ratings, Sunny Side of the Doc, Theatrical Documentary, VOD, Webinars, Workshops

Virtual documentary festivals and markets are here to stay! Online offerings won’t replace LIVE events after Covid. But virtual formats and features will enrich live programs and can dramatically extend their reach. Two Different Documentary Events: Distribution consultant Peter Broderick has written the definitive special report on CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen-based documentary festival. I helped with …

What producers need to know about the virtual film festivals and online markets. A podcast with Peter Broderick Read More »