OTTAWA – Canadian film and television content creators can succeed in the new consumption environment where consumers are in charge. They can get content when and where they want it and in their preferred format.
This was not only a major theme throughout the Canadian Media Production Association’s annual Prime Time event in Ottawa this week, but also the main thrust of Entertainment One Ltd. president and CEO Darren Throop’s closing keynote.
“What the consumer wants, they get. They get it in the format they want and at the moment they want it. We’re now measuring success in tweets and followers. No longer are audiences watching content, they’re engaging with it. They’re not just consuming it, they’re involved in it,” he said.
Coming to terms with this new reality, and then adapting to and leveraging it will lead to success for Canadian content creators, producers and distributors, Throop argued. This means the content ecosystem needs to about the total story experience, not just the story itself.
"We can’t let the rules get in the way and they shouldn’t be used as some crutch or an excuse.” – Darren Throop, Entertainment One
“To meet consumer expectations, we need to think in a new way, take advantage of new platforms to share stories and to give audiences a richer experience,” he said. “That means changing the way we create content. It means producers working along side writers and show runners as series are developed. Instead of digital being an afterthought, it has to be fully integrated into the story telling, making stories better and stronger.”
Leveraging Canada’s regulatory environment is also something that the content ecosystem shouldn’t ignore, particularly as it relates to selling Canadian content internationally or making American content in Canada such as Klondike from Entertainment One.
Throop noted the domestic industry has gained considerable advantages due to the regulatory environment and it should be seen as creating opportunities. “From an international point of view, we make fantastic partners. That is in no small part due to our unique regulatory environment, funding formula and tax credits. The system isn’t perfect, but it is working,” he said. “But we can’t let the rules get in the way and they shouldn’t be used as some crutch or an excuse.”
Ongoing efforts to exploit global markets for Canadian content is also something that needs to be continued.
“In a market with fewer and fewer borders, Canadian have been selling internationally for decades and doing so very successfully. It’s never been so urgent as it is today to understand that we’re producing content in Canada for audiences all around the world,” Throop said.
