VANCOUVER – It’s a $44 billion a year industry south of the border and a new study on branded entertainment, released Wednesday by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) at the Merging Media conference in Vancouver, suggests the production landscape is also ripe here for Canadian content creators to forge greater collaborations and take better advantage of evolving financing models.
“Branded Entertainment: A New Production Financing Paradigm” is a three-part study prepared by Duopoly’s Catherine Tait. It is sponsored by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund.
The first White Paper, “The Branded Entertainment Landscape,” explores the current trends in this arena and provides an introduction to the terminology and practices of the industry today. “It is important for us to analyze where we are in order to best position independent producers to thrive in this rapidly evolving industry,” said Tait in the press release. “Because branded entertainment rides a fence between advertising and entertainment, the creative conversation is different and uses its own unique vocabulary. Financing models are also still evolving, with key issues like IP ownership still being worked out on a project-by-project basis."
The second paper will fully examine many of these challenges and share potential opportunities for the future. It will be released at Prime Time in Ottawa, being held from February 19-21, 2014. The third study, to be made public in April, will further examine where the industry is headed and will also explore best practices by showcasing some of the industry’s most innovative case studies.
