Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Entertainment industry experts eye 'next turn of the wheel' with format exports
BBC's Entertainment Commissioning Editor Katie Taylor, second from left, speaks during a conference session at this year's BroadCast WorldWide (BCWW), held at COEX in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of KOCCA
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee
BBC's Entertainment Commissioning Editor, Katie Taylor, noted that one of the key factors that the entertainment industry is looking for in content formats is the willingness to take risks.
During a conference session held during this year's Broadcast Worldwide (BCWW), held at COEX in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Thursday, the editor urged creators and producers to be bold with innovative ideas to pick up the success Korean content has been enjoying.
BCWW, organized by the Korean Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), is an annual global broadcasting content convention. This year, it was held from Aug. 16 to 18.
“In the entertainment of a public service broadcaster, we're looking for specific, innovative ideas that represent Britain, that unite Britain and are unique. We don't do cruel formats but we do ones that are diverse and represent the audiences we broadcast to. And we're owned by the public so there has to be something for everyone,” she said.
“So when I commissioned the show, I think about it not just as a one-hour program. I think about it as a brand.”
She added that content creators should go beyond the targeted market to appeal to a wider set of audiences around the world.
“It's very important for you as producers, when you come to us, to think to be ambitious. How can we engage this format not only for the territory that you sell it to but also for how it can go around the world,” she said.
“We look for unique things. Sometimes the BBC is seen as a bit safe and not commercial television. But I think we're all in this very, very competitive market now and I think it's too risky not to take risks. So we're really looking for the next turn of the wheel in entertainment format.”
Especially shaken by the recent pandemic, the fast-paced industry has undergone rapid changes. But Harry Gamsu, the vice president of creative, format, development and sales at Warner Bros. International TV Production, said the key is in the authenticity of storytelling despite the shift in trends.
An overview of BBC Studios' booth at BroadCast WorldWide (BCWW) 2023 / Courtesy of KOCCA
“For the past five years, changes in audience fragmentation in terms of viewing have continued. Obviously, the boom in streaming, largely powered by the pandemic, has really changed how people consume content. But then at the same time, nothing has really changed,” he said.
“I think trends obviously come and go. You know we've seen travel shows and dating shows. But for me, something we're finding within the Warner Brother's TV production group is just having the authenticity in the storytelling which is something I think here in Korea, you're experts in doing.”
Referencing one of Korea's biggest global hit unscripted shows, “The Masked Singer,” Helen Greatorex, the head of format acquisitions at the French TV production company, Banijay, said that the show's major success has changed how people in the industry view Korean formats.
“So with The Masked Singer, for example, it's changed the landscape. I think it changed everybody's mindset. Everybody's more open now to different territories and different ideas,” she said.
“And also I think with 'The Masked Singer' we have to remember that it took a few years; it wasn't instant but took hard work. I think now people are slightly less eager to find that fast hit and are willing to wait a little bit to see how things go in other countries and then pick them up in some of our territories.”