Samantha Cameron-Mowat, SVP and co-head of international distribution at New Regency, previews the indie studio’s plans for Cannes and weighs in on the art of global co-pros and shifting windowing strategies.
Cameron-Mowat leads international distribution strategies at New Regency alongside Marco Arabit, overseeing the rollout of an eclectic slate that includes the dystopian thriller Droneland and the Spanish Ferran Adrià drama Genesis.
How do you assess the overall state of the international scripted business right now? What’s your temp check on the landscape?
With such a substantial amount of high-quality scripted content on the market, audiences are quite overwhelmed with choice. Commissioners are seeking programming that contains familiar subjects that draw viewers in but also must have additional material to create an element of surprise to keep people hooked and make a series stand out. We see Droneland as being a perfect example of this. Universal themes that apply to everyone, while also presenting a new world being created.
In the post-peak-TV era, how are you restructuring your deficit financing models to close budget gaps on premium series without overexposing your distribution arm?
We are, in general, cautious about taking on a huge amount of risk on shows, particularly as we are an independent company. We always ensure the whole sales team really believes in the take and the premise of the series and is wholly confident that it will work on an international scale.
Broadcasters and platforms want local specificity, yet multi-partner co-productions can run the risk of becoming “international puddings”. How do you structure creative control and financing split across multiple partners while keeping the show’s voice intact?
You need to work with creatives and production partners who you really trust. We came into Droneland via Syrreal as we had already worked together on the ARD series Oderbruch (Beyond), which has been a positive collaboration. They delivered an excellent show which was well received internationally, so we had a lot of confidence in them and their choice of co-production partners.
As streamers become more open to non-exclusive rights, co-exclusive runs, and shared windows, how are you sequencing windows to maximize lifetime revenue for high-end drama?
It’s a real positive that streamers are now much more open to subsequent windows in order for a show to reach multiple audiences. We have a new series, Genesis, that will premiere in Spain on TV3/3Cat and then launch on Netflix in many international territories. The windows with Netflix are relatively short, and we believe there will be many additional platforms and broadcasters worldwide who will really benefit from making this show available to their own audiences once these windows expire.
How do you see demand for library fare right now as commissioning budgets are squeezed?
Having worked extensively with film as well as TV, there is always a need for library content, especially evergreen films and series. New platforms are constantly launching in the SVOD and FAST/AVOD spaces, and they rely on library content at launch. Having strong and familiar content helps build the service, and acquiring recognizable films and series means they can plant their flag before looking to secure newly acquired or commissioned content.
