Where the problem lies is in the movie's attempts to convince us that we're destroying it all. The Earth is a beautiful place, and there's ample evidence on display here to support that fact. Not that the imagery can be tied to a specific place or time. A program like Blue Planet, which details all the variety of life and environments on the planet, is perfect for the format, as it's rife with those sweeping vistas that look so impressive.įilmed in 1990, Blue Planet already appears dated. Seeing the Grand Canyon in IMAX isn't going to be as impressive as seeing the Grand Canyon in person, but seeing it in IMAX will still take your breath away. 'Very few broadcasters around the world can deliver this quality of programming,' says Young.The wonderful thing about IMAX is that it lets you see things on a scale never before thought possible. Their value is likely to rise as more companies, including mobile phone groups and search engines move into the TV market, increasing demand for content. 'They help us to spread the risk,' he explains.Īs part of the deal, Discovery retains the rights for the North American market and NHK holds Japanese rights, but BBC Worldwide retains the rights for the rest of the world. The team behind Planet Earth spent more than four years filming, but Young says it will still turn a profit, partly because 60-70 per cent of the costs have been shared between the BBC's joint venture partners, American satellite channel Discovery and Japan's NHK. 'It's very rare that you break even on wildlife because of the amount of time it takes to film,' Wise says. All you need to do is dub a different voiceover,' she says.īut the potential for overseas sales has to be weighed against the initial cost. It's timeless and it can work in lots of languages with different narrators. 'Children's TV and music are also valuable, but of all the genres, wildlife has got the greatest longevity. The decision to invest in Planet Earth was a good one, according to Theresa Wise, a partner in consultancy firm Accenture's media practice, because natural history sells well overseas. Planet Earth should replicate that success - and it has also a film, Earth, is to be released next year. The Making of Blue Planet book has been reprinted three times and is in the Top 10 Paperback Non Fiction Chart. Quality drama sells really well in English language markets but non-fiction sells across the board,' says Wood. 'In drama you only get TV and DVD revenue. Non-factual travels particularly well and it crosses platforms.'ĭramas such as Bleak House are popular, particularly in America, but there is a limit to the number of products that can be created on the back of them. 'Planet Earth will be among the top 10 programmes we've sold. 'A higher proportion of profits are made by a smaller number of programmes,' according to Mark Young, BBC Worldwide's managing director of global television sales. DVD sales added another £10m and sales of the Blue Planet book a further £3.5m.įoreign sales are vital in order to cover the cost of production in an era when the economics of the TV business are starting to resemble those of the film industry. Blue Planet was eventually sold to 150 territories out of a possible 192, generating £5m. 'But given that viewing figures for Planet Earth are already bigger than for Blue Planet (average audiences of 8.5 million vs 6.7 million) we are expecting it to do well.' 'It's still early days to talk about the success of Planet Earth,' said a BBC Worldwide spokesman. Planet Earth has been sold to 29 countries and licensing deals to publish the book accompanying the series have been signed in seven of those. It made a £40m profit last year, saving the equivalent of £5.99 on every TV licence.īBC Worldwide executives were at the annual MIP TV conference in Cannes last week, where the world's TV executives meet to buy and sell programmes, but much of the hard work has already been done. BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, has proved astute at maximising the value of its most successful programmes - including Strictly Come Dancing, Doctor Who and Planet Earth's forerunner, Blue Planet. BBC executives won't be drawn on how much the series could make from overseas sales, but according to some estimates the final figures could top £20m - more than enough to cover its cost. The final six episodes of the series will be shown in the autumn and critical acclaim should also guarantee a commercial dividend.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |