Banijay Germany is flying excessive off the again of a few massive commissions – The Summit for Prime Video and Villa of Temptations for Sat.1 and Joyn – however co-MDs Arno Schneppenheim and Katrin Stefanović notice it’s robust on the market for producers.
One concern is the influence on commissioning attributable to the business nets having to navigate a uneven advert market and wider business disruption.
“It’s a really robust enterprise in Germany,” Schneppenheim informed Deadline. “We’re getting two messages from the channels. The primary is: ‘We’re not ordering.’ The second is: ‘If we do proceed or restart [commissioning] you need to produce in decrease volumes.’”
In opposition to that backdrop, which was additionally chewed over at Seriencamp final week, he stated there’s just one reply: “We’ve to search out new methods of doing issues, that is our problem.”
“We’re speaking about it with the German Banijay group and with the worldwide Banijay group virtually each day. How can we use AI? How can we discover extra synergies? Is there a spot the place we will report actuality exhibits for 3, 4, 5 international locations? That is what we should determine now.”
The Summit suits the mannequin. The format sees contestants race up a mountain with rucksacks full of money and the German model shot in New Zealand alongside a number of different worldwide editions. It slotted in proper after the UK tackle the format, which can air later this yr on ITV.
Being a part of the large Banijay manufacturing and distribution group does off the chance to remake worldwide exhibits for the native market. The Summit comes from the worldwide library as does the evergreen Temptation Island and its spin-off Temptation Island VIP, that are produced by Stefanović and Schneppenheim’s label for RTL.
It additionally makes comedy exhibits in addition to docs such because the recently-announced Rudi Völler – The Documentary in regards to the eponymous soccer star.
Arno Schneppenheim and Katrin Stefanovic
Banijay Productions Germany
It’s and import-export enterprise. The three unscripted exhibits the prodco will make this yr from the Banijay library sit alongside regionally originated tasks that the staff hope might be shopped internationally.
Villa of Temptations is one among 5 regionally developed exhibits the prodco will make this yr. Launching this month on Sat.1 and related streaming service Joyn, the format sees celebrities heading to what they suppose is paradise. The truth is, nonetheless, if they need any luxuries, they should pay for them out of a Euro250,000 prize pot, decreasing the full for the group.
“All the pieces has its worth,” Stefanović defined. “We produced it in Thailand in an enormous villa and there are celebrities there fascinated by an enormous luxurious trip. However then, bam, after 10 minutes, the host is available in and says: ‘No, you don’t have anything, and the villa is empty, nothing is in it anymore. Now you’ll be able to have luxurious in order for you, however you should pay for the whole lot.’”
The hope is that the present can journey. German unscripted exhibits shouldn’t have a historical past of promoting nicely, globally, however Schneppenheim hopes the rep his label has for making massive worldwide codecs will assist change that.
“Folks have began to imagine that we will do it, they’re shopping for our paper codecs, however as a result of we’re Germans it’s very troublesome. I’ve been doing this now for 30 years, and it was all the time like this, it’s all the time tougher to promote a German format.”
Cross-country cooperation turns into extra vital when market circumstances are difficult. Working with Banijay stablemate Screentime for The Summit confirmed it might probably work, the Banijay Germany Productions bossed stated.
“It’s less expensive for our shoppers, and for us. They’re getting a less expensive present, which continues to be very top quality, and we’re getting a very good margin. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
