Pitching and Networking in Europe

Vincent LeclercqHamburg, april 2011

What constitutes a successful European co-production?

• a good story with a European potential• a good presentation of the project• a well-financed budget

What is Docu Regio’s objective?

Mastering the art of pitching

+ creating a network of 15 films funds ready to promote coproductions among themselves

Who? When? How much?

- Who? Documentary project with a European potential, in a development stage, suitable for a European co-production

- When? Two sessions June and September- How much ? « All included » thanks to your film fund

Conditions = barriers?

• In each region, film funds are asking for specific conditions

• These conditions could be barriers to European co-productions

• We have listed 7 barriers we have to break down if we, film funds, want to be able to co-produce your projects

Condition n°1: you need to have a local

co-producer

• Barrier n°1: does your region oblige you to be a majority producer?

• The answer is: no it doesn’t!

• Exception: Aquitaine region asks for a minority associate co-producer

Condition n°2: you have to shoot in the region

• Barrier n°2: does your film fund oblige you to do more than half of the shooting in the region?

• The answer is: no it doesn’t ! As long as you are working with a local co-producer, you can shoot wherever you want

• Exception: Aquitaine, Film Pool Nord, Rhône-Alpes (part of the shooting)

Condition n°3: you need to spend a certain amount

of money in the region

• Barrier n°3: does your region oblige you to spend more than 100% of their support?

• The answer is: some do!• PACA (150%), Film I Skane (200%), WDFF (200%),

CFDB (200%), FFHSH (150%) Piemonte Doc Film Fund (120%), Zürcher Film (150 %), FFWien (100 %),

Poem (100 %), Rhône-Alpes (200 %)

VAF (100 %)

Exception: Aquitaine, CRRAV, PIHN,

Centre Images, IFB (to be discussed)

Condition n°4: you need the agreement

of a broadcaster

• Barrier n°4: does your region require the agreement of a broadcaster?

• The answer is: it depends!• Yes: Aquitaine, CRRAV, CFDB, PIHN, Centre Images,

WDFF, Rhône-Alpes, Piemonte Doc Film Fund, FFWien (for TV production)

• No: Film I Skane, POEM, IFB, Zürcher

Film, PACA, VAF, Film Pool Nord,

Screen South, FFHSH (an exploitation

concept is required)

Condition n°5: you need to have a minimum

regional involvement

• Barrier n°5: does your region oblige you to have a minimum regional involvement?

• The answer is: more or less!• Yes: technicians for Aquitaine, CRRAV, Film Pool Nord,

FFHSH, Piemonte Doc Film, PIHN, Film I Skane, FFWien, VAF, Rhône-Alpes, Zürcher Film

• No: Centre Images, POEM, IFB,

WDFF, PACA, Screen South

Condition n°6: you have to share the financial

returns with the film fund

• Barrier n°6: does your film fund want a share of the returns?• The answer is: it depends!• No (subsidy): Rhône-Alpes, Aquitaine, Centre Images, WDFF, FFHSH,Pôle

IHN, CFDB (devlpt and writing), Piemonte Doc Film Fund, FFWien (for TV productions)

• Yes (loan-equity): IFB, FFWien, VAF, Poem, Zürcher Film, PACA,Screen South, CFDB (Production)

• Yes (co-producer): CRRAV, Film I Skane, Film Pool Nord

Condition n°7: two film funds co-producing together have to invest the same amount of money in the project

• Barrier n°7: on average, do the film funds invest the same amount of money in a documentary?

• Around 10.000 €: Film I Skane, Screen South• Around 20.000 €: WDFF, PACA • Around 30.000 €: CRRAV, PIHN, Aquitaine, Centre

Images, Piemonte Doc Film Fund• Around 40.000 € : Rhône-Alpes• More than 100.000 €: VAF, Poem,CFDB

IFB (max 50 % of total budget), FFWien (max 225 000 € for tv documentary), Zürcher Film(max 500 000 €), FFHSH (up to 30 % of overall costs)

• No set limits: Film Pool Nord

DOES IT WORK?

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Number of countries

8 9 9 11 11

Number of film funds

13 13 14 16 16

Number of coproductions

5 4 3 3 -

Number of projects never

produced

2 1 2 - -

TIME TO WORK!

• Now you know that coproducing is not easy• But it’s not impossible once you have fully understood

our differences• Some people have already done it, so why not you? • Anyway you have no choice because that’s the future• So, good luck! Bonne chance ! Viel Glück! Veel Succes!...