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MONDAY, JANUARY 27 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 30
SHERATON NEW ORLEANS
Marriott Marquis | Washington, DC | Sunday, January 28 – Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Agenda

PLEASE NOTE: The times below are in Eastern Standard Time (EST)/h2>

Be sure to check back often as we will be adding more content and speakers as they are confirmed.

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Monday, January 29

11:00am

State of the Unscripted Nation: Innovating Through Challenge (11:00am - 12:00pm)

Sponsored by

Grand Ballroom C/D/E

It’s no secret that the unscripted business is facing huge challenges – some that are exacerbated by those hitting the entertainment industry at large, and some that are unique. But while those challenges have been difficult, and will perhaps remain so for the foreseeable future, all sectors of the unscripted content world are looking at ways to innovate, collaborate and explore new models that will change the business for the better. Here, top executives from across the industry will share their strategies for riding out the storm, and their insights on how new approaches to collaboration, ownership and distribution of content will shape the business going forward.


Featuring:


Brie Miranda Bryant

SVP, Original Programming

Lifetime

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David Collins

Co-Founder & Executive Producer

Scout Productions

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Susie Jones

Head of Factual

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Ryan McNeily

Partner and Agent, Unscripted Television

WME

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Jason Sarlanis

President, TBS, TNT, truTV, ID & HLN - Linear & Streaming

Warner Bros. Discovery

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1:30pm

Getting It Made, Getting Paid (1:30pm - 2:15pm)

Sponsored by

Grand Ballroom A/B

The old model — you know, the one from 18 months ago — was all about getting the greenlight. Now, with the commissioning process compromised by myriad factors, it’s about getting the green… the money to get your project off the page and into production, with or without a commissioner on board. Rather than wait for the commissioning chill to thaw, producers that have built businesses through ‘work for hire’ are increasingly shifting to the ‘make it and sell it’ approach that has been the tried-and-true model for international content creators and distributors. Here, you’ll meet execs who will share the latest developments in international distribution, and experts who can help you navigate the many emerging avenues for funding factual and unscripted content.

Moderating:


David Cornwall

Managing Director

Scorpion TV

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Featuring:


Kate Harrison

President

Cream Productions

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Paul Heaney

CEO

BossaNova Media

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J.C. Mills

President and Head of Content

Cineflix Productions

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Polly Scates

Head of Acquisitions

Channel 4

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2:30pm

International Spotlight: United Kingdom (2:30pm - 3:15pm)

Grand Ballroom A/B

Approaching the unscripted and non-fiction content business through a global lens, with these spotlights you’ll meet leading commissioners and content executives from various territories around the world, and learn more about their programming strategies, as well as coproduction and co-development opportunities.

Moderating:


Danny Fenton

CEO

Zig Zag Productions

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Featuring:


Iwan England

Head of Unscripted Programming

S4C International

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Nicola Lloyd

Creative Director

ITV

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Shaminder Nahal

Head of Specialist Factual

Channel 4

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Hayley Reynolds

Commissioning Editor, Documentaries & Factual

Sky TV

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3:30pm

Risk and Reward: Pitching and Programming Big, Bold Ideas (3:30pm - 4:15pm)

Grand Ballroom A/B

In a time of austerity measures and audience engagement/retention challenges, conventional wisdom dictates that sticking with the tried-and-true that’s a known draw for your viewers is fiscally prudent. But taking the “big swing” can result in bigger home runs, and building buzz doesn’t always mean breaking the bank. This session brings together the producers, programmers and development execs who are managing to turn innovative new concepts into hits, to share how they overcame budgetary constraints to grow their audience in creative ways.

Moderating:


Ryann Lauckner

Chief Strategy & Operating Officer

Fulwell 73

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Featuring:


Mike Beale

Managing Director, Global Creative & Production Support

ITV Studios

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Matt Hornburg

Co-President

Blue Ant Studios

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Minerva Lopez

SVP, Alternative Development

Universal Television Alternative Studio

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Leela Pon

SVP, Content

Fox Alternative Entertainment

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Tuesday, January 30

10:45am

International Spotlight: Asia-Pacific (10:45am - 11:30am)

Grand Ballroom A/B

Approaching the unscripted and non-fiction content business through a global lens, with these spotlights you’ll meet leading commissioners and content executives from various territories around the world, and learn more about their programming strategies, as well as coproduction and co-development opportunities.


Featuring:


Susie Jones

Head of Factual

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Joseph Maxwell

Head of Unscripted

SBS

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Mikiko Nishiyama

Executive Advisor, Global Strategy Headquarters

Nippon TV

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Shin Yasuda

Senior Producer

NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation

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11:45am

Sizing Up Social Content (11:45am - 12:30pm)

Grand Ballroom A/B

Top social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are shaping how younger audiences consume and interact with content, and while many unscripted properties (and the talent that propels them) are part of that ecosystem, there is still a wealth of opportunity to be explored  – be it uncovering IP and partnering with talent that can potentially translate across platforms, or using social content as a development lab to create your own brands. This session brings together platform programmers, social content mavens and social-savvy producers to outline the steps towards greater, and possibly lucrative, social content consciousness.

Moderating:


MIke Duffy

CEO

Ugly Brother Studios

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Featuring:


Tulani André

VP, Social Media

National Geographic

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Fanny Baudry

Managing Director, DNA

Wheelhouse

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Danielle Howe

Director of Marketing

Smosh

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Alex Piper

Head, Night Studios

Night, Inc

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1:45pm

Super FAST Channel Panel (1:45pm - 2:30pm)

Grand Ballroom A/B

As content consumption models continue to evolve, more and more eyes are fixating on FAST channels and the ability to create new revenue streams for library content. And it’s not just networks that are moving into the FAST lane – producers and distributors who have multiple seasons of popular series (and the rights to those hours) are also building channels of their own. This session will explore where the opportunities are now in the FAST market for legacy and original content, and where it’s headed next.

Moderating:


Andrew Singer

President & Chief Executive Officer

Andy Singer Media

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Featuring:


Greg Diefenbach

Managing Director

MagellanTV

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Katrina Kowalski

Senior Vice President, International Content Programming & Acquisitions, Pluto TV

Paramount

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Carlyn Staudt

EVP Global Channels & Streaming

Blue Ant Media

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2:45pm

Day of the Docbuster (2:45pm - 3:30pm)

Grand Ballroom A/B

While the content climate is currently challenging for buyers and sellers alike, the demand for programming that cuts through the clutter continues unabated. And some of the most buzzworthy work is coming in the form of what some call “pop docs”, or the “docbuster” – limited docuseries events that have as their main aim the grabbing of eyeballs and not necessarily Oscars (although those are nice, too). Here, producers and programmers will share their thoughts on what's working where, and why -- from profiles of pop culture icons to "stranger than fiction" true stories -- and what subject matter might be next in line for the 'docbuster' treatment in the near future.


Moderating:


Robyn Lattaker-Johnson

Agent, Media Consultant

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Featuring:


Erica Diaz-Gant

VP, Development

Investigation Discovery

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Zane Friedkin

VP, Development

Story Syndicate

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Fozia Khan

Head of Unscripted, UK

Amazon Studios

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Justin Lacob

Head of Development

XTR

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Wednesday, January 31

9:45am

Five Steps to Conquering Media in 2025 and Beyond, with Julia Alexander, Parrot Analytics (9:45am - 10:30am)

Grand Ballroom C/D/E

Julia Alexander, Director of Strategy at Parrot Analytics and Analyst at Puck News, joins Realscreen Summit to provide her Big Projections for the Future of Unscripted Media. The talk will include exclusive data pertaining to topics including fluctuating demand and supply trends for unscripted programming both domestically and internationally, a state of the union look at key players in a consolidating market, white space opportunities for different types of subgenres within unscripted programming across film and television, the question of whether sports docuseries are a long play or a short term bubble, and more.


Featuring:


Julia Alexander

Director of Strategy

Parrot Analytics

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10:45am

Inside the Format Lab - Exploring Talpa Studios' Formula for Success (10:45am - 11:30am)

Grand Ballroom A/B

Founded by John de Mol, creator of such world-beating formats as The Voice and Big Brother, Netherlands-headquartered Talpa Studios is a major force in global unscripted entertainment, with creativity and innovation woven through its DNA, and guided by the motto: “Dream big and move fast.” Here, you’ll get a special glimpse behind the curtain to find out more about the company’s creative processes, ranging from the inner workings of its Format Lab and “Content Wheel” to its approaches to creative partnerships and global distribution.


Featuring:


Maarten Meijs

Chief Executive Officer

Talpa Studios

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Sebastian van Barneveld

Director, Global Distribution

Talpa

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11:45am

International Spotlight: Europe (11:45am - 12:30pm)

Grand Ballroom A/B

Approaching the unscripted and non-fiction content business through a global lens, with these spotlights you’ll meet leading commissioners and content executives from various territories around the world, and learn more about their programming strategies, as well as coproduction and co-development opportunities.

Moderating:


Céline Payot-Lehmann

International Executive Producer

Pernel Media

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Featuring:


Myriam Lopez-Otazu

GVP Content EMEA

Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA

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Alexandre Marionneau

Head Of International Co-Production, Society & Culture

ARTE France

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Ralf Rückauer

Vice President Unscripted

ZDF Studios GmbH

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Fabrizio Zappi

Head of Documentaries

RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana

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2:45pm

AI…. Practically Speaking (2:45pm - 3:30pm)

Grand Ballroom A/B

While some of the headlines concerning AI and its potential uses in television production might err on the side of sensational, the truth is that AI can be, and indeed has been, used in myriad ways to both simplify and augment the production process. From camera work to archive colorization, and from voice cloning and dubbing to algorithmic editing, AI tools can ramp up productivity and creativity. Here, you’ll meet unscripted executives and AI developers who will show you how – and why – you should be working with the tech now, as well as the policies and guidelines being developed to shape its usage. 


Moderating:


Raja Khanna

Founder

Dark Slope

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Featuring:


Wesley Block

Co-Founder & CEO

Kino AI

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Irad Eyal

CEO

Haymaker West/Quickture

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Benjamin Field

Founder & Executive Producer

Deep Fusion Films

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Oz Krakowski

Chief Business Development Officer

Deepdub.ai

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Thursday, February 1

10:00am

What’s the Deal? How Dealmaking is Changing in the Streaming Era (10:00am - 10:45am)

Grand Ballroom A/B

Labor strife, changing viewership habits and consolidation and contraction within the entertainment industry are all set to reshape the dealmaking process. From series orders to rights to residuals, and many points between, dealmaking is evolving, and knowing the changes underway is smart business. Here, a crack team of legal experts, producers and network execs will explore what dealmaking will look like in the very near future, and offer guidance on how you should be structuring projects as streaming rewrites the deal memo.

Moderating:


Marco Bresaz

Founder & CEO

Pronounced Media

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Featuring:


Marc Kamler

Head of Unscripted Packaging

Innovative Artists

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Anne Kennedy McGuire

Partner

Loeb & Loeb LLP

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Theresa Patiri

SVP, Original Production, Operations & Business Affairs

WE tv & AllBlk, AMC Networks

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Rina Yano

SVP, Business & Legal Affairs

Westbrook Inc.

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11:00am

Trendwatch ‘24-‘25 (11:00am - 11:45am)

Grand Ballroom A/B

Forewarned is forearmed, as they say, and when it comes to uncovering the content trends that will shape schedules for the year ahead, the more you know, the better. Join our panelists from multiple territories and across the unscripted content spectrum as they share their thoughts on what subjects and sub-genres will be ripe for exploration, and what cultural and societal trends and touchpoints in the zeitgeist are informing their development slates.


Featuring:


Julie Chang

EVP, Business Strategy & Co-Productions

Blue Ant Media

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Naimah Holmes

President

Hot Snakes Media

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Marcie Hume

VP, Programming

A&E

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Angela Neillis

SVP Non Scripted Content Commercial & International

Fremantle

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Bridgette Theriault

SVP, Programming & Development, Warner Horizon / Development, Telepictures

Warner Bros. Discovery

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