Mediacrest's ambition: an unusual production company supported by technology and talent

Emma García, VP International Sales & Coordination, y Diego Mazón, director corporativo y de comunicación, permiten conocer más detalles de la filosofía, operativa y proyectos de Mediacrest, a production company with a dizzying rise that relies on an important human team without giving up the advantages of technology.

“Unusual”. With this word, Emma Garcia defines the nature of Mediacrest, rara avis among state producers that can certainly raise eyebrows among the most skeptical. Emerged just ago cinco años, the production company has made a name for itself in the world of audiovisual production relying on television hits such as the adaptation of The hunter, ambitious future projects such as Democracy, technological milestones such as Mapi or the recruitment of talent from the entire audiovisual industry, personified in figures such as Gerardo Olivares (documentary film), Alberto Macias (fiction) or Hugo Tomas (entertainment). All this, with the trust of names like RTVE, À Punt, Discovery, Movistar+, EiTB, Canal Sur, Telemadrid, Discovery, ITV, NHK, Yle o ViX, among others.

Faced with cautious growth models, opting for closer approaches boutique with only a few projects in development, Mediacrest Choose the ambition. Dozens of projects in different phases they occupy the daily lives of 37 team members, who launch themselves into European and Latin American markets to pursue marking history in the television industry with the seal of quality that has accompanied the Spanish industry for five years. The transversal knowledge about Mediacrest of Emma Garcia y Diego Mazon allows us to discover the whys of a production company with a demand as high as your goals.

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Transversality: Mediacrest axis

Why is it important for Mediacrest to continue highlighting its transmedia identity in a media context that has already standardized this term?

Diego Mazón: It is important to the extent that it serves the two pillars of the production company: las people and the public. The transmedia concept implies, above all, being attentive to where technological and content trends are moving. It is an area that we are working on right now from the point of view of social networks, brand positioning or how to impact a type of audience that no longer lives on a single screen and that he does not consume audiovisuals as he did ten years ago. All of these are concepts that we take into account when developing each idea. Furthermore, looking to the future, we will continue exploring this concept in aspects such as podcasts in order to continue generating products and IP.

Emma Garcia: At Mediacrest, we have three work structures: entertainment, fiction and documentary. However, they are not separate areas, but rather work together; There are ideas that come to the company that land in one, can be discussed among several and end up in another territory. The lines between genres are blurring, as we can see in platforms and what people consume. Therefore, we have incorporated this philosophy from day one in the teams, which we encourage and believe is enriching. So yes, our identity is transmedia and we could also say transgender.

(DM): Right now, in fact, a meeting is taking place that you wouldn't think a priori: Alberto Macías, creative director of fiction, and Tania Maroto, who is pure and simple entertainment. They are both mulling over an idea they had. It's nice to see that search for new universes in departments that, at other times, could be completely watertight.

Is this search for the transversality of its content what you consider differentiates Mediacrest from other production companies?

Diego Mazon: “We have one of the best teams what is there right now in the audiovisual production in Spain”.

(DM): One of the fundamental issues that define us is being able to remove labels and play very different things. I think we have one of the best teams that exists right now in audiovisual production in Spain in all areas, and that helps a lot to make that transversality that Emma spoke of have a much greater dimension. Another key from our beginnings was the decision to incorporate a international vision to look for products to bring to Spain and obtain external alliances. We are a Spanish production company and, obviously, we have to produce in Spain, but the market, since the emergence of platforms, is global. The product that we can generate can be seen in Albacete and Arizona. This has led us to forge important alliances outside of Spain. We are now developing a project with Yle, Finnish public television, and with Dynamo for ViX+ aimed at the Latin United States.

(EG): Our identity has been international from day one. We have not been afraid to go out, even starting projects outside and bringing them back later, creating content that works the same outside as inside.

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37 people: a unique structure

What is Mediacrest's current structure like, apart from the equipment that you can size for the production of each format?

(DM): Currently, Mediacrest is made up of 37 personas. We put special emphasis on the creative; There is a very important core of fiction, entertainment and documentary creatives. In the end, what it comes down to is that those 37 people are able to push at the same time The hunter, Democracy or the series with Yle.

(EG): When I address the international markets We usually give data such as that we have seven fiction developers writing in the script group, four people in entertainment, Gerardo Olivares, who is worth a few in documentaries... It is quite inusual in the structure of a production company that has only been four years old since the management has opted to create a so strong structure. This is because our goal has always been generate own IP and very powerful projects.

As you mentioned, Mediacrest's structure is unique in the Spanish market. What is its growth sustained by? Is Mediacrest supported by its current projects or is it a bet by investors regarding its future consolidation?

Emma Garcia: “The productions that we have carried out justify our team; we have had a good luck combination, good do and good travel companions that have allowed us maintain our structure”.

(EG): We understand that this is surprising, since we are aware that we have an unusual structure. People often ask us how we function and carry out projects with such a large team. There is a bit of both. The productions that we have carried out They justify our team; We have had a combination of good luck, good work and good traveling companions that have allowed us to maintain our structure. My role is not to give numbers, but they are coming out. I can also tell you that, being such a strong bet, the internal demand level is very high. When you have a team that relies on top-level people, results to match are expected. Until now, we have been able to bring a return that justifies all the equipment we bring as a company. That doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels. Every year our objectives are bigger, more ambitious. It can be intimidating, but we believe that without great goals, in the end there are no great results.

(DM): It has also been important investor confidence, who have decided to bet on this talent. Even during the pandemic, at the time of confinement, he was committed not only to maintaining the team, but to making it grow. And that is bearing fruit. We have worked for Telemadrid, Canal Sur, Discovery, RTVE and we are in it with ViX+ or Yle. It is important to note that It's not careless growth either.. We have a creative and business side that combines very well, and that has allowed us to grow responsibly.

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Mediacrest: original factory and search for opportunities

How many projects is Mediacrest currently working on?

(EG): Right now we have season 10 of The hunter, which is the Spanish version of The Chase from ITV, with which we have one of TVE's star products very well established; we produced a couple of seasons of Beat The Chaser, which is the prime time of The hunter, that we are also talking about renewing; we are preparing Democracy for TVE, which is a fiction series that won first prize at Conecta Ficción; and A house in the beach, a short form series for Playz. With Dynamo, a Colombian producer, we are preparing Nautilus, a production for ViX+ based on a true story of drug trafficking that should be ready at the end of the year, and with Yle we are shaping 17 kiloherzios, for which we are finishing searching for financing and we already have a partner in Brazil. It is a very international production, in line with what is being sought now, but we are a little stubborn. When we have projects that we like, currents do not affect us.

(DM): Con Gerardo Olivares We will possibly start filming a movie in July. It originally originated as a documentary, but has become a fiction that will be filmed in Patagonia and is called Lonely Man (The man from the end of the world). But wow, in fiction, depending on your state, there may be up to 20 projects. In entertainment we are preparing several proposals for MIPTV.

How does your content creation process develop? Do you fully trust in-house developments? Do they open the door to external opportunities?

(EG): We have different formulas, but what we have opted for is having our own team that generates ideas from within. That does not mean that we are not open to receiving proposals, which in fact arrive constantly. We analyze and filter everything. We are very selective, but there are external projects such as Democracy for whom we have opted and with whom we are delighted to collaborate. Nor do we close ourselves to collaborations with producers. And then, of course, we have a person dedicated to looking for interesting formats to bring and adapt to the Spanish market, as has been the case with The hunter. He Spanish market is very conservative in terms of entertainment formats, so it is still very important for our structure to be able to bring formats that have already been proven to work in other countries.

Does Mediacrest feel comfortable sharing the IP of a project or being another leg of a co-production between different agents?

(EG): If we could allow ourselves the luxury of deciding the path to follow in each project, our goal would always be retain the IP and manage to finance the projects based on sales. That is the ideal objective especially in fiction, an area in which the profitability of a product is developed, above all, in the long term. What's going on? We live in the world we live in. If Netflix comes tomorrow and commissions us with a project, we will be happy to produce for Netflix. In the end, when working for third parties on assignments, What you lose in IP compensates you in visibility; If everything goes well, you are lucky and you create a good product, you will have a spectacular reach. This is what has happened with Spanish productions. Thanks to the platforms we have become known in the world. For all this, we are open to a whole range of possibilities.

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Technology: palette for creativity and value for the broadcaster

Another way in which Mediacrest is presented to the world is with its commitment to technology. What is your vision on technology within an audiovisual production company?

(DM): Technology is a tool that has to support creative and sales teams. By itself, if you don't have people behind it, creativity and heart, it's of no use. At Mediacrest, technology comes in several forms. On the one hand, we work a lot with a sister company that is Manifest, an advertising agency with extensive technological work applied to brands: analysis of the type of market, behavior in the digital field... Everything is very interesting for our approaches. Then in product technology, we did Mapi, a technological milestone for which we have used the same technology that is used for Avatar or that used by the Japanese in Chiko's Challenge, the original of Mapi.

(EG): We can even say that our technology is more advanced than the Japanese version, since we managed to produce the program live when they couldn't...

(DM): That's how it is. We manage to apply technology live, which opens up a world of possibilities on that line. In the end, technology must allow us to help teams give creativity another dimension, allowing you to imagine different products than those that have occurred to you until now.

Is technology a value for Mediacrest clients? Do broadcasters and platforms appreciate this decisive commitment to technology?

Emma Garcia: “Con Mapi, We made a impeccable execution. The NHK I was amazed that what took them several weeks to finish in post-production, we managed to have edited from recording”.

(EG): What is appreciated is the ability to apply it. You can bring a brilliant idea, but if you do not provide the security and peace of mind that you are the right partner to execute it correctly, it will not be calm. With Mapi, We made a impeccable execution. NHK was amazed that what took them several weeks to finish in post-production, we managed to have edited from the recording. This gives us a great business card. We knew how to find the right partners in the technological area and respond in a very limited time.

Do you have in mind to take advantage of the technological knowledge that you achieved with Mapi in any other future project?

(DM): In mind and in development. We are not just talking about the technological design of the set, but also that the software we worked with was learning and incorporating new gestures. This is something super interesting for several developments we are involved in.

(EG): We've given the team a new palette, and they are now able to draw their projects without the usual limitations of sets or people. We are working on it. In fact, there is a quite advanced project, very fun and very interesting that we are preparing. We have many creatives, very crazy and fun people; the right one so that they lose their grip a little. With the right technology partners, we have the ability to put it all together and go out and sell whatever product comes out.

Mediacrest also has a division of Business Intelligence, something common in production companies focused on the digital world, but not so much in those dedicated to fiction, documentaries and entertainment. What does it contribute to your operations?

(DM): We take great advantage of all the capacity that our sister company, Manifesto, has to know the audience behavior. All this data helps you understand the public. Many trends in audiovisual and other sectors can come together in consumer behavior, which is the type of understanding that the business intelligence. This knowledge serves as support for the entire creativity phase. Then it is also important behavioral analysis of social networks. We have verified, for example, that half of our digital audience for The hunter comes from Latin America. That is information that we have and that, although it may not be useful for this product, it does help to have a international vision and serve for future projects. There is also the case of Mapi, which was an absolute phenomenon on social networks.

Does Mediacrest's strategy also involve bringing together production and post-production technological resources, or do they prefer to work with external suppliers?

Diego Mazón: “Our bet is on creative talent. Everything else we build with people we trust.”

(DM): We work everything third parties, with whom we work with an important level of demand. Our bet is creative talent. Everything else we build with people we trust.

Do you plan to continue with this model in the short and medium term?

(EG): For now, that part is left out.

(DM): Hay very good people abroad and we usually work with them wonderfully.

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Hyperspecialization is dead... Long live the generalist!

Based on Mediacrest's knowledge of the industry, what trends can you identify in current audiovisual media?

(EG): Los contests They are being a very important part, since they build loyalty. Additionally, some chains are trying to modify your identity and they want to rely a lot on this type of content. We can say that they are fashionable, without a doubt. The documentaries about influencers or characters with many followers they are also a trend. Platforms and networks are looking for IP, and in the end, that IP can be anything that brings you some guarantee of audience. It's that simple. Something that, in the sea of ​​photos that you find when browsing a platform, you can instantly recognize. The name of a classic book, even if it may lead you to content that you gave to what you know when clicking, or an influencer who has two million followers and that you have the guarantee that, at least, they will recognize the face. In terms of documentaries, we are seeing that, despite the fact that there are more and more platforms and channels, the themes are becoming narrower. Instead of being enriched in terms of content and variety of themes, there is a absolute need to attract the customer and keep it, so it is becoming broad themes that capture the widest possible generational range. It's a bit sad, since we all hoped that so many platforms and channels would enrich the offer.

What has happened so that this trend of hyperspecialization of content, so in vogue a few years ago, has led to a return to the generalist model?

(EG): And excess competition: what was seen coming. There is too many channels and platforms, and there has been too much spending on production that has not brought the expected return. This has caused the tap to be turned off and, suddenly, productions are being monitored much more in search of that return in the form of new subscribers. How do you ensure you get them? With a Very recognized IP that you can go out with and say: I have this brand, this character. With this, you know that you will be able to attract people from outside. The processes are not only about entertaining your audience, but also about increasing your base.

How is the field of fiction behaving in this context?

(EG): We are facing very short periods in which everyone asks you the same thing. When we were in Miami in January everyone wanted high budget soap operas. Now in Series Mania, We are seeing that pure genres such as fantasy and horror are left out, with the exception of thrillers, which are always the easiest to share internationally. The issue of the comedy, which was something very difficult to sell, since humor is understood in very different ways depending on how you move.

Several broadcasters are betting on their digital platforms with great technological developments. Do you feel that this commitment is being complemented by the commissioning of original fiction, documentaries or entertainment?

Emma Garcia: “Instead of there being a content enrichment and variety of themes, there is a need absolute goal of attracting customers and keeping them, which is why it is becoming broad themes that capture the widest possible generation range”.

(EG): Son specific cases. Yes, we are seeing that some television stations are betting on their platforms because they see that they are being left out of the game with certain generations. What happens is that it happens just like with large platforms: everything must have a return and a justification. Their subscriber bases are not very large, so the bets are on the scale of what they can afford or make sense. What is usually done is to move pieces. Atresmedia o RTVE They can play with the ability to circulate content between the different windows they manage. Sometimes they do it because it has worked very well for them, and other times it only stays in a window. It's a gamble, yes, but still very small and select.

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Unreleased entertainment formats: the next challenge

As a constantly growing production company, what are Mediacrest's objectives in the short and medium term?

(EG): We have a great challenge to face in the coming months and one that we have been working on for more than a year. And the fact is that, although we have been moving our fiction efforts in the international market for some time, we had not done the same with the entertainment, since this was a very closed and limited world for untested formats. But this has changed. Now there is really looking forward to hearing good ideas, both tested and not; There are markets in which they are daring, brave and even appreciate being the first. Therefore, our next great challenge is to go out to the markets and take on the world with very powerful formats on which our entertainment development teams have worked in collaboration with external collaborators.

(DM): We want to go further in the entertainment field, strengthen our works of fiction and then we have Gerardo Olivares ready to start recording. And all this between now and September!

(EG): Better for End of the year (laughs).

An interview by Sergio Julián Gómez

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