FÍS TV Summit

#Interview: Scannain Talks the FÍS TV Summit with programmer Mary Deely

On Thursday, October 12th, the FÍS TV Summit, hosted by Galway Film Centre, will take place in Galway. Ahead of the event Scannain caught up with FÍS programmer Mary Deely to talk about the day.

The day promises to be a big mad event for Irish content makers and distributors. “I think that’s the best description of it to be honest. Glad that it’s finally here. We’ve been talking about it for a long time, meeting up, planning, and trying to find the shape of it. So its great that it’s finally here and that it’s happening.”

The day is structured around three panels which essentially look at where we are, what technology is now available, and how to get the younger generations interested. “It just kind of worked out like that. We wanted to look at where we are. There’s a lot of changes happening in TV. There’s new heads of the channels, with exciting ideas and great challenges. We knew the event couldn’t happen if the Directors General weren’t in the room and that’s who we went after first. It’s brilliant to have them all there. And then it’s a case of where is it all going. So we wanted to dip into the world of VOD. That’s still quite new for a lot of producers. How do you sell your work to these companies? What are they looking for? Some of these companies, like Yaddo, are funding. They fund 5×5 minute videos for the web. They specialise in documentary. That’s there for producers to access. And then you have to go and start at the start with kids and what do they watch and how do they watch it. I heard someone recently say that a lot of kids won’t know what a TV set is, but they’ll totally be able to operate their parent’s smartphone so that’s the future. It’s cross-platform. In someways it’s how relevant are TVS, but they’re more relevant than ever as everything can be feed into your TV with Over the Top and Set Top boxes. The move from scheduled broadcasting into time-shifted media and video on demand. And how do you keep up. We’re asking where will we be in 5 years, but it’s as relevant to ask where will we be in 6 months time.”

So What is it that the GFC hope people take away from the day? “It’s a few things. Firstly it’s a celebration of TV. That might sound cheesy but TV is a big industry in ireland. It’s an important industry and employs a lot of people. Then it’s about starting a conversation about how things are changing. And that’s very challenging. It’s a tough time with a lot of headlines about deficits and lack of funding. When has that ever not been the case? There’s a lot of challenges out there and it’s about how to view some of those challenges as opportunities. There’s challenges for the broadcasters in how they deliver to the audience, and with the budgets that they have. And then there’s the challenge to the producers in how to they get their heads around, and how do they tackle the different ways in which an audience can consume what they produce. There’s demands outside the production itself. Like in kids TV, what’s your social media strategy and how are you going to deal with that. There’s so many different levels that producers can be working on. And it’s not just nationally. It’s globally. So it’s a look at the global industry and the whole conversation around that. And then in terms of the celebration it’s having someone like Graham Linehan there who is the godfather of Irish comedy in a way. His shows are iconic. TV is changing, but if it is good then audiences will flock to it. And his shows have been around a long time, but they still have real weight and are still important. And he’s producing new and exciting work as well so that’s worth celebrating.And then with all of these sorts of summits its the whole networking thing. And it’s great to see a lot of companies from all around Ireland, both big and small, old and new startup indie producers, will get together and make connections.”

And there’s something worth sticking around for. “In the afternoon there’s going to be an announcement of a new major fund. The WRAP fund, the Western Region Audiovisual Producers Fund, will be launched by Minister Sean Kyne. And people should come to find out about that as it will be big and hopefully meaningful for producers based in the region or who want to work in the western region.”

This event is hosted by Galway Film Centre, in association with TG4, Western Development Commission, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Greasán Na Meán, Screen Training Ireland, The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, RTÉ, GMIT, Creative Europe Galway, Mazars and the Arts Council.

For further information please see Galway Film Centre. Tickets can be bought via EventBrite.

#FÍSTVsummit #CeantarScannán #GalwayCityofFilm


FÍS TV Summit | October 12th, 2017 | Galway Bay Hotel

9.45am – 11.15am: TV at a Crossroads: The Current TV Landscape | An Teilifís ag Crosbhóthar: An Scéal faoi láthair.

  • TG4: Alan Esslemont
  • RTÉ: Dee Forbes
  • TV3: Pat Kiely
  • BBCNI: Peter Johnston
  • Chair: Betty Purcell

11.15am – 11.35am TEA/COFFEE BREAK | SOS

11.35am – 1pm: VOD: Changing the Future of TV | Fís ar Éileamh: Ag athrú todhchaí na teilifíse

  • Yaddo -Lawrence Elman
  • QYOU – Amory Schwartz
  • Acorn TV – Shane Murphy
  • Chair – Rights Stuff – Wendy Bernfeld

1pm – 1.45pm NETWORKING LUNCH | LÓN

1.45pm – 2pm: Lunchtime Newsflash – Section 481 with Mazars | Scéala Lóin – Faoiseamh cánach 481 le Mazars

2pm – 3.30pm: Programming for the Next Generation | Cláir don chéad glúin eile

  • CBeeBies – Julia Bond, Commissioning Executive
  • PaperOwl – Gráinne McGuinness, Producer
  • RTÉ – Sheila De Courcy
  • TG4 – Siobhán Ní Bhrádaigh
  • Chair – Moe Honan, Moetion Films

3.30pm – 4pm TEA/COFFEE BREAK | SOS

4pm-4.15p.m WRAP Fund Announcement | Fógairt maidir le Ciste Maoinithe don larthar (WRAP)

4.15pm – 5.30pm: Interview with Special Guest | Agallamh le Aoi Speisialta

  • Guest: Graham Linehan
  • CHAIR – Billy McGrath, Sideline Productions

6pm: NETWORKING RECEPTION | Fáiltiú