Content Without Borders (CWB) has wrapped for another year! Forty-nine UK indies, 19 commissioners, broadcasters and agents, four sponsors and two fantastic days spent at Ramside Hall Hotel in the North East of England.
It was a return to the English regions that was once again smiled upon by the weather gods, who seem to relish scores of film and TV people constructing mortars to fire water bottle rockets up into a cloudless azure sky.
Delegates getting ready to launch a plastic water bottle rocket during the group activities
A packed agenda of networking, roundtables, 650+ pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, panels, investment sessions and more, was embraced by all, including the broadcasters, commissioners and agents we welcomed from around the world - Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, UK and the USA.
A massive thank you to everyone who joined us, for their energy and enthusiasm, and such a willingness to engage with each other and with everything we had planned. The feedback received so far has been wonderful to hear; comments include ‘the best industry event I have attended in an over 30-year career’ and ‘I feel that I did six months’ work in 24 hours.’
This was the first drama-focused edition of CWB since March 2020 (those who attended that year will remember the ‘no shaking hands’ rule!). The sector is once again going through a tough and uncertain time, but I do believe that CWB makes a difference in allowing people to build relationships that develop into future opportunities, and in making collaboration that much easier going forward. As one of the attending broadcasters told me, the event was ‘so inspiring, so thoughtfully arranged, and refreshingly different.’
Delegates listen to one of the panel discussions
Another huge thanks to our sponsors who made it all possible – North East Screen, Department for Business and Trade, Audio Network and GeoPura. And thank you to the Advisory Board of Pact members for all their expert support.
I continue to engage with international partners new and old, to unlock opportunities for members, so follow the weekly newsletter and direct notifications for details as they emerge. That engagement continues next week at MIPCOM, where I will be attending from Sunday 12th to Thursday 16th October. I do have limited space still available for any members who would like to meet and discuss all things international and upcoming opportunities. Please reach out to me at [email protected].
A Producer's
View
Claire Mundell - CEO/Founder, Synchronicity Films
I don’t know how many pitching meetings involve building and launching a plastic water bottle rocket with your distributor; engineering a bamboo tennis ball into a bucket contraption; playing ‘Guess the 80s Soap Star’ with your fellow indie colleagues; or walking backwards through a pretend landmine guided by a commissioning editor, but all of the above featured in Pact’s excellent Content With Borders, a scripted business event that likes to do things differently! Throw in a BBQ and a couple of drinks at the bar and it’s the most fun I’ve had ‘doing business’ recently. A welcome tonic in these ever more challenging times.
Claire networking with Britbox's Stephen Nye
The event, held in the lush and sunny Durham countryside at the end of September and organised brilliantly by Ross, Aimee and team, was one of those events that you sign up for months in advance, gasp when you see it in your insane diary the week before you go (when you think you’re too busy to attend) and then thank your lucky stars afterwards that you didn’t cancel.
This event was for scripted indies and a host of UK and international scripted commissioners. They came from far and wide – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, America – even London! And what I can attest to is that – as Bob Hoskins always said – it’s good to talk. Even if you only have 10 minutes (aka the speed dating sessions) it’s just refreshing to be away from the daily grind, in a focused and collaborative atmosphere, making new connections in a place where it feels like everyone is open to doing business or at least having a conversation about it!
The unique format of Content Without Borders seems to flatten hierarchies, disarm busy executives and make for a fun environment. All of this has as much to do with information sharing (nay, gossip??) and reminding ourselves why we do this crazy work, as much as it has to do with healthy competitiveness.
There were plenty of opportunities for networking over the two days
The mix of delegates, panels and speakers was perfectly judged and refreshingly introduced many UK producers to the cream of the European scripted commissioning crop. Whilst most delegates came with a specific shopping or selling list, it was also a wonderful environment for tangential thinking and opportunistic pitching on projects which you didn’t even know you had until you made connections with new and like-minded colleagues.
All in all, it was the hopeful – ‘we can still do this’ – shot in the arm that many of us masochists (ahem…scripted producers) felt we needed.
One to keep in the diary for next year!