The discussion “IP as a Tool for Fostering Innovation & Social Change” was held within the framework of the Agora Talks of the 65th TIFF, on Saturday November 2nd, at MOMus-Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, in collaboration with MIDPOINT Institute. The speakers were Emilie Blézat (CEO, Producer, IP Creator - Dark Riviera) and Hyppe Salmi (Executive producer - Yle Drama). The event was prefaced by Anita Pócsová (Program Coordinator Junior - MIDPOINT Institute), and moderated by Zac Ntim (Journalist, Deadline). The discussion revolved around content creation with social impact, supporting young talents, and developing a youth audience in the series world. During the conversation, the audience had the opportunity to learn about the groundbreaking program War Room Content, a think tank that serves as a meeting hub for screenwriters, journalists, experts, and other stakeholders for the creation of innovative European series. At the same time, the innovative program Areena Stories was presented, a mini-series on the Instagram platform produced by young creators, serving as a communication channel with the youth audience.
Anita Poscová made a brief introduction, expressing her joy and satisfaction on behalf of the MIDPOINT Institute for teaming up with the Festival’s Agora for yet another year, but also for hosting a discussion of great interest for the European series producers. She then passed the baton to Hyppe Salmi, who described her scope of responsibilities and the nature of her work in the TV broadcaster Yle and the streaming platform Areena Stories, in Finland. Hyppe Salmi underlined that seeing the younger audience as an integral whole is a wrong approach, while also hailing the importance of the direct implication of the younger audience in the creation of the relevant content. Shen then made mention to the huge success of the series Karma, which was exclusively released in Instagram, paving the way for a new strategy of attracting younger audiences. Finally, she referred to the fluid nature of the social media landscape and the need for one to follow the changes taking place in present time and adapt accordingly.
Emilie Blézat, who took part online in the discussion, first made a case for her valuable experience working as a producer in Asia and as a cultural consultant for the French state. She labeled IP as a singular “ecosystem”, while pointing out that the complexity involved in the creation of IP makes it necessary to join forces with professionals coming from many different fields, following different practices and working guidelines. She went on to talk about the War Room Content, a project launched by Dark Riviera, which has received funding from the European Union, aiming to work as a think tank and a workshop of script production for European TV series. She concluded by adding that the War Room Content’s main thematic axes are human safety, technology, the environment, and inclusion, placing emphasis on the multifarious partnerships with a wide range of institutions, organizations and distinguished personalities.
