One step ahead: eOne adapts to a changing industry
Hell on Wheels producer Entertainment One is proving to be a nimble operator as it bends to the changing television landscape. While the independent film market is struggling in the face of big budget blockbusters, it is proving to be a source of inspiration for the television arm of Entertainment One (eOne). The global production giant still plays the traditional US network game, with both a series order for Kiefer Sutherland-starrer Designated Survivor and pilot Conviction at ABC. But it is also adopting an indie filmmaking approach by developing, financing and packaging projects in-house before taking them out to the market. A case in point is “polyromantic” comedy drama You Me Her, ordered by DirecTV’s Audience Network, which sees husband and wife Greg Poehler and Rachel Blanchard embark on a three-way affair with an escort (Priscilla Faia). “That was shot as an indie picture,” explains Pancho Mansfield, president of global scripted programming at eOne. “All the scripts were written in advance and every episode has the same director. They shot 10 episodes, 350 pages, in 35 days and it looks great and feels like a feature romantic comedy. It’s just five hours long instead of 90 minutes.” In the increasingly saturated television market, it’s not just networks feeling the competitive strain but producers and studios too. “So it’s critical for us to control our IP and, at times, develop internally,” Mansfield continues. “If it’s the right idea, we will write scripts internally and package them. A show like HBO’s True … Continue reading One step ahead: eOne adapts to a changing industry
