Trailblazers 2011
Abbe Raven, president & CEO, A+E Networks
TVIt’s an extreme understatement to say that A+E Networks has come quite a long way since 1982, when Abbe Raven, fresh from working in theater, came to what was then known as Daytime & Arts as a production assistant.
Eileen O’Neill, group president, Discovery & TLC Networks
TVLast year was ripe for restructuring at Discovery Communications, with Eileen O’Neill, formerly the president and GM of TLC, named group president of Discovery Channel and TLC in January.
Frances Berwick, president, Bravo and Style Media
TV2011 was a year to remember for Frances Berwick for several reasons. It marked her 15th year with U.S. cable net Bravo, and also gave her more responsibility within the NBCUniversal cable family, as president of both Bravo Media and Style Media.
Kickstarter’s Charles Adler, Perry Chen and Yancey Strickler
DIGITAL / FILMSince the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter was launched in 2009, more than US$17.5 million has been pledged to projects in the site’s documentary category – projects needing funds for everything from post-production to finishing.
Magical Elves’ Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz
FILM / TVAfter a decade spent shaping reality TV conventions with genre-defining hits such as Project Runway and Top Chef, Hollywood-based prodco Magical Elves expanded further into the worlds of fashion, food and art, as well as feature documentaries with the hit Justin Bieber 3D concert film, Never Say Never.
Zam Baring, managing director, KEO films
DIGITAL / TVAt the start of 2011 London-based prodco KEO films was nominated for an Academy Award for Exit Through the Gift Shop. And while the Banksy-directed film didn’t win, there were many other things to celebrate over the course of the year.
Katerina Cizek, director, the “Highrise” project
DIGITALFilmmaker Katerina Cizek and her National Film Board of Canada partners, including NFB senior producer Gerry Flahive, have been immersed for the past two years in Highrise, a web doc series slated to feature numerous chapters over its life span.
Wim Wenders, director, “Pina”
FILMWhen the doc slate for last autumn’s Toronto International Film Festival was first unveiled, the attention on new efforts from directors such as Herzog, Broomfield and Spurlock meant Wim Wenders’ latest – a 3D dance film inspired by the life of late German choreographer and ballet director Pina Bausch – was almost overlooked.
Heather Croall, festival director, Sheffield Doc/Fest
FILMIn her first five years in charge, Croall and her team have revitalized the event, bringing in international delegates and glitzy stars, and swelling overall attendance numbers: to 1,236 in 2007, 1,885 in 2009 and 2,310 in 2011.
The Channel 4 commissioning team
TVMore often than not, the team at C4 uses its unique remit as a launch pad for a host of innovative, risque and often quite brilliant programs. And in 2011, the network’s factual team seized the bull by the horns to deliver a slate of fascinating, innovative and memorable programming.
Peak performances
TVFour of last year’s trailblazers return this year, having had another solid 12 months of peak performances and high points. Here, a look at the past year for Nancy Dubuc, David Zaslav, Mark Burnett and Thom Beers.
CABLEready Spotlight
Ready for action
TVCelebrating its 20th anniversary in the television industry, CABLEready shows no signs of slowing down. Here, founder and CEO Gary Lico, as well as other execs in the CABLEready family and beyond, reflect on the past two decades’ challenges and successes, both for the company and the cable TV industry at large.
Editorial
Here we are now, engage us
DIGITAL / FILM / TVWhat’s really getting me jazzed when it comes to the immediate future of non-fiction programming is the new era of engagement we find ourselves at the early and exciting stages of.
Out & About
A new year, new beginnings
DIGITAL / TV2012 marks the 15th year of realscreen‘s existence and, as one would expect, the evolution of the brand has mirrored that of the non-fiction industry. In 1997, realscreen touted itself as the source for info “about the business of docs, infomags and lifestyle programming.” My, how times have changed.
Audience & Strategy
Growing the game
TVEvolving partnerships and approaches to telling sports stories have opened up locker rooms, offering a new non-fiction window on the sports world and the athletes, coaches, executives and fans within it. (Pictured: Renee)
Ideas & Execution
Culture club
TVDocuseries that immerse audiences in other cultures are generating big buzz, major controversies and, in some cases, record-breaking audiences for networks around the world. (Pictured: All-American Muslim)
The definitive factual resource.Over 5,000 company listings!
Photos
Factual Entertainment Forum 2011 - Chris Linn, EVP programming and head of production at MTV, speaks during the “Factual Forward” panel at Realscreen’s Factual Entertainment Forum.