Former ITV Studios and Endemol Shine formats exec Pascal Dalton discusses going it alone with his new indie Shimmer Media, his recent scouting of China as a hotbed for formats, and his optimism that the industry’s current “tough time” is simply a much-needed reset.
Pascal Dalton
Tell us about Shimmer Media, which you launched at the start of this year?
Shimmer Media collaborates with content businesses to unlock their full potential, both locally and internationally. That could be via consulting services or via the distribution and acquisition agreements that we’ve done more recently. The business is to provide guidance and opportunities to maximise the value of IP or intellectual property, but I have also been working to help producers and clients expand production capabilities, help their strategic direction, drive sustainable growth, find coproduction or co-financing solutions, so it’s quite varied.
Right now, we’re focused on scripted and non-scripted formats and we’re managing that solar system of rights derived from global licensing deals. But our capabilities extend beyond that, offering premium consulting services to our partners. So, while there is a focus, I’m also quite nimble and flexible in the direction that I’m going depending on the client’s needs.
You’ve recently been collaborating with businesses in China, tell us about that?
Our first major announcement was the launch of four new non-scripted titles and that has been in collaboration with a company called Content Connect, which is run by ex-Banijay China MD, William Tan, and we used to work together Endemol. How that came about is William essentially just reached out to me after he left ITV Studios. We both got on quite well back in the day and it seemed like a good partnership. Through this agreement, Shimmer Media has special access to a catalogue of fully produced, fully aired content from major Chinese players such as Tencent, Dragon TV, Jiangsu TV, and some others. I think what really excites me the most is even I was surprised lat just how original and captivating the content is coming from that region. These are all fully produced, they don’t have the risk of being paper formats but are genuinely fresh to the international marketplace. There’ll be more announcements coming soon and I’ve got a couple of things bubbling in the background, but this is a big first step for us.
How has it been branching out on your own when previously you were with ITV Studios and Endemol Shine?
It’s never easy changing jobs, whether you move from one company to another, get hired from a competitor or if you set up a new independent venture. I think especially after you’ve invested so much of your heart and soul into a job and achieved so much, that makes that tough. But having said that, I’ve learned a huge amount and had the pleasure of working with some very talented people both at ITV Studios, Endemol and Endemol Shine. I think my perspective on this is that ships are safe in the harbour but that’s not really what they’re built for and I don’t believe you can realise your full potential or ambitions without change.
I’m using the same skills I would in a large organisation, but on top of that I’m supercharging my skillset because I’m investing in my training, whether it’s through learning about generative AI or building connections. And of course, I am building something new and from scratch. The last six months have been very eye-opening in terms of evaluating the industry developments as an independent. It’s interesting, the people who come out of the woodwork and offer partnerships and opportunities. And to that point, I’m a strong believer in the quality of your reputation.
How would you assess the health of the formats market?
I think the format market is in good health, and you only have to look at K7’s ‘tracking the giants’ to read about its positive findings around the format business. I’m optimistic about the opportunities in both the traditional commissioning sense, and also from social content reaching new audiences or YouTube being a platform to test or pilot shows. I think there will always be a need to have locally adapted content.
I’m delighted to see new titles travel, but ultimately nothing guarantees success, and risk has always been a consideration of formats. You’re not just paying a licence fee as a commissioner, you’re investing in production, looking at the marketing and the other broadcast costs, not to mention choice of producer and other creative decisions that impact the end result. But the risk is also being carried by producers because they’re having to find ways to co-finance ideas and get some data, for example, from YouTube.
It’s an exciting place to be, but the risk barometer I think changes a little bit depending on who you speak to, what genre they’re looking at, the country they represent, what returns of investment they’re looking for.
What I’m observing is a hunger for fresher and more relevant formats. And I’m confident that there are partnerships and deals to be done by those nimble and willing enough to coproduce, share IP and work collaboratively.
It was said at RealScreen in January that ‘content used to be king, now the deal model is king’, do you agree and what does that mean for creativity?
I think that saying has been reformatted more than any non-scripted format. I used to say ‘content is king, but distribution is King Kong’.
I honestly think content will always be king; that’s what viewers want to go and watch. They want to see great authentic, engaging programming. I think you only have to look at what’s happening with YouTube at the moment, or the churn of subscribers chasing the newest content to demonstrate that.
It’s true, yes, the deal model has evolved, but that presents fantastic opportunities to be creative. What I have observed more recently is the IP cake is being cut into more subdivisions than before to spread risk or secure multiple seasons. And that could be on a funding model basis or partnering with a platform like YouTube, or engaging with creator talent or brands. In the traditional sense of coproductions on the non-scripted finished tape side, I think you’re now seeing that a lot more in relation to formats.
What’s the biggest challenge facing your new company?
I think the media landscape is changing faster than ever before and as platform algorithms shift, audience habits evolve and new competitors emerge daily. Staying ahead of the curve and continuously adapting without losing focus is one of the core challenges. I think we as an industry are constantly testing, learning, redefining and staying relevant and impactful. I think that the advantage Shimmer has is we are nimble, we’re able to pivot quickly. I’ve been meeting various clients, producers and other experts in the business, and they’re quite worried about the state of the industry. They’ve never seen it like this before. But I think if you’re willing to evolve and adapt, then there are opportunities to move forward. I worry more about being stuck in the mud and the old ways of working. That’s not the world we operate in anymore. We have to move forward from that old model.
