Portocabo
Alfonso Blanco, CEO and executive producer, Portcabo
In conversation with C21, top executives from Spanish producer Portocabo, Alfonso Blanco, CEO and executive producer; Alfonso López. producer & business management, and Nina Hernández, head of content, presented the company’s upcoming projects and gave their insights on why Spanish talent is so appreciated internationally.
How important coproduction is for the company?
Alfonso Blanco – Portocabo was born in 2010 with the clear objective of making series under a co-production model. Since then, international co-production has allowed us to create products that travel across the borders of many countries and create international alliances with partners from all over the world, such as France and Germany (Hierro), Latin America (Los Enviados), Italy (The Avatars), and Portugal (Auga Seca or Vidago Palace).
One of the Portocabo’s great achievements with the success of Hierro was to prove to the Spanish local market that co-production was possible and that it worked. We managed to make series that could work for prime time in more than one territory, financed by several countries and achieving an even greater international exploitation and repercussion.
What are the main projects you are currently working on?
Alfonso López – We have premiered several productions in 2023, such as The Argonauts and the Gold Coin (co-produced by RTVE and Portocabo) for Clan TV; Honor for Atresmedia or Rapa (S2) for Movistar Plus+. In addition, we will also premiere the second season of The Envoys (Los enviados) for Paramount+ (a PTIS production in collaboration with 100Bares and Portocabo). We are currently filming the third and final season of Rapa for Movistar Plus+.
Looking ahead we have three shows in pre-production/development and the current plan is to start production in 2024: Weiss & Morales (a series coproduced with Nadcon and internationally distributed by ZDF Studios); Garbo (a miniseries coproduced with Movistar Plus+); and the theatrical film The Argonauts and the labyrinth of time (Los Argonautas y el laberinto del tiempo).
What is your vision of current trends regarding content genres in the international market?
Nina Hernández (NH) – In a highly competitive market, with an ever-growing offer, elevating the narrative can make a series stand out. In the post pandemic world, we have detected a growing appeal for dramas that can offer entertainment. Storytelling that, without abandoning the emotional aspects of the characters, nor disregarding solidly installed formats such as crime drama, propose a certain spirit upbeat, a feel-good aspect that lightens the audience’s emotional investment. New and undiscovered scenarios and distinctive cultural traits are still a great favourite as a means of escapism from our daily life. As in the case of our most recent productions Hierro in El Hierro island (Canary Islands) or Rapa in Ferrolterra (Galicia) that have been a great success in territories like the US, Germany, Lat Am or Australia, among others.
What are the key elements to bear in mind for creating internationally appealing stories?
NH – We invest time in discovering what is working outside of our local market and the common ground between local and international markets. Another key element we take into consideration when working on a coproduction is to quickly incorporate all creators, executives and writers into the discussion during early development stages, to delimit where the drama will better serve its purpose of reaching a wide audience.
