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C21Marketplace

Terranoa

Programming Profile

Terranoa’s Graziadey at the coalface of factual

15-06-2023

Isabelle Graziadey of France’s Terranoa discusses the importance of diverse slates and reliable partners and outlines the company’s plans to expand into sport and true crime.

 

French distributor Terranoa heads to Sunny Side of the Doc this month with a carefully curated slate of science, history and cultural documentary programming.

 

The Paris-based factual specialist will shop its content to international buyers at the event in La Rochelle, France, confident that broadcasters and streamers will be attracted to its diverse array of content blending ambition with high-end production values.

 

Graziadey
Isabelle Graziadey, Terranoa

“Our motto is: ‘In doc we trust,’” says Isabelle Graziadey, VP of international coproductions and distribution. “At Terranoa, we spend a lot of time scouting trends in the market. This is crucial for any distributor because things move so fast in the content industry.

 

“It’s not just a matter of relationships with prodcos, broadcasters and streamers; it’s also a matter of how audiences respond to programming. Are viewers following a new trend? Or is there already audience fatigue within that trend? We read a lot of reviews and case studies because this kind of strategic thinking is more important than ever today.

 

“Collisions: Life & Death From Outer Space
Collisions: Life & Death From Outer Space

“Putting a slate together is always a combination of opportunism, topicality and production values with the right editorial fit – but that fit can change every six months. It’s a very unsettled media landscape right now.”

 

One show Terranoa believes will pique the interest of buyers is 1×52’ space-themed doc Collisions: Life & Death From Outer Space. Produced for France 5’s Thursday night primetime science slot, it reveals how asteroids hold records of the origins of our solar system but could also potentially destroy our planet.

 

The doc meets scientists from the US, Europe and Japan working together on asteroid-diversion plans to prevent these celestial objects from causing a Deep Impact-style catastrophe.

 

Decoding Animal Culture
Decoding Animal Culture

“There are an estimated 30,000 potentially hazardous asteroids gravitating around Earth so it’s a serious threat,” says Graziadey. “Collisions ticks all the right boxes for us in terms of compelling storytelling and visual ambition within the science factual space, which is one of the core genres Terranoa invests in.”

 

“The latest scientific research is also at the heart of 3×52’ wildlife series Decoding Animal Culture, produced by Docland Yard for Arte, with ORF in Austria picking up the title at MipTV in April. It examines ways of life, customs, behaviour and the social structure of several species of animals, proving that culture is not just for humans. This is the first series documenting animal culture on a global scale.”

 

“Animals share knowledge and traditions that they learn from each other and pass it on to the next generation. And this is not limited to great apes – this cumulative learning plays a vital role in any species’ survival,” says Graziadey.

 

With around 2,000 hours of factual content available, plus an office in Washington DC, Terranoa is one of France’s leading distribution companies, part of Gedeon Media Group.

 

The company distributes docs made by more than 100 producers, mainly from Europe but also from Brazil and North America. It represents German company Autentic’s catalogue, including the Terramater slate of films, in the French market.

 

In 2016, the company won the prestigious Unifrance Export Award for the documentary Picasso, the Legacy, produced in-house by Gedeon Programmes.

 

The success of that title inspired more bios, such as 1×52’ profile Jim Carrey: America Unmasked, produced by Bellota Films, about the rubber-faced star of comedy films such as The Mask and Dumb & Dumber. It has been sold into more than 15 territories.

 

This summer’s slate features another one-off bio, Javier Bardem’s Metamorphose, a 1×52’ doc that reveals the creative process of the acclaimed Spanish actor. Produced by Gedeon Programmes for Arte, it has also been picked up by Movistar in Spain.

 

“Bardem is a screen icon and perhaps the biggest living actor in Spain, but few people really know much about him,” says Graziadey. “This inspiring film revisits his filmography, recaps half a century of the Spanish movie industry and takes a deep dive into how this splendid actor has metamorphosised over the last 30 years.”

 

“Vasa: The Ghost Warship
Vasa: The Ghost Warship

History is another genre of factual that has proved successful for Terranoa. The company has high hopes for new 2×52’ series Vasa: The Ghost Warship, A Royal Galleon Saved From Oblivion.

 

Made by Seppia Films and Factstory Productions for Arte and Swedish pubcaster SVT, in association with TVP in Poland, it tells the intriguing story of The Vasa, a Swedish warship that sank just 1,300 metres from shore after embarking on its doomed maiden voyage in 1628.

 

“It’s an epic unsolved riddle,” says Graziadey. “The first episode is about why The Vasa sank and re-enacts the trial to identify who should be held responsible, while the second episode reveals the faces of those who died, thanks to new DNA samples identification.

 

In addition to distribution, Terranoa has two further briefs: helping to fund documentary projects that target an international audience, plus offering producers editorial know-how and market intelligence in the early stages of a project.

 

“Ecuador on the Wild Side
Ecuador on the Wild Side

As VP of coproductions, Graziadey works on putting together the international financing needed to bring projects to the screen, seeking trusted partners and commissioners in the first round of conversations.

 

“It takes a long time to get the international finance needed right and, as a distributor, we help gap-finance to advance projects. Distributors are increasingly carrying part of the risk in investment, and this is where experience and expertise really help in investing in the right projects at the right financial level.”

 

With the US writers’ strike showing no signs of ending anytime soon, plus the soaring price of producing scripted drama, many in the industry have predicted a surge in demand for unscripted content.

 

Regardless of whether that proves to be the case, Graziadey says Terranoa will continue to serve as many clients as possible with the kind of programming the company is known for, while also experimenting with other genres. “Diversifying our slate with new programming is essential to remaining in this game,” she says.

 

“Cobalt Rush: The Future of Going Green
Cobalt Rush: The Future of Going Green

“Sports biopics with elements of high-stakes drama have done well in recent years. We’d love to help finance shows in this genre, but they need a high level of access and are costly to produce, so they don’t come around too often.

 

“We are also pursuing our investments in high-end true crime stories; not too gory and with a unique story that hasn’t been told before. We’ve just signed a ‘cold case’ four-part series that mixes elements of environmental tragedy, set in Canada with international resonance, which will be released at Sunny Side in La Rochelle.

 

“I’m not sure how much we will benefit from the US writers’ strike but, for sure, there are economic elements in the market pushing towards offering high-quality content for less money. Factual has been effective in this area, with the popularity of true crime series or series about pop culture icons on streaming platforms, for example, or the good ratings of factual on traditional TV with event one-offs tackling current affairs, social issues, science or history.”

 

Rounding out Terranoa’s summer factual slate are 2×52’ wildlife series Ecuador on the Wild Side (produced by Songes de Moai); 1×52’/1×90’ environmental doc Cobalt Rush: The Future of Going Green (Les Films du Tambour de Soie, Dancing Dog Productions, Esprit Libre Production for Arte, Belgium’s RTBF and France 24); and 3×52’ travel and arts series Philippe Echaroux – The World in Lights (Gedeon Programmes for Canal+ Docs).

 

“Philippe Echaroux – The World in Lights
Philippe Echaroux – The World in Lights

Looking to the rest of 2023 and beyond, Graziadey says the company’s future lies in having confidence in its ambitions and expertise, despite the challenging economic headwinds. “In times of concentration, it’s always tough for the independents and we are seeing tighter budgets in the market,” she says.

 

“I see free ad-supported streaming TV as a way to revive back catalogue, and I’m also very attentive to talk of some AVoD platforms investing in new original content. This could be important in helping to get ambitious projects off the ground.

 

“Having our US office is a key strategic asset that allows Terranoa to feel the market beat, observe business trends and build strong connections with all the media industry on that side of the Atlantic. This is how we recently signed a reboot of our film Jurassic Cash for a US network.”



More programming profiles

  • 10-06-2022

    Isabelle Graziadey, VP of international coproductions and distribution at French distributor Terranoa, walks us through a slate of historical and political documentaries ahead of Sunny Side of the Doc – including a timely production about Brazil’s controversial president Jair Bolsonaro ahead of October’s elections.

     

    As buyers, sellers and producers return to the physical event circuit, French distributor Terranoa is looking forward to sharing with buyers a host of documentaries that were delayed by the Covid-19 production shutdown and are now coming to fruition with plenty of pre-sales already secured.

     

    Isabelle Graziadey, VP of international coproductions and distribution, says: “It’s really exciting to be back at Sunny Side because we’re now at a momentum in terms of fresh content recently delivered with over 15 hours ready for acquisition.”
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  • 10-06-2021

    French distributor Terranoa has stocked up on high-end factual programming, including history, wildlife and current affairs content, as well as the firm’s first foray into true crime. Here we explore the company’s playlist on C21’s Digital Screenings this week.

     

    Paris-based distributor Terranoa was founded in 2000 by three French documentary production houses, all well-established on the international market: Gédéon Programmes, 95° West and Boréales. Three years ago, it became part of the Gedeon Media Group.

     

    Over the past 20 years, the company has remained close to its roots and specialised in factual programming sales. Furthermore, it has developed into a meaningful co-financing partner, getting involved early on to secure content that addresses the taste and issues of our time. Executive director of international coproductions, sales and acquisitions Isabelle Graziadey says the company pays close attention to the slate, “focusing on quality rather than quantity.”

     

    Terranoa’s aim is to have a line-up that meets the needs of a broad range of buyers. This includes content covering escapism, travel, science and history, in addition to high-end features and “edgy” factual primetime programming, according to Graziadey.
    READ MORE