Los Angeles Screenings Gaining Force.

The Los Angeles Screenings, this mysterious, almost mythical event, is causing many sleepless nights for MIP-TV organizers and, even after 35 years, is still leaving international distributors either upset or dumbfounded. This year, Video Age's L.A. Screenings Web site generated more inquiries as to the nature of the Screenings than questions about the fluctuating screening dates, proving that there isn't yet a universal understanding of how the Screenings work.

Video Age asked distributors hailing from Canada, Columbia, France, South Africa, the U.K. and the U.S. about their opinions of the L.A. Screenings.

According to Henrietta Hurford-Jones, deputy sales director of London-based Hit Entertainment, the L.A. Screenings "is one of the key markets in targeting our Latin American clients." For Tony Fadel, president of TV Planet in Miami, "It's an excellent opportunity to see what's new in American television, and to spend some time with programming and production executives in our industry"

Maria Lucia Hernandez Frieri, director of International Sales at RCN Television in Colombia, rated the L.A. Screenings a 10 "on a scale of one to 10." Unapix International's Managing Director Scott Hanock, applying the same scale, rated the Screenings "a three."

Richard Hammer, senior vp at South Africa's Global Programming Network, claimed that the Screenings were "unique," because they "provide a forum for people to connect ... people who might never have seen each other wandering through the labyrinth of the Palais in Cannes." In addition, Hammer reflected, "being held here [in Los Angeles], the entertainment capital of the world, provides us with local access to the key decision-makers in the U.S."

According to Parisian Morgann Favennec of Salsa Distribution, the L.A. Screenings "is the second most important market after NATPE. However, it may be No. 1 this year because at NATPE, a great majority of our clients advised us they would not make any buying decisions before the L.A. Screenings."

In the view of Victoria Valius of Toronto's ChumCity, the L.A. Screenings are important because of the Latin American business. As far as territories in which distributors tend to focus more, Hurford-Jones declared that "we target almost exclusively the Central and South Americans, since our U.S. office handles the North American business. Markets such as MIP and MIPCOM continue to be more focused on the European business for us." Salsa, on the other hand, is more concerned with "Colombia and smaller territories like Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay." However, neither Unapix nor TV Planet neglects parts of Asia. TV Planet even adds some European countries to its list of targeted territories.

Even though the premise of the L.A. Screenings is to screen new product for the upcoming season, all the independents surveyed (with the sole exception of Salsa) indicated they would not have anything new on their slates than what was shown at MIP-TV in April.

The length of the Screenings is the one factor that seems to affect all independents. Hanock claimed that he "would like to see a two-to-three day scenario for buyers to meet non-studio based companies in one of the hotels where the buyers aren't whisked off to studio screenings." Similarly, TV Planer's Fadel "would change the length of the screenings [at least for] some major studios [since] most of the buyers leave early or fall asleep." Favennec would prefer "to have definite dates, to take place mid-June. Not so close to MIP-TV."

Hurford-Jones was more philosophical, "Given that, as independents, we are effectively 'piggy-backing' off the screenings of the U.S. majors, it is difficult to imagine how one could change this event." Of the same opinion was Hernandez Frieri, "[Since] the organizing relies mostly on each individual -- which is great -- I would not change anything."

All the independents were unanimous in giving the L.A. Screenings a good cost/effectiveness ratio. "The L.A. Screenings is very cost efficient and effective," Fadel asserted. "The Screenings, more than any other trade show, definitely provides the biggest bang for the buck," agreed Hammer. For Unapix, as per other L.A.-based multinationals, the Screenings is "very cost effective."

Hernandez Frieri rated the Screenings "very high. Yes, the duration of the event is long, but we only spend [funds on] the cost of the room and a small amount on extras. We don't need a stand." Similarly, to ChumCity's Valius, the Screenings "is cost effective compared to the other markets such as MIP" Hurford-Jones acquiesed, "It is cost-effective for us, given the alternatives. The Century Plaza [Hotel], though, could offer some more attractive room rates." Nevertheless, "the Century Plaza has successfully remained a focal point for the Latins, which suits our purposes very well," she concluded.

This year, some 120 distribution companies participated at the Screenings, mostly renting rooms at the Century Plaza, but also operating out of the nearby Park Hyatt (Bulbeck & Mas and NBC), the Four Seasons (CLT-UFA), Westwood Marquis (Queen Bee), while some others, if not far away from the Century Plaza, preferred to screen at their own offices (Carsey Werner).

For the past 11 years, Video Age has maintained information desks at all the key hotels. New for this year, Video Age is offering two shuttle services connecting the Century Plaza to all L.A. Screenings hotels, including the distant Sunset Marquis. Daily updated information on screenings suites and the latest distributor news will also be provided by Video Age. For pilot information, Video Age has an exclusive arrangement with NATPE's Web site. Video Age is also exclusively cooperating with the AFMA to make the L.A. Screenings an event of major international proportions, while retaining the unstructured format favored by the studios.