Media Resources Management (Ukraine) backed by Small World IFT (USA) announced Small World. Big Ideas contest for new non-scripted entertainment formats. The contest winner will get partnership with Small World IFT. Final round of Small World. Big Ideas contest will be held in the course of FORMAT SHOW Spring Edition screening and conference to be held tomorrow, March 27, in Kiev, Ukraine.

Tim Crescenti, the president of Small World IFT, will judge the finalists of the contest. We talk with Tim about his view on the development of the international format market, trends in the industry andhis expectations for Small World. Big Ideas contest.

CEETV: Tim, most of the formats distributed internationally by Small World IFT are based on shows that had been previously aired on local TV. What doest it take to transform local TV shows into international formats?

TC: We’re looking for simple, strong, ideas that stand out from the crowd, formats which have a unique hook. Those are the kind of formats that succeed in travelling. Chef at Your Door is a great example of such a format. It travels well also because of its flexibility. It aired in primetime to huge ratings on TVP1 in Poland, whilst was scheduled on a weekend in daytime on Inter, Ukraine and in France it runs in access primetime. Formats that travel are scale-able, universal and if they’re a Small World format the they are a lot of fun, too!

CEETV: What is a ‘successful TV show’ for you? How do you measure the success – with ratings, number of seasons, international awards?

TC: I think success can mean different things. We are very proud of some of our formats’ historic achievements such as NHK Japan’s Dr What: Diagnosis Unknown being coproduced with Chinese broadcaster Zhejiang TV which was an historic first. Selling Grandpas over Flowers – a South Korean format to a US network, and The Fan – a Thai format to a UK network are both firsts, I believe! Of course, seeing formats bringing in huge numbers, being re-commissioned, being awarded and travelling globally are marks of success too. We are soon to announce the sale of a Romanian format to a big Western European network and another foreign-language format into the UK, so transcending these borders is something which is very exciting for us.

CEETV: What about genre preferences of the viewers from different countries and/or continents? Any ideas why? Could you indicate some distinctive trends and their reasons?

TC: Broadcasters globally share the trend of looking for cost-effective programming, which is simple for a mass audience to understand and buy into. We’re hearing more and more that buzz words of the past few seasons such as ‘interactivity’, ‘Apps’ and ‘second screen opportunities’ can be off-putting – it’s really down to the content in the first place, add-ons are meaningless if the content isn’t compelling, unique, universal. We’re being asked for cooking competitions, studio entertainment with a twist, and scripted formats.

CEETV: Which countries are the trend setters?

Historically the UK and US have always paved the way for trends, but increasingly different regions are following their own trends to accommodate local sensitivities and tastes. For example, we saw a boom of Israeli content over the past few years, and now content from Turkey – particularly scripted fare, and Asian markets such as South Korea and China, along with Russia and CIS are increasingly setting trends beginning in their neighbouring countries. We’ve seen formats break out from some of these regions as global hits, and now it’s time for us to find the next break out global format hit from the CIS region!

CEETV: You took part in formats pitching events both as an expert and a contestant. Please, tell about the purpose and importance of such events for the formats industry.

TC: The Format Show in Kiev is an important annual day in the diary where companies like Small World can meet face to face with clients in the region and discuss their needs, their priorities and their formats. Holding the Small World. Big Ideas contest together with our friends at MRM is an important step for us in continuing to lead the way in discovering new content from new regions and in investing in creativity. We believe that the region is highly skilled and highly creative, and we will continue to support our friends and colleagues in the region throughout any crisis or difficulties.

We place huge emphasis on travelling to territories and attending the small markets as well as the big ones, and the importance of markets like the Format Show. It is important to be on the ground talking to networks and producers about what is coming down their pipeline. We discovered Grandpas Over Flowers when we were in South Korea working on another show – and I was visiting my daughter Kelli who lives and teaches there. Everyone was talking about Grandpas Over Flowers, including the students in Kelli’s class, so we saw its strong potential immediately.

CEETV: What new formats by Small World IFT will be presented at Format Show Spring Edition?

TC: We will be discussing our new format A Little Taste of Home at the Format Show this Spring.

CEETV: Do you know some original Ukrainian/Russian shows? Are there titles you would like to include in Small World IFT’s catalog?

We are looking at more and more original format concepts from Ukraine and Russia, and are in fact developing a new format with a Russian broadcaster right now – but more on that soon… We would love to find the next big hit from the region.

CEETV: What do you expect from SMALL WORLD. BIG IDEAS contest?

We have been impressed by the caliber of the ideas submitted to the competition, in all genres from docu-reality format, to talent show to studio game show and more. We will have a hard time choosing the winner. At the top of our wish list is originality, simplicity, uniqueness, and the ability for the concept to transcend borders and reach a global audience. We’re looking forward to a new distribution relationship and to exporting a format from the region across the world.