Sponsored by:	A Different Breed: Distribution Skills for a New Era As broadcasters and independent producers get ever more cozy, and as cable is increasingly demanding rights buy-outs to satisfy all its tentacles, what's the role of the distributor? What kinds of new skills are distributors bringing to the table to offer both producers and broadcasters? Hear from distributors on how they are adapting to suit a changing landscape. Anatomy of a Cable Budget: Cost-Cutting Techniques Hear our panel go through a sample budget of a program being produced for U.S. cable. Where can corners be cut safely (and how), and where do you cut at your own risk? Where are the potential cost over-runs and how can they best be avoided? What is a reasonable fee for producers? Behind Closed Doors: How Proposals Get Evaluated Find out how evaluation processes differ from broadcaster to broadcaster, and why. What goes on at development and evaluation meetings, and who gets to sit in? What other departments get in on the act? Who gets the final say? Hear from those who evaluate proposals on what gets the nod and why. Convergence: Meeting the Technical Challenges Want to know more about the hardware and software aiding the development of full streaming media? Hear from interactive content developers, as well as hardware and software developers, about producing compelling interactive television and getting the best results. Demographics 101 for Producers When it comes to the business of broadcasting, demographics (and the advertisers chasing them) are king. With a better idea of who cable networks and niche broadcasters are trying to reach, producers can sharpen their pitches. Hear from the broadcasters about their most valued viewers, and what has typically drawn them in. Funding Interactive Content: Where's the Money Coming From? Trying to figure out how to finance content for this brave new world? Find yourself sadly without the ear of a venture capitalist? Hear producers, broadcasters and funders speak on financing program development and/or adapting existing programming for the internet and interactive TV. How They Did It: Coproduction Case Studies In the past few years, international coproductions have been touted as the last remaining way to produce high-budget fare. However, a complicated funding formula - with many buyers, a number of producers, and perhaps a distributor in the mix - makes for a complicated production. Hear producers bring you step-by-step through examples of complicated coproductions, and learn from their successes and mistakes. Industry Town Hall: Q&A with Top Execs Our panel of industry decision-makers will outline the top five influences on their businesses over the past 12 months, and then the floor is open to you. Want to find out about international programming trends, or how policy changes at broadcasters affect you? Here's your chance to ask - you can pose your questions from the floor, or send them anonymously beforehand by email. Invading North America: European Productions that Cross the Divide Getting the big U.S.sale is still the ultimate goal for many European producers, but audiences differ greatly from one side of the Atlantic to the other. Hear case studies from European producers who have successfully broken into the U.S. marketplace. What kind of program does it take? How did they do it, and with whom? Please Release Me: The Ins and Outs of Release Forms Broadcasters increasingly rely on releases to codify agreements and reduce liability, but the wording of releases often sends a chill over the relationship between subject and filmmaker. When do you need one, and when might it not be worth the trouble? Where are the pitfalls?What does the broadcaster require? Pretenders vs. Purists: The Pros and Cons of Using Recreations Where once the idea of using historical or scientific recreations was frowned upon by many broadcasters, clever production and increased competition have made the landscape somewhat friendlier. Who's still against it, and why? Among those who use it, what are the limitations? Hear from a panel of producers and broadcasters, and see examples of recreations deemed both well done and poorly done. Producer vs. Production Company: Pros & Cons Being a One Man (or Woman) Show can be difficult, but heading a production company has its own set of problems. Does one have a competitive advantage over the other? When does it pay to be big, and when does it pay to be small? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Forecast for Independent Producers Back by popular demand, this panel features leading independent producers sounding off about everything. What's happened over the last 12 months to impact the indie production community? And what are producers forecasting for the coming months? Is the future rosy or gloomy, and why? The Real Deal: Reality Programming Forecast 2000 will go down in history as the year the "reality program" grabbed the U.S. market in a big way. What's next? How is the docu-soap phenomenon moving in Europe? How does U.S. cable intend to compete as the U.S. networks encroach on what has traditionally been their turf? Is the format market the new growth area for non-fiction? Is "reality"taking over slots earmarked for traditional documentary? Thrive & Prosper or Crash & Burn: The Pitch Session Back by popular demand, four brave producers or production teams get seven minutes to pitch their project to our panel of buyers (not to mention a room full of potential buyers, distributors and coproduction partners). Moderated by Pat Ferns, President & CEO of the Banff Television Festival.Learn from the success stories, or learn from the rejection - either way you'll pick up do's and don'ts by watching it happen in real time. To Digitize, or Not to Digitize: Stock Footage & Archives As archives and stock houses rush to digitize their libraries, some in the industry are pausing to weigh the costs against the benefits. How is mass conversion being financed and what will it mean for the end-users (producers)? What are the time requirements to make the transition? Will mass digitization make stock researchers redundant? What Works: A Programmer's Showcase Sit back, relax, and let the industry's leading programmers give you a taste of the best stuff they've put on the air in the last year, and why it worked so well. Get insight into the programming needs and individual tastes of these important gatekeepers via the shows they think have worked. New this year: The Frequent Flyers Lounge A place for delegates to meet and greet, take meetings, catch up with colleagues. At designated times throughout the conference, delegates from regions outside North America (France, Germany, Latin America, for example) will be available in the lounge, along with a designated "greeter" to make introductions. Interested in coproduction partners across the ocean? Check the conference schedule for these mixers called "Coffee With..." TMRealScreen Summit title, tagline and logo are trademarks of and are produced by Brunico Marketing Inc. TMRealScreen is a trademark of Brunico Communications Inc.	Platinum Sponsors: Platinum Patron to Producers: Gold Sponsors: Silver Sponsors: Bronze Sponsors: