From the current edition of MIP Cancun, the platform seeks to continue expanding its prominent presence in the region as leaders in the world of vertical content, through co-production and development opportunities with new local partners.
Produced by Luis Cabrera, from Mexico
If we were to summarize the past year and list the main trends in content production that have influenced the audiovisual industry worldwide, there is no doubt that vertical productions would be near the top of the list. This format -driven by new consumption trends, social media, and users seeking on-the-go content- has exploded in popularity and demand.
News article after news article of new original productions conceived from the start in vertical format, by content producers and platforms around the world, are proof that this format is no longer viewed as something new, and has found a permanent place alongside traditional content.
One of the leading promoters of this trend, with extensive experience in developing vertical content, ReelShort is now present at MIP Cancun in Mexico to showcase the numerous partnership opportunities they are offering to those seeking to grow in this business segment in Latin America.
The platform presented the panel “Driving the Rise of Micro-Dramas in Latin America,” featuring Rachel Bencosme, head of Public Relations; Sammie Hao, head of Talent Relations and Brand Partnerships; and Maritza Castro, Creative Projects Manager for Latin America.
“ReelShort considers itself a truly global platform,” Hao began. “Our international strategy is very simple: we support more than 20 languages and produce original content in seven different languages, which truly makes our offer global.”
“As for the audience,” she continued, “our presence is very diverse. We have seven million daily users, and Latin America is our second largest market after the US.”
This boom in vertical content in Latin America has led ReelShort to significantly expand its footprint in the region over the past year. “Innovation, experience, and new talent are driving the rapid growth in Latin America,” explained Maritza Castro. “I feel like this is where we belong.”
And this growth has helped establish the vertical format as indispensable, positioning it in the minds of more traditional creators and programmers who initially viewed it with skepticism.
“I’m very happy to be able to work with so many different countries and so many people willing to dedicate their time to us,” Castro continued. “Everyone is eager to learn. I know that for some it’s been a little difficult to understand a new language, but everyone is open to learning and innovating in a different way.”
“We started in Colombia and Mexico. When we began talking to suppliers, some were very confused about the future of the project. And now we have a lot of people waiting to work with us because they know this is something new for them. We’re not television, we’re not film. It’s a new industry,” the executive summarized.
“We started in Colombia and Mexico, now we’re in Peru, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile is coming soon.”
“At ReelShort, we create and produce our own content. We’ve done this from the beginning because the vertical market never existed before. Therefore, we had to approach content in an innovative and original way to create it. And now, seeing it expand to different regions of the world like Latin America, fills us with pride,” Hao added.
Regarding the content itself, Castro emphasized that at ReelShort the focus is on producing content adapted to different screens, territories, languages, and cultures, generating unique content with the potential to achieve great success anywhere.
“We’ve worked with the idea that if you can tell a story in one language, you can also tell it in others. But there’s always something that needs to be different depending on the audience. The opportunities will never be the same depending on the location. This is something we always keep in mind when adapting our content, and I think that’s the key to our success,” the executive explained.
“The second thing is that we always find the right people to create our content. We pay close attention to everything. Every decision is made with us. We work closely with suppliers, but we’re on top of all the decisions, and that’s why we have the success we have in Latin America,” she added.
“And another element we consider is the screen. We see how everything has to be done in this context. I would say this is fundamental,” she continued. “And also, talent. We place great importance on talent. When we started, we worked with relatively new talent, also on screen, and now they are big stars, not only on television, but almost like a ritual, they open doors for us to new projects. We are very happy about that.”
TIME TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP
And now, having consolidated its presence in Latin America, ReelShort is seeking new growth opportunities through alliances and co-production agreements with players in the region.
“With ReelShort, it’s been a year since we made our first release in Spanish, and in this year we’ve evolved very quickly. We did Spanish, then Portuguese. Now we’re looking for ways to do it better,” Castro began in an exclusive interview with ttvnews after the panel.
“This means that we’re now big enough to open the door to new opportunities, and we’re doing co-productions,” she added. “We’re going to do co-productions in Spanish and Portuguese. The idea is to have open calls for proposals starting next week.”
“What we want is to work with companies that also have their own ideas, their own IPs, and be able to build synergy. We’re looking for people who have IPs, who want to pitch them, and who want to reach out to us.”
In addition to original productions, the executive explained that the group is also open to licensing and adapting existing horizontal content to this new format.
“We also have licenses; we’re open to licensing. If there’s a horizontal telenovela that can be transformed into a vertical format, it can be given a new life,” she explained.
ReelShort will continue its presence at MIP Cancún with its booth at the Moon Palace in the Mexican city, and encourages all attendees seeking new co-production opportunities or ways to enter the world of vertical formats to connect with its team.
