Montreal, Canada – Wednesday, June 26, 2019: Media Ranch President and Executive Producer, Sophie Ferron, along with Quebecor Content Vice President, Brand Management and Content, Ginette Viens, announced the winning project for Horsepower, the 6-month-long Canadian format incubator initiative aimed at creating exportable TV formats from Quebec. Participants were each tasked to develop an original format tailored to the needs of Quebecor Content and its various channels.
The winning project was an exceptional format, a new twist on dating which was created by An Tran. She will receive an investment from Quebecor Content for further development and Media Ranch will produce and distribute her format internationally. Several of the remaining formats will also be developed for global distribution. Hayley Babcock, Head of Formats, International Programming and Production – A+E Networks was a mentor to Tran.
Media Ranch’s Ferron stated: “Horsepower exceeded our wildest dreams and 8 top-notch, creative formats were developed for the international market. We want to congratulate the very talented An Tran, who will go far in the industry. We also want to thank, and continue to encourage, our participants who all developed fantastic and unique formats. Quebecor Content and Media Ranch would especially like to thank Philip Kalin for guiding the incubator. Additionally, we are grateful to our brilliant and hard-working mentors who gave selflessly with their time and wisdom as well as Quebecor Content who has been instrumental to the success of the Horsepower project.”
The Horsepower Incubator drew over 70 submissions from which 4 men and 4 women were chosen from diverse backgrounds, various age groups and with different levels of format and television experience. Following an exciting kick-off industry party, over 200 hours of workshopping took place to bring the 8 formats to the final pitch session. Eight speakers were involved throughout the incubation period, and 6 international format experts acted as mentors in preparation for the pitches. Media Ranch’s team also provided mentorship support — Distribution SVP Tanja Van Der Goes, from the company’s Amsterdam office, and Louise Juel Severin, VP Sales & Acquisitions, Scandinavia from the company’s Denmark office.
“The choice of the winning project was very difficult as the quality and caliber of the proposed formats were high,” said Quebecor Contenu’s Ginette Viens. “The niches represented by the projects ranged from quizzes to dance, to race/reality, dating, variety, hidden camera along with escape room reality thriller,” she says, pointing out that Quebecor Content is pleased with the winning concept and is now moving forward with the development phase of the format created by An Tran.
The process was expertly guided by Media Ranch’s Head of Content and Storytelling — award-winning Canadian producer/writer Philip Kalin. All 8 formats were developed under Media Ranch’s proprietary Horsepower Incubator and will be available for international sale, represented by Media Ranch.
Kalin stated: “I am grateful to Sophie and Quebecor Content for the opportunity to work with these 8 talented individuals. These creators worked closely together for six months, and we are proud of their collective achievements, proving that competition leads to great collaboration. It was challenging to choose a top format, as they were all superb and I am certain more than one will see the light of day. The creators will remain IP owners of their respective formats and several will have the opportunity to continue a partnership with Media Ranch and Quebecor Content.”
About Media Ranch
Media Ranch is known globally for premium television Formats, distinguishing itself through its two-fold mission as both an award-winning producer and a distributor of entertainment Formats. With headquarters in Montreal, and offices in Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Warsaw, the company represents, and produces, a catalogue of internationally renowned titles, thousands of hours of premium content ready for distribution. Media Ranch is continually evolving, and in March 2019 announced a landmark partnership to represent the entire Format portfolio from the largest Danish broadcaster, DR. With over a decade of experience as Canada’s premier Format television expert, Media Ranch embraces their company motto that: Great Content is Worth Sharing.
http://www.mediaranch.tv
AWARD: Media Ranch won a prestigious Rose d’Or Award for TV format Street Jungle in 2015.
About Quebecor Content
A full-fledged business unit of Quebecor Media Inc., Quebecor Content’s mandate is to create, develop, acquire, distribute and export distinctive and quality audiovisual content in order to allow consumers to experience a multiplatform experience, more specifically on Videotron and TVA Group platforms, as well as showcasing Quebec’s creators locally and internationally.
