Secuoya's The Natural Media Lab mentoring begins

Business mentoring The Natural Media Lab (TNML), driven by Sequoia Foundation and held at the Royal Foundation of Toledo, was born with the aim of promoting the creation of a business network, identifying the factors that allow talent to be retained and, in this way, preparing audiovisual projects for a global market.

After a presentation by authorities, the first day of this initiative began with the celebration of the colloquium “With Castilian-La Mancha roots: the challenges of executive production and its international projection”, in charge of Pilar Sancho, executive producer of Filmakers Monkeys, y Nuria Landete García, executive producer of Sidereal Cinema, under the moderation of Rodrigo Ros, program coordinator. Both professionals shared their experience in international environments and reflected on the opportunities that Castilla-La Mancha offers as a starting point for projects with a global vocation.

Both production companies agreed on the importance of alliances, especially for those who are starting out, and noted that, although “joining together is a challenge, it can also be the most beneficial.” They also insisted on the need to negotiate with a strategic vision: “sometimes it is worth giving up part of the IP if that allows the project to be financed and pave the way for the following ones.”

Next, the colloquium The success of a pitch in international markets, taught by Alberto Rull, EVP Production & Content de Vertex360, addressed the dynamics of content selection and the keys to presenting solid projects in the large European markets. Rull provided the keys to an effective pitch, emphasizing that they must have “a universal concept with local identity, realistic and diversified financing, strategic partners, market knowledge and professional follow-up.” He also warned about more frequent mistakes, such as “extending too much, not adapting the speech to each market or not following up after the presentation.”

The Mentoring Talks in the afternoon offered a global vision of the current journey of an audiovisual project: from international distribution to independent producers, explained by Queralt Pons Serra, to the principles of independent financing addressed by Andrés Sánchez Pajares. Sergio Lizarraga highlighted the potential of non-fiction content and Gustavo Ferrada He delved into co-production models and their importance in reaching the international market. closed the block Helena Suárez, who explained the main legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence in the sector.

The second and last day was the scene of a colloquium on private financing and investment in the audiovisual industry, as well as a One-to-Many session in which attendees were able to dialogue, directly and personalized, with professionals from various areas of the sector. The conference“Structuring, credits and private investment applied to the entertainment industry” brought together professionals in a conversation moderated by Samuel Castro, director of Fundación Secuoya. Together they delved into the challenges and opportunities of access to financing and private capital in the audiovisual sector. Then the tables One-to-Many They offered the participants a work space in small groups together with the different mentors of the program, allowing them to address in a practical way essential areas for the promotion of any audiovisual project.

The program business mentoring from The Natural Media Lab (TNML) is an initiative promoted by Sequoia Foundation next to the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, through the Castilla-La Mancha Film Commission y Eturia CLM, and that in this phase has the collaboration of The Association of Audiovisual Producers of Castilla-La Mancha (APACAM).