French television production has nothing to envy to the cinema and proved, in 2011, its dynamism. "By volume and investments, all indicators of audiovisual production are green," says Benoit Danard, director of studies, statistics and forecasting at the National Cinema Centre.
With 4830 hours of programs assisted and an investment of television channels from 782.8 million euros, on behalf of audiovisual support beats a record since its inception in 1996. In total, the value of stock programs – fiction, documentary and animation – representing 1.477 billion, while funding by the CNC is around 200 million.
Yet, while fiction is the kind preferred by the French, the French drama production is struggling. In its annual report on audiovisual production in France, presented on Wednesday morning, the CNC recalls that "in 2011, a French watched 288 hours of drama on national television is free 5 hours 33 per week, representing 26, 8% of the television consumption ".
But this enthusiasm helps primarily foreign series whose presence continues to grow on antennas French from "in 2011 from 431 to 491 nights." On some channels such as M6, the AcSB notes that 91.1% of nights are American fiction. That says a lot about the dependence of the chain towards Hollywood and its ability to reduce in future years. And successes as "Gear", "Braquo", "short" (Canal +), or "Men of the Shadows" (France 2), "Scenes from" (M6), or "Do not they do not "(TF1) are rare.
The documentary, a genre cheaper
Worse, under three sets were produced in 2011 over the previous year while four new foreign series appeared on our screens. France is also a tentative entry into the world of big international co-productions like "XIII" (Canal +) or "Transporter" (M6). This funding abroad grew by 70% and represented 36.6 million euros. Small consolation, the format of the Franco-French 90-minute film is now less in favor of 52 minutes and short formats, more suitable for export.
Finally, Eric Garandeau, Director General of NCC, draws attention to "low investment of new DTT channels." If they represent "15% of the advertising market and 23% of the television audience, their investments do not exceed 17.5 million euros", or 2% of investment in production chains. Worse, in terms of fiction, only two channels TF1 Group invested TMC with "The Mysteries of Love" and NT1 with "My fridge told me." Most of the new DTT channels indeed prefer to invest in the documentary, a genre less expensive. They account for "11% of volumes ordered."
Suddenly, the CNC agrees today a new aid plan for fiction. It "seeks to promote the renewal and installation of the series," says Eric Garandeau, executive director of CNC. In Focus, support for early seasons of the new series. Thus, production for the programming of the day and evening before, as well as those for new DTT channels will be better supported. Similarly, the prime-time series of international formats (45 and 52 minutes) will receive a "bonus for their help when the order will exceed at least six episodes." This increase in aid should be an allocation of around 8 million euros.
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