For Xianelly «Nelly» Guzmán, Development executive at 200% Media, synergies between the US Hispanic, the general market, and Latin America are a reality and, as an example, she mentioned the case of Batalla en Abuela’s Kitchen (6×30′).
“For Batalla en Abuela’s Kitchen, a family-friendly cooking competition we created for Roku, we brought the production to Colombia with Miracol as the crew. Having a showrunner, director, and producers from the US enabled us to keep the US Hispanic feel Roku was looking for, and shooting in Colombia allowed us to stretch the budget without losing any of that premium quality. That is a relationship we are constantly working on with partners like 3Ball Productions, WVE, A&E, Denstu, and more,” she explained.
For Guzmán, joining forces can bring projects the best of both worlds. “We believe the quality of the project is always the most important thing. To have allies in the US Hispanic and Anglo markets means we can expand our Rolodex and work with the most unique, creative, and savvy people for the project, no matter what market they typically work in. There is far less limitation in how, where, or for how much something can be done… and done WELL!”
She noted that with synergies like these, the general market gains the benefit of widening their resources and getting exposed to companies, creatives, and execs they have never considered working with before. “Audiences yearn for more diversity and they can easily spot a fake attempt at solidarity. By creating a genuine working relationship with the US Hispanic market, they can bring authentic diversity into every project they do. Audiences will notice and appreciate that commitment to change.”
She said the US Hispanic market benefits from working with partners who can give them more exposure to newer audiences. “The market can have bigger budgets and more opportunities to tell different stories and not feel limited to the few territories it previously has reach in.”
Due to the script writers and actors’ strikes -the WGA and SAG strikes-, Guzmán is unable to offer more details about their current projects but she mentioned the backpacking competition show they are developing with Eccholine and Tomorrowland Brasil. “To have one of the biggest festivals in the world trust us to create a fun and thrilling adventure/race show is such an honor!” she said.
“One thing I love about working at 200% Media is we never limit our creativity. When I look at our slate, I’m excited to see projects ranging from Spanish to English, docu-series, cooking shows, scripted dramas, adult animation, podcasts, series, movies, and more! That’s thanks to our amazing team with Mari Urdaneta, who always encourages us to pursue new ideas we’re passionate about, no matter the genre, and John Pollak, who always finds a way to get it in front of the right person,” she pointed out.
