For the experienced Mariano Calasso, IP creator, and showrunner of Tempo, “the game is on for independent production; our work has caught the attention of the Anglo market because Hispanics in the US are increasingly strong and there are no doubts anymore that we are moving the needle in the US general market.”
Calasso has worked for major networks in the Hispanic market in the US and Latin America and is the creator and co-creator of key formats with and without a script, such as El Señor de los Cielos, Nuestra Belleza Latina, 12 Corazones, Sala de Parejas (today Caso Cerrado ) and the reality show Protagonista de Novela.
He believes in the importance of synergies with channels and independent companies because they bring the best of each party involved to the project. “Obviously, in recent years, we have seen a great change in content consumption. Today, there are many niches and, although open TV continues to be strong, especially in Latin America, the advertising pie was distributed, and budgets have suffered.”
Calasso pointed out that one of the benefits of synergies is the opportunity to join forces with other professionals and colleagues to broaden business horizons and create more solid content. He explained that, in the case of synergies with the Anglo market, producers and studios in the general market seek the creative know-how of the US Hispanic “to attract the increasing Latino audience, reaching it naturally, not so stereotyped.”
He noted Tempo is actively working in Latin America with Ecuavisa, creating IP for the screen with viable formats for the international market. They are also developing for Univisión (US Hispanic market) a project for which they have already made a pilot. In addition, together with John Pollak and Allied Management, they are working on various projects for the Anglo-US market.
He highlighted that there is currently a lot of interest in the non-fiction market, one of Tempo’s strengths. “As professionals, we have a long history of success,” he noted.
He explained that in addition to creating original content, they are also showrunning that content, seeking to produce without large structures to make it cost-effective. “We can do this because we have the know-how and experience to work hand in hand with the client/partner/co-producer, designing a viable production plan, not only for the platforms but especially for broadcast TV, which has suffered a lot lately but continues to be strong, especially in non-fiction. Now, we have a lot of work because we can provide the client with competitive margins without impacting the creative force,” he concluded.
Maribel Ramos-Weiner
