The production services and locations show Focus returns as a live event in London next week.
The show also has a digital element too, allowing delegates to meet in person or virtually with content makers, film commissions, production services and locations providers from all over the world, as well as attending a conference programme featuring a raft of industry leaders.
The traditional two-day live event takes place once again at the Business Design Centre London on 7/8 December, offering a programme of content sessions, networking opportunities and exhibition zones.
Following a virtual edition in 2020, the digital element will be expanded to four days from 7-10 December.
FOCUS is aimed at professionals from all the creative screen industries – including film, TV, advertising, animation and games – and offers filming solutions, potential partners and production intelligence for all types of project and all levels of budget, from pre through to post-production.
Delegates will be able to attend over 60 programme sessions – keynotes, panel discussions, workshops and presentations – both in person and live streamed, featuring more than 150 leading industry experts. The Conference programme is presented in association with media partner Variety and sponsored by GPN (Global Production Networks)
Over 150 companies are exhibiting in person this year, with an A-Z of stands from Antwerp right through to the Zagreb Film Office
FOCUS managing director Jean-Frederic Garcia said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to return to the Business Design Centre for the next edition of FOCUS – nothing beats connecting in person. We are also pleased to offer the digital platform, having delivered a very successful virtual event last year, where we were able to extend the unique FOCUS experience to many new countries. These are very fast-changing times for the creative industries and FOCUS provides a space to catch up with trends and connect with old and new industry friends.”
One of the centrepieces of FOCUS is its conference programme. Returning members include the British Film Commission, British Film Institute, Pact, Directors UK, the Advertising Producers Association, The Production Guild GB, ScreenSkills, UK Screen Alliance, Women in Film and TV and Safe In Our World.
Amid record levels of production, the session ‘BOOM: Over 200 crew roles to fill. Where to find them?’ will debate how the industry ensures enough trained talent is coming through to meet demand. Moderated by Lyndsay Duthie, CEO Production Guild of Great Britain, the speakers include Alison Small of Netflix’s Grow Creative Team as well as Film London’s Rebecca Baker, the Production Guild’s Jivan Mann, Watford & Essex’s Christine Healy and UWE Bristol’s Adrienne Noonan.
Also addressing training, ScreenSkills CEO Seetha Kumar will take part in a session with consultant and executive producer Nick Catliff that examines how to future-proof the screen sectors in a fast-changing skills market.
‘A Fistful of Finance – Funding Your Project Now’ aims to unpack the journey a project goes through in securing funding, from how to navigate multi-country co-productions, to the specifics of UK co-production rules and other finance structuring tools available to a producer. The speakers include Coutts & Co’s Judith Chan, Hanway Films’ Ivan Kelava, producer Mark Foligno, Protagonist Pictures’ Luane Gauer and Saffrey Champness’s Nigel Walde.
FOCUS will also investigate latest developments in technology. Taking part in the session ‘New Horizons: Where we are with Virtual Production’ are expert speakers including Final Pixel’s Michael McKenna, Nvidia’s Jamie Allan and Dneg’s Paul Franklin.
How to open pathways for under-represented young people will be discussed in ‘Quiet Storm leading the Way: Create not Hate’, which sees Trevor Robinson OBE, executive creative director of ad agency Quiet Storm & co-director of Create Not Hate in conversation with Raoul Shah , the founder and CEO of creative communications agency, Exposure.
Practical, hands on sessions include ‘The Art of Location Supervision’ which brings together location specialists Harriet Lawrence, Helene Lenszner and Spike Davies, while Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s Katrien Roos returns to host the hugely popular ‘Legal Refresher for Film & TV Producer’ session at FOCUS 2021 for the fifth year.
For up to the minute details on FOCUS and to register for a FREE delegate badge go to www.tlgfocus.com/
Staff Reporter
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