Bengaluru gears up for the B2B AVGC summit 2017 this mid November, where all major buyers and pitchers will come together in few weeks. The response from the interested animation and gaming studios from across the country has been tremendous with applications pouring in for original animation and gaming pitches.
The event is being done at breakneck speed with the support of Government of Karnataka in partnership with ABAI. It is happening on 16 and 17 November 2017 at ITC Windsor Manor, Bengaluru.The timeframe is extremely tight and few days are left for the entry deadline. But a good news is that due to heavy public demand, the request for pitches and participation has been extended to 12 pm, 8 November.
ABAI joint secretary and director B2B summit B. S. Srinivas said, “It has become very important to build a unique ‘AVGC business platform’ in our country today designed to connect IP owners, developers; content creators and production houses interested in producing and co-producing creative content which has given rise to this initiative by the Govt. of Karnataka and ABAI.”
He added, “The focus is to make this event – over time- a ‘must visit market place’ in the world like Annecy and MIP in France, ATF in Singapore, CMC in UK or Kidscreen in US. Our success will be to see that “deals are struck” on the spot or through follow-ups where local IP creation matches the needs of global and other buyers.”
The B2B summit is a mini-market place where world’s leading broadcasters, producers, studios like Amazon, BBC, Turner/Cartoon Network, Disney etc will listen to pitches from original IP owners, developers, content creators and production houses! An event of this nature, size and scale has never been done before!
For more information on the buyers lineup, FAQs , one can log onto abaib2bsummit.com for all rules and regulations for pitchers http://abaib2bsummit.com/rules-and-regulations. One can also write in to: abai.b2b@gmail.com or call 08025721959 for any queries.
Rules and Regulations for pitch submissions
- To participate in “Bengaluru B2B AVGC Summit 2017”, the participant shall be above 18 years of age and a citizen of India.
- Participant may apply with the aim of presenting any story/concept/idea/script, which can be used to create content of any form; fiction or non-fiction on the medium of film, TV, animation or any digital platform.
- The participant shall submit a short synopsis of his/her original pitch and it should not be longer than 2 pages or 5 minutes, if it is AV, in English, along with the entry form.
- The deadline to submit the pitch is on or before 8 November 2017, 12 PM.
- Pitch must be submitted only in ‘.doc’, ‘.docx’ or ‘.pdf’ or ‘.ppt’ files. OR .MP4 or .MOV if an AV. Any AV should be played with headphones as it would disturb the other pitchers and buyers.
- There is no participation fee or entry fee for the summit.
- From the total entries received, ABAI will shortlist the pitches as per its selection criteria and his/her names will be announced on 9 November 2017. The decision of ABAI will be final and binding in this regard and no communication in this regard shall be entertained.
- For each selected pitch, upto three representatives (pitchers) are allowed. (Ideally 1-2 persons is the format)
- Participants to present their ideas directly to the respective producers/commissioners/ studios/networks/publisher at “Bengaluru B2B AVGC Summit”. Presentation aids, if any required shall be arranged by the pitchers/participant.
- By participating in “Bengaluru B2B AVGC Summit” participants of including idea owners/content owners as well as the producers/co-producers/commissioners/ studios/networks/publishers agree to indemnify ABAI, its partners, employees, officers and agents from any IPR related issues/claims.
- It is strongly recommended that idea/concept/story/screenplay owners ensure that their content is registered with relevant authorities.
- The participants are expected to maintain decorum during their interaction with the organisers and the panelists. The organisers hold the rights to disqualify and restrict participation of any candidate due to misconduct. Decision of the organisers would be final and binding.
ABAI joint secretary and director B2B summit B. S. Srinivas answered some of the frequently asked questions about the summit as follows:
Who are the kind of buyers who are coming? What do they want to see?
Srinivas: Broadcasters, producers, distributors, investors will be coming. They want to see good IPs with a global essence.
What is the minimum preparation one should have to pitch his/her idea?
Srinivas: The idea should be presented in an innovative format with all details,
How do I apply to be a pitcher? What if I have more than one pitch?
Srinivas: You can apply online on www.abaib2bsummit.com. You can apply as separate applications for more than one pitch.
How will my application be evaluated?
Srinivas: It will be evaulated based on the concept and relevance to the buyers present.
What do I have to do after being selected?
Srinivas: After being selected, you have to prepare a proper pitch deck with a teaser or trailer if possible and look forward to the matchmaking done by ABAI.
Whom do I address my queries to, if I have any requirements for my pitch?
Srinivas: You can write to abaib2b@gmail.com. Your queries would be addressed.
By when will I get to know if my pitch has been shortlisted? When will I receive the dates/schedule for my pitch?
Srinivas: The shortlisted pitches will be announced by 9 November, 2017. Schedule for your pitch and all the slot lists will be out by 14 November.
Will I be able to get separate timings for each of my pitches if I have more than one pitch?
Srinivas: You will get only 15 minutes slot with each buyer irrespective of the number of pitches.
Will I get an opportunity to engage in a one-one discussion with a buyer beyond the time scheduled for me?
Srinivas: No, you can’t do that because unfortunately the timing is extremely tight.
How will I know about the feedback from the buyer?
Srinivas: You can know it directly from them or else after the event.
Is there anything happening besides the pitches at the summit?
Srinivas: Yes, panel discussions are happening on both the days on pitching and funding related topics.Day one that is 16 November has an opening panel discussion from 9:30 am to 10:00 am with an introduction. It will be followed by one-on-one sessions from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. The second half will have an enlightening panel discussion on co-production from 4:30pm to 5:15 pm.
Day two that is 17 November will have a panel discussion from 9:30 am to 10:15 am about “The Tips and Tricks to Pitching”. This will be indeed very useful for pitchers and those who are planning to do so in future.From 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm there will be a case study about developing,marketing and IP. From 4:30 pm to 5:45 pm there will be a master panel discussion with feedbacks and suggestions from international visitors. Also on 18 November, there will be a special session for animation, visual effects, comics and gaming named as “AVGC session” at Bangalore Palace from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm at the “Bengaluru Tech Summit”.
Will I be paid any expenses for travel, conveyance etc?
Srinivas: There is no reimbursement for travel or conveyance.
Is there any fees that one needs to pay ABAI for participation? Can a studio/ individual attend the summit even if they are not pitching?
Srinivas: There is no fees for participation. Only participants can attend.
How does my pitch stay confidential? Is there any preference for Karnataka / Bengaluru creator/ pitcher/ companies or ABAI members?
Srinivas: All efforts will be taken to keep it confidential. A mutual NDA will be signed too.Everyone will be given an equal and fair chance without being biased.
Will studios/pitchers outside Karnataka be eligible for grants/ funding as per AVGC policy? Can they register without specifying the pitch and make presentations on the spot?
Srinivas: Only if they have a registered office in Karnataka with over 50 per cent staff recruited from the state.Pitches have to be specified during registration to make presentations.
In addition to the jury announced in our last article, following are the other jury members who will be judging the pitches at the B2B summit.
Dan Sarto (co-founder, publisher, editor-in-chief, Animation World Network)
(Co-founder, publisher, editor-in-chief
Animation World Network)
Dan Sarto is co-founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of Animation World Network – AWN.com. After being launched in 1996, AWN.com has become one of the largest, most comprehensive and respected publishers of animation and visual effects news and information resources on the internet. Key publication websites include AnimationWorld Magazine, VFXWorld Magazine and the Animation Flash newsletter. Each month, AWN’s portals are visited by over 300,000 unique readers from more than 100 countries.
Aaron Davidson (Amazon Studios development executive- kids programming )
In over three years at Amazon Studios, Aaron Davidson has brought over 160 half-hours of programming to life. Focusing on creator driven shows with unique characters and perspectives, he developed the critically acclaimed series Danger & Eggs, and helped manage the productions of award winning series including Niko and the Sword of Light, Annedroids, and Little Big Awesome, among others. Previously he worked at JASH and Fox ADHD.
Antony Reed (CEO, Game Developers’ Association Australia)
CEO Game Developers’ Association, Australia
Antony Reed is a 26-year veteran of the interactive entertainment industry. With global experience in game development and publishing, Antony has been a marketing brain behind some of the world’s biggest games franchises, including Command & Conquer, Baldur’s Gate, Fallout and various Star Trek titles. He has won numerous awards for his campaigns.
Dominic Gardiner ( CEO Jetpack Distribution Limited)
Dominic is the chief executive officer (CEO) of kids and family content distribution company Jetpack Distribution Limited. He founded the company in 2014 with studio production partner Samka Productions and it has gone on to become a leading distributor of global kids shows including Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed, Talking Tom and Friends, Yoko and Kitty is Not a Cat.The company prides itself on working in partnership with kids’ content producers. As well as finding the best homes for their shows, it consults on a range of areas from financing to marketing, helping producers build the profile of their work. Jetpack offers a bespoke and flexible service tailored for the individual needs of each producer.
Justine Bannister ( Founder of Just B)
Justine is a trilingual children’s media consultant with 25 years’ experience accrued most notably at 20th Century Fox, Disney Channels France and Lagardère France. Her skillset spans animation production, development, post-production, distribution, acquisitions, co-productions, marketing, brand and community management and project evaluation. JUST B clients include animation from Spain, NHK Japan, TFO Canada, Reed Midem, Shanghai Media Group China, Animation South Africa, Pro-Chile, Go-N Productions France, Shanghai TV and Film Festival, Cinekid Festival, Telefilm Canada & SODEC Quebec, Spider Eye UK and Tinker Group.
Alison Warner (vice president of I.P. sales, acquisitions and co-productions for Technicolor Creative Development based out of London)
Alison Warner develops and implements sales strategies for TCD’s in-house animated properties and actively sources new properties to acquire or co-produce. In this role, she was instrumental in securing the rights to The Deep and part of the team that helped put Technicolor’s animated shows Atomic Puppet and The Deep into production. She has taken responsibility for managing exploitation of all rights of The Deep and Atomic Puppet worldwide. Prior to joining Technicolor, Warner served over five years as VP, European Sales for Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc (now DHX Media), where she was responsible for the distribution of their content across the UK and Northern Europe. She is also on the advisory board for the Children’s Media Conference.
Blake Mizzi (director and co-founder, League of Geeks)
Blake Mizzi is the Director and co-founder of League of Geeks, a Melbourne based Game Development Studio and Publisher. He grew the company from nothing nearly seven years ago to self-publishing and launching their debut game Armello internationally in September 2015. Armello and League of Geeks have had a notable journey, including running one of Australia’s largest kickstarter projects, and creating a company model where half of all profits are paid back to their contributors based on a task point system, they have gamified their work life. League of Geeks and Armello have been nominated for a host of awards including the IGF’s, Indiecade, Indie prize, Studio of the Year at the Australian Developer Awards and won Kotaku’s Australian Game of the Year for 2015.
Al Gibb (CEO Mighty Serious)
Al Gibb is the CEO of Melbourne, Australia based video games company Mighty Serious. Mighty Serious specialises in delivering behaviour change projects through gamification.The Mighty Serious approach gathers industry experts across game design, data science, positive psychology and emergent tech to deliver innovative outcomes for organisations. Mighty Serious is a division of Mighty Games who specialise in making smart mobile games that pack a big punch in the free-to-play casual games market with titles such as Disney Crossy Road, Shooty Skies and Charming Runes.
