DOCUMENTARY BUSINESS: Case Study of Big Media's Destruction Decoded
Big Media‘s archive-based series demonstrates that there’s a market for mid-priced series.
It depends on the global deal!
How did they get it funded and done?
Read our detailed “Destruction Decoded” case study and watch the webinar hosted by Dan Salerno with Jon Loew and Ronan Hand, and with thanks to super-publicist Patricia Frith.
Tagline:
Nothing Happens by Accident
Elevator Pitch:
The series from Big Media explores life-altering, earth-shattering, unforgettable events using a combination of carefully selected archive, cutting-edge CGI and informative scripting in this popular science format.
As well as finding spectacular archives that illustrate the full toll these disasters can take, we dig into the science behind each event, shining a light on the most fascinating elements and giving an understanding on how and why these events occur.
Trailer
Key Idea / Inspiration
Globally disasters cost over $280 billion dollars last year and though the number of lives lost in these catastrophes is getting lower, the number we face grows every year.
Development: Network-first
We knew natural disasters worked and we knew engineering as a development space was somewhere [our networks] had had success in the past, either through commissions or acquiring series from the international market.
Intended Format
10-part series.
Each episode follows a classic “countdown” format.
No talent: Un-scripted, archive-based show with voiceover.
The Pitch: Landing on the right tone
We already had buy-in to the concept as part of our network-led development process so we knew we were on the right track before the initial pitch stage.
What we did have to do is land on the right tone of voice and a strong visual format that got viewers locked in early and kept them engaged across the commercial hour.
Once we had the “countdown” format and a few other formatted points and agreed on the use of CGI and other GFX, we were close to locking the editorial.
Project Redirections
“We don’t go into shows with a 100% locked structure as things always change. We pride ourselves on trying to make things work for our partners and putting the project above people or positions.”
“The majority of the adaptations in this series were in the production process as we were co-producing with RMCP. Editorially we had to get each ‘top’ or countdown number approved by three parties (RMC, NTV Network and BM President of International Distribution). So that took a little to and fro.”
Buyer
Co-produced with RMC Production (France) and NTV (Germany), each who have exclusive rights in their territories.
The series was a ratings success in both, significantly outperforming their respective timeslots.
Episodes:
Season 1
Episode 1: Mega Floods/Tsunamis
Episode 2: Construction Disasters – Dams, Bridges, Tunnels
Episode 3: Hurricanes, Typhoons, Cyclones
Episode 4: Earthquakes
Episode 5: Volcanoes
Episode 6: Tornadoes
Episode 7: Plane/Train Crashes
Episode 8: Industrial Disasters
Season 2
Episode 1: Crashes
Episode 2: Disasters at Sea
Episode 3: Collapses
Episode 4: Dams
Episode 5: Space Disasters
Episode 6: Motorsport Disasters
Episode 7: Amusement Parks
Episode 8: Collisions
Episode 9: Expeditions/Adventures
Episode 10: Global Threat
Producer
BIG Media: Founded in 2009 and has produced more than 90 original unscripted series.
BIG MEDIA’s production team produces numerous original unscripted series each year, with a strong focus on true crime, military and intelligence, history, science and wildlife.
The company has offices in the US, UK, Czech Republic, Germany and India, representing more than 300 series and featuring more than 3,000 hours of blue chip content. The company also has a joint venture with wedotv for the FAST channels, wedotv BIG stories and wedotv amor.
Key People Involved
Jon Loew (EP, BM)
Danny Wilk (EP, BM)
Thibaut Martin EP (RMCP)
Guilain Martin (Dir, Editor, RMCP)
Ronan Hand (EP)
Martin Kase (EP, BM)
Christian Hensgens (Co-Pro and Co-Development Partner, RTL Germany)
KEY CHALLENGES & RESOLUTION
Producing a 10-part series in two languages with creative teams in three time zones and in six different countries.
Key Archives
BBC
Getty/Shutterstock
AP and Reuters
Personal and Private Archives
Researchers
Roughly four.
Timeline
Conceived: Dec 2021.
Greenlit: Jan 2022.
Production started: Mar 2022.
Delivered: July 2023.
Post-production
10 weeks.
Music
“We wanted to create a soundtrack that held the viewer’s attention and was both percussive and propulsive while maintaining the ability to deliver light and shade given some of the more sensitive, emotive events that we covered in the series. We were aware that we were dealing with events in which people had lost their lives or been injured and were cognizant of the need to be sensitive in the soundtrack and not too bombastic etc.”
Delivery
Format: Full HD
Versions: French Language, German Dub, English Language International
Season 1 – 8 x 60’ (2023)
Season 2 – 10 x 60’ (2024)
Season 3 – Danger Decoded in pre-production
Distribution
Destruction Decoded has been sold to channels in over 20 territories around the world, including EarthX (US), Weigel TV (US), The Roku Channel (US), Curiosity Stream (US), Tubi (US), Insight TV (Global), Pluto (US & UK), A&E Latin America, Epic TV (India), CNC (Korea), and Alliant/Magellan TV (Global).
Season 2 has been licensed in advance by National Geographic worldwide.
Watch our conversation with Big Media about Destruction Decoded (22′)
Timecode:
[0:55] Get to know Big Media and their production model.
[2:30] How Big Media got ahead of the game without any pre-existing relationships with the big players.
[6:30] What is the “network-led” development process?
[9:45] The path to developing and financing a program like Destruction Decoded.
[16:45] Leveraging rights to the show in multiple territories.
[19:45] Advice for future generations of factual content producers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Dan Salerno:
“Content platforms need content and that’s no longer as simple as it sounds. At a time when premium titles and events dominate the headlines, platforms still need to find a volume of programming to keep their viewers satisfied and slow the churn and/or cord cutting. Enter Big Media TV. Big Media projected a need for a cost-efficient content model years ahead of the actual shift in the marketplace. With the rise of streaming and the increase in cord cutting in key territories, a high volume/modest cost approach is now at the top of the list for broadcasters and platforms worldwide.
“Developing the editorial with a single key partner, while also keeping an eye on a project’s appeal to the global market, is a win-win for the primary broadcaster, and Big Media’s ability to maximize the sales and revenue potential. Big Media’s ability to cash flow a significant portion of its projects eliminates the need to navigate multiple editorial inputs. Further, Big Media retains multiple territories’ rights for sales and distribution with limited overhead expenses. They control the long tail.
Big Media:
“This age-old, foundational segment of TV Production is far from dead – indeed it is still alive and kicking hard! These are challenging shows to produce and we realized why they aren’t being made in great volume during the process of making it! It also speaks to a need in networks to have content that can play in multiple slots: daytime, primetime or late night, and can also transfer to the short attention, quick flick, on-demand world. It’s affordable and the data from RMC and NTV and other licensees suggests that it delivers great ratings in any slot and across multiple repeat transmissions — a scheduler’s dream.”
PRESS
Another Revealing Case Study
Stills courtesy of Big Media.