Catalina Porto, director of Content for Mexico and Colombia at The Mediapro Studio: We must seize the opportunity to focus on quality by being more creative in business models
The audiovisual sector is in a process of evolution, according to Catalina Porto, director of Content for Mexico and Colombia at The Mediapro Studio, that more than challenging is a wait-and-see scenario in terms of the opportunities it may represent.
The industry has been evolving for decades. Just to mention a few examples: the crisis of open television and cable, and now cinema, but also the so-called war of the streamers, the pandemic, and more recently, the strike of actors and writers. “That is why we must seize the opportunity to focus on quality by being more creative in business models since clients are looking for better content at increasingly competitive prices,” she emphasizes.
And it is precisely there that The Mediapro Studio becomes a great ally. “Our strength as producers and creators is to be prepared to be flexible and adapt to current needs and have the necessary pulse regarding talent, quality, infrastructure, and experience,” said Porto.
Amid this panorama, she highlights that The Mediapro Studio has the advantage of having a presence in different territories worldwide.
“In America, we have offices in the US, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Uruguay, and recently, with the purchase of Cimarrón, we strengthened our creative and production team in LatAm. This allows us to create projects and make the most of our creative strength, developing projects from different locations and producing where it is most convenient.”
According to Porto, with its global presence and diversity of productions, The Mediapro Studio stands “as one of the leading companies that embraces opportunities amid the changing reality.”
FEATURED 2024 PROJECTS
After joining the company two years ago, Porto said that in 2024, they will be premiering important productions made between Colombia and Mexico, starting with the second season of Siempre Fui Yo for Disney+, which has been available since January 17.
One of the most anticipated releases is the second season of Primate, starring Cristian Tappan, for Amazon Prime, which had great success in its first season. “It comes loaded with much more of everything we liked about the first season.”
In 2023, they filmed the series Consuelo for ViX, a story that takes place in the 1950s and deals with feminine liberation, starring Cassandra Sánchez Navarro. “It was produced between Mexico and Colombia, taking advantage of tax incentives, which helped us to create a fascinating story taking advantage of the best of both countries.”
Regarding production in Mexico, she noted that 2023 saw the second season of the series Las Bravas for HBO, which tells the story of a women’s soccer team in Mexico, starring Ana Valeria Becerril and Mauricio Ochmann. Also, they produced the series La Cometierra for Amazon Prime, a fictional drama created by Daniel Burman, inspired by the universe of the best-seller novel of the same name by Dolores Reyes.
COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION AND SUSTAINABILITY
The stories mentioned before have in common that they address diversity and inclusion issues from different perspectives. “It is a group commitment. It is part of our DNA to bet on the quality of our content and, at the same time, ensure that all audiences feel represented. As a woman, I feel so proud to belong to The Mediapro Studio,” she explained.
“Nevertheless, we continue to focus on sustainability in our productions. For example, in season 2 of Primate, we follow the highest international standards of The Green Guide Production, becoming the first production in Colombia to receive a seal from the Environment Media Association.”
THE FUTURE: NEW PRODUCTIONS AND ALLIANCES
Porto revealed that The Mediapro Studio is working on multiple developments in Colombia and Mexico with collaborations of different creators and platforms. Although she cannot give specific details, she announced the filming of two (2) films in Mexico during the first quarter of 2024.
Furthermore, thanks to the acquisition of Cimarrón, The Mediapro Studio’s position has strengthened, not only in Uruguay but also in future work in the region. “We are working on joint projects to take advantage of the tax incentives of Colombia and Uruguay,” she concluded.
