Format Doctor Justin Scroggie shares the secrets for nailing local adaptations of thrilling new and international formats.

So, you’ve bought the licence for an exciting new format and you can’t wait to adapt it for your local audience! What could possibly go wrong? 

Well, a lot actually. Is it tried and tested or a bit too new? Is it actually the right format for your territory, channel, slot, target audience? Does the format come with a well-written bible and an experienced flying producer, or just muddle of files to decipher? Thanks to our anodyne industry press, we hear all about sales and deals, but not about failures and fuck-ups – and as a consequence we don’t always learn the lessons of others so we don’t fuck up ourselves. 

Which is what this lively session is all about. In his trademark forensic-but-fun style, The Format Doctor Justin Scroggie draws on his own experiences as a format creator, licensee, flying producer and bible-writer, as well as the experiences and insider knowledge of colleagues from around the world, to drill down into the key factors where things can go wrong, and to share the trade secrets that ensure what we all want: a smooth transfer of expertise from original to adapting producer, resulting in a local production that runs and runs.

Whether you are a creator, producer, broadcaster or distributor, you literally can’t afford to miss it!