In today’s crowded media landscape, production companies need to find ways to set themselves apart. Many companies have become involved in producing content for streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney +, and Hulu. Dozens of new movies and TV series are announced each month.
Magnolia Hill Productions has found a way to set itself apart from the crowd by creating inspirational and family focused content, and by partnering with the international country superstar Dolly Parton. Parton’s devoted following began in the 1970s as she ascended to country music rock star status. With numerous top country hits, multiple Grammys, and an ever-expanding business presence (go visit her Dollywood theme park), Dolly has been on a tidal wave of popularity.
Sam Haskell of Magnolia Hill Productions explains how media companies can make a name for themselves in today’s competitive atmosphere and offers suggestions for media companies that may want to up their game with regard to new movies and television series.
New Ways to Create Entertainment
Production companies that are looking for ways to distinguish themselves can do so by ensuring they are focused on the audience that their content aims to serve. For example, by partnering with my long-time friend Dolly Parton and telling stories from her childhood and music, we infused her positive and uplifting spirit into the shows we make. Dolly’s fans have an expectation of her brand, and this is what ultimately connects the viewer. Our content authentically resonates with its intended core audience. Look at our latest release, ‘Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings’ on Netflix. Anyone who appreciates and loves Dolly’s music will find enjoyment in seeing her songs come to life and discovering some of the stories behind them.
Use a Variety of Outlets
The marketplace of buyers has never been better for producers and production companies. Everyone is hungry for great content — from big streamers, to premium cable, to traditional linear networks. Magnolia Hill casts a wide net when looking to sell a project but there’s also ample opportunity to find the right distributor whose audience is best served for the content. Most recently, our company has been working with Netflix, which greenlights dozens of movies and series each month, to keep up with its huge membership base. One of the greatest appeals of Netflix, is that any show you produce for them, will reach the widest audience possible. Magnolia Hill’s productions are catered to a four-quadrant family demographic.
Partner with Well-Known Stars
Talent is always one of the greatest draws to any programming. Star casting is essential but making sure you have the right actors for the right roles is still paramount. That’s not to say that artists from outside of the film industry can’t be great for scripted shows. Indeed, many crossover artists serve to elevate and attract new audiences.
Use New Talent
Using new and undiscovered talent is essential for any project. Cost wise, their salaries are comparatively lower than big name stars, but more importantly they tend to infuse a special spark within their performances. Of course it’s also a wonderful feeling to help someone break his or her career.
Creating Synergy
As much as possible, production companies should work to create synergy with fellow production partners and artists. This business is about relationships and helping others can serve to benefit your business down the line. We work with all types folks in the industry to have a diversified slate of projects, covering multiple genres. This gives us a greater ability to compete in the marketplace and yields a better chance of getting something made.
Taking It to the Next Level
Production companies that are innovative will have the most success in the media industry. The key mission to producing any show is telling a unique story and doing it in an original way. Today’s media landscape is sometimes all about viewership numbers, and many production companies have suffered because they’ve been too focused on results and not quality programming.
Taking Advantage of Partnerships
Sam Haskell of Magnolia Hill Productions understands the importance of working with established artists. These experienced performers bring a devoted and built in fan base which helps spread the word across viewers. Utilizing artists’ social media is not just a novel way of marketing but is now a hallmark of a sound P&A strategy.
