Press release from SPAA
SPAA has confirmed that Helen Jackson, Managing Director of Content & Production for BBC Worldwide will be a keynote speaker at this year’s Conference being held 12 to 15 November at Central Pier Docklands in Melbourne. Jackson is responsible for getting bold and ambitious dramas off the ground, including UKTV’s forthcoming Top Of The Lake, and will discuss BBC Worldwide co-production deals and funding models on Wednesday 14 November at 4pm.
SPAA’s Geoff Brown says: “BBC Worldwide is an exciting and innovative global production entity. We are delighted to welcome Helen Jackson to our shores and look forward to hearing her insights into some of the many co-production partnerships that have been forged by the group.”
Helen Jackson commented: "Australia is one of the most important markets for BBC Worldwide across our whole business including channels, licensing, digital and television sales. I'm honoured to be invited by SPAA to speak at the conference this year to discuss the learnings we've taken away from the past year having formed a really wide array of co-production partnerships around the world. Australia has a thriving production industry and I'm looking forward to sharing my own experience and receive some interesting insights from the local market."
Helen Jackson has been Managing Director of Content & Production since 2011 and is responsible for investing and acquiring content for BBC Worldwide from both the BBC and the independent sector, she oversees its international production network, its format licensing and talent management businesses.
Helen is part of BBC Worldwide's Executive Committee, reporting directly to CEO, John Smith.
Joining BBC Worldwide more than two decades ago, Jackson previously held the post of BBC Worldwide's Director of Independents and has built up formidable commercial experience of the television sector, holding various roles across international sales and distribution, marketing and content investments. In 2001, she launched BBC Worldwide's Indie Unit to manage its rights acquisitions from the independent sector. Following the terms of trade changes in 2004, Jackson's leadership has developed much closer partnerships and collaboration across the sector, through long term development deals, seeding investment to nurture new talent and taking equity stakes in a select number of UK and international production companies.
Helen is responsible for bringing international broadcast partners on-board and for the financing of dramas with global appeal and her discussion will examine recent BBC Worldwide shows, including the much-anticipated Top of the Lake, co-created, co-written and directed by Jane Campion (starring Holly Hunter and Elisabeth Moss), Ripper Street (starring Matthew Macfadyen and Jerome Flynn), Spies of Warsaw (starring David Tennant) and Da Vinci's Demons written and directed by David S. Goyer.
BBC Worldwide Content & Production is charged with securing content for the company, working with BBC Vision and around 200 independent production companies.
SPAA Conference, 12 – 15 November 2012
Central Pier Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria
www.spaa.org.au/conference