While Spain’s independent production scene leans on a familiar playbook of strong creators, distinct local stories and plenty of hustle, it’s looking for new ways to take those stories on the journey.
At the 6th Iberseries & Platino Industria meeting in Madrid, executives from The Mediapro Studio companies Globomedia, 100 Balas, Big Bang Media, Cimarrón Cine and El Terrat put forward strategies that, despite their different preferences, share a common point: do not pursue scale for scale’s sake. Build projects around talent, be agile, and find the right production model for each story.
Globomedia’s entertainment slate remains closely tied to the comedy genre, which managing director Maria Jose Rodríguez says is in the company’s DNA. The company is behind influential Spanish TV productions such as “Sé lo que hicisteis” and “Caiga quien caiga”; He argued that these productions helped reshape the country’s television landscape.
“Comedy is the best tool we have to entertain, develop critical thinking, and connect with each other,” Rodríguez said.
For 100 Balas, real-life stories and creator-driven fiction are at the heart of the strategy. General Manager Alejandro Flórez described the company as “a production company with stories, origins and authors,” pointing to real cases, research and creators who can build their own worlds.
The filmmaker is behind the scripted thriller “Death in Llanes,” about the murder of Spanish politician Javier Ardines, and the documentary series “Expediente Linares,” about the alleged paranormal events surrounding the Palacio de Linares in Madrid. On the fiction side, names like “Celeste,” “Su Majestad” and “Yakarta” reflect the company’s focus on projects with strong creative identities.
“At a time when the audiovisual offering is broader than ever before, what really makes the difference remains stories and those who can tell them in a unique way,” Flórez said. “This isn’t about producing more content. It’s about producing content that leaves a mark.”
The company is also gearing up for the second season of “Celeste,” created by Diego San José and awarded the prestigious National Film Award at the San Sebastian Festival, which will star the ever-popular Carmen Machi as a tax investigator who re-investigates tax evasion, money and powerful interests.
Regarding international expansion, Flórez said: “We don’t make series with travel in mind,” he said. “You shouldn’t be afraid to be local.” According to Flórez, a distinctly Spanish voice could be what gives the series international legs.
Meanwhile, at Big Bang Media, live television remains an important part of the DNA. General manager Carmen González pointed out the “Malas Lenguas” that developed in RTVE’s La 2 and La 1, in different time periods and with different presenting teams.
“It’s typical in television,” González said of the show’s ability to switch between channels and audiences while maintaining its identity.
The producer is also trying to deepen the plot further. Produced for RTVE Play, “Ser o no ser” ran for two seasons and targeted young audiences. “Pérdida”, on the other hand, expanded internationally through Atresplayer. Big Bang is currently developing projects with “La Dama de la Cartuja,” a period drama based on the novel by bestselling author María Dueñas and Inma Aguilera.
“We are looking for creators who have a lot to say, as well as literary works that we believe can make a significant leap to the big screen,” González said.
Across the Spanish-language market overlooking the Atlantic, Cimarrón Cine takes the borderless approach one step further. CEO-co-founder Santiago López likened the company to the cimarrón dogs of Uruguay, shaped by generations of mixing and adaptation.
“Cimarrón is also a blend,” López said. “We started as a mixture of two countries and now we are a mixture of five countries with very different formats and projects, but above all very different people.”
This mixture increasingly feeds original development. Five years ago, López said, roughly one in five projects were created in-house; today it is one-third, and the company is aiming for one-two.
Its model is deliberately transgressive. Cimarrón took the Spanish format “El Conquistador del Fin del Mundo” to Mexico and the United States, shooting the film in the Dominican Republic and completing work in the Southern Cone. He also adapted the Argentinian novel “Cometierra” in Mexico and Uruguay.
“There is no region that thinks while others are just implementing,” López said. “We try not to diminish the stories. We make the project possible so the story is possible.”
Creative director Andrés Gelós summed up the philosophy in more colorful terms: After spending decades as a “lone wolf,” he now sees Cimarrón as a creative “pack.”
Finally, El Terrat uses nearly four decades of comedy and entertainment experience to make a larger fiction game. Managing director Agustín Esteve acknowledged that the company was best known for its entertainment industry, but said its aim was clear: “Our goal for some time has been to be known for fiction as well.”
His latest film, “5 more minutes”, produced together with Ikiru for Movistar Plus, premiered in San Sebastián, where Javier Cámara won the Silver Shell for supporting actor. Directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera and written by Berto Romero, the film combines comedy, thriller and apocalyptic elements.
“We tried for a long time to determine which genre this movie belongs to,” Esteve said. “But no matter how you define it, this is a movie with a wide audience.”
El Terrat is also developing “Otro Mundo” for Movistar Plus+ and Season 2 of “Amadas” for 3Cat, and expands its documentary work with “SerYo,” directed by Marta Solaz, Verónica Díaz Pérez and Peris-Mencheta, focusing on actor Sergio Peris-Mencheta’s experience during cancer treatment and co-producing the Emmy International-nominated documentary ‘Temps Mort.’ 3Floor.
The message across all five companies was fairly consistent: The market may be crowded, budgets may be tight, and production may become increasingly complex, but diverse voices still matter.
According to Esteve, the formula is based on “talent, irreverence, risk, passion, honesty and play” as well as a decidedly low-key component: “The desire to work, because without work none of this is possible.”