World Congress: Quintus Studios chief Gerrit Kemming talks up self-greenlights in digital space

Platform execs and distributors at the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers have urged producers to not be beholden to the valuable greenlight from commissioning editors.  

Gerrit Kemming, Managing Director, Quintus Studios_10

Quintus Studios chief Gerrit Kemming

Speaking in Marrakesh, Quintus Studios founder and chief exec Gerrit Kemming said producers should instead “be brave” by investing in the ideas that they believe in and uploading them to AVoD digital platforms like YouTube. 

Kemming was joined by Blue Ant Studios’ Lilla Hurst, NHK’s Takeshi Shibasaki and Cura Zhang from Chinese streamer Bilibili in a session focused on tapping into new opportunities to grow audiences and generating sustainable revenue streams. 

Kemming said he believes that the traditional linear market can in fact be a bigger risk than the digital space as he highlighted the key difference between the two lies in never-ending revenue streams that the digital platforms offer.  

“The difference between linear exploitation and digital exploitation is digital continues to make money even if it’s 10 years old. Whereas after three years of life on linear, it’s competing against everything that is new and if it doesn’t make it then it’s dead. In the digital world, it will constantly make more money.

”Sometimes it will come back, then it goes down again but it always makes money. There is a long tail, so you need to be patient.” 

He also spoke of a strong correlation between what works well on digital and linear platforms, as he revealed that Quintus’ best performing documentaries on its YouTube channels are also the best sellers to linear broadcasters. 

Similarly, Hurst told producers to not be “obsessed with following the dollar signs in original commissions from the broadcasters but rather follow the eyeballs [on digital platforms]”. 

She echoed media cartographer Evan Shapiro’s observation from an earlier session, demanding that producers who own their own content to “rinse the rights and IP” by placing it on digital platforms where there is a large audience.  

“If you’re sitting on content that’s already been made, find away to get it out there you will start to see revenue,” she said.