Nataša Buljan, who was recently appointed as director of content development at United Media, to oversees managing channels in eight countries of one of the largest media companies in the CEE region, including those of the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Greece, spoke with CEETV in an interview about the challenges and opportunities in screenplay productions and their successful export and adaptation to other markets.
Buljan began the conversation by mentioning that the region is experiencing a boom in narratives for TV, driven by increased domestic productions and adaptations of foreign formats. ‘Despite the prolonged financial crisis and the ongoing war in Ukraine posing challenges, such as budget constraints and shifting audience preferences, the demand for engaging stories and entertainment remains robust’, she explained.
The executive explained that the main hurdles for screenplay production in the region include navigating diverse cultural landscapes, securing adequate financial resources for high-quality productions, and competing with international content. ‘Balancing creative storytelling with commercial viability is crucial to appealing to both local and international audiences’, she said.
Offering audience context to UM‘s signals, Buljan acknowledged differences in viewer tastes across the eight territories where the group operates in. However, she points out that common themes and storytelling elements often transcend national borders. ‘Successful adaptations, such as Croatian family comedies No Matter What and On the Border, have been well-received in various countries, sometimes requiring minor changes to align with local sensibilities’.
The executive pointed to the new trends that she has observed in the region, ensuring that local historical dramas are on the rise, ‘a genre gaining popularity despite its higher production costs’. ‘United Media has already produced several significant historical dramas, including Alexander of Yugoslavia and adaptations of historical novels Time of Evil and Time of Death. The company remains committed to producing high-quality, high-budget content, with several new historical dramas in development’.
The company is currently working on various projects, including a crime series based on the true story of a member of the international gang Pink Panthers and the drama series Marija, which tells the story of the courageous Marija Lukić. Many of these projects are based on true stories or address significant societal issues.Finally, Buljan referred to the issue of co-productions and intellectual property, and although strategy are not common in the CEE region, United Media is open to collaborating with partners on scripted projects. ‘Such collaborations are expected to bring mutual benefits and help in navigating the complexities of intellectual property’, concluded.
