The Format Shop
The Argentineans Javier Zilberman and Pablo Semmartin, with a long history in the world of entertainment format production and who have worked together for 20 years, have partnered to create The Format Shop with headquarters in Miami, the USA, and a branch in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Semmartin worked for many years at Telefe as a creative producer and scriptwriter of VideoMatch, a show of the production company Ideas del Sur, founded by Marcello Tinelli. Since 2016 he has been based in Miami, while Zilberman (Buenos Aires) has worked in the audiovisual industry since 1994, as a producer and developer of segments and formats on TV channels and content production companies in Argentina and Europe. Since 2010 he has been dedicated to the development of formats for TV.
The Format Shop kicks off with 24 original formats among series, movies, and entertainment in its catalog. Their first project will be a comedy film, written by and starring Ignacio Sericchio (Lost In Space, El Recluso).
For some time, Sericchio has been interested in making his own film, with a certain idea. “We started developing and co-writing a comedy to negotiate between the last semester of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, which is being written in two languages,” he explained. The tape will be recorded in Vancouver, Canada.
The Format Shop aims to serve as a supermarket of feasible formats for companies that require quality original content, an alternative to large formats.
“Our formats are aimed at both the American (Anglo) and the US Hispanic markets. We are not closed to any windows. We want to operate as a department or development area for different companies, offer them other types of formats, and go beyond the established formats. Experiment together,” said Zilberman.
The formats available in the home catalog, in series, are 624 S Flower St. (drama); The Wonderful World of Dylan (comedy-drama); Ella (thriller); Turnpike (legal thriller, crime, mystery); Carnival (legal thriller, political crime); Blindworld (psychological legal thriller,); Greencard (factual); Fumble (comedy); Herencias, Quiero Mi Parte (drama); The Suitcases Show (comedy – politics); ¿Qué Año es Hoy? (thriller, suspense, drama) and Fake Gossips (comedy). In movies, they have Rest in Pete (comedy).
In entertainment the catalog includes: The legends (talent show); Next… in the line (talent show); ¿Y cómo dice? (game show); Pregunten, apuesten, jueguen! (game show); The Pandemic show (game show); Spoiler alert (quiz show); Pregunten, apuesten, jueguen! (game show); Dulces y 16 (cooking show); Matchme & dateme(dating show); Operación fobia (game show) and Sueños por cumplir (talent show).
