U.S. HISPANIC
BTF Media: The boom in Spanish-speaking content involves all of Latin America
Maribel Ramos-Weiner| 21 de julio de 2021
Ricardo Coeto Paco Cordero BTF Media
For Ricardo Coeto, CCO, and Paco Cordero, CEO, both founders of BTF Media, due to the competitiveness triggered after the launch of the platforms in the region and its great demand, we are living today the great moment of Latin content. “It must have happened much earlier, due to its relevance in the market,” said Coeto, after commenting that the boom in the Spanish-speaking market goes beyond Mexico. It includes what is being produced in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and also new territories such as the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica (which has just launched incentives for production), the Caribbean, Uruguay, and Peru.
“We believe that what works is quality locally produced content. That is why our strategy of opening offices in different countries,” explains Coeto, pointing out that international relevance results from how appealing the local content is, which must have talent and locations according to the story.
They explain that the audiovisual industry in Mexico requires greater organization and coordination between producers, service providers and governments, since the same locations, technical equipment, and talent are often used. New professionals also need to be trained. If this issue is not addressed wisely, an important bill will be paid in the future. “It is necessary to restructure the communication between everyone because many times we are stepping on each other, which does not benefit anyone,” explained Cordero. In addition, the government must include incentive programs to promote audiovisual production.
They are about to open a three-story office building, located in the Roma neighborhood, which they will unveil very soon. “After the pandemic, physical contact and meeting people face-to-face is relevant again. We believe that the ecosystem of the industry demands getting closer and returning to normality,” said Cordero, after explaining that the building is designed to make the flow and production needs more efficient and creative.
In 2021 they will produce four films and five series in Mexico, of which two films and two series are already finished. The Argentine and Spanish offices are about to start production in each country, while a series and a documentary will start in Chile at the end of the year. They also made the first English-language film, produced and filmed in the US.
