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What services do we provide?
COMMERCIAL ADVICE
We provide practical commercial advice and business guidance to ensure that you maximise the value of your company and its assets. That advice could involve devising and negotiating innovative business models to reflect the ever-changing media landscape and new platforms. Alternatively, we can be a sounding board for new ideas or solutions to existing problems.
BUSINESS AFFAIRS
We offer a complete business affairs service from helping you to structure the deal, negotiating with broadcasters and financiers, to answering ad hoc production queries. We understand the need to take a pragmatic approach to deliver results quickly and efficiently in line with production needs.
We can also provide you with pro forma production pack documentation that you can reuse on future projects.
RIGHTS AUDIT
We can arrange a thorough audit of the rights you own to enable you to exploit them to maximum effect.
BUDGET NEGOTIATION AND PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
We work with a range of experienced Heads of Production and Production Executives to offer budget negotiation and production management across a range of genres.
CO-PRODUCTION
At a time of shrinking domestic budgets and a developing international market, there has never been a greater need and opportunity for co-production and co-finance. We can provide co-production expertise through our network of specialists and can negotiate and structure deals with co-producers and co-financiers to ensure everyone’s interests are balanced effectively.
PROGRAMME AND CONTENT COMPLIANCE
We offer sensible day-to-day compliance advice throughout the life of a project.
In addition, we can offer a full review of your company’s internal compliance procedures to ensure that you adhere to broadcaster safeguarding trust requirements.
PR AND COMMUNICATIONS
Our experienced consultant can help you with all your PR and communications needs to ensure that you get your name out there and that it stays out there, through social media, trade and national press. She can devise and deliver a communications strategy for your business, manage a PR campaign for your programme or project, guide you through a PR crisis or assist you with a trade launch for your company.
PRODUCTION TALENT
We work with a number of experienced talent executives to source senior production staff.
What else do we bring to the table?
As well as our core services, we can supply holiday or contract cover to ensure that your business continues to run effectively when an extra pair of hands is needed.
Media Wizards also works with a number of third party companies to offer complementary services including production and Royalty Accounting, Payroll Services, HR, IT and Facilities Management.
Together with our core services, this enables us to provide a full business infrastructure for our clients.
Who Are Media Wizards?
Media Wizards was set up by Mark Rogers and Simon Hall and launched in 2013
MARK ROGERS
FOUNDER AND JOINT MANAGING DIRECTOR
After qualifying with West End law firm Olswang, Mark started his media career in Channel 4’s Business Affairs Department where he had responsibility for the commercial aspects for the Channel’s factual, factual entertainment and digital output, including arts, daytime, features and documentaries. Among many programmes he had responsibility for were "Channel 4 News", "Big Brother", "Time Team" and "Cutting Edge".
Mark left Channel 4 to join RDF Media (now Zodiak Media) in the role of Chief Commercial Officer responsible for all the commercial aspects of the production output of Zodiak UK as well as its distribution activities through Zodiak Rights. Mark sits on a number of PACT committees and has dealt with all major broadcasters in the UK and many overseas.
mark.rogers@mediawizards.tv
07973 891 577
SIMON HALL
FOUNDER AND JOINT MANAGING DIRECTOR
Simon started his career at the City law firm Reed Smith (formerly Richards Butler) working in its Media Department for several years.
From Reed Smith, Simon moved to Channel 5 where he spent four years in the Business Affairs Department with responsibility for co-productions, comedy, factual history, daytime and arts programming.
Simon left Channel 5 to join RDF Media where he became the Head of Business Affairs for all Zodiak UK production companies including RDF Television, Bwark, Touchpaper, IWC Media, The Comedy Unit and The Foundation. Simon has hands on experience in a variety of genres including factual, entertainment, drama, comedy and kids and has worked on programmes such as “Wife Swap”, “Secret Millionaire”, “Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights” and “Inside the Mind of Leonardo”.
simon.hall@mediawizards.tv
07967 392 278
Susan Cooke
Senior Business Affairs Consultant
Susan originally qualified into the intellectual property department of City law firm Nicholson Graham and Jones (now K&L Gates), before moving into Channel 4’s Business Affairs department. There, she worked across several genres, including Entertainment, T4, Music and Arts, Channel 4’s, and also working across some of Channel 4’s digital, merchandising and main sponsorship deals.
From Channel 4, Susan moved into the independent production sector, working for At It Productions and then as Lion Television’s Director of Legal and Business Affairs for twelve years where she gained direct experience on a wide variety of high profile programming, ranging from popular and award winning shows such as Horrible Histories and Homes under the Hammer, to blue chip international documentaries such as Secrets of China’s Forbidden City and The Hunt for the Arctic Ghost Ship.
KATE LEONARD
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Kate is an experienced executive assistant having worked at Channel 4 and Zodiak Media amongst other media companies. She is responsible for all the operational and administrative functions for Media Wizards, including billing, arranging meetings and supplies.
Our Clients
The flexibility and benefits of out-sourcing with an in-house sensibility.
Experience of working for broadcasters, production companies, digital producers, distributors, talent agencies and publishers. Knowledge of a range of genres from film to factual, comedy to kids and everything in between.
Testimonials
“Mark and Simon provide excellent legal and compliance advice. They understand and have a passion for television. This combined with speed, efficiency, a carefully struck balance between editorial needs and legal prudency and a knack for explaining complex issues simply, makes them an invaluable support to production. A legal double-act beyond compare.”
Jim Allen, Managing Director, RDF Television
“Media Wizards are a delight to work with. They excel in supporting creatives by providing sound legal and business affairs advice. And they’re occasionally witty too.”
Clelia Mountford, Producer and MD of Merman Films Limited
“We have worked with Media Wizards on two recent occasions. In each case the project was complex and the timetable was tight. The quality of their work was exceptionally good. They were responsive and hit the deadlines. We felt very confident that they would deliver what was required – and more. We got the technical know-how of qualified lawyers combined with great TV industry knowledge. They were a pleasure to work with.”
Jane Turton, C.O.O. of All3Media
“I have worked with Mark & Simon over many years and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Their breadth of experience is second to none, both of them having worked for a broadcaster and then in the independent sector. Their range of experience reflects this diverse background, covering everything and anything from complex, high level talent deals, broadcaster agreements and compliance across drama, factual and entertainment programming through to negotiating the finer contractual details of an extravagant Lady Gaga outfit. What’s more, they are reliable, tenacious and… fun.”
Jane Wilson, Director of Production at RDF Television
“Media Wizards provide a positive professional business affairs service prepared with helpful clarify and presented to perfection.”
Suzanne Westrip, Director, Billy Marsh Associates