Telecolombia	Fiction producing companies
Special effects, locations and action

	Silvana D’Angelo, promoter of the Argentinean productions.

Among the recent productions of Telecolombia, there are two telenovelas, Me amarás bajo la lluvia, 115-hour long and Amor de mis amores, 101-hour long. The latter starred by a Mexican actress, directed by Alfredo Tapan and made in a very Mexican context taking into consideration the market of Univisión and Telefutura by RCN. Both of them have just been broadcasted with excellent results. “Productions such as El pasado no perdona, a remake of a telenovela made in Colombia in 1990, written by Dago García and Luis Felipe Salamanca. They’re 120 chapters and it’s a free version, adapted by Carlos Fernández de Soto and Ana Fernanda Martínez about extreme sports. It’s a show that is available through the RCN catalogue,” says Samuel Duque, businessman and general director of the production company. We also find the series Enigmas del más allá –episodes that deal with paranormal, para-psychological, mysterious and fictional cases, with high quality so that they can be exported.
 
The audience demands versatility
These new productions of Telecolombia have that objective through the use of special effects, outdoor locations and plenty of action. “The idea is to get lively products through visual narrative, since they are stories suitable for that. We do not want to keep on using the same traditional stories, therefore, we are working with proposals that are visually new and technologically advanced,” states Duque.
 
A timid industry
In some countries, the markets have surprisingly stood out. What is the matter in Colombia where there are few production companies, few directors and little material to sell abroad?
Unfortunately, there are only two channels which, besides, are very powerful and want to do everything themselves. The participation we independent producers have is scarce and logically we have to make products of high quality and convenient costs so that they are interested in buying them. That is Duque’s answer.
Even though there is highly qualified staff to make television, there are only four production companies: RTI, Televideo, Teleset and Telecolombia, the most representative in the country. The businessman thinks this shortage of independent producers is due to the Colombian system, in which for over 40 years the State was the owner of the television. “That led to a flourishing of small companies. Then, when privatization came along, only two big companies were able to stay and become stronger,” he states, making reference to Caracol channel and to RCN.
The lack of training is another defect which, clearly, can be sensed in the air. In the last World Summit of Telenovelas celebrated in Barcelona, they made an analysis which came to the conclusion that in the industry the channels are very strong and powerful, which could bring disadvantages for the business itself. Besides, within the new production there are no new ideas. According to Duque, the problem is not the lack of creativity but the fact that “more channels and more windows are needed,” he states and he points out “and of course more budget.”
The issue of the budget is one of the concerns of independent producers because the channels want to buy the best material at the lowest price possible. Asked how the situation could be reverted he answers –and finishes- with an example: “Caracol and RCN, each, invest over 100,000 million a year in programming. Canal Uno, the one following in programming investment, does not exceed 10,000 million. That means that it is only with money that good teams and talent can be achieved. Because there are people who can do everything.

Telecolombia’s offer
	Ivan Dario Aldana, who performs Shampoo character in the series Pandillas Guerra y Paz.
	The series Pandillas Guerra y Paz.
	Me amarás bajo la lluvia