Rosario Rinaldo: "Our production strategy works"

Cross Productions is an audiovisual production company, founded in July 2013 following the acquisition by Beta Film Gmbh of the shares previously held by Magnolia SPA in Magnolia Fiction. Since then, it has immediately entered the Italian and foreign scene with productions for the international market, thanks to the continuous search for originality and inclusiveness that characterizes the company. Rosario Rinaldo, CEO & Founder at the company talked exclusively with Señal News about their main productions and their future plans.

Cross Productions is celebrating its 10th anniversary. What balance you can make on this decade of success?
"The overall result is undoubtedly positive. Between 2013 and 2022 turnover increased by 61.5%, whereas the value of production increased by 231.4%. We went from 14 hours of production in 2013 to nearly 200 hours of production in total to date."

What are your main titles for the Italian audience, and what productions you intend to bolt worldwide?
"Over the course of these 10 years, we have had confirmation that our production strategy works. Products such as 'Schiavone' or 'Il Cacciatore' ('The Hunter') have performed very well on the European market and this is thanks to the attention given to the choice of story as well as to the development, preparation and production phases. A special mention must go to 'Prisma', which we have had the pleasure of seeing included among The 10 Best International TV Shows of 2022 by IndieWire. 'Schiavone', 'Skam Italia', 'Brennero' and the second season of 'Prisma' are our flagship products which, performing very well on the local market, also find space on the international market."

The company produce not only for broadcasters but also platforms. Is there any difference in the kind of content you produce for both windows?
"When Netflix arrived in Italy we were initially asked for products with characteristics that would not have worked on traditional and generalist TV. Today it’s exactly the opposite. Input is mainstream at all costs. I think the introduction of advertising has emphasised this trend."

In your opinion, what features has to be an Italian production to cross boarders and become a global hit?
"The quality of the story and excellence in production."

How would you describe this year for the company and what are your main goals for 2024?
"2023 has been characterised as a year of transition in which everyone has been striving for products with a strong identity, but in this sense I don't believe a clear idea has emerged yet, or at least we haven't yet managed to interpret the demand. Our main goal for 2024 is to work in particular with Rai and be able to pinpoint the right product capable of reaching the largest possible audience without losing sight of originality. Given the tendency of platforms to reduce budgets and simultaneously aim for mainstream, we are currently led to focus on productions such as 'Skam Italia' and 'Prisma'. We hope to see good performances of 'Brennero', due to air on Rai Uno at the beginning of 2024, and of the 2nd season of 'Prisma', to be released on Prime Video, as well as being given the greenlight for the 6th season of 'Schiavone', and for the first series created by Cross Productions for Sky. 2024 will also see us involved, after many years, in the production of a series for Mediaset’s Canale 5, of which I cannot yet reveal the details."