For the fall season ICTV prepares seven new projects produced in Ukraine, they are detective series, vertical stories, low-cost experimental formats at the intersection of reality and series. Three of these projects are produced by Mamas Production that belongs to Alla Lipovetskaya and Marina Kvasova. Since national series product is in-demand, company has decided to concentrate its efforts on the production of scripts.
How Mamas Production managed to get orders from ICTV, come up with a detective story with the main character in a wheelchair, as well as shoot a project about Ukrainian police with real investigators - read in an interview with the heads of Mamas Production.
- Is series production cost efficient in the current environment?
Marina: Marginal, I'd say.
Alla: Because the budgets are small. And our desire to make a qualitative product is big. So we are looking for a compromise. We now have a perfect partner FILM.UA. And together we shoot a series "Nikonov and Co" for ICTV.
Alla Lipovetskaya and Marina Kvasova
- In your opinion, do such projects create a police image that differs from Russian cops?
Alla: We think that this project is just one of those, that makes the audience believe in the law enforcement agencies. When we're frightened, we call "102". I'm sure there are honest people. They get a small salary, but still they work honestly.
- What are the budgets on scripts in comparison with classical series?
Marina: two to three times cheaper.
Alla: The genre works very well and helps during the lack of product. We do our best to realize these projects. Sometimes we even refuse from the profit to get the best quality.
- How did you came up with the idea and image of the main character of the series, "Nikonov & Co."? Have you tried to appeal this project to the social theme and problems of people with disabilities?
Alla: How we came up with the image of the main character? Watched enough of American detectives, and it appeared unconsciously. Our character, unfortunately, appears in a wheelchair in the second episode...
Marina: But maybe we will put him on his feet...
Alla:...In the second season. In the first episode he is badly injured, so he has to use a wheelchair. He is a police investigator, not a Sherlock Holmes. He is intelligent and well educated. And the current situation makes him accept the new circumstances and use his abilities. He has two assistants, a boy and physiotherapist. The nature of the main character is very complicated, that's why he and his assistants have constant conflicts.
- How long it took to write a script ?
Alla: Half a year for writing, and a half for correction. Main scriptwriter of the project is Grisha Khovrakh, who works with six other authors.
I wish we fetched not only film crew. But fortune is variant, the air and the audience are sometimes unpredictable. This is the worst thing in our profession. It happens that after the air of the first episode you look at the ratings and just want to shoot yourself.
- The story of "Nikonov & Co." is quite versatile, I would even say a format one. Do you plan to sell the show to other markets?
Alla: We are doing this project together with FILM.UA, and they will make that decision.
Director Zaza Buadze
- This project was made not only for the Ukrainian market?
Alla: Of course. This is a vertical detective and crimes are universal and can happen anywhere.
