Se hace camino al andar, which translates as Traveler, there is no path.
The path is made by walking.
The series is touted as Spains biggest television production to date, sitting at $4 million per episode.
(L-R) Pablo Jimeno and Raul Berdonés at Secuoya Studios’ Tres Cantos siteCourtesy Secuoya Group
Mediawan, which handled international distribution for the series, has sold it to 28 countries already.
We are not your traditional production company, Berdones says.
We are really a global studio and thats what we are focusing on.
He struck deals with Antena 3 before diversifying into television content production in 2009.
That same year he hired his former Antena 3 colleague Jimeno to join him on the new Secuoya journey.
Hes a founder like me, says Berdones.
I like strategy but hes someone who provides the structure and I think hes a true leader.
He makes up for my lack of training I call it the Coca-Cola formula.
Since they started working together, the company has gone through several different phases.
Starting as a services company, the business is now 70% content and 30% services.
The model has completely changed since we started, says Jimeno.
That move makes the company one of the only independent international content groups owned by Spanish shareholders.
He had close ties to Albrecht and worked with him while the latter was headed up HBO.
Through the deal, Secuoya Studios will provide development funding and deficit financing for select Rubicon Global Media projects.
Its very symbiotic and having Chris and Jorge within the family now brings the whole thing to another level.
The fact that they are already sourcing material for us is even more exciting.
For Berdones, the Rubicon deal is key to Secuoyas international strategy.
When first introduced to Secuoya, Albrecht says he really thought these guys are head of the curve.
Zorrogave us a true picture of what Secuoya could do, says Granier.
Its this international co-production done in Spain for the U.S. in the 1800s and its really impressive.
Thats the kind of model were doing but in a way that is language agnostic.
Just with Spain and North America, the figures were good enough to start production, says Berdones.
Turkish series are a phenomenon that have worked everywhere.
David is a fantastic example of this hes a crazy visionary and an outstanding creator.
We have closer relationships with the creatives, he says.
Im a creator myself I come from a writers room so I understand how it all works.
This is impossible to do with a platform.
Costos agrees: We want to be the destination for talent.
He draws parallels to Secuoya with HBO back when he used to work at that U.S. company with Albrecht.
They treated talent and showrunners and their ideas with respect.
We do not decide how its going to be done, says Berdones.
The creative teams make those decisions, and they have ownership of those decisions.
Secuoya Studios just hired former Sony Pictures Television exec Brendan Fitzgerald to the newly created position of CEO.
This is a big production for us, says Berdones.
It is currently in development on more than 20 projects across limited series, ongoing shows film and unscripted.
Its also makingSolos, based on the literary success of Paloma Bravo, directed by Maria Pulido.
Were training people in the real world, and we can find talent, says Jimeno.
Its not a theoretical model it actually works.
The moment students start studying at the university, they start working on their own productions.
Ramos called Berdones soon after to come and take a look at the site.
We were only building three stages here initially.
Everything youre seeing today is going to be with them for many years, says Berdones.
We are also committed to telling great Spanish stories and look forward to deepening our roots there.
In real estate they are our main client, but not in production.
Berdones adds, Netflix is only a tenant here.
They are a very important tentant but still a tenant.
Companies around the world were looking for most cost-effective ways to produce content and Spain could offer that.
Madrid Content City stands as a good example of this transformation.
