In a market dominated by big players producing drama series, Reim El Houni, who helms Dubai production house Ti22 Films, has dared to be different and still emerged successful. In a chat with Vijaya Cherian, El Houni talks about her journey, how she has constantly adapted to market needs and the latest lifestyle show she is producing for Dubai Media Inc.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am originally from Libya, but I grew up in the UK. Throughout my childhood I was obsessed with the world of film and television, and I had my first work experience at 16 at MBC when they were based in London. That experience opened my eyes to the possibility that I could have a career in this industry. From then on, I was persistent and very driven to work my way up. All of my initial training was at the BBC, and I then transitioned into corporate production and live events.
In 2007 I came to Dubai on holiday and came across Media City. I was excited by the prospect of working in a city that took media so seriously that they had a whole ‘city’ dedicated to it. I applied for positions, received an opportunity and in that one week took a leap of faith … that was 16 years ago.
When did you start your production house, and how has that and your digital initiative panned out?
When I started Ti22 Films 12 years ago, my objective was to focus on high-end production and TV as those were the areas I enjoy the most and had the most success. Our industry is constantly evolving, which means you need to keep up with trends, technology and new ways to do things. Within a few years it was clear that budgets were diversifying, social media was important and clients wanted more for their money, so I developed other brands focusing more on digital content and animation.
When I launched my brand dubai ON demand in 2014, the plan was to create shows on YouTube. At the time I faced many challenges as brands were not ready to invest in digital, especially YouTube. We have since evolved dubai ON demand to become a membership for thought leaders who need support to grow their visibility through monthly video content. Had I launched dubai ON demand in its original form today, I believe it would have been a roaring success. Learning from other markets means that sometimes you’re a little too early for the market you’re in.
How did your journey in production begin and how has your work evolved over time?
I am a very persistent person, and I knew if I was going to grow in this industry I needed to get as much experience as possible from reputable organisations. I credit the BBC for my initial training and for giving me my first TV credit at 18. By the time I was 22, I had been freelancing and contracted with a number of TV stations including the Disney Channel and the London Studios, and that gave me an amazing grounding. My transition to corporate and events, managing client expectations and understanding messaging as well as the world of webcasting, added to my skills.
When I moved to Dubai in 2007 I was fortunate to start a role with Dubai One to produce and direct their first English-language TV show, Out & About. It was an amazing opportunity. I quickly became an executive producer at the channel, managing a range of productions as well as live event coverages from the Dubai International Film Festival to the opening of Burj Khalifa. Leaving the station was not an easy decision but I was ready for my next chapter. It’s great to work with Dubai One again, producing a new show for them under my company Ti22 Films. I would love to focus this next chapter on producing more TV content, documentaries and consulting work.
How does work here differ from other markets?
I personally think the region lacks the appetite for risk. Having worked in Europe and with clients from across the world and also being on the jury of the New York Festival seven times, I feel production from our region is ‘safe’. Clients sometimes ask me to show them a visual reference when I pitch something to them. We live in a visual market where often clients need to see before they can imagine. I think other parts of the world rely more on imagination and aren’t afraid to take the risk, knowing that the vision may not translate as intended but if it does, it means they would have created something unique.
Could you elaborate on your work with Expo 2020?
Working with Expo 2020 Dubai has been by far one of the most unique and challenging yet rewarding experiences of my career. I was executive producing a daily live TV show called Studio Expo for DMI, the host broadcaster. The show aired for up to two hours every day for 183 consecutive days. We had a team of around 30 production crew and presenters and an additional 20 in our studio crew. The start was particularly challenging for a number of reasons. I don’t think any of us truly comprehended what Expo really was till we were in it. Needing to generate content, stories and guest reports on a daily basis meant we were learning a lot on the go. We needed to adapt to changes in schedule, work with protocol, manage the expectations of over 190 countries while trying to produce the best show possible. Our studio facility was also brand-new, which means there were teething issues. It was at times tense and at other times exhilarating, but overall it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for which I am grateful.
How big is your team, and do you own your kit or rent it?
Currently there are 12 of us on the core full-time team; we expand as needed. For Expo our team grew to 30, and now for our new daily lifestyle show we’re close to 20. In-house we work with DSLR cameras for digital content and hire high-end equipment as needed.
Tell us more about the new lifestyle show you are doing for Dubai One.
DXB Today launched on 16 January on Dubai One. It is a daily magazine show focused on events and lifestyle content with a host of our favourite well-known faces as well as introducing some new members to the presenting team. I remember when we launched Out & About on Dubai One in 2007, everyone was watching the show to learn something new about the city, and I would love DXB Today to continue that legacy and give audiences an insight into what the city has to offer. Studio Expo marked a return for local production on Dubai One. The show was very well received but with Expo coming to an end, so did the show. DXB Today is a result of efforts made during that time and DMI deciding to build on that by venturing back into regular local content and approaching me to executive produce the new venture through Ti22 Films.
Are you also pitching projects to other broadcast networks?
I am in discussions with a few entities that may be ready to move into the broadcast space, and planning a few documentaries that I would love to see on different platforms.
How has business been these last few years?
When Covid hit the majority of our larger clients and projects were on hold, but our smaller dubai ON demand clients kept us busy. I also shifted our focus to training, creating programmes and supporting CEOs in the personal branding space, as everyone had their eyes on their online presence. Last year we saw larger clients and productions come back. We do a great deal of work with broadcasters from other countries as well, such as Times of India.
Your production house seems to be associated with several big brands. How did you bag those projects?
Referrals have resulted in around 80% of the business that we have. Thankfully, our retention rate is high; we still work with our first clients from 2011 and they still refer us. Over the years as the portfolio grew, it became easier to connect with similar clients of a certain calibre. We have built a niche within government. I seem to understand working with the government sector and many of our award-winning projects have been for government films including DAFZA, ENOC, EGA, MBRF and even our Cannes award, which won for a documentary for Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. Alongside this, my own personal branding efforts have paid off as we do receive enquiries from people who may have seen my LinkedIn content or heard me speak.
Broadcasters are usually on the lookout for drama series, so your offering seems a bit different.
I think people want to see what is happening in the city. I grew up in the UK with a huge amount of content available daily to satisfy every niche. Watching lifestyle content or magazine shows provides a very different and more personal real insight into the world we live in. The ability to be timely and showcase relevant stories that people can relate to is important.
People are curious about Dubai, even residents want to know the city better, and I would love to create more entertaining lifestyle programming that becomes part of their must-watch content, whether they ultimately consume it on TV or on other platforms.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Definitely still executive producing TV content, as that is a true passion for me. Hopefully doing more consulting and introducing even larger and newer productions to the region. My lifelong goal has been to win an Oscar, and I like to always say anything is possible as long as you have faith.
