Behind the bustling market floor of the annual Iberseries & Platino Industria confab at Matadero Madrid, the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster (MAC) is executing a targeted masterclass in creative survival and industrial scaling. Operating under the institutional banner ‘Hazlo posible en Madrid’, the organization, which represents more than 130 member entities ranging from major media groups to specialized small and medium-sized enterprises, is tackling a distinct structural reality: more than 90 percent of the audiovisual corporate base in Madrid consists of micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees.
To help these boutique shops punch above their weight, MAC’s curriculum bridges indie creators with major broadcast powerhouses. Educational governance is formally split between top industry pillars: the Madrid Film School (ECAM) oversees the Training Directorate, while Raúl Izquierdo of Telefónica Broadcast Services (TBS) directs the Innovation and Technology Directorate. The leadership of MAC and Iberseries & Platino Industria is tightly linked, with Secuoya Content Group President Raúl Berdonés presiding over MAC and festival co-director Samuel Castro serving on the cluster’s board as Lead for Internationalization.
The two-day executive training program, ‘Thinking Like a Producer: Creative Business Strategy’, starts by instilling commercial instincts into early development. Module 1 trains creators to assess market viability, commercial positioning, and target audiences from the very first day of writing. Module 2, led by Leonardo Zimbrón, SVP of International Coproduction at 3Pas Studios, dives into the mechanics of hybrid financing, gap funding, multi-territory co-productions, and exploitation models tailored to shifting platform economics across Europe and Latin America.
Technology takes center stage in the MAC Peer-to-Peer Innovation Track, where Izquierdo and cultural transformation specialist Henar León host the case-study workshop ‘Innovation Cases: New Business Models, AI, and Emerging Technologies’. Featuring contributions from companies like Paramotion Films, Hark Media, and Grupo Izen, the sessions break down real-world digital pipelines. Attendees examine specialized tools such as Story Pitcher for script breakdowns and visual pitch decks, alongside Scout&Film for location tracking and logistical asset management. In post-production, managers from Secuoya Content Group’s Xpost demonstrate machine learning applications for render optimization, metadata handling, and unscripted editing workflows.
Yet MAC balances rapid digital adoption with legal caution. Dedicated curriculum tracks cover regulatory compliance, chain-of-title integrity, and copyright protection to ensure independent producers retain their intellectual property amid evolving platform commissioning standards. A multi-day practical Legal & Business Affairs and Clearance Workshop instructs teams on script clearance, image and personality rights, and contractual risk reduction.
Addressing talent retention, the cluster’s pedagogical strategy provides mid-tier personnel with executive decision-making skills and digital tooling to combat employee burnout and project stagnation. Further creative leadership is fostered through the Showrunner Training Workshop, coordinated alongside The Core School, CIMA, and the Madrid Film Office to combine artistic vision with fiscal and logistical command.
By seating micro-studios alongside giants like Movistar Plus+ and TBS, the program gives emerging outfits access to enterprise-grade operating procedures. Case studies feed directly into curated one-on-one meetings and networking roundtables with executives from Gaumont, HBO Max, and RAI Fiction, equipping regional creators to helm complex, internationally distributed series directly from Madrid.