Greenlit: Developing Factual/TV Ideas From Concept to Pitch – OUT NOW!

There are some simple principles to successfully developing and pitching your ideas, whether you are working for a global ‘super-indie’ production company, or are a documentary filmmaker pitching a passion project. The extraordinary thing is that no one will tell you what they are! Greenlit is the first book to reveal, step-by-step, how to originate, develop and pitch your factual/non-scripted TV ideas in a global market.

Get insider tips from: * 10 TV development producers – who have a combined 50+ years experience of developing and pitching ideas at all levels; * 20 senior executives who have sold some of the world’s most successful shows, to: * 16 channel executives, who between them have worked at: * 18 TV channels in: * 7 countries across 4 continents.

Greenlit is available now from Amazon and all good bookstores.

The Demographics of England and Wales

The UK Office for National Statistics has published demographic data for the 54million people in England and Wales, broken down in to age, sex and ethnicity. Read (a little) more in The Guardian.

Mosaic Films Call For Pitches – Deadline Monday 11th October, 2010

Mosaic Films have teamed up with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and BBC Storyville to support three short films (6-10 mins) that explore themes around poverty in the UK. Six established documentary makers can pitch their ideas to a panel at Sheffield Doc/Fest and the successful documentaries will be produced by Mosaic Films and premiere at Doc/Fest in June 2011.

If you have an idea you’d like to pitch, visit Mosaic Films for more information and details of how to apply.

Deadline: Monday 11th October, 2010 (Photo by Editor B CC BY 2.0)

Wellcome Trust Pitch at Doc/Fest Call for Entries – Deadline Monday 4th October, 2010

The Wellcome Trust invites programme makers to enter the Broadcast Development Award Pitch for the opportunity to win £10K. They are looking for documentary ideas with biological or medical themes on a variety of platforms: cinema, radio, gaming, TV and multiplatform. Shortlisted producers will pitch their projects at Sheffield Doc/Fest.

Visit wellcome.ac.uk/broadcast download an application form.

Deadline: Monday 4th October, 2010 (Photo by laureskew CC BY 2.0)

Current TV Pitch at Doc/Fest Call for Entries – Deadline Friday 1st October, 2010

The Current TV Series Pitch offers emerging production companies/producers the chance to win £2.5K of development funding. Current TV will shortlist four proposals that will be pitched as part of DFG Day at Sheffield Doc/Fest (Thursday 4th November, 2010). They are looking for proposals for documentary series of 3-6 episodes that can be made for a budget of £33K per hour. Shortlisted producers will get seven minutes to pitch and show a taster tape to a panel of industry executives. The winning series proposal is slated for transmission in 2011.

Deadline for entries: Friday 1st October, 2010

For full the full brief go to: http://sheffdocfest.com/view/pitchcurrent

Download the application form at: http://current.com/currenttvseriespitch (Photo by luca.sartoni CC BY SA 2.0)

First Cut Pitch at Doc/Fest – Call For Entries: Deadline Friday 24th September

Channel 4 strand First Cut has teamed up with Sheffield Doc/Fest once again to give you the opportunity to pitch to win a £50K budget and the chance to direct a First Cut documentary. If you are an experienced assistant producer or film school graduate with TV production experience but have yet to make your primetime directorial debut, this is your chance. Five finalists will be chosen to pitch their idea to a panel of TV executives at Doc/Fest 3-7th November, 2010.

For more information and an application form visit www.4producers.co.uk

Deadline: Friday 24th September, 2010. (Photo by PictFactory CC BY 2.0)

TV Development and Pitching 101: Welcome to Development Hell

What exactly is TV development? It’s the hard slog between having the spark of an idea and getting contract from a channel, or other funding body, who is going to fund you to make it. That process can take a few hours (rarely) to many years (often). There’s an element of luck and timing in any successful pitch, but many ideas are rejected by buyers in the early stages because they haven’t been fully developed and aren’t suitable, or ready, to be commissioned. Click through to find out more. (Photo by Plutor CC BY 2.0)

PBS Diversity and Innovation Fund Call for TV Proposals – Deadline Wednesday 15th September

PBS has put out a call for proposals for a new immersive, multiplatform TV series that covers areas such as science, history, travel, natural history and exploration. Proposed series should appeal to a racially and ethnically diverse audience of 40-64 year olds in the USA. They should be developed for primetime with 10 episodes at a cost of less than $375K per hour. PBS will start accepting proposals from Monday 26th July, 2010 and the deadline is Wednesday 15th September, 2010.
(Photo by Tracy O under CC BY SA 2.0)

Want to Get Your Ideas on TV? Here are Five Proven Ways.

Malcolm Gladwell famously said in his book Outliers that it takes 10,000 hours of practice (equivalent to roughly five years of full time effort) for someone to become skilled and successful in an area of sport, business or the arts. The same is true if you want to get your idea on TV – the ability to understand the market, generate dozens of ideas, spot new talent, write proposals and pitch all takes time and practice. But let’s imagine you have just one idea. This idea is so good that you will do anything to get it on television, but you don’t want to spend your time doing an apprenticeship in a TV development team churning out ideas you don’t really care about. Here are five other ways to invest your 10,000 hours. (Photo by Dricker94 CC BY 2.0)

Sheffield Doc/Fest Meet Market Call for Entries – Deadline 1st September, 2010

MeetMarket is now open for applications from documentary makers who are looking for funding. It’s an opportunity for 60 filmmakers to be matched with interested buyers and meet them one-on-one at the Sheffield Doc/Fest (3rd-7th November 2010). Last year there were 139 international buyersand 70 have already confirmed for 2010.

Photo by clagnut CC BY 2.0

Projects – documentary, factual entertainment, art/installation or cross-platform – can be at any stage of development or production and from anywhere in the world. Applications must include a synopsis, 1-minute teaser tape, ballpark budget and biographies of the filmmaker(s). Click through for more information. (Photo by clagnut CC BY 2.0)