Greenlit: Developing Factual/Reality TV Ideas From Concept to Pitch by Nicola Lees

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.

Commissioning Etiquette Workshop, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Monday 8th November, 2010

Northern Film + Media are holding a master class in commissioning to help guide you through the process and manage your relationships with key decision makers. The session is led by Adam Perry (The Community Channel) and Barbara McKissack (Heaton Pictures), who will also answer questions 1-2-1.

When: Monday 8 November, 2.00pm- 5.00pm
Where: Northern Film & Media, Studio 2, The Kiln, Hoults Yard, Walker Road, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE6 1AB (click here for travel info)

How much? Free

Click through for a link to the website and details of how to register. (Photo by Alex_Mayer, CC BY SA 2.0)

Three Things That Will Make Your Documentary Big Enough for Theatrical Release

At the recent Sheffield Doc/Fest, there was an excellent session that asked Feature Docs: What Makes a Doc Theatrical? Here are three things that could make sure your doc makes it onto the big screen:
1) Borrow some attitude from the movies.

Simon Chinn, producer of the Oscar-winning Man on Wire, revealed that the film’s approach was inspired by Reservoir Dogs and a French heist film, Rififi.
2) Get a director on board who can deliver a cinematic experience.

Simon said it was also vital to get a good director on board, who can deliver something that works on the big screen. Kevin Macdonald delivered on One Day in September, and that brought him to the attention of John Smithson, producer of Touching the Void. Acquisitions exec Paula Crickard said that you need to shoot the film ‘big’ and use music and FX that suit the cinema environment.
3) Make people want to get up off their sofas

You are asking people to leave the comfort of their home and spend good money on watching your film, so you have to make it worth their while. Jon Battsek, producer of In the Shadow of the Moon, The Age of Stupid and the Oscar-winning One Day in September said that if you want your film can’t be off-putting, even if you have a hard message to convey. For example, The Cove – the story of dolphin slaughter in Japan – tackles a distressing subject, but it is told as a detective story so you get pulled in to the story without feeling like you’re being bludgeoned over the head with its message. There needs to be something uplifting and inspiring about a theatrical documetary film, such as the portrait of human spirit in Touching the Void. (Photo by B Rosen CC BY-ND 2.0)

Documentary Campus Masterschool – Call for Entries 2010. Deadline: 2nd October 2009

Documentary Campus Masterschool 2010 is a ten-month long masterclass in which you can get one-to-one and group training sessions (four over the ten months) to help you develop your documentary idea so you can secure international interest and funding. The school allows all kinds of nonfiction genres, from docuseries to one-offs and cross-media projects. Past [...]

Six Ways to Allay Your Commissioning Editor’s Fears and Sell your TV Programme

You might think that all you need to get your TV programme commissioned is a good idea. Not so.

Assuming you have a really good idea, and have sprinkled it with fairy dust for luck, it is still unlikely that you will get your idea commissioned. Why? Because your commissioner is scared. They’re scared of commissioning a programme that might fail. And failing programmes put their jobs on the line. Which makes it your job to allay those fears and make it easy for them to say yes.

Here are six fears you need to address in your proposal and pitch. (Photo by Kables)

Development Insider: Rejection, Rejection, Rejection

This is the first of a new series from a development insider: it’s the the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the dirty truth about TV development. Written by someone (who must remain anonymous), who knows, from painful experience, what really goes on behind the commissioners’ doors. Read, enjoy and join the debate.

(photo by das.viereck)

Seven Lessons from a Life in Development

When TLC rebranded in 2005, they introduced the notion of ‘life lessons’, along with collectable ornaments and a section on their website for ‘grown-up fun”. In the same spirit I’d thought I’d share some ‘development lessons’. Unfortunately, I don’t have matching knick-knacks, and you’ll have to provide your own grown-up fun. (Photo by pimpexposure)

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