Pitch: See Festival

See Festival 2009 is offering emerging filmmakers a fabulous opportunity to bounce their ideas off an established sounding board of industry experts. This small scale, intimate session will be perfect for up-and-coming filmmakers who are looking to experience the world of pitching for the first time, or for those that would like the practice with the execs in a friendly environment, and for free!

Hosted by Hannah Patterson, winner of Britdoc 08 Short Pitch for Shelter in Place the panel will feature Jo Lapping from BBC Storyville, Aysha Rafaele from Channel 4′s First Cut, Lina Prestwood from Current TV and Rebecca Frankel from Fourdocs. Please send through a one page treatment to see@seefestival.org by Friday 6th February. [Find out How to Write a Proposal a Commissioner Will Read] (photo by fast eddie 42)

Channel Profile: Current TV

Current can be found online, on Sky and Virgin (subscription and ad funded channels – like the US cable model). They produce 60% of their programming internally, and commission 40% from outside. Filmmakers are invited to upload their films to the website – those that generate a buzz get picked up by the commissioners for Current TV. (Photo by angelrravelor)

Six Pitching Lessons from the Dragons’ Den

Dragons’ Den: Success From Pitch to Profit, is a book that profiles the dragons and examines case studies of people who have successfully or unsuccessfully pitched in the den. If you read it with your development head on it has a number of lessons that can be applied to the development and pitching of factual TV programmes. (Photo by e-magic.)

Talk to Your Colleagues to Cross-Fertilise Your TV Programme Ideas

In some companies, people can go months without speaking to colleagues in the next (or even same) office. But the person on the other side of the wall might be an expert in the subject area you are researching, or they might know just the person to front your new DIY show.

How to Get Your Idea in Front of a Commissioner

You might have the best idea in the world, but if you never pitch it, it will never get commissioned. But getting your idea in front of a commissioner can be the most challenging part of the process.