Pinewood Pilot Pitching Competition

This is what we have all been waiting for... Indies are in with a chance to win a fantastic studio prize package in over £30k!!!

We are officially launching ‘The Pinewood Pitching Competition’ a competition that will offer one lucky Indie a studio prize package worth over £30k to bring their format to life.

Applications are now open for programme makers to submit their idea for a studio based format, with the best five invited to pitch to a panel of channel controllers live at the Festival, which runs between Thursday 23rd August and Friday 25th August. 

The winner will then be given an amazing opportunity to shoot a mini pilot for their programme at Pinewood Studios!

THE PRIZE....

The prize will cover use of one of Pinewood’s 9,000sq ftTV studios, with a brand new, state of the art HD gallery plus production facilities and access to Pinewood’s award winning post production department. Most importantly, the winners will work with Pinewood’s dedicated and experienced TV team, who will be on hand to share their experience and work with the winners to help ensure their vision is translated into a successful end product.

Advisory Chair of the Festival, Kenton Allen comments: “In these straitened times this is a unique, opportunity to take the paper format you passionately believe in and breathe life into it. You would have to be either mad or a millionaire not to enter.”

ENTER NOW!

RIP Fast Track – hello Ones to Watch!

Fast Track is 18 years old this year, so what better way is there to celebrate its coming of age than … killing it off?
 
Bear with me.  There is method in this.
 
Fast Track has had a brilliant track record of identifying the best and the brightest talent in the industry.  Conrad Green, Andrew Zein, Claire Zolkwer – all hugely successful people who came through the Fast Track ranks.  

BUT, although any Fast Tracker will tell you how amazing their experience was,  not everyone who’s been in the industry 3-5 years had heard of it, so  there were plenty of potential applicants who weren’t switched on to it.  
 
Frankly, Fast Track never quite got the level of brand recognition that it deserves.  The name didn’t quite sell it well enough and, despite everyone’s best efforts, people still got it mixed up with The Network, which is a very different beast.  (Everyone knows The Network- the bright fresh young things who are desperate to get their first jobs in TV… sadly for Fast trackers, people often thought of them in the same way, which could be a bit, frustrating, on occasion).
 
So, we decided to go back to basics, think about what we were offering, and see how we could brand it more effectively. 
Over a few cups of coffee (and a decent amount of chocolate), we isolated the key elements of the scheme:
 
•    Identifying industry talent
•    Rewarding them with access to exclusive opportunities and sessions at the TV      
      Festival
•    Celebrating them by giving them recognition within the industry
•    Fair and accessible process anyone can put themselves forward for a place 
 
The people we selected for Fast Track are the people we considered the industry leaders of the future –the ones to watch in the industry. So… why not call the scheme that?  Ones to Watch it is.

 
We’ve made a few other tweaks to make Ones to Watch the most exciting and career- enhancing package in the industry.
 
•    Judges from our Executive Committee will make the final selection of the 30 delegates - so those selected on to the scheme have been endorsed by people working at the highest level in TV.
•    The 30 will be profiled in the MGEITF programme – so they will be showcased to over 2000 industry leaders who come to Edinburgh.
And this is in addition to all the excellent benefits that Fast Track offered already – exclusive sessions, free accommodation, access to MGEITF and all the social events you can squeeze in over 4 days.   
 
We’re really excited by Ones to Watch.  We’re open for applications now, so let us know if you are One to Watch by applying or, if you know someone who is a One to Watch, please give us their email address so we can encourage them to apply.

         

FIRST 15 SESSSIONS ANNOUNCED FOR MGEITF 2012!

There’s so much to announce this week that  I’m going to keep my part brief, and let the talent do the talking.

While there’s plenty more still to come, this week we’ve announced  a slew of speakers and sessions covering a whole range of issues, as well as master classes covering some of the most exciting shows around.

Opening Session

1. This year’s Festival kicks off with a special TV Festival Celebrity Juice, hosted by the indomitable Keith Lemon and featuring bang tidy team captains Holly Willoughby and Emma Bunton joined by some of our industry’s most recognisable executives.  Expect inhibitions lost and positions compromised in a rollicking hour of competition and fun!

Richard Dunn memorial interview

2. This year’s Richard Dunn memorial interview will feature prolific broadcaster, satirist, screenwriter and journalist Charlie Brooker speaking live to award-winning Times columnist Caitlin Moran. The Screenwipe star will discuss his experiences as a writer, producer and showrunner, as well as talking about his latest productions and the world of television criticism.

Interviewing Charlie Brooker

3. Meanwhile Welsh TV actress and writer Ruth Jones will be talking to Boyd Hilton about being an actor, writer and co-founding her own production company in their session, Ruth Jones: bethsyddyneich pen gwallgof? ( Welsh for, “What’s in your mad head?”

4. BBC Director-General 2.0 will ask the experts what key decisions face the incoming Director-General, as Mark Thompson departs the post. How will the BBC enter the next phase of its history? How might the BBC continue to evolve under his (or her) stewardship?

5. We’re Stealing Your Stuff: The Piracy Problem will be dissecting how the web is changing ownership business models.  In a world where television can be instantly and infinitely copied and shared, what can TV creatives do to make sure they make money and retain creative control over their output? 

6. The Festival will also tackle the profound implications of Scottish Independence on the broadcasting landscape.  Leading political and cultural figures will examine the practicalities and effects of dismantling the BBC, the introduction of legal production quotas and competitive tax breaks and the political battleground that is EastEnders.

7. And of course the Festival will be exploring the impacts of the forthcoming Communications Bill Green Paper on EPG positioning, charter renewal, media plurality and more...

Master classes to include:

Modern Family Master class

8. Modern Family, featuring Emmy award winning writer and producer Steve Levitan, the co-creator of the multi award winning show.

9. The Educating Essex Masterclass will feature Series Director David Clews, Channel 4 Commissioner Mark Raphael and the indisputable stars of the show, Head Teacher Vic Goddard and his Deputy Stephen Drew talking about the breakout Autumn hit.

10. The Horrible Histories creative team will tell delegates how they bring the past to life with brilliant sketches, songs and cartoons to inform and entertain millions of children and grown-ups alike..

Horrible Histories Master class

11. The Festival will also feature a Masterclass on one of this year’s most talked about series, BBC One drama Sherlock, with appearances from show creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and producer Sue Vertue.

12. Hatufim to Homeland: The Anatomy of a hit Drama will feature conversation with Gideon Raff and Avi Nir, the Israeli creators of the series Prisoners of War (Hatufim), and those who brought the series to life in the US as Homeland.

13. The First Ten Minutes will examine hit dramas Scott and Bailey and Call the Midwife with the creative teams behind them.

14. Budding broadcast entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to face the formidable TV dragons – Evan Davis will host Dragons’ Den at the Festival, with Duncan Bannatyne and guests inviting entrepreneurs, inventors and ideas people to pitch for real money with TV related business ventures.

Pitch for real money at MGEITF 2012!

15. And finally, hot on the heels of the biggest international event of the year, the Festival’s BBC Olympic session will bring together core members of the production team, from both sides of the camera, to relay the good, the bad and the ugly moments of delivering the greatest show on Earth.

Don’t forget, special rates are available for BAFTA and PACT members, groups of as little as three, the under 26s, freelancers and more.   And everybody is eligible for the limited number of early bird tickets now on sale!

 

I can’t wait to see you there in August!

...9 industry figures tell you why you should apply for The Network

A training scheme like The Network can be a valuable step into TV even for those who have no experience in the industry.

 

With just 9 days left to apply for The Network, on screen and off screen TV talent share their views and experiences of The Network, and the reasons why they think anyone who wants to work in TV should apply....

I think it provides a service, if it had been available to me I would have soaked it up like a sponge.

-Vernon Kaye

I think it's incredibly important to give young people an opportunity to see what this industry is all about...it gives them an opportunity to hear what it's really like from the inside.

-Jay Hunt, Chief Creative Officer, Channel 4

I knew attending The Network would be a key step in getting a job in TV...You don't often get the chance to speak to so many important TV personalities who are happy to give their time and talk about the industry.

-Ore Oduba, Presenter, CBBC & BBC Sport and The Network delegate 2007

I'm always keen to go to The Network and support young people wanting to work in TV. It's hard work but still great fun and a creative buzz. It's great to help others onto this path and become part of this dynamic industry.

-Stuart Murphy, Director of Programmes, Sky Atlantic, Sky 1, 2 &3 and Director of Commissioning for Sky Entertainment Channels

I think it's wonderful and I'm very sad that something like this didn't apply when I was starting out in television...it's the best possible thing you could do.

-Sir Trevor McDonald

The Network was a fantastic opportunity. It consolidated the idea that I wanted a career in TV. Off the back of my place I got a place on a trainee researcher scheme on GMTV.

-Dominic Bird, Head of Formats, Channel 4 and The Network delegate 1994

The Network is trying to send out the message that television is for everybody and anybody and needs everybody and anybody.

-Joe Godwin, Director, BBC Children's and Chair of The Network

The Network is the jewel in the TV Festival's crown. There's nothing more important than finding and supporting the next generation of people with creative ideas, ambition and above all else, passion.

-Tim Hincks, Chief Executive Officer, Endemol

I bump into people who I've met in Edinburgh in previous years who are now working and they say 'it was great, without The Network I wouldn't have got the foot in the door and it's changed my life.'

-Joe Mace, Head of Entertainment Development, ITV

So if you know anyone who wants to work in TV, let them know about The Network, and tell them to hurry! Applications close 22nd April. Visit our website to apply.

Top 10 TV jobs the Network could help you get!

With just 10 days left to apply for TV Talent Scheme The Network, here's a list of 10 TV jobs which attending The Network could lead to....

1. RUNNER

Works on a production or at a company and does basic tasks which range from getting teas, collecting contributors or carrying tapes.

Read about Tayo Yusaff, Runner, Talkback Thames. Attended The Network in 2007

2. EDITOR

Responsible for working with the director to cut all the footage together and add effects to create the final outcome.

3. RESEARCHER

May find participants for a reality TV show or research information for a documentary, or check historical detail for a period drama.

Read more about Mawaan Rizwan, Presenter/Researcher, RAW TV. Attended The Network in 2010

4. CAMERA OPERATOR

Operates cameras onoutside-broadcasts (OB) and studio-based programmes to ensure that the director gets the images needed for the final edit.

5. ASSISTANT PRODUCER

Works with the director, producer and researchers to create content and also performs an administrative role requiring excellent organisation skills.

Read more about Alex Harris, Assistant Producer, CBeebies Radio. Attended The Network in 2011

6. SCRIPT EDITOR

The script editor develops storylines and series ideas with the writers and gives feedback on each draft of the script to ensure continuity and suitability

7. DIRECTOR

Responsible for the way films or TV programmes are made. They use their creative vision to manage the production process alongside the producer.

8. BROADCAST JOURNALIST

Responsible for generating and assessing ideas, researching background data and presentgn items to key decision makers such as editors and commissioners.

9. PRODUCER

Coordinates all the resources needed and manages the production process from start to finish.
 
10. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Overseas projects at various stages of production, giving feedback and constructive cricism to the director and producer. The Executive Producer is involved from the very early stages of the project and ensures that the finished product is in line with the vision of the commissioner.

So if you want to work in TV, get applying to The Network! Applications close 22nd April.

What did the smartest-guys-in-the-room have to say? (2012 industry predictions)

Proving that successful reunions aren't just the preserve of grown up boy bands and brit pop veterans, 3 year's worth of former Fast Trackers got together recently for the schemes first official alumni event.  With speakers - and wine! - generously provided by Deloitte!

It's great to see people we identified back then as ones to watch, are now well and truly established in the industry.  

We've re-branded Fast Track as 'Ones To Watch' because that's who We select on the scheme each year -The new wave of TV's talent.

People like 2009 alumnus David Chikwe. Here are his thoughts on the evening:

One To Watch (nee Fast Track). Arriving at Deliotte for the first Fast Track Alumni meeting and I’m struck with how quickly time flies in TV (Moi: Fast Track Class of 2009). People talk about a week in politics, but they should try working in TV.

In 2009 James Murdoch was the fiery heir apparent in his MacTaggart and now, well, not so much. My own case of having gone from Script Editor to Development Producer with two feature films in funded development and series commission with CBBC proved the point in the opposite direction. But the Murdoch lesson of what goes up, must come down is one to never forget.

And what did the smartest-guys-in-the-room at Deloitte have to say? There were some interesting factoids eg: overall, the entertainment industry loses money, which seems counter-intuitive given that we're all consuming more media, but unsurprising when you witness sure-fire flops like ITV's Titanic or Disney's John Carter. It's an art, not a science.

Scarily, one universal is that the pace of progress is just going to increase - something about Moore’s law, though I suspect the next crop of One's To Watch won't have a problem keeping up.

Interestingly, the one thing absent from Deloitte's predictions is the very thing that drives the industry: creativity. Deloitte's narrow focus on metrics and technological change failed to factor in the wild card of artistic endeavour.

So while it appears that the future has already arrived and we're living it, the creative imperative remains something that resists the neat cells of an excel spreadsheet or powerpoint presentation.

For more read:
 http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/tmt/predictions/index.htm

David Chikwe  
Development Producer.

Joe Godwin meets the Queen!

I always enjoy visiting Channel 4 HQ.  There is something very cool about walking up the steps past the big ‘4’ … and they welcome you with big smiles and nice things like mints at reception (as you can tell, I’m easily pleased).

Anyway, last week was the latest meeting for The Network and Ones to Watch Committee, hosted by Channel 4 where Committee Members Tabitha Jackson and Dom Bird work.

Lots of great ideas about sessions – including a brand new workshop which a BIG fact-ent show- but possibly the most exciting discussion around the evening was our Committee Chair’s Joe Godwin meeting with one of the most famous women on the planet… HRHThe Queen!

Yes, in his day job as Director of BBC Children’s Joe recently welcomed Her Majesty to CBBC’s HQ at MediacityUK so was great to see his pictures!  

I don’t think you have to be a big Royal fan to appreciate how exciting the visit was – you can’t deny HRH is a true icon whatever your views on the monarchy.  And, in this Diamond Jubilee year, we’re all celebrating her in one way or another.

Come to think of it, perhaps we should try and book her for the TV Festival this year… as an alternative Elizabeth for the alternative MacTaggart?  Now there’s a thought! 

Have a Great Easter!

Caroline Meaby