Top tips for festival first timers

With this year’s festival on track to deliver 15% more delegates year on year, over 50 sessions, nearly 2000 people coming from over 250 companies, I’m super excited about going up to Edinburgh next month.  I’m also hugely proud to be working on such an awesome – and awe inspiring – event.   But I can see that it all might seem a little daunting to if you’ve never been before.  

And as a relative Festival newcomer myself (class of 2011), when I was recently asked to offer up some tips for others visiting our event for the first time I thought it best to canvas some opinions.

So here, without further ado, are some of the top tips and handy hints that the wonderful Advisory Committee have to offer..!

1. Michelle Chappell 

 
On arrival, drop your bags and go to The George. The rest will all become clear (or not!). 

 

2. Miranda Chadwick 

• Go through the delegate list and plan coffees in advance. And then plan to change all your plans and go with the flow…

• Get a rolling system of queuing at the Bar at the George. I think the staff are prone to bribery through good tips. 
• Make sure you see at least 1 fringe thing!

3. Zoё Clapp

• Read the thoughts of panellists and audiences live for the sessions that you’re in (and, importantly, those that you’re not) by using the session hashtags on Twitter. Each session uses the hashtag of the room it’s being held in: #pentland, #fintry, and so on. You’ll never miss out on the stories as they happen.  

 4. Tamsyn Zietsman

• Always carry a bottle of water and a snack. The sessions are so good there is often little time to eat.
• Pack Berocca and nurofen. 
• Pack more of it than you think you will need.  You will need it. Pack clothes for summer, winter, spring and autumn. Guaranteed to experience all seasons during the weekend.
• Make a plan. As soon as you get the schedule, highlight the key sessions you want to go and see. 
• See some comedy if you get a chance!

5. Donna Taberer

• Don’t be afraid of “networking”. Networking is just gossiping. Who in the TV world doesn’t like talking about themselves and their great shows.
• Only buy large glasses of wine at The George – otherwise you’ll be back in the queue in no time.
• Share taxis outside the conference centre. It’s amazing who you can hop in with……

6. Kenton Allen

• Nobody minds people introducing themselves at Edinburgh. That, after all, is why we're all there. So don't be shy. If you spot someone you're dying to talk to, pick your moment and go and say hello. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the reaction. Resist the temptation to imagine they are now your NBF, stalk them for the next 24 hours and insist they come back to your hotel for a nightcap, but be brave. Fortune favours the brave.

7. Anna Fern

• Don’t be intimidated by the people you will meet, but also don't be pushy and thrust your script or CV under their noses.

8. Anonymous

• Be keen and introduce yourself to commissioners but don’t feel you need to pitch to them at every opportunity.  Make them remember you for being fun and passionate about TV; not for pitching to them in the toilets. 

9. James Herring

'Don't forget to make some time in the evenings to see a couple of comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe – but if you don't book them by the first week in August the hot names will already be sold out'

10. Simon Tomkins

Attend sessions which are 'out of your comfort zone’. This will help build knowledge and awareness of a range of areas which will be useful going forward.

11. Ian Johnson

•    Save embarrassment - Wear your name badge so it’s easily visible for anyone you’ve met the night before and who can’t remember your name
•    See something at the fringe right at the beginning so you have something to discuss OTHER than TV!

So there you have it. Top tips from those that know.  Have fun following (or ignoring) them. I’ll see you there!

Louise x

The Making Of Free Art Friday...

One of the highlights every year for Fast Track, is the live pitch.  

This is where four Fast Trackers pitch an original idea to a programme Editor and then get grilled on it – all at the EICC in front of a live audience of MGEITFdelegates and their fellow Fast Trackers.... 

Fast Track Live Pitch! EEEKK

Not terrifying at all then…!  In 2011 the Live Pitch was won by CBBC AP Jimmy Tam who impressed The Culture Show’s Executive Editor Janet Lee with his “free art” item idea.

You can see Jimmy’s film on The Culture Show tonight, Friday 10th February, 7pm, BBC Two.

 

A note from Jimmy on the 'Making Of Free Art Friday'.... 

"It’s an icy cold January lunchtime on the South Bank.

A production team of 12 (yep, 12!), five cameras, and three ‘Free Art Friday’ artists have set up camp for the day.

Free Art Friday is an online network of artists across the world, who create pieces to leave out on the streets for anyone to take home - absolutely free.

Three of the artists have agreed to put some of their free work out for The Culture Show, while we capture what happens using 'hidden' cameras.

Will anyone be brave enough to take the work? Will anyone look or even notice them? Will they think it's artistic treasure or absolute trash?

Ten minutes into the first artist 'drop', nothing’s happened. Not a blink. Runners jog by, mummies stroll on, and tourists don't seem interested. I’m starting to worry. Whose silly idea was this again? Ah, that would be me.

It was August when I stood in front of The Culture Show’s editor Janet Lee at the Fast Track LivePitch event. The stark difference between pitching an idea and actually making it a reality has sunk in over the month I've spent working on it (guided by talented director Luke McMahon)... but it's been worth it.

 A mere six minutes later, success - we have our first bite! A bunch of art students pull the art off the tree. Our presenter Michael Smith and camera crew swoop in. Thankfully, they're happy to talk - and we get a golden moment no one could have scripted.

“What is it?” asks the student. "It’s a self-portrait," responds Korp the artist. “Sorry I’ve never heard of you,” is the cheeky reply. It’s wonderfully funny and beautifully unplanned.

You’ll have to watch the film to see who (if anyone!) gets their hands on the work from the other two artists, My Dog Sighs and Fin DAC.

But, for me, I got a whole lot more than free art from my Fast Track Live Pitch experience."

Another happy customer.... Ahhh....Over and out from the Festival Team!

Have a great Weekend and don't forget to watch Free Art Friday on The Culture Show tonight, 7pm, BBC Two.

Ones To Watch! - (Fast Track Changes name!)

The final Thursday of the month is when the MGEITF Talent Schemes Committee gets together.

Last week’s meeting was the first since October, so LOTS on the agenda!  We have the meetings here at Festival Towers, (a lovely phrase which makes us sound a bit like we work out of Downtown Abbey… except we really don’t!)

The Committee’s been thinking a lot about Fast Track recently, particularly as it’s the scheme’s 18th anniversary in 2012.  

Since 1994, Fast Track has been rewarding those who have already made their mark in the TV industry but aren’t yet in the position to come to the Festival as full paying delegates.  It’s got an amazing track record in identifying the best and most exciting talent.

At the last Committee meeting, we decided that it was time to relaunch Fast Track and to give it a name that more accurately reflected exactly what it was!  

So last Thursday everyone came armed with their suggestions, and after a bit of lively debate, the Committee made their decision...

I can now EXCLUSIVELY reveal that Fast Track will from now on be known as… drum roll please… the TV Festival’s ‘Ones to Watch’!  Ta – dah!

We are still all deciding on the logo... but here is a sneak peak!

In all seriousness, I think the name change sums up that the 30 people the Committee select to come to Edinburgh have been identified as the most gifted and ambitious in the industry.  It really is a badge of honour!

Caroline Meaby

MGEITF Talent Schemes Director

Inspiring Diversity, Banishing Boxes'

Holly and I spent last Friday at Channel 4 last Friday for PACT’s Equality Act – Inspiring Diversity, Banishing Boxes’ event.  4 panels, each looking at a different area of diversity, produced by BBC, Channel 4, Sky and ITV.  

It’s easy to think about diversity in TV in fairly narrow terms, so what I thought was great about this event, was that the debate included issues around class, gender and age as well as addressing issues around representation of disability and ethnicity, both on and off screen.

The event pulled together an excellent, and of course very diverse, range of speakers and chairs, including Cbeebies star Cerrie Burnell, Maroon productions Paul Blake, broadcaster John Stapleton, Wall to Wall’s Alex Graham Baby Cow’s Henry Normal and Sky’s Lucy Lumsden.    

But I have to hold my hands up and admit my personal highlight was Baroness Floella Benjamin asking all us Playschool babies in the audience to identify themselves and their favourite window (yes, my hand shot up, and it was the round window if you’re interested.)

It may be poor quality but a very cool pic none the less!

Apart from Floella, I was really impressed by was the no-nonsense advice from certain panellists, particularly presenter Nikki Fox on making adjustments for disabled production staff – along the lines of don’t make assumptions on what people will and won’t need,  just ask them, they WON’T be offended! - and the totally accessible legal advice from lawyers at Lewis Silkin. Also it was great to catch up with Endemol, Skillset and all the other supporters of our own campaign to being more diversity off screen through the MGEITF talentschemes.  

Talking of which… on February 13^th we’ll be opening for applications to TheNetwork, which we think is the best and most accessible introduction to TV there is. We are really keen to spread the word about the scheme and we’re always available to come and give targeted talks about the scheme to underrepresented groups so do get in touch if you have any ideas on that or if you wish to receive our postcards to distribute yourselves. 

Caroline Meaby

MGEITF Talent Schemes Director