Tim Dams's Blog RSS Feed - Televisual http://www.televisual.com/blogs/28/Tim-Dams.html en-uk Š 2010 Televisual. All rights reserved. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:58:22 88 Televisual http://www.televisual.com http://www.televisual.com/images/logo.jpg 408 70 Q&A: BFI chief executive Amanda Nevill The BFI has invested £13.2m in 20 feature films since 1 April 2011, when it took over lottery funding from the now defunct UK Film Council.

Upcoming BFI supported projects include Mike Newell’s Great Expectations, adapted by David Nicholls (One Day) which had £2m invested in it. The BFI also put £1.67m into Sexy Beast director Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson, while £900k went into Mat Whitecross’ ‘Madchester’-set, Spike Island. Other big winners in terms of lottery funding include Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths (£1m), Sally Potter’s Bomb (£1m) and Ruari Robinson’s Last Days on Mars (£1m).

The BFI is, of course, still looking for a film funding boss following the resignation last year of Tanya Seghatchian.

The organisation is also busy digesting many of the recommendations of Lord Smith’s film review published earlier this month. The implications of the review seem to be that the BFI will have to scale up further, incorporating all the work that the UK Film Council used to do - on top of the BFI’s traditional cultural and educational functions.

Following the review, I put a few questions to BFI chief executive Amanda Nevill to gauge her organisation’s reaction to its findings - and to get her sense of the outlook for the British film industry in 2012.

What is the BFI’s reaction to Lord Smith’s film review? How is it likely to affect the workings and function of the BFI in the future? 

We really welcome the report having worked closely with Chris Smith and the panel, which actually included three of our Governors, throughout. We’re particularly pleased that the report looks at the film sector completely in the round, and we welcome its strong emphasis on the role played by audiences.
At the moment we’re busy developing the BFI’s own Five Year Forward Plan for Film, taking input and views from as many people as possible. It will of course be informed by the findings of the Film Policy Review, and we are looking forward to taking our plan out to consultation with industry in the spring.
In the meantime we know it’s essential to maintain the momentum we began in April. So through our Film Fund we’ve been backing exciting new British films across a range of genres and budgets; we boosted our P&A Fund by £1m and have been investing to ensure audiences across the UK enjoy greater access to films; and we’ve moved quickly to launch new support for the promotion and export of British films internationally.

2011 was a strong year for British film-making, both critically and in terms of box office. What’s the outlook for the British film industry in 2012? Are you expecting significant levels of local production and inward investment? 

This is a great question and it’s true, we are enjoying a wonderfully vibrant period for British film. 2011 was a phenomenal year, with international acclaim for homegrown films, fantastic box office results, especially in the independent sector, and inward investment from film production continuing to achieve record levels.
But this should never make us complacent. The film industry is forward facing and we must continually focus on tomorrow: tomorrow’s audiences, tomorrow’s talent, and tomorrow’s markets. It is only by maintaining this focus on the future that we will remain competitive.
2012 is already off to a good start with British talent featuring strongly at the Golden Globes, high hopes for the BAFTAs and Oscars®, and nine new British feature films, alongside 11 shorts, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. We’re seeing the UK’s locations, facilities, talent and highly skilled crew, supported by the vital work of the British Film Commission, continue to attract productions from around the world; and the UK Government has demonstrated its clear commitment to film as a growth area and driver of inward investment though the extension of the film tax relief until 2015.   
However, we are pragmatic and while 2011 has been a particularly strong year, exceptional in many ways, we know it will be a hard act to follow.
It’s still a challenging time for many across industry as traditional business models break down, we continue to wrestle with the threats from piracy and copyright infringement, and the economic landscape remains tough to navigate.
But for me one of the best ways we can address these challenges is for the industry to really pull together in support of the Film Policy Review. In fact one of the best things I think has already come out of the review is a much greater sense of connectedness across industry; a real sense that working together we can achieve more and reap rewards across the board. There’s no doubt in my mind that the key to a future successful and prosperous industry is keeping that connectedness going – and the BFI wants to be a vital link in that industry-wide chain.

Which BFI funded films have recently / are set to go into production?
The BFI Film Fund’s production slate is looking incredibly exciting, featuring films across every budget level and genre, with some of the UK’s most well known and respected directors there alongside the bright new filmmaking talent of tomorrow who are making their first or second features.
Since 1 April last year the BFI Film Fund has awarded over £13.2m in Lottery funding to the production of 20 British feature films. To highlight just a few, we have the latest adaptation of Dickens’ ever-popular Great Expectations directed by Mike Newell, adapted by David Nicholls and starring a host of top UK film talent including Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Robbie Coltrane. We also have the eagerly-awaited film from Sexy Beast director Jonathan Glazer, Under The Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson. Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini's Streetdance 2 3D is set for release on 30 March and was backed by the BFI. Alongside these we have films such as Fast Girls, a really heartwarming sports drama co-written by Noel Clarke and Broken, the directorial debut of acclaimed theatre director Rufus Norris.
The BFI Film Fund works closely with writers, directors and producers to develop projects. Since 1 April the Fund has invested over £2.3m in the development of 99 film projects, including Peter Ackroyd’s Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem, currently being adapted for the screen by Jane Goldman with Number 9 Films, and the latest project from Michael Powell award-winning director, Nick Whitfield, co-written with Rachel Tunnard, The Dirty Little Book of Stolen Time, which is being developed with Forward Films. 


Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/QandA-BFI-chief-executive-Amanda-Nevill_bid-328.htmlMon, 30 Jan 2012 14:33:57Lord Smith's film review is a hit with the industry There’s been a very supportive reaction from the film industry this week to Chris Smith’s Film Policy Review, published on Monday.

The report’s 56 recommendations have been described as ‘sensible and practical’ and ‘comprehensive’ by film industry executives that Televisual has spoken with.

Director Roger Michell, whose credits include Notting Hill, Enduring Love and The Mother and is former chair of Directors UK's film group, says: “The review is very positive, very detailed, very sensible - and pretty cheap. Most of the proposals they are making are not going to cost the government or taxpayer anything.”

Even before the Review was published, the industry was confident that Lord Smith was the right man to lead it. He earned a reputation as a knowledgeable, engaged Culture Secretary during his time in Tony Blair’s administration, when he oversaw the creation of the UK Film Council.

Lord Smith then gathered a solid, respected panel to work with him on the Review: Big Talk film producer Matthew Justice, Film4’s Tessa Ross, British Film Commission chair Iain Smith, Vue chief exec Tim Richards, Optimum Releasing founder Will Clarke, writer Lord Julian Fellowes, Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton and Olswang’s head of film and television Libby Savill.

Their input, plus their extensive consultation with the industry, means that the Review’s contents are pragmatic and considered in their scope. “It’s one of the few reviews I can think of in recent years where…there isn’t an awful gulf between government pronouncements and what practitioners on the ground say would help them,” says Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission.

Crucially, the Review doesn’t advocate a big bang, top heavy solution that promises to solve the industry’s problems, but sets out an evolutionary framework for improvement across a broad front - skills, education, funding, research and inward investment.

Culture minister Ed Vaizey has expressed his support for the Review, and is likely to accept many of the recommendations - as he should given its positive reception.

After all, there’s now a widespread view within the Coalition and amongst civil servants that the film industry is a grown up business and an important contributor to UK GDP, rather than a fluffy cultural nicety. As the report says, 2011 is shaping up to be the most successful year in over two decades for British film at the box office thanks to films such as The King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners. Inward investment from Hollywood films such as the Harry Potter saga, Pirates of the Caribbean and X Men: First Class also continues to boom.

Such success means that film is a key part of the UK’s creative industries, which have been fastest growing area of the economy over the past decade outside the financial sector.

The challenge now, of course, is to ensure that the 56 recommendations are implemented - and that will take time. There's likely to be opposition from some quarters, particularly broadcasters who have been asked to take a more pro-active role in the film industry. And there's a question mark over whether the BFI is adequately structured and resourced to take a lead on many of the proposals.

I spoke with Lord Smith just after the Review’s press launch and he said he would like to see all of its recommendations implemented. But he added that if he could pick just three points that would have the biggest impact, he said they would be: to recycle more of the financial success of films back to creatives; the joint venture proposal to bring producers and distributors together from the outset of a film’s life; and to encourage more broadcaster participation in film production and acquisition.

“If those three recommendations were the only ones implemented, we would be some way along the road to success,” concluded Lord Smith.

See Televisual's February issue for a full analysis and a report on the UK film industry in 2012

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Lord-Smiths-film-review-is-a-hit-with-the-industry_bid-327.htmlWed, 18 Jan 2012 13:17:39Drama becomes TV's big battleground There’s been a flurry of big drama announcements this week, with BBC1, ITV and C4 unveiling their latest commissions for 2012. The commissions all point to drama becoming the big battleground for broadcasters this year.

The BBC’s drama boss Ben Stephenson unveiled five new drama commissions, including the historical adaptation War of the Roses and Room on the Broom, a follow up to The Gruffalo.

ITV followed suit a day later with two big drama announcements, Tony Marchant’s Leaving as well as Great Train Robbery drama Mrs Biggs. And Channel 4 announced Guy Hibbert’s latest, Complicit, about the War on Terror.

These are on top of upcoming 2012 dramas such as Birdsong, Call the Midwife and Restless on BBC1; Tom Stoppard adaptation Parade’s End, Stephen Poliakoff’s Dancing on the Edge and a Shakespeare season on BBC2; the £11m Titanic as well as new runs of Scott & Bailey, Downton Abbey and Vera on ITV; The Mill, C4’s first period drama in many years; and Sky’s big budget Sinbad.

Buoyed by the ratings and critical success of shows such as Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Top Boy, the major broadcasters are all choosing to invest in drama as they seek to standout with a genre that allows them to offer something truly distinctive. By comparison, entertainment ratings juggernauts such as The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing are still for the most part delivering the goods – but they are looking very familiar as they roll around year after year.

And it seems that most broadcasters can afford to spend on drama, despite it being the most expensive genre to produce. In a sign of the relative health of key commercial broadcasters, C4 revealed this week that its revenues had crossed the £1bn mark for the first time ever last year.

The BBC, of course, is cutting back its overall production spend following DQF, but it has chosen to protect its drama investment on BBC1 and BBC2 from the worst of the cuts.

Last summer, ITV said it was boosting its drama output by 40 hours a year, or nearly £30m. And Sky has also become a key player - and investor - in the genre.

It’s very hard to avoid the cliché, but it really does promise to be a dramatic year for television in 2012. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Drama-becomes-TVs-big-battleground_bid-324.htmlFri, 13 Jan 2012 12:47:57The BBC's Roger Mosey on planning an Olympic year The BBC’s director of London 2012, Roger Mosey, talks with Tim Dams about 
the unique challenges of broadcasting the UK’s biggest ever event in peacetime

If Roger Mosey is feeling the pressure from overseeing the BBC's coverage of the Olympic Games this year, he is not letting on. The BBC's director of London 2012 will not even confess to a sleepless night caused by the challenge of broadcasting the UK's biggest ever peacetime event.

It's all the more surprising when one considers the scale of the 2012 broadcasting offer. It is not just about the 17 days of Games coverage itself, but the 70-day UK torch relay as well as the 80-day Cultural Olympiad, which Mosey describes as "the biggest arts event in our lifetime." Mosey is also keen to stress that the Olympics are a very big part of what promises to be "a pretty amazing year" - one that also includes the four day Diamond Jubilee, Euro 2012 and "run of the mill events" like Wimbledon. "The key thing for us is the national narrative next year and putting it all together."

Focusing on the Games, Mosey says that the biggest single innovation of London 2012 is "simply the amount of choice that people will be able to have." The BBC - which takes most of its Games footage from the host broadcaster OBS – will provide live coverage of every single event, with up to 24 screens of sport available each day across BBC1, BBC3, via the red button and the BBC website.

"A pledge of 2012 is that we will show you everything from first thing in the morning to last thing at night," says Mosey, explaining that audiences will be able to "personalise" their Olympics viewing more than ever before. By comparison, the BBC aired about half of the host broadcaster content from the Beijing Olympics, which meant it was impossible to watch niche events such as fencing in long form.

London 2012 will also be the first Olympic Games to be captured in super hi-definition, with the footage broadcast on giant screens in Glasgow, Bradford and London. Some events will also be filmed in 3d (following in the footsteps of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the first to be captured in 3d). And social media will also be a key component of the Games; the BBC recently announced via Twitter that Elbow was composing its Olympics theme tune.

But Mosey is in no doubt that the TV will still be the main focus. "We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that this will be a 42-inch screen HD Olympics for most people. Even though we’re very proud of all the innovation and it will be enormously valuable to the people that use it, people will want to watch the 100m final on a big screen in HD if they can."

Mosey will not be drawn, however, on the details about the size of the BBC's Olympic operation, no doubt fearing a press backlash over the corporation's budget and resources in this era of austerity. Budget and staff numbers will be published this year, he says. "The BBC sent 437 people to Beijing, which prompted the odd fainting fit in the more sensitive members of the press. NBC sent 2,850, the Germans over 700. We are very confident our numbers will be what we need to do the job." He does say that the BBC's budget for the Games has not been reduced as a result of the corporation's recently announced DQF cuts. "DQF is rightly about 'fewer, bigger, better', and people would expect the BBC to deliver the Olympics properly and not randomly cut costs. Reputationally, if we try to do big events on the cheap it wouldn't work."

Much of the BBC's effort will focus on customising the Olympics for a British audience, enhancing the neutral footage captured by the host broadcaster. As usual, it means additional BBC cameras and presenters at venues, as well as two BBC studio locations - one inside the Olympic Park, the other just outside.

This, says Mosey, is one of the more straightforward parts of the operation. "The thing we know how to do is the sport. The BBC has been televising the Olympics since 1948. The bits that we know less how to do are the torch relay, the cultural Olympiad and the news dimension of having the Games in the country."

The start of the relay ceremony in May is the moment that "Britain will get in the mood for what is going to come," says Mosey. But he wants to ensure that 100% of the country gets some value out of the BBC in 2012. "Sport reaches about 75-80% of the population. How you reach the other 20% is a challenge." That is where the Cultural Olympiad comes in, offering Shakespeare productions through to documentary events like Britain in a Day, a music festival in Hackney and the Proms. "Take the Proms," says Mosey. "There will be some people who don't want to watch the opening ceremony. If they can have the opportunity of seeing Daniel Barenboim conducting Beethoven's Ninth, that is giving them something special that night."

With such a range of output being lined up for the Olympics, it's little wonder that Mosey can confidently describe 2012 "as a year like no other."


CV
Background
Born in Bradford, educated at Bradford Grammar School and Wadham College Oxford (Modern History and Modern Languages)
1980
Joins BBC Radio Lincolnshire as a reporter. Then joins network radio for The Week in Westminster, before working for Today as a producer and the BBC's New York bureau.
1987
Editor of Radio 4's PM
1993
Editor of Today programme
1997
Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live
2000
Head of BBC TV News
2005
BBC director of sport
2008
BBC director of London 2012

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-BBCs-Roger-Mosey-on-planning-an-Olympic-year_bid-322.htmlFri, 13 Jan 2012 10:49:02London 2012: the broadcast challenge How do you go about mounting the UK's biggest ever broadcast operation in peacetime? The people in charge of televising the Olympics reveal their plans for the Games coverage.

From July 27th, an estimated four billion people around the world will tune in for what’s likely to be the biggest broadcasting event in history – the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The scale and complexity of mounting such a broadcast operation is mind-boggling: over 5,000 hours of Olympic coverage will be provided to viewers in around 200 countries and regions worldwide via some 20,000 media staff who will work from an International Broadcast Centre (IBC) big enough to fit five jumbo jets. For the duration of the Games, the IBC will be the biggest broadcast production centre in the world.

The host broadcast
Coverage of the Games is overseen by Madrid-based Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), which is the host broadcaster responsible for providing neutral coverage to every rights holding broadcaster around the world. The OBS was set up in 2001 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which owns the Games, with the aim of providing a continuity of production expertise and standards for successive Olympic Games. It’s run by veteran Olympic broadcast producer Manolo Romero.

“We provide the core, unbiased coverage of the Games,” says head of OBS London Paul Mason. “Because it has to be accessible to the world’s top broadcasting nations, the coverage has to be top quality and as good as anything they produce.”

The concept of a single host broadcaster for the Olympic Games is a long-standing one. After all, it wouldn’t make sense for some 140 broadcasters from around the world to shoot their own separate coverage in each venue; if they did, it would leave hardly any room for the spectators.

London 2012, however, marks the first time that OBS is in name the host broadcaster of the Olympic Summer Games. In Beijing, by contrast, the host coverage was provided as a joint venture between OBS and the Chinese organising committee.



The fact that coverage of the London Games is being managed entirely by a Spanish company has raised some heckles in the UK production community, which takes pride in its global reputation for producing sports events. Jeff Foulser, chairman of top sports producer Sunset + Vine, comments: “In a country where the production community is as vibrant as it is over here, it’s just sad that we don’t have more of a stake in our own Games. It should be our Games, we should all have a stake in it really.” He adds that having one company permanently in charge of coverage, without competitors, isn’t healthy in terms of innovation either.

OBS, however, contracts in production teams with recognised expertise in their field to provide its host coverage of key sports. The BBC, for example, has been asked to provide all the coverage for sports such as tennis, rowing and football. Cuba’s ICRT, meanwhile, takes care of volleyball coverage while Japan’s Fuji TV looks after judo (see box, below).

The OBS operation is huge and involves years of meticulous planning and considerable attention to detail. Its host footage is captured using some 1,000 cameras, 50 OB trucks and 5,500 production staff (including 1,200 broadcast students who will gain invaluable work experience on the Games). OBS is also responsible for taking the shell of the newly constructed International Broadcast Centre, and fitting it out both for its own purposes, and for the rights holding broadcasters. This includes preparing the master control area, known at the CDT, which takes in the feeds from all of the venues. Mason comments: “The telecoms network is extensive and has to be resilient. One of the things that we are absolutely clear on is that the OBS feed has to be the one that broadcasters can rely on. A lot of planning goes in to that.” The OBS is also responsible for the large server in the IBC that will record the games. In Beijing the server held about 1,500 hours of HD footage, with the rest in SD. But for London it will hold the complete games in HD.

Mason, formerly chief technical co-ordinator, international operations, at the BBC, points to a number of key challenges in producing the Games, which he has been preparing for since his appointment in 2009 as the first employee at OBS London.

“The scale is one aspect of it,” he says, explaining that a multi-sport event like the Olympics has to be pulled together and go through a single quality control process in the broadcast centre if it is not going to look like a series of separate OBs.



There are also multiple factors to take into account, such as negotiating with the Civil Aviation Authority and NATS to allow aerial coverage of the road races in a way that doesn’t interfere with air traffic at Heathrow, or working through LOCOG with Ofcom to ensure sufficient broadcast spectrum, which is always tight in a big city.

Then there are the broadcast innovations to consider, such as arranging for parallel 3d coverage of some events and super hi-definition coverage of others. This year the core coverage is also entirely in HD with 5.1 surround sound, and Mason points to a dramatic increase in the number of super slo-mo cameras which are now a crucial component in sports coverage.

The BBC’s coverage
Within the UK, the neutral OBS feed will then be taken by the rights holding broadcaster, the BBC, which will customise it specifically for British audiences.

Dave Gordon, the head of major events for BBC Sports, says: “There is a huge amount of customisation for the audience. We provide the commentary, the presentation, the interviews, the features, the context, the explanations, the graphics, the guides.” The BBC’s line-up for the 2012 Olympics will see Match of the Day presenter, Gary Lineker, anchoring BBC1’s primetime evening coverage, with Sue Barker in the late afternoon slot and Jake Humphrey, Hazel Irvine and Clare Balding in the studio to guide viewers through the day.

Gordon has worked at the BBC for 40 years, and London 2012 will be his tenth Olympics. He says his key priority is a “ruthless focus on our domestic audience.” And this year it means offering up every single session of every sport every day to viewers. No sport will be left without coverage.

Viewers will be able to watch up to 24 screens of sport every day, either on BBC1 or BBC3, on radio, online, on mobiles and on up to five red button screens. “We are going for this all embracing approach where it is all about what we offer on every platform and every device,” says Gordon.

In all, he estimates that the BBC will make 2,500 hours of sporting content available to viewers. By comparison, the BBC aired 300 hours of the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and used the red button for the first time at a summer Olympics in Athens in 2004.



Gordon acknowledges the added pressure of having the games in the BBC’s back yard. He says: “It is different because it is more multifaceted. There is more expectation so the offer is bigger. We are also doing a lot around the Olympics in terms of complementary programming as well as the torch relay and the cultural festival. There’s an enormous amount of extra content that we are making in the build up to the Games as well.”

He’s confident that the BBC team is on track to deliver its coverage, despite facing up to key challenges such as the move of the BBC Sports department to Salford during the lead up to the Olympics (although the core Olympics planning team remains in London). “We’ve a significant number of people who will have worked on Beijing, Athens and Sydney. We’re very lucky that we have a terrific team pulling it all together with lots of experience.”

The impact on UK production
London 2012 promises to have a huge impact on the UK production sector, creating a massive demand for experienced production staff and facilities before and during the Games.

A large number of international broadcasters will set up their own production operations for the Games, hiring in UK freelance crews, production facilities and OB trucks. In fact, the Games is such a big event that no single country can resource it on its own. Even China had to ship in OB trucks to cater for the Beijing Olympics.

Roger Mosey, the BBC’s director of London 2012, says: “We are finding people are booked three or four times already.” He adds that there is “a massive demand for skilled camera operators and technicians of all kinds,” and that OB truck availability is incredibly limited through the summer. There’s also likely to be a shortage of skilled engineering talent during the Games. “People who can engineer these big events are few and far between and are really at a premium.”

This sentiment is widely echoed elsewhere. Olly Wiggins, director of camera and crewing outfit S+O Media, thinks the Olympics will provide a major boost to the broadcast industry with a “huge demand” for kit and crew. “Of course some foreign broadcasters will bring their own personnel and equipment, but it’s not always feasible for productions to freight over everything.” Wiggins anticipates that “freelancers will be booked up pretty early and those with specialist skills will have a very productive month. I expect us to be very busy with pre-booked shoots and of course the last minute camera hires to UK and foreign crews.”

The Olympics is also likely to leave its mark on the industry, both in terms of an improved broadcast infrastructure around the Olympic Park and on the skills of UK production staff. Dave Gordon concludes: “The opportunity to work on such a major event will be a great legacy for this country’s technical talent. In terms of refreshing and recharging the industry in years to come, it is very good news.”



London 2012: the broadcast challenge
• An estimated 4bn people will watch the Games
• The host broadcaster, OBS, will provide 5,000 hours of core HD coverage to rights holding broadcasters
• OBS will capture the Olympics with 1,000 HD cameras, 50 OB trucks and 5,500 production staff
• The hub for the Olympics broadcast operation is the International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre, which will be the largest single broadcast production centre in the world for the duration of the Games. The IBC will host 20,000 broadcasters, photographers and journalists. Its 12,000sq m catering village will serve 50,000 meals a day. The steel frame of the IBC is big enough to house five jumbo jets placed wing tip to wing tip.
• London 2012 is set to be the first Olympics to be captured with a fully file-based, HD workflow. Many events will also be captured in 3d and some in super hi-definition.

London 2012: an Olympic production
Although the UK is hosting the Olympic Games, the core broadcast coverage is provided by Spanish company OBS, the Olympic Broadcast Service, which is run by events producer Manolo Ramero. As host broadcaster, it provides a ‘neutral’ feed  which is supplied to each country’s rights holding broadcasters, such as the BBC in the UK. The feed is then customised by the rights holding broadcasters, who add their own commentary and additional footage for their own audiences. The OBS hires various venue production teams from around the globe to produce coverage of certain sports, based on their expertise in covering the events. The following organisations are responsible for producing the footage of the London 2012 games.

OBS Teams – Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo, Modern Pentathlon - Swimming, Basketball, Equestrian, Fencing, Handball, Sailing, Shooting, Beach Volleyball, Wrestling
BBC – Boxing, Rowing, Canoe/Kayak - Sprint, Tennis, Football
YLE (Finland) – Opening/Closing Ceremonies, Athletics-Integrated/Track/Throws
SVT (Sweden) – Athletics-Jumps
SBS(Korea) – Archery, Taekwondo
Fuji TV (Japan) – Judo
TVE(Spain) – Canoe/Kayak - Slalom, Triathlon, Aquatics-Swimming Marathon
CCTV (China) – Modern Pentathlon, Badminton, Gymnastics, Table Tennis
NOS (the Netherlands) – Cycling-Road Race, Time Trial, Athletics-Walks/Marathon
STV (Slovakia) – Hockey
ICRT(Cuba) – Volleyball
ERT(Greece) – Weightlifting
VRT (Belgium) – Cycling (BMX, Track, Mountain Bike)

This article is taken from the January issue of Televisual magazine. See the magazine for a full interview with the BBC's head of London 2012, Roger Mosey

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/London-2012-the-broadcast-challenge_bid-317.htmlThu, 05 Jan 2012 12:33:17Jack Morton masterminds New Year firework display Hats off to Jack Morton Worldwide for creating the impressive Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve Firework Display this year.

It’s the eighth year in a row that brand experience agency Jack Morton - which came second in Televisual’s annual Corporate 50, our ranking of the top corporate production companies - has created the London New Year fireworks.



2012’s display was seen by millions of people on BBC1, and marked the arrival of the Olympic and Diamond Jubilee year for the capital with a historic first – the launching of fireworks from Big Ben.

The music soundtrack for the display was conceived by Jack Morton's creative director David Zolkwer and executive producer James Donald and produced in close collaboration with Radio 1’s DJ Nihal and producer Dan Mumford. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Jack-Morton-masterminds-New-Year-firework-display_bid-316.htmlWed, 04 Jan 2012 11:57:52Filming the Arab Spring Four top freelance cameramen and women reflect on how they covered 2011’s most seminal event - the Arab Spring. All four were winners or finalists in this year’s Rory Peck Awards (www.rorypecktrust.org)

Elizabeth Jones
I covered the first 10 days of the Egyptian protests from inside the HQ of the people who planned it – the April 6th Movement. I knew the news crews would be in Tahrir Square and I wanted a different take on the story. My biggest challenge was sleep deprivation, I was working alone with events happening 24 hours so I slept on the office floor with just a few blankets. I shot this story on a Z1. Al Jazeera wanted to air the film quickly (it was aired a few days after my return) so I was regularly sending tape rushes back to a crash edit in London. The pressure to be on top of what’s happening is constant.

Ahmed Bahaddou
I was in Libya from April until the end of the conflict.  Early on I met a rebel commando in the West who invited me on their mission to re-capture the village of Al Majabira so I travelled with them to the frontline on foot.  It was hard going physically, often walking 10 hours a day carrying 40 kilos of equipment. I shoot on a Panasonic 615 DVC Pro 25, which isn’t small, light or tapeless.  I was sending material daily to Associated Press, ingesting, editing and filing direct from the frontline via a Bgan satellite transmitter and receiver.  I’ve been doing this for 20 years and the pressure to turn things around quickly has increased dramatically.

Jason Parkinson
I was in Cairo during the first week of revolution in Egypt working alongside photographer Jess Hurd.  Within an hour of shooting on the first day – January 28th – we witnessed police using live shotgun rounds, firing blindly into clouds of tear gas. Because of this we were captured by the secret police. A senior officer took our camera memory cards then told us to leave, but we had switched the cards and walked away with cuts, bruises, a badly smashed knee, plus all our footage and stills.  On top of the day to day stuff, we also had the problem of the government closing down the internet and phones, but fortunately the Intercontinental hotel internet was running.

Abdallah Omeish
The first voice to broadcast from Libya last February was Mohammed Nabbous, a Benghazi citizen turned journalist who was broadcasting via Livestream.  I decided to go to Libya to film Mohammed and struggle to create the first independent Libyan satellite channel. We formed a close friendship as he underwent attacks from Gaddafi’s army. It was a never-ending roller coaster of highs and lows. On March 19th I got a phone call telling me that Mo had been shot and killed whilst out filming. That call changed everything about the film and it became the story of Mohammed Nabbous - an ordinary person who becomes extraordinary because of freedom.

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Filming-the-Arab-Spring_bid-315.htmlTue, 20 Dec 2011 09:20:53Interview: Sir David Attenborough on 3d After spending time with Sir David Attenborough, it’s hard to imagine that he will be 86 next May. At an age when most have long retired, he is still making and enthusing about programmes that are right at the cutting edge of television production.

Following on from his hugely acclaimed Frozen Planet, Attenborough’s next two projects are both in 3d. The Bachelor King 3d, which traces the journey of one King Penguin from awkward adolescent to adult, plays on Sky 3d this Christmas. Kew 3d, a series set in the Royal Botanic Gardens, is also in the works.

Both projects build on the success of the Bafta winning Flying Monsters 3d, which he made with Atlantic Productions. Bachelor King promises to be very different. “Flying Monsters got a lot of punch from cgi,” says Attenborough, speaking exclusively with Televisual just ahead of a Bafta preview screening of Bachelor King. “Well, there is no cgi in this, so we are taking the 3d one step further.”

The subject matter of the film was itself partly dictated by the restrictions that still hamper 3d shooting. “We learnt on Flying Monsters that having an immobile camera that takes four men to shift and forty minutes to change the lens is a huge problem.” Such a camera set up would be challenging for a natural history film where the traditional way of working, adds Attenborough with a smile, is “to crawl around keeping out of the way and, if you are lucky, to get close to some rare creature doing something unmentionable.”

So it was important to pick a subject that was “predictably there and that wasn’t going to run away,” says Attenborough, especially with a crew of 12 working on the programme at a cost of thousands of pounds a day. Attenborough suggested to his producer partner Anthony Geffen that filming take place in South Georgia, home to king penguins, three ton elephant seals and the biggest flying bird in the world, the albatross. “The marvellous thing about all three of them is that you could go at a time of year when they would all be there. And most of them, in fact all of them, would not be put off by a crew of 12.”

But is this enough to attract audiences who have just enjoyed Frozen Planet?  Attenborough practically leaps out of his seat as he explains why it is: “If you get elephant seals rearing up 8ft high and fighting one another, if you see an albatross set off with a 12ft wing span, if you see penguins – not just one of them but thousands of them receding into the distance, I assure you in 3d it is going to look good.”

Attenborough himself takes a realistic view about the future of the 3d format, which has been relentlessly hyped by set manufacturers as the next big thing but has so far failed to take off with the viewing public or be adopted as a distribution platform by many broadcasters. He believes 3d will be reserved for ‘important shows’ only, rather than everyday viewing. “I doubt whether news bulletins will be in 3d,” he says.

For the moment, it also remains hugely expensive to make 3d programmes. Technical problems hinder the format too, notably that 3d cameras can’t use very long lenses. “If you went to a natural history cameraman and said, ‘I want you to make a really spectacular, hard hitting natural history film but you are not allowed to use more than a 75mm lens,’ he would say you are mad. Because these days natural history filming is absolutely at the top level. Frozen Planet has raised the bar – you have to be as good as that and then go to 3d. You can’t be 50% lower than that and say it won’t matter because it is in three dimensions.”

But he does offer the following advice to would be 3d pioneers, bringing to bear his years of experience as a programme maker and also as a former controller of BBC2. “Let’s not forget that programmes are about subjects, narrative, plot and an intrinsic story. Don’t just say, ‘I am going to do a 3d programme about swings and roundabouts and skyrockets unless you have got a story.” He also urges programme makers to be disciplined about the use of 3d. “In Flying Monsters we didn’t allow anything to come out of the screen until the very last shot – and then wallop. But if you do it within the first two minutes and every five minutes, it doesn’t mean anything.”

Beyond all of his advice, however, it’s Attenborough’s passion for the format that is so striking. As he describes the making of his current project, Kew 3d, it becomes obvious why he is working in 3d at this stage of his career. “The trick of a flower bud opening in time lapse, which was invented in the 1920s, is always mesmerising. But in 3d it is simply breathtaking,” he says. “You can’t stop watching it. It is just unbelievably beautiful in three dimensions. When we got the first time lapse back of flowers it was just wonderful. We were all sitting there looking at it in the cutting room and our jaws were just sagging at how beautiful it was.”

CV
1952 Joins the BBC in the Television Talks Department
1954 Launches Zoo Quest
1965 Controller of BBC2
1969 BBC director of programmes
1973 Returns to programme making
1979 Writes and presents the 13-part 
Life on Earth
1984 The Living Planet
1985 Knighted
1990 The Trials of Life
1993 Life in the Freezer
1995 The Private 
Life of Plants
1998 The Life of Birds
2001 The Blue Planet
2002 The Life of Mammals
2005 Life in the Undergrowth
2006 Planet Earth
2008 Life in Cold Blood
2009 Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life
2010 Flying Monsters 3d





Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Interview-Sir-David-Attenborough-on-3d_bid-314.htmlMon, 19 Dec 2011 11:22:392011: recapping on a remarkable year for TV What a year. 2011 has been marked by a series of momentous events that have played out on screen – from the Japanese Tsunami, the Arab Spring uprisings, the killing of Colonel Gaddafi, the London riots, the Royal Wedding to the European debt crisis.

And often these key events have been about the TV industry itself. In a year of big stories, one of the biggest has been the fall out from the phone hacking scandal at the News of the World, which scuppered Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp bid to takeover BSkyB.

The hacking story effectively overshadowed the year’s other big TV industry story – the cutbacks at the BBC which will see 2000 jobs go, budgets trimmed and BBC3 move up to Salford. It also clouded Sky’s significant announcement that it was planning to double its investment in British TV content to £600m by 2014.

Perhaps bolstered by so many historic world events, it’s been a good year for television in terms of bums on seats. An early look at Barb data shows that 2011 is running neck and neck with 2010, when average weekly viewing figures were at a decade high with viewers watching just over 4 hours a day. The theory that people stay in and watch more television during difficult economic times looks increasingly true.

TELEVISION ON A GRAND SCALE
Once again, one of the key drivers of this viewing growth has been audience appetite for shows with scale –  the ‘event TV’ phenomenon. Big budget entertainment series like The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, I’m A Celebrity and Britain’s Got Talent have, of course, been big for many years. And they are retaining their popularity, despite wobbles for The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent this year.

But it is not just entertainment. Across drama, factual and news, TV has proved its ability to bring the nation together at the same time. The second series of Downton Abbey, for example, bowed out in November with over 10m viewers – the largest audience for a TV drama in a decade. “Downton Abbey has given us back that cosy Sunday evening viewing we remember from our childhood,” says Spun Gold md Nick Bullen. “On a broader level it’s got the nation talking in the same way that Dallas gripped us 30 years ago.”



ITV director of television Peter Fincham says the renewed success of Downton raises a wider point for the TV industry in 2011. “We have had a particularly good year in drama – and that requires significant investment. It shows that if you want a mainstream channel, you have got to invest – you have got to keep a schedule of original programmes in front of an audience.”

Factual has also proved to be a surprising draw. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding scored 8.7m viewers in February for Channel 4, its highest rating since Big Brother in 2008.

Channel 4 chief creative officer Jay Hunt says 2011 was the year when “baking hit the big time and global warming became watchable in Frozen Planet.” Indeed, The Great British Bake Off was perhaps the year’s most surprising hit, peaking at 5.2m for BBC2. It’s also been a strong year for constructed reality with The Only Way is Essex and Made in Chelsea fighting for newspaper column inches. “Both have raised all sorts of interesting questions about how you can get a narrative feel into a schedule without commissioning conventional scripted drama,” says Hunt.

Then, of course, there was the year’s biggest rating event, the Royal Wedding, which peaked at 26.2m viewers across all channels.



Such impressive ratings suggest that mainstream television is more than holding on to its own in the face of increased competition for viewers from social media or video on demand. In fact, ITV director of programmes Peter Fincham says viewers are using the rapid advances in technology simply to watch more television programmes. “There’s been a huge growth of iPlayer and ITVPlayer time shifted viewing,” he says “And yet there’s a strong sense that linear schedules and a wide range of channels that show range of well made, well funded programmes are not losing their appeal.”

TV LEARNS TO LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA
Many believe that 2011 is the year that TV learned to work with new technology, particularly social media, rather than fear it. Says C4’s Jay Hunt: “I think factual TV as event has come of age, often helped by audience interaction on Twitter. Stand out moments for me included Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s Last Secret and Hippo: Wild Feast Live which both brought in large young audiences and trended on Twitter.”

Hunt’s point is echoed by Twofour managing director, Melanie Leach, who says that new technology has really started to influence the shows that the indie makes. “It’s pretty unusual for us to be developing shows for C4 that don’t have lots of second screen applications,” she says. “Lots of people are in this space, so I imagine there will be quite a glut of new shows next year where the audience are really heavily involved.”

Leach adds that Twitter is also influencing the way programme makers think about their shows, citing Twofour’s well received documentary series Educating Essex. “The influence of Twitter and the way it trended on Twitter was extraordinary – it was really important for us as programme makers. For the first time we could see the nationwide conversation that our audience is having with the show.”



The other big technology trend to affect television has been the ongoing rise of user generated content. As the quality from camcorders and mobile phones has continued to improve, it’s led to more and more broadcasters making use of UGC this year.

In many cases UGC has underpinned the coverage of the big events of the year, says Tom Brisley, creative director of Arrow Media, offering an immediate and raw window into breaking stories, capturing unfolding events as they happen. The last moments of Colonel Gaddafi were captured on a mobile phone camera, and broadcast around the world. The full horror of the Japanese Tsunami was revealed by UGC. And UGC played an important role in revealing the scale of the London riots.

Advances in camera technology have also led to the emergence of ever more ambitious rig shows that appeared on screen in 2011, such as 24 Hours in A&E, Educating Essex and Seven Dwarves. Meanwhile, the much hyped 3d boom failed to take off – but David Attenborough’s Flying Monsters 3d did win the very first Bafta award for a 3d show.

IT’S THE ECONOMY
Business for both broadcasters and producers has been tough but, somewhat surprisingly, better than expected this year – despite the gloomy economic backdrop of the European debt crisis.
Perhaps that’s because business could only get better after the savage cuts that the broadcast industry experienced in 2009.

Producers say that commercial broadcasters, buoyed by an unexpectedly resilient advertising market, have been spending again this year, looking to stock up on new shows. ITV, for example, recently posted good interim results, showing revenues up 4% to £1.5bn for the first nine months of the year. It also added that ad revenue was up 2%.

Channel 4 has been very much back in the market, with slots to fill post Big Brother and is working with a broader range of indies.

Sky, meanwhile, has emerged as a real production force thanks to its pledge to commission more UK shows. Sky One is starting to become must watch, with shows such as League of their Own and An Idiot Abroad giving it a much clearer identity.



Discovery, with former C4 boss Julian Bellamy at the helm, is gearing up its production ambitions in the UK. Channel 5 also feels like it finally has a clearer direction and more opportunity for producers after raising its profile with the acquisition of Big Brother this year.

David Granger, md of Made in Chelsea producer Monkey, believes the climate has improved dramatically from the year before. “There are far more commissioning opportunities across all channels,” he says.

Arrow Media’s Tom Brisley echoes this, highlighting that British producers are looking ever more outwards for commissions and financing, particularly to the US: “The factual world has been more buoyant over the past year. Both at home and in the US, broadcasters are ramping up their factual output, and ‘scale’ is the buzz word.”

Billy Macqueen, joint md of Baby Jake and Pet Squad producer Darrall Macqueen, adds: “Like many UK indies, international sales are key to our future and 2011 has shown that overseas broadcasters are hungry for well-made and original UK content – a promising sign not just for us, but for the industry as a whole.”

But, amid the positives, it’s worth reflecting that business remains very challenging. Spun Gold’s Nick Bullen speaks for many when he says the past year has been ‘very tough’ for independent producers. “Available slots are becoming few and far between, margins are being squeezed from all sides and broadcasters’ expectations do not always match their budgets.”

Peter Fincham agrees that there are likely to be challenging times ahead: “The wider economy is in a scary place. I wouldn’t be so foolish to say that it doesn’t affect television – of course it does.” On a positive note, he  argues that the appetite for television seems to be enduring and growing, noting that people are still buying large numbers of TVs. “Compared to 2009, in the wake of the  financial crisis in autumn 2008, there was a sense of, ‘Oh gosh, where will this end, will budgets hold up and will people cut their way through recession?’ We end 2011 with all the main broadcasters committed to investment. In the case of Sky you see a broadcaster committed to a substantially larger investment. And that’s because if you want an audience, you have to invest in content. There is no short cut to getting an audience.”

A better than expected year for production has also translated over to post-production. The shrinking budgets and difficult climate of recent years forced post houses to focus on tightening up their offer to clients, and to look at ways of ensuring a solid, sustainable future. “A lot of management time goes in to saying, ‘Right, what’s next,’ says Prime Focus UK md Simon Briggs. “The recession made smart people smart again. The challenge to business over the last few years has made everyone think hard about how to be successful.”



And success can come from surprising places. One of the year’s big success stories was Danish import The Killing on BBC4. A 20 hour foreign language drama series that demanded very close attention across many weeks, it proves that viewers still want to sit down in front of the television and watch something with range depth and substance as much as they ever did.

It’s success, thinks ITV’s Peter Fincham, should be noted by everyone in television. “You don’t stand out from the crowd by being small in the modern world,” he concludes.





Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/2011-recapping-on-a-remarkable-year-for-TV_bid-313.htmlTue, 13 Dec 2011 11:59:42The growth of Discovery in the UK Discovery has become an increasingly important source of commissions for UK factual producers in recent years, helping in some part to make up for the decline in orders from the terrestrials since the downturn.

In fact, its UK commissions have grown by 50% over the past year, according to Dee Forbes, president and managing director of Discovery Networks Western Europe (pictured).

Speaking at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today, Forbes stressed the importance of the UK market to Discovery, saying that it employed 770 people at its Chiswick Park HQ and invested over £200m a year in content and staff in the UK. “London is the most important hub outside the US,” said Forbes. “We work with over 70 production companies in the UK, and we want to work with more and more.”

Discovery recently hired former C4 head of programmes Julian Bellamy to spearhead growth in its international commissions, and several of his new shows are set to be announced this week. The broadcaster has just signed exclusive deals with Freddie Flintoff and James Cracknell to front documentaries next year.

The broadcaster operates 17 channel brands, from the male squewed Discovery Channel to the female aimed TLC which is currently rolling out around Europe.

The target audience of the Discovery Channel is, according to Forbes, known as “Discovery Man”.

Usually in his early forties, he’s married and has children and is ‘comfortably constrained’ in terms of his life. Whereas he might have spent time in the pub with his friends when younger, and is four times as likely to have owned a motorbike, he is now ‘happy with his lot’ at home but still has a thirst for life and experience.

Forbes said onscreen talent was increasingly important to help attract ‘Discovery Man’ to shows as well increasing co-viewing with his female partner, citing recent series Alone in the Wild featuring the likes of Freddie Flintoff and Joe Pasquale.

Fast turnaround docs on subjects such as the Norway massacre, the Haiti earthquake and the Japanese tsunami are also increasingly being commissioned. Discovery’s factual output, she said, had become more about entertainment and people - it’s now “more active and participatory.”

She said Discovery’s business in Europe had performed well this year, although there were signs of a dip in the ad market in the fourth quarter in the UK.

30% of Discovery’s international revenues come from advertising, and 70% from subscriptions. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-growth-of-Discovery-in-the-UK_bid-311.htmlWed, 26 Oct 2011 15:59:43Filmmaking in the fourth dimension If you thought that 3d was the next big thing, think again. Apparently 4d is now where it’s at. Tim Dams on the making of a 4d film that comes with its own smell, rain and snow

Blackpool’s legendary Tower reopened this autumn after a 10 month restoration programme, part of a £20m regeneration of the holiday resort.

Key to this revamp is a new 4d experience film shown to visitors ahead of their ascent to the top of the tower. A 4d film? Well, it’s essentially a 3d film shown in a specially constructed cinema that allows physical effects such as snow, rain, smells and a vibrating floor.

The film, made by Sharp Cookies, was commissioned by Merlin Entertainments Group, owner of the Blackpool Tower as well as Tussauds, Sea Life, Alton Towers and The London Eye.

Sharp Cookies’ film tell the story of the Tower and showcases Blackpool itself. It centres on a young boy obsessed with flying, allowing the filmmakers to make the most of the panoramic views from the tower.

Even before production began, though, the team hit a major challenge. All the main locations were being renovated, making them unfilmable. Director Michael Hall recalls: “The tower was covered in scaffolding, the promenade was being re-modelled and the tram lines dug up.” So all external shots of the Tower, promenade and illuminations had to be created digitally. Many of the shots were created in a green-screen environment at Black Island Studios in London. These were complemented by internal shots filmed in Blackpool, including scenes in the Tower Ball Room and Tower Circus as well as aerial sequences featuring the landscape around the Tower.



All this, of course, had to be done in 3d. David Cox, the project’s stereographer and post production supervisor, says: “3d can be used subtly to allow the audience a window onto another world, or it can be used more immersively by directly involving them in the action. Generally, a drama feature film would use the former, but an experience film such as this needs to be more engaging from a 3d perspective.”

The shooting kit consisted of a pair of RED MX cameras, an Element Technica 3d rig, a playback and data handling station as well as suitable 3D test and viewing monitors, all supplied by On Sight.

Two sets were built in the green screen studio, including a full-scale section of the Blackpool tower. By using both the live action from this set and cgi elements, a sequence depicting how the tower was built was created, featuring workers building the tower with hand tools and hot rivets. A game of beach-ball was also filmed in the green screen studio, and later set against the Blackpool beach. Also a donkey was filmed and placed in a similar location, the donkey being a key trigger for one of the 4d effects – smell. In all, the green screen element of the shoot took seven days.



Then, the unit transferred to Blackpool for two days of filming. The final element was to shoot the aerial sequences, which were filmed in 3d with a stereo rig attached to a helicopter. While the editing was underway, so too was the creation of the cgi elements by Splitt Ltd. Key shots included the essential opening sequence, which starts with a straight down view of the tower so that the top of the tower provides a big 3d hit by appearing to stand out of the screen. Immediately after, the camera follows a seagull as it drops vertically down the side of the tower, across the promenade just missing a tram and then out to sea. This entire sequence including the bird, sea, tram, promenade and people on it were all generated in cg by Splitt.

Once the edit began to take shape, Cox began completing the special effects work on the shots. Post production included green screen composites, set extensions, ageing of material, colour grading, sky replacements and graphic design. All of this was done in a single Mistika suite over about six weeks.

About a week before the public opening, the final pictures and 7.1 surround sound mix were handed over to Austrian company Kraftwerk, who were responsible for installing the 4d effects, including snow, smoke, wind, rain, aroma, vibration and lights. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Filmmaking-in-the-fourth-dimension_bid-310.htmlWed, 26 Oct 2011 10:23:18Which docs define 2011? Which documentaries stand out from the crowd so far this year? Ahead of a keynote debate at this week's Televisual Factual Festival on the art of docs, four nominees and trustees of the Grierson documentary prizes offer up their view on the best films of 2011

Morgan Matthews, Minnow Films
In 2011, 10 years after Allied troops entered Afghanistan, Armadillo, one of the greatest war films of all time, was released in British cinemas. It’s an utterly compelling portrait of men at war. 2011 is a year of note for other big screen docs, such as James Marsh’s captivating Project Nim and Asif Kapadia’s Senna. On TV, 2011 is the year of profound docs focusing on the medical world, with particular attention to the moral and ethical issues around life and death. Charlie Russell’s Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die, Nick Holt’s Between Life and Death and Amy Flanagan and team’s 24 Hours in A&E were all fantastic, moving and meaningful.

Simon Dickson, Dragonfly
Three shows stand out. C4’s 24 Hours in A&E brought emotional resonance to a sub-genre habitually mired in cliché. Our War doubled BBC3’s audience share by respecting the intelligence of its young and curious viewers. But it was Big Fat Gypsy Weddings that did what docs are supposed to do: tell it like it is. Passed over by BAFTA in favour of more traditional, lower-rating docs, purists thumbed their noses at this unimaginably successful mega-hit. The audience sure didn’t. The good news is that docs on all channels are rating their socks off again, as producers shake off the cinema-doc self-indulgence of the mid-noughties. Surely that’s cause for a big fat celebration.

Rachel Wexler, Bungalow Town
Poor Kids was a great documentary and the kind of film that is not often seen on British TV. The programme shone a light on the issue of child poverty by solely focusing on the testimony of children. It really allowed us to gain insight into the surprising and unobvious day to day problems that these kids encounter. I imagine the film was very hard to make and the access and trust they gained with their contributors was amazing. The programme was hugely emotive without being sensationalist or sentimental. There was a massive public response and in my opinion it represents the very best of British domestic documentary.

Christopher Hird, Dartmouth Films
Three achievements against the odds: Abuelas (Grandmothers), a nine minute animation by NFTS student Afarin Eghbal about the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. I saw it at the Quadrangle Film Festival and it reduced me to tears. Calvet, Dominic Allen’s feature documentary about former abused street kid and underground thug Jean Marc Calvet, now a successful artist coming to terms with his past, searching for the son he abandoned. It’s bold: Calvet’s is the only voice in the film. Beeban Kidron’s Sex, Death and the Gods, the story of India’s Devadasi – young girls married to the gods and then turned into sex slaves: subtle, sympathetic and surprising. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Which-docs-define-2011_bid-309.htmlTue, 18 Oct 2011 14:20:39Beyond Bin Laden TV Al Jazeera English has ramped up its documentary output since hiring Oscar winning filmmaker Jon Blair to oversee a raft of singles and series. He talks about making docs the Al Jazeera way

Like many Brits, Jon Blair (pictured) was, until recently, aware of Al Jazeera English but had not really watched it. Now, however, Blair finds himself in charge of the channel’s burgeoning and acclaimed documentary output.

Rather like the Arab Spring that shot Al Jazeera English to prominence, it all happened very quickly. A veteran filmmaker, who won an Oscar for his doc Anne Frank Remembered, Blair was phoned out of the blue by Al Jazeera English director of programmes Paul Eedle last autumn. Eedle, who had admired Blair’s series The Age of Terror, subsequently hired Blair to help Al Jazeera get documentaries made.

It’s turned out to be a fortuitous move for Blair. Not only did his arrival coincide with The Arab Spring, but the very first film he steered through, Damian Clarke’s Tunisia - The Death of Fear, made it onto the longlist for the Grierson Documentary Awards.

In recent months Blair has greenlit films on 9/11, a six-hour ob doc set inside an Indian hospital, a 16-hour series on the history of the Arab world since Napoleon, a Rageh Omaar series on modern slavery and has launched doc strand Al Jazeera Correspondent.

“Most people think Al Jazeera is just a news channel,” says Blair. In fact, only 60% of its output is news – the rest is for more traditional programming, including doc series and singles which fall under Blair’s remit. “That’s a heck of a lot of original commissions,” says Blair.

They reach a lot of viewers too - Al Jazeera English is available in 250m households globally. Docs on Al Jazeera differ, however, to those on, say, the BBC and ITV, says Blair. They are not made through the prism of a British audience. “You have to totally rethink what your eyeline is. With an Al Jazeera audience you cannot use the word ‘we’. There is no such thing when it comes to a global audience of 250m."

Moreover Blair doesn’t expect his films to be as heavily formatted as, say, Discovery docs. He points to Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark (pictured above), made by May Welsh, who went undercover to record the smashing of the Bahrainian spring. “It’s a stunning film,” he says.

Budgets, he admits, are tight. "But there are no compromises editorially or in terms of quality." Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Beyond-Bin-Laden-TV_bid-308.htmlFri, 14 Oct 2011 10:26:10Week to go until the Televisual Factual Festival There’s just a week to go until the Televisual Factual Festival at Bafta, now in its sixth year.

Over fifty speakers will be taking part at this year’s festival, including BBC2 controller Janice Hadlow and Sky1 controller Stuart Murphy, as well as most of the leading documentary commissioners and producers in the UK today.

The two-day programme (19-20 October) includes four Meet The Commissioner sessions, where all the UK’s leading commissioning editors in documentary, formats and features, specialist factual and from digital channels will outline their programming wishlists.

There’s also sessions on raising finance for factual shows, on compliance, cross platform, co-production and making programmes for the US and international markets.

Two sessions, The Future of Factual and The Art of the Documentary, also higlight the latest trends in factual and debate the future for the genre.

A few tickets are still available for the festival. See www.televisual.com/festival for full details. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Week-to-go-until-the-Televisual-Factual-Festival-_bid-306.htmlWed, 12 Oct 2011 12:18:03Full Production 100 survey now online Televisual’s Production 100, our exclusive annual survey of the independent TV production sector, is now available to read in its entirety online.

Published in our September issue, the survey includes a round up of the top 100 independent production companies in the UK, including full contact details, financial info and a list of recent commissions.

There’s also lots of background about the state of indie sector and the outlook for the year ahead, with features on indies’ favourite and least favourite broadcasters, a peer poll of the most highly regarded indies and a piece about producers’ favourite distributors.

You can read the full survey here. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Full-Production-100-survey-now-online_bid-303.htmlMon, 10 Oct 2011 16:17:46Mipcom review: TV turns a blind eye to the financial crisis There was plenty of concern going into this year’s Mipcom that business would be poor, with programme sales and co-pro deals adversely affected by the parlous state of the global economy.

In the end, however, the market proved to be surprisingly good for the majority of TV buyers, sellers and producers in Cannes, despite daily headlines about a likely Greek default and crisis in the Eurozone running in the background.

The market seemed busy, and the unusually hot weather for October in the South of France helped add to the sense of positivity.

"The TV world currently seems to be either oblivious or turning a blind eye to the Greeks, which is good news. We haven’t noticed a particular level of caution at this market at all. The stand and boat have been heaving, and attendance has been high," said Jane Millichip, md of Zodiak Rights.

In fact, there was something of a Blitz spirit about the market, with buyers and sellers determined to carry on as usual despite the economy.

FremantleMedia chief executive Tony Cohen said: "The economic climate is threatening. But we have been through this once before in recent times, so I guess everyone knows what to do and what is likely to happen. We are now a bit better organised and prepared perhaps. Everybody needs programmes - and we have got them."

The majority of business at Mipcom is for finished programmes, but format sales seemed notably brisk and stretched beyond the traditional sale of formats to big territories such as the US. Zodiak, for example, sold the Wife Swap format to South Korea and struck a couple format deals in Turkey.

Banijay International md Karoline Spodsberg added: "There's been a buoyancy about Mipcom 2011 which has been lacking in the previous two markets. We've noticed a more up beat outlook from broadcasters who are keen to find strong entertainment formats to reinvigorate their channel brands."

It's a point echoed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment md Maria Kyriacou: "Our focus on dramas which showcase fantastic acting and writing talent and formats which are relevant to global audiences set us up well for a good Mipcom. We've had an extremely positive market, great story telling will always sell and this week has been no exception.”

As always, it felt like there was a real mix of business being done at Mipcom, with the US studios out in force in their vast beachside stands right through to individual producers hawking one off docs around the Palais.

Electric Sky md David Pounds comments: "Mipcom seemed to have fewer people attending, but those that did attend seemed to be decision makers and keen to do business. There was little reflection of the global economic gloom and business was very much as usual if not buoyant. We agreed deals across a broad range of territories and platforms. Buyers seemed to be prepared to buy at premium rates even for shorter licence periods if they know the content will work. The understanding and sharing of what works and what doesn't is much more clearly defined."

Quite what happens now that the TV business has left the Mipcom bubble, few can say. But, notes Zodiak's Jane Millichip, there doesn’t seem to be too much caution around. "In fact, there was none at this market. But I think that businesses feel that there is nothing they can do about it other than plough on right now." Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Mipcom-review-TV-turns-a-blind-eye-to-the-financial-crisis_bid-302.htmlFri, 07 Oct 2011 10:49:34Top tips for a trip to Mipcom Next week's Mipcom programme market isn't just attended by the global giants of the TV business, but by hundreds of smaller production companies. Here five companies, based out of Pact's UK Indies stand, give their top tips for the making the most of the market.

Tim Sparke, Mercury Media
Why do you go to Mipcom? Because it is the best place to have focussed meetings with clients eager to license Mecury's films and series.
What are you selling? 15 new documentary films from award-winning directors, a weekly series about trends on the internet and in social media which starts in Jan 2012, a three part series in production for the BBC about Edinburgh Castle. Our catalogue of 80+ films, and our new state of the art VOD/Connected platform technology.
Who are you meeting? We have 120 appointments with buyers from all the top public service and commercial broadcasters.
What do you hope to achieve at Mipcom? Our 2012 revenue budget, a re-positioned brand.
How much does the trip cost? Less than £10k for four attendees all in.
What are your top tips for making the most of the market? Prepare each meeting beforehand and listen to what your client is saying. Be unique - don't get drunk, sleep with anyone, or buy a round of drinks in the Grand. The consequences of each can be costly, taken together they can be ruinous. Go to bed early, get up early and take a meditative walk along the Croisette each day - the exercise will help you perform at your best. Don't be pushy, rude or obnoxious, you're a guest, not a tourist, and remember at least once a day especially when someone around you is losing it, what a privilege it is to be working in our industry.
Favourite restaurant? La Cave - it's a wine-shop with a restaurant attached.
Best place to do business? On the terrace of Lerins Hall looking out onto the harbour at the end of the day.
Where do you stay? In a clean cheerful 2-star five mins from the Palais.


Rod Rodrigo, IMC Vision
What do you hope to achieve at Mipcom? With almost daily jitters in the financial markets today, the palette of territories from which you draw your sales has become very unstable. Some territories which may have performed in the past are taking a back seat while other territories step up to the mark. Mipcom this year is about keep abreast of these trends. We are also looking for more content.
How much does the trip cost? Too much! Our market spend is a substantial amount of money for what could be an apparently non tangible benefit especially if deals are not closed at the market itself. The question is, can we achieve the same with one to one client meetings in their own territories rather than at a market like Mipcom. The jury is still out.
What are your top tips for making the most of the market? Planning, planning, planning. Most buyers’ schedules get pretty full up early on and leaving it for a “drop by” or “passing trade” these days is a risk you shouldn’t take. Also, networking ROCKS! Even if you hate late nights and slightly warm Cote de Provence at extortionate prices, stay up. Be seen. You need to build your personal profile so that people know who you are. If that means playing the piano at the Grand Hotel bar at 3.00am then that’s what you have to do! The old saying “people buy people” is so true. And wear comfortable shoes.
Favourite restaurant? Jardin Bambou – probably the greatest Chinese in Europe. If you want to impress? The old town.
Best place to do business? Grand Hotel Bar. 7.30pm or later. You will be amazed at what gets talked about at night. But I guess the signing is always done on stand in the Palais, so I would have to say your stand should be your home sweet home for the week!
Where do you stay? Le Flea Pit. I guess if your room has running water and a bed, you are lucky in Cannes. This is one of my greatest bug bears. I would be quite happy with a Premier Inn standard room... at Premier Inn prices. The problem is that Cannes has got a captive market and they don’t really live in the real world. We have thought about staying out of Cannes, which is considerably cheaper, but then if you are entertaining and networking, it becomes very inconvenient and expensive in cab fares...


Christian Baute, Headline Pictures
Why do you go to Mipcom? Mipcom is the best place to meet international producers and production companies under one roof. It’s always so much better to meet people face to face. Some of our most fruitful professional relationships were born and blossomed in the Palais.
What are you selling/pitching/buying there? This year we will be looking for partners for our returning drama series The Drivers, a story set on and around the European racetracks of the 1950s, written by Michael Hirst (The Tudors, Camelot) and co-produced with Scott Free and Sennet Entertainment. We are also looking for partners for a series adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s wonderful alternate history novel The Man in the High Castle, written by Howard Brenton (Spooks) and developed with the BBC and Scott Free.
Who are you meeting? This year we are meeting AMC, TCM, RTL Television, ProSieben Sat1, Bavaria, Telepool, TF1, M6 and Sky Italia amongst others.
What do you hope to achieve at Mipcom? We hope to strengthen relationships with our existing international contacts, and of course make many new ones!
How much does the trip cost? This year we expect it to cost around £6,200.
What are your top tips for making the most of the market? Before heading to France we make sure we read all the international trades – Televisual, C21, the Hollywood Reporter etc – to see what other companies have got in the works. We don’t arrange meetings just for the sake of it, and we try and make sure we’re meeting the most appropriate contact at each company. It’s also a good idea to leave half an hour between meetings to avoid rushing.
Favourite restaurant? Coquillages Brun, Angle 2 rue Louis Blanc et 27 rue Félix Faure, Cannes.
Best place to do business? Hotel Majestic, 10 La Croisette.
Where do you stay? We usually rent a villa in Le Cannet for some peace and quiet!


Olivier Lauchenauer, Pogo Films
Why do you go to Mipcom? To sell our Stereo 3D Broadcast and Blu-ray/VOD content for the world market.
What are you selling/pitching/buying there? We have about 12 hours of Stereo 3d broadcast content. Although Electric Sky represent us and are out there with their own stand we find additional contacts and meet content distributors to have a better feel of the market and its needs.
Who are you meeting? As 3d is still in its infancy it's any 3d broadcaster.
What do you hope to achieve at Mipcom? Sell our content to the worldwide market and develop relationships with broadcasters and content producers.
How much does the trip cost? Between £3-4k.
What are your top tips for making the most of the market? Don't just make one trip, it takes time to develop contacts and relationships.
Favourite restaurant? The Splendid by the railway station. Cheap and cheerful.
Best place to do business? On the stand.
Where do you stay? In a rented flat.


Colin Williams, Sixteen South
Why do you go to Mipcom? We go to pitch our new properties to international broadcasters and to meet potential co-production partners and financiers from all over the world. We work in children’s – and it’s one of the two major markets every year where everyone we want to meet are in the same place!
What are you selling/pitching/buying there? We’re at Mip this year to pitch two new pre-school properties for the international marketplace – a mixed media animation called Driftwood Bay and an innovative outdoors puppet show called WonderWoods.
Who are you meeting? We’re pitching to broadcasters from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, France, UAE, China and Ireland. We are also meeting with potential co-production partners from all these countries. And lots of old friends and partners too!
What do you hope to achieve at Mipcom? Our goal is to sell our shows to broadcasters. However we’re also building new relationships and strengthening our existing relationships too. We want to continue to promote SixteenSouth as not just a creator of high quality content but also a potential co-producer. We’re on the look out too for exciting new projects that we could get involved in - last year’s Mip was where we began our discussions to co-produce Big and Small season 3 for CBeebies and Pajanimals with The Jim Henson Company for Sprout.
How much does the trip cost? We will spend around £7k.
What are your top tips for making the most of the market?
- Make sure you have a great pitch and bible.
- Plan your meetings well in advance.
- Be strategic about who you meet and research their work.
- Be open to discovering new opportunities you may not have thought about.
- If you plan on any leave behinds after a meeting use a USB key rather than paper – less likely to get left behind in the hotel!
Favourite restaurant? Cookies and Coffee for Breakfast La Pizza for Dinner.
Best place to do business? The networking lounge is good but make sure you book a table. We love meetings in Café Roma and the many bars and lobbies along the Croisette.
Where do you stay? We usually book an apartment close to the palais. Total Comments: 2 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Top-tips-for-a-trip-to-Mipcom_bid-301.htmlWed, 28 Sep 2011 11:19:28Poll: TV indies' favourite distributors In Televisual's survey of the leading independent television production companies, the Production 100, we also asked those same indies to name their favourite distribution partners...

Indie producers now rely more heavily than ever on distributors, both to plug programme budget shortfalls with distribution advances and to bolster income with international sales of completed shows. As this year's Production 100 reveals, the average indie derived 11.6% of its total turnover from rights exploitation.

Most of the larger superindies have their own inhouse distribution outfits to sell their programmes around the world and to secondary UK broadcasters. But mid-sized and smaller indies tend to work with a variety of distributors. As part of the Production 100, we asked indies which distributors they used – and also to tell us which companies they rated and to explain their thinking.



Once again, BBC Worldwide came out top in both cases – it gets the highest number of "most used" and "rated" votes. The corporation's commercial division is rated for its "strong marketing and acquisition teams" and for being "collaborative". Indies like the fact that it has "global reach and sales offices in territories." Moreover, BBC Worldwide is regarded as "willing to contribute to budgets and find co-production partners". Says one producer: "They put in hefty advances for the right project and they do bring in the money." Another indie backs this comment up, saying BBC Worldwide offers the "best advances/investment in projects that require it." BBC Worldwide is also "especially good for sales on UK secondary windows and other BBC satellite channels."

Next up is Zodiak, formerly known as RDF Rights. Factual producers particularly like the distributor, with one citing its "strong grasp of the factual market and its truly global reach." Zodiak "knows the market well and is genuinely excited about factual," says one indie, with another adding: "Zodiak Rights is keen, hardworking and responsive - it works with producers to make shows happen." Several indies are impressed by Zodiak's "clear reporting feedback on projects and market intelligence". The distributor, says one producer, offers "regular reporting and a good online system to check on the progress of sales."

ITV Studios Global Entertainment comes third in the most used distributor rankings. "ITV Global has a strong hold of the market and they get the most value for finished tape sales," reports one producer. Another values the distributor for being "truly international, its attention to client contact and its involvement from the early stages of a project."



Outright Distribution, now part of Warner Bros International TV Production, is next. According to one indie, it gives "a very good service in programme sales and is always eager to communicate its market knowledge and to hear what we have coming up in our pipeline", while another producer mentions the "impressive team of Chris Bonney, Claudia Danser and Andy Zein means great strategic communication with indies, aggressive and dynamic sales and they feel like a real part of the team."

Fifth place is shared by Passion Distribution, DRG and Target Entertainment. Passion Distribution is picked out for "really knowing how to make programmes stand out in the market place" with its chief executive Sally Miles cited by several indies. One says: "Sally Miles is an outstanding figure in the industry working hard and passionately for the production companies she represents."

DRG, meanwhile is rated for being "independent from any production companies" and it has a "responsive, fast and great sales team". Another indie adds: "We have a genuine relationship with them."
And Target Entertainment is picked out for being "professional and efficient at placing our programmes around the world."

Three companies share eighth place: DCD Rights, Endemol Worldwide Distribution and Fremantle Media Enterprises. Indie feedback on the three companies is as follows: DCD Rights is "proactive and works hard for us"; Endemol Worldwide Distribution is "astute and delivers with the right properties"; and Fremantle Media Enterprises has a "good sales team" and "moves fast in the international market."

Other distributors, notably All3Media and Cineflix, score highly in the 'most rated' categories. All3Media, for example, is "proactive, commercial, enthusiastic and responsive" and has a "precise, clear and clever leader in Louise Pedersen." And Cineflix "has been very good at following up on smaller territories and getting back rights to redistribute to a new market", according to one indie, with another saying it "knows the market well and is genuinely excited about factual programming."
Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Poll-TV-indies-favourite-distributors-_bid-300.htmlWed, 28 Sep 2011 10:24:47Production 100: the state of indies in 2011 After three years of downturn, many indies say business has improved dramatically over the last 12 months. But with clouds gathering again over the global economy, can this brief revival of fortunes last?

The headline theme to emerge from Televisual’s 18th annual Production 100 survey is, for a change, rather positive: after three years of enduring the TV downturn that followed the credit crunch of 2008, many indies say that business has improved over the last 12 months.

Of course, business remains tough and incredibly competitive for independent producers. Budgets are continuing to fall, even though broadcasters expect production standards to be as high as ever.

But there’s a distinct change in mood among many indies, and it’s for the better. The reason is straightforward. Broadcasters have been commissioning more shows, buoyed by improved ad revenues. Channel 4 is very much back in the market, with slots to fill post Big Brother and is working with a broader range of indies. Sky has emerged as a real production force. And Discovery, with former C4 boss Julian Bellamy at the helm, is gearing up its production ambitions in the UK.

David Granger, md of Made In Chelsea producer Monkey, believes the climate has “improved dramatically” from the year before. “There are far more commissioning opportunities across all channels,” he says.

Debbie Vertue, general manager of Sherlock producer Hartswood Films, points to a rush of work in recent months: “It’s been slow, but it feels as if there has been a real surge now in production and commissions. C4, ITV and Sky all now seem to have money to spend, or so they say, in comedy and drama.”

Indies have also diversified their businesses in recent years, out of necessity becoming less reliant on the UK market. A strategy of pushing into international markets has paid off for many, while others have become adept at taking advantage of new opportunities in areas such as AFP and digital production.

The figures underline this story of cautious growth in the market. The top 100 indies turned over £1.9bn from the UK market in 2010-11, up slightly from last year’s £1.75bn. “Tough but ultimately rewarding,” is how Sophie Walker, head of production at Country House Rescue indie Betty, describes the past year. Thomas Benski, chief executive of Pineapple Dance Studios producer Pulse Films, also sums up the mood of many indies. “The climate has been very positive and we definitely feel that people are open for business, but budgets are challenging. We are also starting to see a steady rise in digital and brand associated opportunities as well.”

Melanie Leach, md of The Hotel Inspector producer Twofour, says the past few months have been the busiest she can remember in terms of new projects going into paid development and production. The indie has picked up new commissions from multiple broadcasters, as well as two sizeable ad funded projects for C4.

At the same time, it’s important to stress the sense of caution running through this year’s Production 100. Some indies may be buoyant, but it’s hard to detect the go-go optimism of the pre-2008 years when the sector truly boomed.

David Green, chief executive of Penn&Teller: Fool Us producer DCD Media describes the UK sector as “stable and static”. He doesn’t think the sector will expand greatly in the years ahead. “The reality is that we will never return to the pre-2008 power of the production sector.”

What’s more, this year’s Production 100 survey was conducted before the European debt crisis and the downgrade of the US economy’s AAA rating, which caused stock markets to plunge violently in early August. This is likely to have an impact on the production market in 2012, amid predictions that advertising revenues will continue falling next year as a result (ad revenues are already down about 3% in July and August).

Even before the events of August, ITV’s chief executive Adam Crozier said the broadcaster was “cautious” about the advertising market and the economy. Speaking shortly after the big stock market falls, DCD’s Green comments: “My feeling is that we might just start to feel some of the problems from last week in 2012.” He added that October’s Mipcom programme market would be a telling barometer for the year ahead, with many concerned that broadcast buyers could start to rein in their spend on acquired shows.

Indie consolidation
There’s been a spate of deal-making and consolidation in the indie sector over the past year, but far from the levels seen before 2008. A key trend has been the increasing presence of the US studios in the UK market, with NBC Universal (Carnival/Monkey), Warner Bros. (Shed Media), News Corp (Shine) and Sony (Gogglebox) now owning a significant share of the sector thanks to a spate of acquisitions.

In fact, Shine’s sale to News Corp for £415m in February ranks as the year’s biggest deal. This could be supplanted by All3Media, the UK’s biggest indie, which is currently for sale with a price tag of up to £750m – US studios are among the rumoured suitors. Meanwhile, Zodiak bought Inbetweeners producer Bwark in July. And Welsh superindie Tinopolis has been particularly active, making two significant acquisitions in the US – Base Productions and A Smith & Co – in the space of two months.

Leopard Films and Remedy Productions teamed up in May, with the ambition of creating a new superindie group under the banner Argonon Group. And Boomerang Plus acquired Meerkats Manor producer Oxford Scientific Films in June.

But one of the most interesting developments in the Production 100 has been the emergence of a second tier of mid-sized indies that have come out of the last 12 months in a much stronger position. Companies such as start up The Garden (24 Hours in A&E), Renegade Pictures (Heston’s Mission Impossible), Love Productions (The Great British Bake Off), Raw TV (Banged Up Abroad), Keo Films (Hugh’s Fish Fight), Windfall (Inside Nature’s Giants), Blast! (Coppers) and Firecracker (My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding) have all had a strong year and remain, for now, very much independent. “If there is going to be another rush of consolidation, you can see that there are five or six companies that have emerged over the last 12 months who look very interesting,” notes Twofour’s Leach.

Superindie vs small
To some extent, mid sized and smaller indies have benefited over the last year as broadcasters, notably C4, have attempted to work with a wider range of suppliers. Truly independent producers report that broadcasters are sometimes nervous about doing business with consolidated indies because ‘there is a worry over where the money is going’. Says one indie: “Is it going upstairs to feed the big beast that owns it rather than onscreen?”

Nevertheless, smaller sized producers say business remains challenging for them. “We do not have the economies of scale or the resources of the larger indies and superindies who are able to invest in substantial development teams and sophisticated taster tapes and have the resources to pitch more widely,” says Claire Nicholls, finance director of Candy Cabs producer Splash Media. “However, broadcasters are realising that they are best served with a wider supplier base.”

Smaller indies say that the downward pressure on budgets has a particular effect on them, as it plays into the hands of larger indies that benefit from economies of scale. Clare Byrne, director of Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones producer Modern Television says broadcasters are expecting the same production values for a 25-35% cut in production tariffs from recent years. “Our margins are being squeezed and squeezed which is why there is a trend towards indies biting the bullet and being bought by the larger players.”

A similar point is made by Leonardo indie Kindle Entertainment: “We were the Bafta kids production company of the year in 2010, and yet the climate has never felt tougher. Licence fees are being squeezed and the work of securing funding from other sources becomes increasingly onerous. A lot of time is spent building and creating new relationships in Europe, the US and Australia. As a small truly independent producer with no big corporate brother to shield us, we’re vunerable in tough negotiations with various commercial/broadcast partners.”

Budgets
Falling budgets emerge, once again, as a key theme in the Production 100. In fact, 63% of respondents say that broadcaster budgets have fallen over the past year, while 28% say they have stayed the same. Only 10% think they have risen. “Broadcaster tariffs have been reduced substantially and the ability to negotiate with broadcasters is more or less non-existent on issues of price,” says Simon Gray, finance director of The Alan Titchmarsh Show indie Spun Gold. “Our cost base has continued to rise as we have little negotiating power given the size of the company.”

Hardcash md David Henshaw adds that his indie has never been busier, but says work is a “constant struggle because of tighter budgets, lengthier negotiations and delayed cashflow from broadcasters.”

In particular, indies talk of cash flow issues with Channel 5 since its takeover by Richard Desmond and “Channel 4 commissioning on E4 budgets but expecting the same level of production.”

Although ad revenues have risen substantially since the downturn, many producers say that broadcasters continue to pay as if they are still in recession. As a result there’s an increasing need to top up budgets. Factual indie Brook Lapping says that although commissioners and broadcasters are very supportive and the genre is buoyant, “there’s an increasing need to supplement UK tariffs with overseas pre-sales and distribution deals to make certain projects viable.”

It’s a point echoed by Glyn Middleton, creative director of Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild indie True North. “Production budgets are still under enormous pressure and we are fortunate to have a strong and viable post production department and excellent secondary sales to provide a firm foundation for the company’s growth.”

At the same time, producers say rights are becoming ever more difficult to retain. “The pressure on commercial channels for increased revenues makes it tougher for indies to retain control of their IP and talent,” says Laura Marshall, md of River Monsters indie Icon Films. Hanging on to rights in an increasingly aggressive post terms of trade broadcast culture is shaping up to be a major battle for independent producers.

And there are complaints that broadcasters remain slow in their decision making. “There’s always uncertainty to deal with but delayed decisions seem more than ever,” says David Strachan, md of Wildlife Patrol maker Tern Television.”

Of course, many of the concerns of indie producers about budgets and delayed decision making crop up year after year in the Production 100. What is different this year is that they are tempered by a real sense that business is busier for many than at any time in the last three years. The words ‘improving’, ‘buoyant’, ‘busy’ and ‘positive’ – which have been completely absent in survey forms for so long – are widespread in indie feedback. Many independent production companies have effectively rebuilt their businesses over the last 12 months. The big question is, how long can this buoyant period last given the dark clouds that are once again gathering over the global economy?

For full Production 100 survey, see Televisual's September issue
Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Production-100-the-state-of-indies-in-2011_bid-297.htmlWed, 07 Sep 2011 12:31:02Production 100: top indies at a glance All3Media once again takes pole position in the Production 100 rankings, Televisual’s annual survey of the UK’s independent sector.

It’s All3’s fourth year at the top of the Production 100, with the superindie increasing its UK annual revenues from £231m to £260m.

The top 10 is also similar to last year’s rankings, with many of the larger organisations consolidating their position in the market.

But there are significant risers in the mid-table this year, including drama producer Left Bank Pictures, which has picked up a raft of new commissions. Also on the up are indies such as Rondo, Raw TV, Nutopia, Big Talk, Icon Films, Atlantic, Spun Gold, Firecracker, Love Productions and Sixteen South.

New entrants include Argonon (formed from the merger of Leopard Films and Remedy Productions), Rival Media, Magnum Media, Nerd TV, Bungalow Town and Blue-Zoo.

It has been a rebound year for many producers, with indies reporting a major pick-up in commissions in the first six months of 2011.

The Production 100 rankings are based on UK turnover.

For full details, see Televisual’s September issue

1. All3Media
2. Endemol
3. Talkback Thames
4. Hit entertainment
5. Shine Group
6. Zodiak UK
7. Shed Media
8. Tinopolis
9. Avalon
10. DCD media
11. Twofour
12. Left Bank
13. Carnival/Monkey
14. Hat Trick
15. Aardman
16. Boomerang+
17. Ten Alps
18. Argonon
19. Rondo
20. Nutopia
21. Impossible
22. Raw TV
23. Zig Zag
24. Pulse Films
25. Input Media
26=. Big Talk
26=. Parthenon
28. Fresh One
29. Red
30. Atlantic
31. Spun Gold
32. Firecracker
33. So Television
34. Mammoth Screen
35. Somethin’ Else
36. Love Productions
37. Betty
38. Windfall
39. Icon
40. Cwmni Da Cyf
41. Splash
42. Magnum Media
43. Keo Films
44. Baby Cow
45. Electric Sky
46. Off the Fence
47. October Films
48. Outline
49. Wag TV
50. True North
51. DLT
52. ETV
53= Blink
53= Bwark
53= Sixteen South
53= Tern TV
57. Gogglebox
58. Green Inc
59. Rival
60. Telesgop
61. Thumbs Up
62. Walsh Bros.
63. Coolabi
64. Hartswood
65. Cicadabellwether
66. Pacific
67. Blast! Films
68. Quicksilver
69. Blue Zoo
70. Kindle
71=. 3DD
71=. Great Meadow
71=. Illuminations
74. Novel Entertainment
75. Oxford Scientific
76. Matchlight
77=. Hibbert Ralph
77=. Seventh Art
79. Reef
80. True Vision
81. Touch
82. Fulcrum
83. HCA Entertainment
84. Back2Back
85. Attaboy
86. Testimony
87. Raw Cut
88=. Minnow
88=. Modern
88=. Skyworks
91. Hardcash
92. Proudfoot
93. Glasshead
94. Lambent
95. Machine
96. Lupus
97. Red Planet
98. Nerd
99. Bungalow Town
100. Televisionary Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Production-100-top-indies-at-a-glance_bid-296.htmlWed, 07 Sep 2011 12:26:08Living large with Channel 4's Seven Dwarves Indie producer The Garden set up 16 cameras in a household of dwarves to capture their lives for C4 series Seven Dwarves. But it's much more than just a fixed rig reality show, they tell Tim Dams

This summer is Channel 4's first without its Big Brother stalwart for eleven years. And one of the key shows that is filling up the 250 hours of airtime it leaves behind is Seven Dwarves, an observational, fixed rig documentary which focuses on a household of seven dwarf actors.

Produced by The Garden, the indie behind the acclaimed fixed rig series 24 Hours in A&E, it follows the dwarf actors as they live together and perform in a Christmas production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in Woking.



The idea for the show followed conversations between The Garden and C4 about new areas to explore with fixed rigs. "In the context of that, we were talking about pantomimes," recalls C4 head of documentaries Hamish Mykura, "where you have this remarkable, long-standing tradition where groups of seven dwarves get together, often sharing digs, to do a panto. The idea formed that if you did have seven dwarves sharing the house together, it would be very interesting." "This was a good way to explore a hidden world," adds executive producer Nick Curwin. "But it was only a way in. You've then got to think about what the purpose is going to be and what is going to be of interest in that kind of precinct."

Initial research, however, quickly made clear that the panto actors enjoyed a party lifestyle during the season, making it all the more attractive as an onscreen proposition. Finding a household was relatively straightforward too: it involved researching the several theatres in the UK that were preparing to stage Snow White. "What swung it towards Woking," says Mykura, "was the diverse, very interesting characters in that panto. It's also the biggest panto in Britain. It's a large theatre with a full on production and a big budget. All that makes for a better tale."

Both Mykura and Curwin stress that while the fixed rig was an important part of the filmmaking process, there's more to the show than simply seven dwarves in a house. The characters are followed going to rehearsals, performing, going out, partying and visiting their families. As such it's a blend of fixed rig and traditional observational documentary series.



Ultimately, says Curwin, it focuses on the characters of the dwarves themselves, with each of the 7x60-min episodes telling one of their stories. They include Karen, a 43-year-old with two daughters, who is in a relationship with fellow performer Max. There's also 26-year-old :party animal" Craig and 20-year-old Josh, the youngest of the group who comes from a dynasty of little people performers - his mum and grandfather were Ewoks in Return of the Jedi.

"The attitude and interest are traditional in that we are really interested in them as people," explains Curwin. "That ultimately is what good documentary is about. The personality of the show really comes from the personalities of the people." And, he adds, their personalities "are really out there. They have very colourful lives and amazingly big personalities which gives the series its character."

The rig does, however, allow the crew to capture the intimate, frank and personal moments of the dwarves' lives more easily, without getting in the way and changing it. Mykura says the combination of filming in the house and following the characters in the outside world means that Seven Dwarves is "true to the great qualities that rig shows can deliver, while also bringing it into new areas. As a viewer, you wouldn't think of it as a rig show or a live reality show. There's much more of a documentary narrative." No doubt aware of criticism from some quarters, particularly the BBC, about the nature of fixed rig documentaries, Mykura adds: "The story of the rig is only beginning, I don't think it is anywhere near the end."

Both he and Curwin are quietly confident of its success when it airs. That's partly because, says Mykura, the characters are "immensely engaging, really interesting and charming - the more you get to know them, the more you want to go back." It also looks much better than most fixed rig shows to date, adds Curwin, thanks to the decision to shoot Seven Dwarves in HD. "It looks fantastic," he says.

However, Seven Dwarves may face one major challenge when it plays out on C4 this August at 9pm. That's exactly when Channel 5 is tipped to roll out its most high profile acquisition to date: Big Brother. Which household will win?



From gypsies to dwarves
In the run up to the launch of Seven Dwarves, there's been plenty of comparisons with recent C4 hit My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. Is Seven Dwarves a copycat commission, in search of ratings by focusing on people who often live in the margins of society. "I've always been very clear to refute that," says C4 head of docs Hamish Mykura. "Gypsy Wedding had a very features approach...our programmes are more constructed docs, more character led, about people, their issues and their lives. But I would concede that C4 does very well with programmes about hidden cultures and little communities which we think we know but turn out to be more interesting than we thought. To that extent it shares some similarities with Gypsy Wedding, but that is as far as I would go." Executive producer Nick Curwin adds: "Some people have speculated this was commissioned as a way of following up Gypsy Wedding. But that's just not true. It was commissioned long before Gypsy Wedding went on air early last summer. And it was developed even before that."


details
Broadcaster: Channel 4
Production company: The Garden
TX date: August 2011
Series director: Richard Curson-Smith
Executive producers: Nick Curwin, Magnus Temple, Jonathan Smith
Series producer: Michelle Fobler
Senior producer/director: Jamie O’Leary
Commissioning editor: Hamish Mykura

Total Comments: 2 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Living-large-with-Channel-4s-Seven-Dwarves_bid-291.htmlWed, 03 Aug 2011 12:00:59Is bullying TV's dirty secret? Everyone knows that bullying is a problem in the TV industry, but how bad is it? Ahead of a major debate on the issue at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV Festival, four execs ask if bullying is TV’s dirty secret.

Jim Allen, managing director, RDF Television
I always remember my headmaster announcing grandly, ‘We don’t have bullying in this school’, as I watched some poor, put-upon third former being kicked in the back of his ankles by a fifth form sadist.

Of course the TV industry has bullying, as does every British workplace. And it is almost certainly getting worse. You couldn’t imagine a more perfect line up of aggravating factors – extreme financial pressure, sky-high creative demands, widespread job insecurity, increasing casualised working and the eternal search for immediate, guaranteed success.

TV will never rid itself of bullying, but collectively and individually every broadcaster and production company could do more to make a stand, extol the right values, invest time and money in training the skills of people management and reduce the levels of aggression, neurosis and hysteria.

After all, it’s only television and we might even discover that a more relaxed, supported, encouraged and, dare I say it, carefree industry will create a sustained burst of creative flair. Happier staff and better shows – what a thought.

Lorraine Heggessey, chair of MGEITF session on bullying
If an organization does not tackle bullying it can become “acceptable behaviour” so it’s important to make it very clear that bullying will be dealt with. When I was running BBC 1, Greg Dyke led a culture change programme called ‘Making it Happen’. We asked staff what changes they would most like to see and bullying came high up on the list.

For many years some of the most talented programme makers had been guilty of bullying. They were a nightmare to work with but because they produced great programmes that won critical acclaim and awards, their bosses turned a blind eye to their bad behaviour.

They became known as the ‘Bafta Bastards’ and Greg made it clear their behaviour wouldn’t be tolerated any more. It was a seminal moment and that signal from the top gave people lower down the organization permission to deal with bullying and to try to stamp it out.

Hilary Rosen, Creative Director, Silver River.
Co-producer of MGEITF session on bullying
Ask anyone who has worked in TV for more than a matter of months and they will almost certainly have a war story about working for an ogre. Someone who made unreasonable or crazy demands but was possibly inspirational too. Our industry is full of compulsive, type A personalities who seek perfection and don't take failure in their stride.

But when does the quest for the best cross the line into behaviour that makes others lives a daily misery? When is it bullying? There's a feeling that bullying is back in vogue in both Broadcasters and Indies. Times are tough and everyone is feeling the pressure.

This year, the festival has commissioned a far reaching survey that will take a good look at "TVs Dirty Secret". We don't yet know what we will discover. We are wondering if female bosses are the main culprits? (I hope not) and if Indies are any worse than Broadcasters? We won’t be naming and shaming but we will be opening up bad practice to debate and will even have an Am I A Bully? Test that brave delegates can take as the debate unfolds. We hope to agree on a working definition of bullying for our industry so that we can minimise it in the future. Those war stories aren’t obligatory.

Donna Taberer
Acting Head of the College of Production
BBC Academy Head of Public Service Partnerships, BBC Academy
Co-producer of MGEITF session on bullying
What is bullying? And who is a bully? Questions we've thrashed around many times during the debate which led to this Edinburgh session. Bullying can be insidious; it can present directly or in the form of passive aggression. Or, on the other hand, is the term being used as an easy refuge for people who don’t want to face up to genuine performance issues? One person's inspirational no-nonsense boss, is another's tormentor.

One thing's for sure....TV attracts incredible creatives who strive for perfection. But many of these brilliant brains were never intended to manage or lead. Or could they with the right nurturing and training? I'd like to think so.

But first our industry needs to comes clean and face up to the issue. Our survey and session will open up that debate. The mobile and volatile nature of our workforce makes it all too simple for whistleblowers to be moved on. All too easy for junior staff to disappear without explanation.

Let's be honest - how many times have we told ourselves, or worse others, to keep our heads down and suck it up. Or has our stereotypical behaviour (and now I’m thinking of my time as a Commissioning Editor!) piled on the pressure for others which perhaps has led to people being bullied in our name.

This Edinburgh session will look at the issues and ask is bullying in TV different to other industries? Do people use bullying as a shield or excuse? The session will offer plenty of practical advice on tackling bullying whether we're a victim or bystander. Because the truth is we do all recognise a bully – we may just have chosen in the past to turn a blind eye.

The session TV's Dirty Secret, chaired by Lorraine Heggessey, will take place at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival (26-28 Aug). For tickets and further information, see www.mgeitf.co.uk


Total Comments: 2 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Is-bullying-TVs-dirty-secret_bid-285.htmlWed, 06 Jul 2011 10:38:03All change at UK studios TV and film studios are used to a process of never ending change, as sets go up and are torn down by an ongoing procession of productions.

This process of upheaval, however, seems to have spread to the studio sector itself, which is currently experiencing a period of major structural change.

Recently there has been an unprecedented wave of investment, new launches, takeovers and planned sell-offs in the sector.

All this activity, meanwhile, is taking place against a background of an improving, but highly competitive film and television climate.

Many TV studios say they are incredibly busy, boosted by the ongoing popularity for shiny floor shows such as The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Got to Dance, Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice.

Film studios are also buoyant as Hollywood shoots like Wrath of the Titans, Keanu Reeves starrer 47 Ronin and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus continue to flock to the UK, taking advantage of our favourable exchange rate, tax credit, talent and craft skills. The UK’s local film industry is also relatively strong, firmed up by the Oscar success of The King’s Speech.

At the forefront of much of the change in the studio sector is property developer Peel Group, run by John Whittaker, the UK’s 28th richest man according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

Peel Group made its name redeveloping ports, airports and shopping centres in the North West, and has just completed MediaCity in Salford Quays, the brand new home of the BBC and ITV in the region. At the heart of MediaCity is a brand new, state of the art studio complex which boasts one of the largest single TV studios in the country.

“It’s phenomenal. Nothing like it has been built in the last twenty years,” says director of BBC North Peter Salmon. BBC shows such as Mastermind and Question of Sport are now shooting there, and it will be home to a raft of childrens, sports and factual series.

Owned by Peel and managed by SIS, the studios are open to programmes from all broadcasters and indies. “We want to see ITV in here as much as the BBC,” says head of studios Andy Waters, who adds that the studios will compete on quality of infrastructure, people and price. “We can be a lot more competitive than companies in the South.”

The opening of MediaCity means that ITV can now proceed with what’s likely to be a lucrative sale of its Quay Street studios in central Manchester. “We haven’t finalised the moving schedule yet,” says Paul Bennett, managing director of resources for ITV Studios, who says it is business as usual for much of the 700 hours of ITV network programming made in Manchester. Many of the shows will move over to MediaCity in the next two years.

ITV is also soon to embark on the £20m move of its Coronation Street set to Trafford Wharf, just a few hundred yards from MediaCity, which should be ready in the next 18 months. ITV has also just completed a £5m revamp of its Leeds Studios, home to Emmerdale.

Meanwhile, Peel Group is in the process of taking over the UK’s most iconic studio group, Pinewood Shepperton, in which it is already a 29% shareholder. The takeover underlines how Peel is increasingly becoming a media infrastructure company.

Many, however, view the deal primarily as a residential property play, with Peel keen on the opportunity to build new homes on Pinewood’s land, which forms part of the studio’s controversial Project Pinewood expansion plan. But many in the industry believe Peel will find it tough to gain planning permission in a greenbelt area that is home to plenty of stockbrokers and barristers. “Look at the profile of the people who live there,” says one exec. “I imagine it is going to be the mother of all battles.”

The deal comes at a good time for Pinewood Shepperton. Its most recent results show it’s attracting plenty of films in a competitive international market. TV is also doing well, although group director of corporate affairs Andrew Smith acknowledges that the television market is softer. “Everybody is looking at TV budgets. It is still tough out there,” he says.

Pinewood is not the only big film studio changing hands. Last November, Warner Bros finalised its purchase of Leavesden Studios, the home of The Harry Potter franchise. Warners has pledged to invest £100m in the studios, making Leavesden its base in the UK and the home to a permanent Harry Potter exhibition.

Meanwhile, there’s great uncertainty about the future of the studios at BBC Television Centre. The sale of the iconic 50-year-old building is a key part of the corporation’s overall property strategy, which involves moving thousands of staff to MediaCity and the recently redeveloped Broadcasting House in central London.

The BBC has already announced that it is expecting to exit the site between 2013 and 2015. It’s then possible that it will be redeveloped as a “creative quarter” for independent TV production firms and media companies.

But it’s still unclear what will happen to the 10 studios at TV Centre that are used by the BBC and independent productions, including Zeppotron’s 10 0’Clock Live for Channel 4 and Avalon’s Harry Hill’s TV Burp for ITV.

“The sale of Television Centre does not automatically mean the studios will be closing,” says Mark Thomas, CEO of BBC Studios and Post Production. “This is still being explored. BBC Studios and Post Production has been reinvented over the last three years and is commercially viable and could continue in a new location if Television Centre were sold. Therefore it is business as usual – we are continuing to invest in products and services to support our customers.”

Following the sale of Television Centre, it’s likely that the BBC will maintain studios within central London – either on the current site or in a new location – as it needs a site that is easily accessible to stars and guests for its shows.

Certainly demand for studio space in London is strong. Fountain Studios, home of The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and The Cube says the continuing appetite for ever bigger shiny floor shows has led to good business over the past year.

In fact, Fountain is so busy it is having to turn people away: “We have always been busy with big shows, but the fact that commissioners are looking for big shows at big studios plays to our USP. It is who books with us first. We are having to turn people away unfortunately,” says Fountain md Mariana Spater.

Smaller studios, such as The Hospital in Covent Garden, have also had a positive start to the year. Offering a central location and the facilities of the Hospital Club, it’s benefited from an increasing diversity of work including a string of TV pilots as well as a Fremantle produced show for Facebook called Screenpop’s Scoreboard and an online series for Monocle.com. “It’s been a good start to the year, but it’s been tough – budgets are squeezed and we’re doing more work,” notes sales manager Anne Marie Phelan.

ITV’s flagship The London Studios is also “busy as hell” says ITV Studios’ Bennett. By way of example, he says that 14 different shows went out from the studios on one day in April, including Daybreak, Lorraine, This Morning, Loose Women, Have I Got News for You?, QI and The Graham Norton Show.

Such is the turnaround, some of TLS’s studios are home to two or three shows a day. How come things are so busy? Bennett says it’s because there’s increasing demand for ‘proper’ TV studios. “There are lots of four wallers with standing sets and that’s ok. But, if you really want to get production levels cranked up and you want efficiencies, you can’t beat a proper TV studio.”

Yet there still seems to be strong demand for four wallers such as the Pie Factory, which is on a site right next to MediaCity, 3 Mills Studios (home to The Million Pound Drop) and Wimbledon Studios, former home of The Bill.

Wimbledon Studios has just had a £5m refurbishment, which includes 50 purpose-built sets such as a train, a prison, police station, hospital and court rooms. “We’ve been absolutely thrilled with the level of demand out there,” says its managing director Piers Read. “I sense that last year the industry stabilised and there’s massive confidence flowing back into the production sector.” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/All-change-at-UK-studios_bid-278.htmlTue, 14 Jun 2011 11:47:35The Bulldogs - in pictures Here’s a few photos from last week’s Televisual Bulldog Awards, our annual awards for the best of British TV as voted for by the readers of Televisual.

Held at The Hospital Club, the Awards brought together programme makers behind some of the very best shows from 2010 such as Sherlock, The Inbetweeners, This is England ‘86, QI, The X Factor, Come Dine With Me, The Apprentice, Wonders of the Solar System, Glastonbury and Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice as well as Carnival Films which won indie of the year and Channel 4 which picked up channel of the year.

John Lloyd, the creator of QI, is pictured above with his Bulldog statue. The pics were taken by Sally Reid (http://reidphotography.co.uk)



Above: Jes Wilkins, exec producer of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, winning the Best in Show prize



Above: Come Dine with Me series producer Matt Calais and executive producer David Sayer



Above: The Inbetweeners star Emily Head



Above: My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding director Osca Humphreys and exec producer Jes Wilkins



Above: Vanessa Myrie, Deluxe 142; Jake Bickerton, Televisual



Above: Wonders of the Solar System graphics producer Nicola Kingham and series producer Danielle Peck



Above: Mali Evans, editor of Sherlock



Above: Sophy Faricy, Imagem; Libby Durdy, This is England '86; Gareth Owen, Imagem; Bekki Wray-Rogers, This is England '86



Above: Carnival Films' creative director Sally Woodward Gentle and managing director Gareth Neame



Above: Sherlock executive producer Beryl Vertue; James Bennett, Televisual



Elstree Studios md Roger Morris; Sherlock executive producers Beryl Vertue and Steven Moffatt



Above: The Bulldogs

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-Bulldogs---in-pictures_bid-273.htmlTue, 31 May 2011 17:28:42Borrowing from The Matrix It’s normally the domain of film studios or ad production companies.

But now scenes like The Matrix’s iconic ‘bullet’ sequence, where Keanu Reeve's character is shot at and looks suspended in motion while the camera zooms around him, are being used by the corporate production and events businesses.

Communications agency Imagination has created a new Focus Cam innovation for its client Ford, which will be the centrepiece of Ford's UEFA Champions Festival stand in Hyde Park from tomorrow.

Fans visiting the stand will be able to stand in front of a long, curving digital camera rig, which is set up with 40 cameras and spans 120 degrees. They will be then asked to recreate some of the best moments in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) – be it a scissor kick, goal celebration, header, or even a fan celebration.

The moment will be captured by multi-angled photograph, with all the cameras taking a shot at the same time. The result is a continuous sequence which shows a fan caught in a moment of time from multiple angles, rather like The Matrix. You can see how it is done and the results in the film below.



It's believed it is the first time this technology has been used in a way the general public can interact with in the UK.

People can then see and share their image on Facebook, Twitter and email their video souvenir to friends, with the help of the hosts carrying on-stand iPads and online.

Timeslice Films supplied Imagination and Ford with the digital camera rig and solutions to create the Focus Cam images.

Ford’s UEFA Champions Festival presence is part of the UCL Champions Festival at Hyde Park, which is open to the public from May 21 to 28. Total Comments: 1 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Borrowing-from-The-Matrix_bid-272.htmlFri, 20 May 2011 11:17:59Cannes Kevin? Just one film is flying the flag for the UK in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival (11-22 May), which starts today.

Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, adapted from the best selling novel by Lionel Shriver, is competing for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize.

Other possible British Cannes contenders – including Andrea Arnold’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights, Terence Davies’s screen adaptation of Terence Rattigan’s play, The Deep Blue Sea and Pawel Pawlikowski’s The Woman in the Fifth – didn’t make it. Either they weren’t ready in time, weren’t selected or decided on a different release strategy than premiering at Cannes.

Starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly and with a score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, We Need to Talk About Kevin is the story of an American mother whose malevolent teenage boy goes on a killing spree at his high school.

Tipped as one of the most highly anticipated films to play at Cannes this year, it’s Ramsay’s first film in nearly a decade – even though the Scottish director has long been regarded as one of Britain’s top film talents.

She first came to attention when she won the 1996 Cannes Prix de Jury for her National Film and Television School graduation short film. Her debut feature Ratcatcher played in a sidebar competition at Cannes in 1999 and marked her out as an auteur director with a strong visual style, and was followed by Morvern Callar in 2002.

Stuck in development
Since then, nothing. Ramsay, it seems, famously fell victim to the bruising ways of the film industry. The story goes that she signed up to adapt Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones when it was at manuscript stage, only to be shoved aside when the novel became a runaway bestseller and Hollywood heavyweights began to show an interest. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson eventually directed the poorly received adaptation.

But Ramsay moved on, partnering with BBC Films to adapt We Need to Talk About Kevin. That was in 2006 – meaning it’s taken five years to get from book to screen.

Why so long? The film’s protracted development and production saga reflects the dramatic changes that have swept over the film industry since then. Initially Ramsay, BBC Films and producer Jennifer Fox tried to set up We Need to Talk About Kevin as a mid-budget ($12m) American independent film with financial backing from the US.

But the US recession was just starting. Independent US distributors began struggling, the big studios closed their speciality divisions and equity funding dried up. “We had several attempts at funding the film which didn’t come to anything, but they did involve protracted negotiations and labour that just didn’t come right,” says head of BBC Films Christine Langan.

The project was also a difficult one for potential backers to make their mind up about. The book has a loyal following, but the subject matter is distressing. And Ramsay is a respected auteur film-maker, but hadn’t made a film for a long while.

“Along the way potential investors have been lured by the appeal of Lynne and they also love the material, but they were also nervous in a very insecure market with so much change happening all the time,” adds Langan.

Rethinking, rewriting
By 2009 it was time to change tack. “In the end, we figured that the best way to go about it was to cut our cloth and make the film on as low a budget as we could possibly make it,” says Langan. This meant almost halving the original budget and switching the focus back to the UK in a bid to raise finance from European backers.

Luc Roeg’s film sales agency Independent was approached initially as a sales agent to raise finance, but said soon they would like to come on board as a producer of the film. Roeg recalls: “Once we got involved we sat down with the partners – the BBC, UKFC and Lynne – and said if we are going to get the film made, now is its moment, let’s really attack this from the ground up and make the most economically viable film.” Ramsay then rewrote the script to suit the pared down budget.

It was at this point that the film became less of an American movie, and more of a Lynne Ramsay auteur film. It also allowed the producers to begin tying down production and logistical elements more clearly. “It was a massively demanding task for Lynne,” says Langan. “One that many writer directors might have baulked at. But she completely rose to the challenge. The scripts that emerged from that moment were lean and wonderful – very typical of Lynne but also very true to the spirit of the novel.”

At this point, Tilda Swinton was attached to the lead role of Kevin’s mother. Swinton is described by Roeg as “a champion and driving force behind the film.” Langan adds: “You don’t just cast her and she turns up on the day – she was utterly passionate about this project, continually promoting it…it really galvanised the whole process.”

Roeg also began knitting together a complex patchwork of finance for the film. Asked to describe how the money came together, Roeg pauses and with a sharp intake of breath, says, “My goodness, it was a huge process…”

The film was structured so that it could qualify for the UK tax credit, which can be worth up to 20% of the qualifying production costs of the film. Its certification as a British film was helped by having a British director and lead actress and also arranging post production in the UK. The film was, however, set up to shoot in Connecticut in the US, also allowing it to take advantage of the state’s spend based tax credit. The UKFC (now the BFI) had already committed to invest in the film, alongside BBC Films. Post production partner LipSync Productions made an investment. Equity financier Piccadilly Pictures also came into the picture, and then Independent pre-sold rights for the UK to distributor Artificial Eye and a number of other smaller territories. A gap financier, Footprint Investments, also boarded the film.

Adding further complexity was the fact that it was a dual currency budget – in sterling and dollars – subject to fluctuations in exchange rate.

The casting also came together. Ramsay already had an ongoing dialogue with John C Reilly about playing the father, and this was soon formalised. Then the real energy went into casting Kevin. It was a painstaking exercise, with Ramsay spending time on the East and West Coast looking for four young actors, from baby up, to play Kevin, with Ezra Miller eventually signed to play the lead role.

The film was shot by Oscar nominated DoP Seamus McGarvey. It’s a complex piece, with narrative switching time frames. Emphasising that Ramsay is a very visual director, Langan says, “It’s about the landscape of a woman’s mind, her life and her relationship with her child. The film is an incredibly intimate exploration of what is going on in the mind of this mother. It’s very visceral, and you really experience her mood, her feelings and point of view. For any parent, there is an awful lot to identify with…”

The Cannes platform
We Need to Talk About Kevin will be seen for the first time in public at Cannes, which is now the key launch pad for the film. Roeg says winning a place in competition at Cannes, “isn’t as straightforward as sending the film in and waiting for a response. There’s a process of discussion, lobbying and at certain times just being patient and tolerant.”

This was helped along by the film’s French distributor Diaphana, which bought We Need to Talk About Kevin at the European Film Market in Berlin in February, and acted as a ‘voice on the ground’ in France during the selection process.

Cannes also has a reputation of being very director focussed, of discovering new talent and then sticking with and championing them. It means a Cannes alumni like Ramsay will always be a strong contender. “But above all,” adds Roeg, “you have to deliver them a movie which they think is worthy and credible for the festival.”

The very fact of selection to Cannes competition is a significant boost to We Need to Talk About Kevin’s cinema potential around the world – it’s where the film will be introduced to the market and to international buyers. In particular, the producers will be hoping to make a key sale to a US distributor.

“It absolutely has an impact on the market and the movie’s life,” explains Roeg. “That’s because visibility for independent films is just so imperative. It’s a very crowded market, there are some wonderful films out there that don’t get the opportunity to be discovered, and this is a great way of beaming a spotlight on the movie.”

And this particular spotlight is one that Ramsay will share with world class directors such as Pedro Almodovar, Terrence Malick, Nanni Moretti and Lars von Trier. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Cannes-Kevin_bid-269.htmlWed, 11 May 2011 14:36:27Moving into MediaCity It’s the ‘mother of all house moves’ and ‘single biggest staff relocation in the BBC’s history.’

So said BBC North director Peter Salmon today, as he unveiled the corporation’s new base at MediaCity in Salford Quays to the press.

The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra was the first big department to transfer, moving up to its new home – a purpose built sound studio - at MediaCity over the recent bank holiday weekend.

150 employees will move into the new offices this weekend, the first in a wave of 2,300 BBC production staff from departments such as sports, childrens, Radio 5 Live and BBC Breakfast who will relocate to MediaCity progressively over the next 36 weeks.

They will occupy three impressively kitted out buildings on the MediaCity site, which have been designed to encourage flexible, open working.

There are no fixed desks for staff nor are there private offices for senior executives. Instead the seating is flexible, with individuals hot-desking within their departments. There are break out areas with sofas or long benches for group meetings, and specifically designed pods where staff can make private mobile phone calls or conduct small meetings.




The pods were a particular talking point for many of the journalists touring the site. In some cases they resemble giant wheels with soft chairs inside – and have been dubbed ‘thought wheels’ by staff. Other pods, designed after an open competition won by students at Sheffield Hallam University, are high backed chairs that absorb sound to make mobile calls more private.

Helen Berresford of ID:SR, the interior design firm, said that the flexible seating arrangement meant that “more people could use less space” and that it reflected the trend of flexible, multiplatform working in contemporary workplaces.




Right next to the three BBC buildings is a pristine, state of the art new HD studio complex, which houses the largest purpose built single TV studio in the UK and six smaller studios as well as impressive audience facilities, star dressing rooms, editing suites and control rooms. It’s managed by SIS, and is open to productions from the BBC, ITV as well as independent producers. “We want to see ITV in here as much as the BBC,” said head of studios Andy Waters.

The studios are already in use: shows such as Question of Sport, Don’t Scare the Hare and Opinionated have already shot there, while Mastermind begins filming next week. Highlighting the scale of the studio set up, it will also be home to the next BBC Sports Personality of the Year show. Football Focus will be broadcast from the studios from August and Match of the Day from October.




ITV, meanwhile, will move into offices at MediaCity next year and is already building a new set for Coronation Street right next door.

Speaking at the press launch, director general Mark Thompson went out of his way to play down “the negativity” of media coverage about the reluctance of BBC staff to move to Salford.

Thompson said 55% of staff in departments set to move to MediaCity had volunteered to come, significantly higher than in most large office relocations.

He added that 2,500 BBC staff in departments not moving have asked to be considered for jobs at MediaCity, and that tens of thousands from outside the BBC had applied for jobs.




Thompson believes that the flexible set up of MediaCity will set a template for a new way of working at the BBC, which is less hierarchical and where staff can move more easily between departments. “I think 20 years from now the BBC will be run by people who cut their teeth at Salford,” he said.

Thompson also said a major terrestrial channel could move to MediaCity. “We’re looking at it,” he said, adding that there is additional space “if we chose to take it” at MediaCity and it “could be an opportunity to save money.”

The BBC argues that its move to MediaCity will bring four key benefits: economic – strengthening the media talent and production pool in the North; reputational – building up a closer relationship and approval with audiences in the area; creative – increasing quality by using the latest technology; value for money – making BBC North one of the most ‘efficient and cost effective centres.

BBC staff who are moving to MediaCity will enjoy a generous relocation allowance. Their removal services will be paid for and they will receive a taxable relocation payment of £5k.

Staff who are buying and selling a property will have their legal costs, stamp duty and estate agency fees paid, as well as a contribution of up to £3k toward fixtures and fittings.

Staff who rent will be eligible for a maximum monthly payment of £1,900 for up to two years (but not the relocation payment of £5k). The BBC said that the ‘people’ cost of its move – relocation, recruitment, training and redundancy – was £86.5m.

The total cost of the move to BBC North is £189.3m, according to the BBC. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Moving-into-MediaCity_bid-267.htmlTue, 10 May 2011 18:43:10BBC and C4 beyond London The BBC is set to open its Salford base and C4 has pledged to engage more with out of London indies. So is it a good time to be a producer in the nations and regions or are broadcasters all talk and no action? Here's the views of three indie bosses based outside the M25.

Will Hanrahan
Managing director, Hanrahan Media (based in Stratford Upon Avon)
That the BBC trumpets its target of 50% out of London production is a testament to its continuing failure to be a truly national broadcaster. The demise of ITV regional programming provided the BBC with an open goal to support a diverse, national broadcasting community. The BBC has so far missed that goal. What commissioning editors and controllers on the 6th floor don’t realise is that this is an existential issue. Why have a society-supported, national broadcaster still 50% based in London when the nation needs growth in creative industries throughout the regions and nations? Why not split the BBC into regional-based, society-financed autonomous entities similar to the old ITV? As for Channel 4, I am really not certain that the majority of commissioning execs in Horseferry Road support the vision of Jay Hunt, Stuart Cosgrove and the commercially savvy and enterprising David Abraham. The management of C4 know that value-for-money, innovative creativity wont suddenly appear out of the rights-driven, multinational-owned superindies. New suppliers from throughout the UK will breathe new life into the channel and guarantee its position as a protected PSB-sector broadcaster. Channel 4 could equally be split up if it fails to wise up – and that’s something its management recognises.

Cat Lewis
Managing director, Nine Lives Media (based in Manchester)
Jay Hunt and David Abraham want Channel 4 to be far more accessible to out of London independents.  They recognise this 
is vital to Channel 4 meeting its specific remit as a broadcaster.  We are currently doing a lot of development for Channel 4 which we certainly hope will lead to new business.  Until now, much of our development has been for other channels, in particular the BBC.  I’ve been an exec producer based out of London for nine years now and I think the BBC’s commissioning team is currently more accessible than ever before.  I also think this shows on screen and is another reason Jay is keen to ensure Channel 4 catches up.  

Sarah Walmsley
Creative director, Raise the Roof Productions (based in Glasgow)
We started Raise the Roof last year and have had nothing but encouragement from C4, they’ve just commissioned our third series. We’re lucky to have talent attached but we’ve also been given a number of paid developments to expand our output. The execs based at BBC Scotland have, without exception, been supportive and proactive. Being able to build relationships with people who are based here and who genuinely care and have a vested interest is invaluable. Giving them their own development pot would be another step in the right direction.

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/BBC-and-C4-beyond-London_bid-264.htmlWed, 04 May 2011 12:29:51Top 10 ways to plug TV budgets It used to be so simple in the old days of television. A producer would develop an idea, pitch it to a broadcaster and, if they were lucky, walk away with a fully funded commission to make the programme.

But, ever since the terms of trade were agreed after 2003, broadcasters have been steadily reducing funding for shows and expecting producers to raise the shortfall themselves. It’s a trend that accelerated dramatically during the recent recession when broadcaster revenues plunged.

Drama, kids and high-end factual producers, in particular, have had to become experts in stitching together financing from multiple sources to raise the required budget for a programme.

“The aggregate amount paid by broadcasters has gone down and the cost of production has gone up,” says Simon Vyvyan, CEO of business affairs consultancy Industry Media Ltd. “That disparity is getting worse and getting harder and harder to fill each year.”

Arturi Films’ David Pearson, producer of acclaimed documentary Mugabe and the White African, adds: “Increasingly there are going to be weird and wonderful combinations of finance…for indie films in particular you have to look at every finance option and some you haven’t thought of.”

Of course many shows are still fully funded by UK broadcasters, particularly those with a strongly British focus. And for most producers, UK broadcaster funding is the mainstay of their business. “Pretty much 95% of what Keo does for TV is paid for by the broadcaster,” says Simon Huntley, finance director at Keo Films, which makes River Cottage.

The trend, however, is very much towards producers having to raise additional finance – anything from 60% to 5% - to meet broadcaster shortfalls.

Pact’s most recent industry census bears this out. Its Financial Census and Survey 2010 found that 85% of producers think that gap financing – the gap between what a production costs and what a commissioning broadcaster will pay – will continue to increase, putting further pressure on profit margins and the need for other sources of revenue. With that in mind, here’s a run down of the 10 most popular ways to plug this financing gap.

1. Distribution Advance
The relationship between producers and distributors has become increasingly close and collaborative in recent years, reflecting the vital role that distributors play in funding shows.

Distributors can provide an advance based on a forecast for international sales revenue for a show. It could be anywhere between 5% up to (rarely) 30% of a show’s budget.

In return for an advance, the distributor gains the right to distribute the show internationally. It will hope to recoup its entire advance based on sales, and then take a percentage of revenue from sales around the world.

A distribution advance is often the quickest and most straightforward way to plug a deficit for a show. “It happens on virtually every drama project now,” says Industry Media’s Vyvyan. “Now in the indie sector you can’t make a programme unless you get a distribution advance. Out of nearly 30 programmes we have done in the last two years, I’d say the vast majority have received a distribution advance into the production budget.”

“It’s best to speak to a distributor earlier rather than later,” adds TVF International director Leila Monks, who describes distribution outfits like TVF as “producers’ eyes and ears into the international market.” Going to a distributor early means they can often help develop ideas so that they are best suited to sell to international markets. Indeed, many distributors say that the development process itself is having to react to the structural issue of broadcasters reducing their budget.

Fremantle Media Enterprises’ chief operating officer Dan Allen says the onus is now on the producer, working with the distributor, to make projects more attractive at development stage to international buyers. “If producers are getting less from broadcasters for shows, either they have to make them for less or distributors have to increase their distribution advances. But that can be difficult because the pricing for acquisitions is not necessarily undergoing any fundamental increases. So you have to do something in development which makes the content more in demand internationally.”

2. Co-production / pre-sales
Increasingly, producers are topping up their budgets by co-financing their shows with other international broadcasters, through pre-sales or co-production deals.

Factual producers like Windfall Films, which makes big budget specialist factual shows such as Monster Moves, has a long history of stitching together finance from broadcasters around the world. UK budgets have fallen so much that Windfall says it is now having to find an increasing number of international partners. For its latest run of Monster Moves, it’s worked closely with distributor Cineflix to raise financing, pre-selling the series. “Between us we have ended up bringing seven different parties to the table,” says Windfall’s head of production Kristina Obradovic. They include Channel 5 and History Channel UK, Discovery EMEA, Germany’s Kabel1, Australia’s SBS and France’s Direct8.

On the plus side, pre-sales usually mean less editorial involvement from the acquiring broadcasters. The downside, says Windfall company director Carlo Massarella, is that pre-selling to so many key countries just to raise the budget means that Windfall can recoup very little by way of back-end distribution.

Co-production deals tend to be more complex agreements, with the UK producer often having to make the narrative more appropriate to the co-pro partner, or including local characters and locations. Often, the co-pro partner will expect a share of the back-end too.

“You have to put yourselves in the shoes of the commissioning broadcaster of the other territories. Why in a million years would they think your subject would appeal to their local public,” points out BBC Worldwide executive producer for international drama Ben Donald.

Again, distributors play an important part in helping match up producers with their international broadcaster contacts. “You have to be able to go to them at the right time with the right project,” says Donald. “You have to know your broadcaster profiles and the subject areas they like, and what slots they have available.”

Kids producers have long been experts at scouring the world to raise money from international co-production partners, as UK broadcasters rarely fully fund kids programmes.

Billy Macqueen, joint md of kids producer Darrall Macqueen, funded the company’s latest series, Pet Squad, with March Entertainment in Canada and Inspedia from Malaysia. The show airs on CBBC later this year. “It’s key in these kind of co-pros that you share a sense of humour and creative sensibilities,” says Macqueen. “And that you share the equity position right the way through.” Crucially, he thinks, producers should limit the number of production partner to three or a maximum of four. Any higher becomes very difficult to juggle – and expensive. “Per partner you have to spend an extra £30k for things such as legal fees,” he says.

3. DVD Advances
The format might be on the wane but DVD advances can also be a useful addition to a budget. Comedy, drama and high-end factual are the most likely genres to attract DVD advances. A DVD advance can be particularly important part of the budget for comedy and drama shows which don’t travel well out of the UK, and find it hard to secure international funding.

4. Post production deal
Post production houses are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their dealings with producers. “They are more prevalent in feature films than drama, but there are a number of successful TV dramas where post houses have not only offered their post production services but have also invested quite a large sum of money, which is recouped alongside other investors,” says Industry Media director James Penny.

Lipsync, for example, has a strong reputation for its involvement in film projects, and successfully invested in BBC1 drama Zen.

Molinare has also built up an impressive reputation for its feature documentary work and film credits. “Post production houses are an option, but they will never give you so much money that your project will live or die by their investment,” adds Penny. “The pieces of the funding jigsaw get smaller and smaller each year, and the trick is to find as many as you can to stitch together – and post houses simply provide another small piece of that jigsaw.”

5. Regional and national funding agencies
Many high profile dramas, such as This Is England ’86 and Red Riding, have received financial backing from the UK’s regional and national screen agencies in recent years. BBC Worldwide’s Ben Donald describes screen agency funding as “one of the essential but later bits” of the funding jigsaw. “A regional fund in the UK could be a nice fillip but it is not going to make a major dent in your budget,” he says.

The poor state of the UK’s finances mean that many agencies no longer have the ability to fund to the extent they did in the past. The key is to know which of the regional and national screen agencies are currently investing.

Northern Ireland Screen, for example, is still very active, putting money into TV and film projects. And Northern Film and Media runs a £2.4m creative co-investment content fund supported by venture capital from NorthStar Equity Investors. “The fact that you are dealing with venture capitalists brings a certain level of bureaucracy and pain but nonetheless the few productions which have taken advantage of it have found it helpful,” says Industry Media's Penny.

6. Deficit /gap finance
Specialist financiers such as Ingenious Media or Octopus Investments can also provide funding to plug programme budgets. Ingenious, in particular, has been around for many years and is very supportive of the TV industry.

Nevertheless, funding from specialist media financiers can be expensive and complex. “If you speak to enough producers you will get the general impression that they find it slightly painful but nonetheless many people turn to companies like Ingenious because not only do they invest up to 5% of budget, but they also cash flow things,” says Industry Media’s Penny.

7. Overseas shooting
There’s an ever changing and ever increasing number of countries that will provide subsidies in a bid to attract international TV and film productions that will spend money in their territories, from Malta, South Africa through to Austria. “Each has its own strings and conditions,” says BBC Worldwide’s Ben Donald.

TV dramas are increasingly following the route trodden by film productions in a bid to unlock financing from around the globe. Producers can take advantage of formal co-production treaties with countries such as Canada. For filmmakers, the key attraction of a treaty co-production is that it qualifies as a national production in the partner nation. That means it can then access benefits that are available to the local film and television industry in the other country. Benefits may include government subsidies, tax concessions and inclusion in domestic television broadcast quotas. The latter is particularly valuable in Canada.

There are many countries where there is no formal co-production treaty but where UK producers can get a rebate on the cost of shooting in the country. Hungary, for example, is currently very popular with filmmakers because it offers a 20% tax rebate on local production spend. Donald says: “The choice of location often depends what you are looking for on screen. South Africa is very interesting because of the range of countryside out there which can double for various places.”

8. Advertiser funding
Ad funded programming (AFP) has been around since the 1930s when brands such as Proctor and Gamble and Colgate Palmolive funded daytime dramas in the US – and the soap opera was born. Until recently, however, examples of AFP were relatively scarce on British television. In particular, it was mistrusted by commissioning editors who disliked the idea of advertisers being closely involved in programme-making.

The recession, however, means that broadcasters and producers are having to compromise and are increasingly turning to advertisers to fund their programmes. This year, ad-funded programming has received a significant boost by the relaxation of the rules surrounding product placement. Now that brands can include their products in shows, many think that advertisers will look at ad funded programming more seriously.

ITV recently announced the first product placement deal with Nestle on This Morning, while C4’s first product placement deal is for a fashion show backed by New Look and made by indie producer Twofour. Few, however, think that AFP will lead to a major funding bonanza for producers – but say that it will bring some extra cash to the sector. “I think AFP will become slightly more significant if you are an independent producer,” says Simon Wells, head of ad-funding agency Drum Screen. “I think it will plug some of the gaps. It won’t be the saviour of the industry though.” Wells recently produced The Angina Monologues, a British Heart Foundation backed event starring Victoria Wood that has played in cinemas and aired on Sky.

9. Foundations / private financiers / self funding
Many projects, particularly feature documentaries, rely on money from wealthy individuals or from foundations.

Often, wealthy individuals will invest in projects where they know one of the creative principals, or they believe in a film’s creative potential or think the subject matter is important.

Producers will sometimes put their own money into a project. Keo Films, for example, put in 20% of the budget of acclaimed documentary series Welcome to Lagos in return for a more favourable rights position.

Foundations such as Channel 4’s Britdoc Foundation will also invest in documentary projects, while The Wellcome Trust have backed docs including the award-winning The English Surgeon. Foundations in the US, such as the Sundance Documentary Fund, the Ford Foundation and ITVS will also back international feature docs.

Rachel Wexler, producer at doc indie Bungalow Town, which has just made BBC4’s Outside the Court by Marc Isaacs and feature doc Guilty Pleasures, says: “When we consider a project, we will always think in a very specific and bespoke way about what funding routes will be right for that project. I think it helps if you’ve done proper research and know the funders’ needs before wasting everyone’s time by submitting something really inappropriate. Like sending a film about hard hitting social issues to an arts programmer.” Arturi Films' David Pearson says that relationships are important in trying to attract private money to projects. “Private financiers can be a great help – but I won’t be providing a contact list for them... Rich aunts could be key, but I don’t have any!”

10. Plate spinning
Last, but certainly not least, it’s crucial that producers can not only raise money but can also pull the various sources of finance together at the same time so that a show can be made. “It often comes down to cash flow,” advises Industry Media’s Vyvyan. “It’s more to do with constant plate spinning to make sure that you can make the money come in when you need it. It’s all very well finding the money, but the important thing is stitching it together…” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Top-10-ways-to-plug-TV-budgets_bid-263.htmlTue, 03 May 2011 11:28:13Who earns what in TV The results of Televisual's exclusive salary survey are in, revealing average pay levels for key industry jobs - from runners right up to managing directors.

£45,455. That's the average pay of someone working in the television industry, according to Televisual's 16th salary survey. On the face of it, £45.5k is an impressive sum. It suggests that TV professionals earn more, on average, than solicitors (£44k) or IT managers (£45.3k). All for a job that is probably rather more fun too.

But, at the risk of undermining Televisual’s own survey, it should be said that this £45.5k figure is best described as the average pay of Televisual readers and subscribers. The survey skews slightly towards typical Televisual readers, often experienced industry professionals such as producers, directors, heads of production and editors. (That said, the survey records the pay of almost every single job in TV production).

TV industry annual average salaries
Average pay: £45,455
Broadcaster full time: £45,595
Indie full time: £57,096
Facility full time: £42,041
Freelance production: £40,703
Freelance post: £42,750
Male: £49,583
Female £39,382

We emailed readers asking them to respond anonymously to our salary survey, revealing their pay for 2010 – we had 527 responses in all.

The TV industry can provide a route to impressive wealth for a few such as BBC director general Mark Thompson (whose salary falls 20% this year to £619k). Our survey records a handful of independent producer mds earning £250k a year, and one bringing in £500k.

At the bottom of the pile, the new entrants to the industry – runners – are earning an average of £15.5k a year, while researchers are on an average salary of £21k.

Average annual pay for jobs in TV production:
Runner: £15,500
Researcher: £21,150
Assistant producer: £28, 362
Director: £36, 635
Production manager: £36,693
Camera operator: £38,900
Studio manager: £40,819
Producer: £43,970
Line producer: £49,767
Director of photography: £48,700
Series producer: £55,200
Head of production: £60,873
Exec producer: £63,283
Managing director: £129,667

The reality, according to detailed feedback and comments provided by respondents to the survey, is that many people working at the coalface of television production are struggling. In many cases they are coping with pay freezes and cuts as well as longer working days and intense competition for work.

A clear majority of TV industry workers – 41% – say their pay rates stayed the same during 2010. Some 23% said their earnings had fallen over the year, while 36% said they were taking home more.

Average annual pay for jobs in TV post-production:
Edit assistant: £18,845
Bookings: £27,520
Editor (offline): £33,675
Producer: £40,614
Facilities manager: £41,861
Vfx artist: £42,000
Editor (online): £42,336
Dubbing mixer: £43,909
Colourist: £57,000
Vfx super: £85,000

The difference in pay levels between senior execs and production staff is a common complaint of the survey respondents. “There’s a ridiculous disparity between the Thompson-style execs and the actual PDs, APs and researchers who actually make the programmes,” complains one Manchester-based producer.

“People who have nothing to do with programme making – strategists, marketers and bureaucrats – see their empires and salaries growing,” adds a Glasgow based producer/director, who says that salaries for most people in production or post have stayed the same or gone down for years.

Indeed, pay freezes for production staff are commented upon widely. And with inflation currently running at 4.4%, there’s widespread concern that pay levels are effectively going down. “Although we earn a good wage compared to the rest of the country, pay rises are rare. As the cost of living increases we are effectively taking a pay cut,” says one facilities manager from London. Another female producer says: “I am extremely concerned that salaries have stayed fixed throughout my 12 year career. They don’t appear to have gone up with inflation, as my outgoings have, and staff are also expected to do an enormous amount of free overtime as part of this deal.”

Day rates
Assistant producer: £171
Production manager: £216
Editor (offline): £263
Head of production: £272
Director: £291
Camera operator: £293
Producer: £314
Editor (online): £329
Director of photography: £420

OVERWORKED, UNDERPAID
In fact, long hours and ‘free overtime’ are a major cause of complaint. “I’m appalled by permanent position salaries – it’s never reflective of the actual work that is done,” says one 33-year-old edit assistant. “Everyone is overworked and underpaid. No wonder it is a young person’s game.” A lighting cameraman based in Manchester adds: “Longer hours. Less money. Expected to provide camera kit with more for less. Earning third less than 2007. No respect for me by my employers. Disillusioned and struggling to find work even with my experience.”

Many complain that, on top of the long hours, a working week is now stretching to six, even seven days. “I’ve just turned down a job for a Five ob doc because the production company wanted me to work a seven day week for a five day rate with no time or money in lieu. 14 plus hour days are the norm,” says a London based producer/director.

Another London based producer echoes this complaint: “I’ve produced for 10 years now and my weekly rate has varied from £1,800-2,000 a week. In the last three years my salary has declined as rates have been squeezed, no extra money has been given for six day week shoots…and execs expect crews to work insane hours.” A documentary producer director adds: “A rate of £1350 a week sounds great. But it is not enough to cover the hours we work, and the level we work at, and completely disregards the European Working Time Directive.”

One production exec who recently quit to become a university lecturer comments: “I found it was becoming harder and harder to secure a daily rate in line with experience and past employment conditions. Employers were resorting to ‘buy out’ tactics, sometimes a six-day week for a flat weekly rate were seen as normal." The former production exec says that on one job he was scheduled for three weeks continuous shooting with no days off. "Experiences like this led me to believe that the industry was becoming less scrupulous and exploitation was becoming more common. This is especially true lower down the ladder as I often saw runners and junior researchers working unreasonable hours with little consideration for safety or wellbeing.”

There’s no shortage of reasons to explain why pay has flat lined in recent years. Most understand that it is a direct result of broadcasters cutting programme budgets by 10-20% as a result of the recession and the need for cost savings.

Freelancers, in particular, believe that they are having to bear the brunt of these broadcaster budget cuts, working longer hours for less, while staff at broadcasters and indies do not see their pay rates fall. A production accountant at a broadcaster says: “It’s tough having to hold pay rates at the same level over the past two years. Our budget has gone down, so if we put rates up we could be looking at fewer people doing more and that’s not good. So we keep them at the same rate, aware this isn’t good either.”

COMPETITION KEEPS RATES LOW
Competition for work is also fierce, driving down or at least keeping pay rates on hold. “We’re all competing in a flooded, oversaturated market against younger, cheaper workers and this is taking its toll on salaries,” says one London based head of production.”

Younger workers worry about how they can get on – and even survive – in an industry where competition for jobs is intense. “I don’t think it’s feasible to live in London on such a low salary,” says one runner. “Many of the younger people coming into TV are then leaving again to pursue other careers as they can’t afford to stay,” comments a DoP. Post production pay for new entrants is regarded as particularly low. “The starting wage for a runner in a facility has barely changed in ten years. TV is becoming the preserve of the middle, upper classes whose parents can afford to support their kids while they are being paid minimum wage for two or three years running. It is ultimately bad for everyone. I would not encourage my children to go into post production,” says one London based colourist.

Pay by age
20-25: £17,571
26-30: £28,787
31-35: £40,332
36-40: £56,166
41-45: £52,271
46-50: £57,787
51-55: £51,280
56-60: £51,582
61-65: £65,533

Older workers, meanwhile, fear that employers value pay rates more than experience, and they worry that less experienced, cheaper rivals are often undercutting them. “Salaries are being eroded as the skill base is being denigrated by producers/production managers giving a toy town TV camera to the office junior and telling them to go film something,” says one respondent, complaining about the number of “out of focus shots/poor sound/rescued in the edit type programmes on TV at the moment.”

Older, experienced cameramen, in particular, are concerned about falling rates. “Pressure on the wages of cameramen is immense,” says one. “Production managers are openly resentful about rates of pay (which haven’t gone up for years). They think we are somehow ripping them off. They are increasingly dictating the use of EX3 or Canon XF305 type cameras in order to employ cheaper inexperienced labour or to justify paying cameramen less.” Older workers also express concerns about simply being able to maintain their pay levels. “I expect work and my annual salary to decrease from now on, as I’m older and probably more expensive than my peers,” says a 43-year old production manager.

Others believe that consolidation in the indie sector has not helped pay rates, arguing that a small number of powerful superindies are able to dictate, and keep down, rates of pay. “Because the independent world is dominated by a small number of superindies, the freelancers are in a weak position to argue…the superindies get rich on the backs of us,” believes one Bristol producer.

Senior execs are also blamed for the state of pay in the industry. “I’m working far harder for the money than ever before – forced to cut corners and kicked when things go wrong. Very low opinion of execs,” says one series producer. There’s a widespread belief that some senior execs lack experience, are poor decision makers and are reluctance to stick up for pay rates for junior staff. One editor complains: “There are great ones but far too many overpaid and under qualified executive producers…they are losing productions vast sums of money through foolish decisions which they can easily cover up.”

JOB ROLES BLURRING
Many respondents point out that their pay rates are stagnating at the same time as they are being asked to do far more for a production, with job roles blurring as multitasking becomes more common. “In real terms we are paid less and expected to deliver more,” argues an assistant director. “Ambition for scripts has increased, but with falling budgets the pressure is placed on crew to pull productions through on a shoe-string while being paid less in real terms to do it.”

Things are not all bad, though. Employers are often willing to pay well for trusted talent who can deliver. “They’re like gold dust,” says one indie producer. “Because the risk of getting a show wrong is too much.” This means, says a London-based director, that although salaries have levelled off “you can still negotiate if you’re really good at your job or have a pedigree.”

In general, the survey paints a picture of an industry that pays a decent average wage for established execs compared to many industries. But it’s startling how many are fearful of the future, and find themselves working harder as salaries come under increasing pressure because of falling budgets and intense competition to work in TV.

HOW OUR PAY SURVEY WORKS
Televisual emailed subscribers asking them to respond anonymously to our online salary survey, which asked them a series of questions. We asked respondents what they were paid in 2010, their age, gender, and for an outline of their job, experience and whether they thought pay levels were rising, falling, or staying the same. We had 527 responses in all, enough to allow us to carry out a robust analysis of industry pay levels. On average, respondents were 39 years old and had worked in TV for 15 years. 61% were male, and 39% female. 60% worked full time for a single employer, while 36% were freelance. Of full time workers, 42% worked for an indie producer, 28% for a facility and 15% for a broadcaster. The survey skewed towards more senior levels of the business. Of those working for an indie or broadcaster, 17% were producers and 8% were directors. Within post, 17% of respondents were offline editors, 13% online editors and 9% facilities managers. Some 64% of respondents were based in London. Total Comments: 3 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Who-earns-what-in-TV_bid-261.htmlTue, 19 Apr 2011 12:12:33How's 2011 for indies? Four indie bosses give their verdict on the state of business for the independent production sector so far this year. Is the market still challenging or are things beginning to pick up?

Glyn Middleton
Chief executive, True North
The market has definitely picked up - more programmes are being commissioned and we're busier than we've ever been. But there's a down side - programme budgets are being squeezed and broadcasters are demanding the same level of quality for less cash. In a hugely competitive market, we can't afford to let the quality slip, so we've had to accept that we'll sometimes make little or no profit on programmes, but will balance the books through post production, secondary sales and new sources of income. My concern is for those indies without their own facilities.

David Smith
Managing director, Matchlight
I'm hopeful. Commissions are certainly happening even if tariffs continue to drift downwards and pressure in departments that have suffered cuts, like business affairs, slow the process. The BBC's year end makes Jan to March an interesting time. It's a good time to sell even if cash flow is often delayed until beyond April. We had a good 2010/11 and 2011/12 looks like it will be at least as good. We have new commissions about to start for BBC2, BBC3 and BBC4 and we're in production on our first series commission for C5 - 6x60 and funded. The trick, as ever, is maintaining momentum throughout the year.

Jonathan Drake
Managing director, Impossible Pictures
The new year is hectic – as a result of keeping development boiling during the downturn we are emerging out the other side firing on all cylinders with every unit in production across all our companies. The inevitable repositioning of financing and business models has been accelerated through the recession, but there appears to be some confidence in the market now to actually put them in practice and decisions are getting made. A close eye still needs to be kept on costs and the profitability of any project we enter into – and this means the business functions have as much on their hands right now as the creative ones.

Charles Wace
Chief executive, Two Four Group
2011 has certainly been a lot better so far than 2010. The sentiment is a lot brighter. In the broadcast space, we have noticed a welcome return of commissioning from pretty well every broadcaster that Twofour has worked with in the past. In order to achieve a margin, projects are being financed in part through overseas sales or by the injection of cash from a corporate sponsor. In the digital space, we have also seen a considerable increase in private companies wanting to build a brand and presence online. Twofour's overseas sales have continued being really significant - with our Abu Dhabi office kicking in revenue across all sectors of our business.


Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Hows-2011-for-indies_bid-260.htmlWed, 13 Apr 2011 11:47:28Frank's multinational lesson It’s a move that speaks volumes about how the TV production sector has moved on from its early, cottage industry days.

David Frank, the boss of production giant Zodiak Media Group, says he has been busy studying how multinational pharmaceutical companies and car manufacturers motivate and incentivise their staff.

Best known as the founder of Wife Swap producer RDF Media, Frank sold his company to Zodiak Media Group last year. He’s now CEO of Zodiak, which spans 45 production companies across 17 countries.

Given the size of the company he now runs, Frank says his biggest challenge is how to motivate and retain the very best creative people in the market within in a multinational group.

As a result, he’s spent plenty of time learning “how large corporations incentivise staff to contribute to the global endeavor, and contribute to global success.”

Speaking at MipTV, he added: “How does one try and ensure that the fantastic local talent operating in different local markets… how does one somehow combine that at the centre without destroying the local creativity?”

However, Frank declined to reveal in public exactly what conclusions he had reached.

Saying that Zodiak operated in three key areas – kids, scripted drama and non-fiction – Frank explained that television remains its core activity – and would do for some time to come.

“I don’t subscribe to the theory that the TV business is screwed, that it’s all going fragmented and going online or digital. I consider that we are a TV company first and foremost…the ability to aggregate sizeable audiences on a TV platform is where we start and we finish somewhere else.”

He thought that the recent focus by broadcasters on ‘360 degree content’ that often started on the web and then moved to TV was a mistake.

“Where the broadcasters went wrong with the digital revolution is they said 360 has to start online… Personally I feel that’s a bit of a mistake.”

Instead, he thinks that producers should look to enhance their TV offerings with online and digital content. “For us as TV producers, this is an opportunity to make telly more interesting and entertaining.”

Zodiak, he added, is investing a lot in “the two-screen experience”, because the way TV is being consumed by the younger generation is changing rapidly.

“Young kids are watching and communicating with their friends while watching TV. The digital platforms don’t replace TV, they enhance it.”

“We haven’t had a genre defining hit for a while … but this looks like an area that is ripe for exploitation,” he concluded. Total Comments: 1 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Franks-multinational-lesson_bid-255.htmlTue, 05 Apr 2011 11:52:30MipTV gets down to business A businesslike MipTV swung into gear today under clear blue skies and bright sunshine.

Arnold Schwarzenegger brought a touch of Hollywood star wattage to the market, arriving to unveil animated series The Governator, his first project since stepping down as Governor of California. See full story here.

Not to be outdone, four young Brits spent much of the day wandering around the Croissette in their swimming trunks to promote Back2Back Productions’ The Hunks, a factual show about 10 ‘lads’ living it up in Newquay, Cornwall. It airs on Sky Living later this month.

Distributors expressed cautious optimism that this MipTV would prove to be a busy market, building on a strong Mipcom and MipTV last year.

FremantleMedia CEO Tony Cohen said that broadcasters around the world had enjoyed a strong 2010 as advertising revenue recovered, meaning that there was “all to play for in 2011.”

Electric Sky chief executive David Pounds said: “Mipcom last year was busy, and MipTV this year has all the hallmarks of being similarly busy.”

Early deals announced today include the following:

- Sky Atlantic has acquired UK rights to upcoming mini-series Pompeii. The series is based on the best selling book by Robert Harris, is penned by Oscar-winning writer Robert Towne (Chinatown, Mission Impossible). The producers are Sony Pictures Television, Tandem Communications, Peace Out Productions, Dolphin Entertainment, Leder Productions in association with Scott Free Television production in partnership with Sky and ProSiebenSat.1 TV Germany. It will air in 2012.
 
- Spain’s Zinkia Entertainment announced it has taken a 51% stake in kids and family entertainment company Cake. London-based Cake, headed up by Tom van Waveren and Ed Galton, works with production companies from around the world to develop, create, commercially position and manage their IP propositions for the international market. Properties handled by Cake include: Oscar’s Oasis, Poppy Cat, Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey, Angelo Rules and The Sparticle Mystery. Zinkia has a track record in creating and managing entertainment brands, including global hit Pocoyo.

- Content Television (formerly known as Fireworks International) sold more than 50 hours of children’s drama and comedy programming to Australia’s national broadcaster ABC TV. The deal includes Even Stevens, The Assistants, BAFTA Children’s Award nominated Black Hole High and two CBBC Productions – Young Dracula and Desperados.

- CBeebies controller Kay Benbow commissioned Tree Fu Tom (26 x 22 mins), a multi-platform action adventure animation series from CBeebies In House Productions and FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME). Designed to help children’s movement development, it follows the adventures of a boy with magical powers as he takes viewers to an enchanted world in a tree and encourages them to help him cast magic spells with gentle, fun physical movements. Tree Fu Tom was created and is being produced by Daniel Bays. 

- Off The Fence (OTF) announced a raft of sales amounting to over 120 hours of programming to UK and pan-territory broadcasters. The deals were brokered by Bo Stehmeier, director of sales at OTF and included sales of shows such as Art Race (12x30’), Raising Sextuplets (14x60’), Artland (24x60’) and Adoption Diaries (4x30’) to Sky Arts. Elsewhere in the UK, Discovery UK acquired Ice Man (1x60’), Animal Planet UK bought Cheetah Diaries (13x30’) and Eden obtained Home in Danger Zone (1x60’).

- BBC Worldwide unveiled new properties for CBeebies. New titles to be rolled out throughout 2011 and 2012 include Baby Jake, Jollywobbles and Andy’s Wild Adventures. Andy’s Wild Adventures (40 x 15’) will be produced by the BBC’s Natural History Unit, with young viewers invited to join the adventures of CBeebies presenter Andy Day and his knowledgeable and tech-savvy sidekick, Kip. Baby Jake (26 x 11’) is a new show from Darrall Macqueen which mixes live action with 2D photographic animation, to bring to life the magical adventures of the title character, as he giggles and gurgles his way through fantastical lands with his imaginary animal friends. Jollywobbles (13 x 9’) is a new comedy written, produced, directed and starring Justin Fletcher (Something Special, Gigglebiz), Jollywobbles. BBC Worldwide will also manage the international rights of the Scrumptious House show. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/MipTV-gets-down-to-business_bid-254.htmlMon, 04 Apr 2011 17:34:06Thompson seeks to clarify cuts There’s an unmistakeable ring of a communist-era five plan about the BBC’s latest operational review, the grimly titled Delivering Quality First.

The pressure to find 20% of savings as a result of the licence fee freeze until 2016 is the driving force behind the initiative. The BBC is consulting with senior execs about what kind of cuts it should implement, in a process that runs until May.

It’s this consultation process that has led to lots of leaks in the press over recent weeks, with frequent headlines about daytime programmes being scrapped on BBC2 or local radio output being axed.

In a briefing to journalists today, director general Mark Thompson sought to clarify exactly what is going on  and effectively ruled out closing existing stations. “It’s not obvious that what the public wants is a complete reduction of services,” he said, explaining the reprieve granted to BBC6 Music and The Asian Network.

That means that many of the cuts will take place at a programme level, affecting many in the production community - both inhouse and indie - who make shows for the BBC.

Even though the consultation has yet to run its course, some common themes have already emerged - and were confirmed by Thompson in his press briefing today.

So it’s probably not a good time to be making daytime shows like To Buy or Not to Buy, Restoration Roadshow or Flog It! on BBC2, as the BBC is mulling focusing instead on a ‘richer originated daytime schedule on BBC1’. The BBC is also considering reducing the £150m it spends on overnight programming after 10.35pm.

Conversely, it’s probably a good time to be producing peak time shows, in particular on BBC1. “Should we protect the BBC1 budget by making other cuts in TV?”, is one big question raised in the BBC’s consultation. It’s early days yet, but clearly BBC1 is going to be the big winner in this process.

Another winner is likely to be drama. “Should we spend more on drama to reflect high public demand?” asks the consultation. The BBC is also thinking about repeating more of its big ticket shows, such as dramas like South Riding or natural history series like Human Planet, acknowledging that viewers’ increasingly busy lives mean they are often missed first time around.

Politics and current affairs shows look set for a rethink too, with the BBC asking ‘what fewer, bigger, better would look like.”

Producers working outside London will also be cheered by Delivering Quality First, as it asks whether more of the BBC’s channels and commissioners should be located outside London.

In fact, what’s so surprising about the Delivering Quality First consultation is that - beyond its off-putting title - it has come up with some rather sensible suggestions for saving money AND improving output. So much so that one wonders why a lot of it wasn’t implemented years ago…

One other surprising thing to emerge from Thompson’s press briefing today was how he played down the impact of the licence fee settlement on the BBC, describing it as a ‘cash flat’ settlement.

The real concern, he added, came from inflation. He said the BBC’s income “will rise significantly” over the licence fee period, despite the fact that the licence fee itself has been frozen at £145.50 per household until the end of 2016.

Thompson put this down to: the growing number of households in the UK; existing savings; reduced licence fee collection costs and evasion; as well as increased revenue from commercial activities. He added that “if increased commercial revenue is strong, it will more than pay for the additional obligations” the BBC has taken on under the licence fee settlement, notably running the World Service.

However, on a day that the official annual rate of inflation hit 4.4%, Thompson said that “inflation is the big challenge.” The danger, Thompson said, is that “the take increases but is eroded by inflation.” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Thompson-seeks-to-clarify-cuts_bid-250.htmlTue, 22 Mar 2011 16:10:53The state of comedy TV Broadcasters, it seems, are game for a laugh.

The BBC, long the biggest player in the comedy genre, is enjoying a strong run thanks to new hits such as Miranda, Rev, The Trip, Come Fly with Me and Him and Her.

Meanwhile, Channel 4, buoyed by the success of The Inbetweeners, is ploughing extra money into comedy as it seeks new hits in its post-Big Brother era. Its comedy commissioning budget has increased £5m to £27m a year.

But the biggest news in the small world of comedy TV is the arrival of Sky as a significant investor in the genre. From a standing start, it’s set to roll out eight new comedies a year on Sky1. It’s also looking to commission for Sky Living, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts.

Elsewhere, UKTV’s Dave also has two scripted projects in funded development with indies, while Comedy Central is beginning to invest in original UK comedy production.

Channel 4’s head of comedy Shane Allen says it’s no surprise that broadcasters are increasingly prioritising comedy. “Things like The Inbetweeners can have very humble origins and become very channel defining,” he says. The Inbetweeners started out on E4 with 230k viewers for its first episode back in 2008. By its third series, it was attracting over 4m – a key factor in E4 winning so many plaudits in recent months.

At the same time as being a channel defining genre, the long term value of comedy over more disposable genres like factual entertainment and entertainment is increasingly being recognised by broadcasters. For many years, comedy was seen as something of a ‘market failure’ TV genre – expensive, risky and best left to deep pocketed public service broadcasters. But comedy is now seen as less of an expensive luxury. As Friends proved, broadcasters can practically build a channel by repeating a hit comedy series. A successful comedy has a very long shelf life. “A repeat of Father Ted will still do pretty well on More4 – and that is 15 years after the first TX,” says Allen. Comedies can also enjoy good DVD sales and – in the case of The Inbetweeners – potential film spin-offs.



Better market for comedy
“There’s a better marketplace for comedy ideas now,” confirms Kenton Allen, chief executive of Big Talk Productions, whose indie has just made Friday Night Dinner for C4, and is soon to go into production on the second series of Rev and Him and Her. “But winning commissions is one thing. Financing the shows is a whole different ball game.”

Allen says broadcaster budgets, particularly at the BBC, have gone down between 10-20%. Talent costs, however, are rising. Crews, says Allen, have to work longer to make shows work - Rev was made on six day weeks for six weeks. “It’s exhausting.”

DVD and distribution advances help with budgets, he acknowledges. “But they all need to be recouped - which puts the profit point further down the track if you are not careful.”

Fellow producer Henry Normal, md of The Trip producer Baby Cow, echoes Allen’s words. He agrees that the number of slots has increased, particularly with Sky investing heavily in the market. Advertisers like Fosters, he adds, are also directly funding online comedy series such as Baby Cow’s Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge.

“But there’s still a lot of people chasing a few opportunities. It’s a very difficult business – there’s lots of very good people producing.” “Trying to get six comedy scripts to a good standard can take half a year, then bringing them to air can take another half a year. It’s a year’s work. If it doesn’t get recommissioned, you start from scratch. It’s very difficult for smaller companies to set up and maintain.”

Baby Cow has been running for 11 years, and has 12 employees. “We very often spend seven days a week trying to make it work. If I had to set up now, I’m not sure I would. It is hard. But I was naïve when I set up – and I can’t do anything else, so it helps concentrate the mind,” says Normal.

Difficult choices at the BBC
Among comedy execs, it’s acknowledged that it’s been a good year for comedy, with the BBC in particular doing well.

BBC head of comedy Cheryl Taylor puts this down to a wealth of talent in the business, both in front of and behind the camera, saying that all parts of the industry “seem to be firing on all cylinders.”

“The last 12 months have essentially constituted a vintage year - we’ve had absolutely fantastic talent like Miranda coming through.” Taylor adds: “I feel certain that the reason that comedy is on a wave at the moment is that there are some really funny shows out there. That is the bottom line.”

This success, however, means that hard choices lie ahead. Because of BBC budget cuts and a need to make room for new ideas, Taylor is unable to recommission several shows which debuted strongly. The problem is acute on BBC2, home to Miranda, The Trip, Rev, Whites, Grandma’s House, Psychoville, Harry and Paul and Roger and Val Have Just Got In. “There’s some tough choices, and we are still working it out. But I want to bring back as many deserving shows as we can possibly afford,” says Taylor.

Across all four BBC channels, Taylor stresses the need to “find ambitious, fresh ideas to reach a broad audience.” While acknowledging that BBC2 and BBC4 are the homes of more boutique authored pieces, she says that overall “there is a great need for comedy that has entertainment values at its heart, so unearthing confident, bold comedy personas is a priority for me.”

Kenton Allen picks up on this theme: “As we go into more austere times, things that are inherently laugh out loud funny are an easier watch. I think there is a clue in Miranda, which is joyous, funny and likeable.” Multicamera sitcoms like Miranda fell out of fashion for a long time, making way for nuanced half hour comedies. “Where are our big laugh out loud Father Teds, Ab Fabs - those sort of shows,” says Allen. “Miranda is one of them, The IT Crowd is another. But there is room for more.”



C4 broadens its appeal
One senses that Channel 4 is starting to explore this territory too. Under new programming boss Jay Hunt, the channel is looking at broadening the appeal of its comedy, embracing a more modern, mainstream entertainment agenda.

With extra money in his budget, the emphasis is very much on 9pm, says head of comedy Shane Allen. He met with Hunt soon after she joined the channel. “She said you do brilliant reputational stuff. But it is expensive and should play more at the heart of the schedule.” Distinctive material for 9pm is a hard place to launch new talent, acknowledges Allen. So it’s likely the slot will be for established talent and writers, with E4 the home of more experimental comedies targeting a younger audience.

For C4, says Allen, we want “things with more jokes – broader pieces.” He’s looking out for nine or ten sitcoms on the main channel, and four on E4.

Sky powers into the market
Astonishingly, this is about the same amount of comedy that Sky hopes to commission across its four channels.

Sky, says producer Henry Normal, “will be the biggest single influence over the next couple of years – they seem to be setting their stall out to do comedy in a way that they have never done before.”

Channel boss Stuart Murphy really signalled Sky was getting serious about comedy when he poached BBC head of comedy Lucy Lumsden. She was originally tasked to commission for Sky1 alone. Now she is working across four channels, Sky1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts.

It’s a move that Lumsden describes as “a mini-cultural revolution.” Eight series will run on Sky1. Two comedy drama series have already been announced, Mount Pleasant and Stella and the broadcaster recently played out ensemble piece Christmas Crackers. In the coming weeks, Sky will announce four or five new titles for Sky1.

Lumsden says Sky1 has targeted blue-collar family audiences with its new shows. She points to Stella, a family saga set in the Welsh valleys written by and starring Ruth Jones. Lumsden describes it as a “blue collar series reflecting modern Britain...and the lives of our customers.”

ITV through to Dave
ITV has never been regarded as a major player in comedy. It’s enjoyed success with Benidorm, now in its fourth series, and Harry Hill’s TV Burp is hugely admired in the industry. But recently, it’s got behind Jason Manford’s Comedy Rocks variety show.

UKTV’s Dave is also upping its activity. The channel famously brought back Red Dwarf for three episodes in 2009, and buoyed by that success is developing two scripted and one animated project. Head of commissioning Jane Rogerson says, “UKTV comedies have to feel as if they can stand out in the market”, adding that “they need to contain well known faces that will bring an audience to the screen.” Rogerson also stresses the need for "innovative funding models that bring partners together” to help fund UKTV shows.

After all, Rogerson says, “I don’t underestimate that comedy is one of the most difficult genres to get right. Its price per pound and your guarantees on return make comedy one of the most high risk in the market.”

COMEDY Q&As

Lucy Lumsden, Sky head of comedy
How much are you now commissioning? We are going to be having original British comedy on Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts. We're doing about eight series with Sky1 a year, up from none when I took over.
What are you looking for on Sky1? Sky1 is very good at reflecting Californian blue sky, sun drenched lives - but what about our own and the lives of our customers. So we’ve absolutely gone hell for leather for that. The other big theme is that we’re going for the family audience.
And the other channels? We’re looking for about 2-3 titles on Sky Living, female led shows for 20-40 somethings. Sky Atlantic has This is Jinsy, and can bring on newer voices. Sky Arts is known names doing things that might surprise you.

Cheryl Taylor BBC Controller, comedy commissioning
What are you looking for? Funny scripts, first and foremost, across all channels. Big bold laugh out loud shows with entertainment values at their heart. We are keen to find ambitious, fresh ideas to reach a broad audience. There is a great need for comedy that has entertainment values at its heart, so unearthing confident, bold comedy personas is a priority for me.
What are you not looking for? You’d be amazed how many scripts we receive that either are 50 mins in length and are supposed to be half an hour, or have absolutely no jokes in them at all.

Shane Allen Channel 4 Head of comedy
What are you looking for? As well as doing reputational pioneering stuff on E4, on C4 we are looking for things that could play at 9pm and be a bit broader. We are trying to think of areas that people can have an immediate buy into, like Friday Night Dinner, C4’s first family sitcom, or returning things that people recognise like The IT Crowd. We want things with more jokes, and broader pieces.
What are you not looking for? Sketch shows are very difficult to punch through for us. We’re not really after niche, darker, quieter comedies. Or comedies where people play a version of themselves. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-state-of-comedy-TV_bid-247.htmlMon, 21 Mar 2011 11:42:12What's the outlook for MipTV? Programme sales executives are busy preparing for next month’s MipTV market in Cannes (4-7 April).

Beyond the stress of the last minute preparations for the market, their mood seems positive. With just a few weeks to go, most sellers seem to think that it will be a busy event, citing the fact that broadcasters are spending again as the ad market recovers.

Here’s the opinions of four leading sales companies on the outlook for MipTV:

Dan Allen
Chief operating officer, Fremantle Media Enterprises
"Mipcom in October was a bounce-back market, and I fully expect that to continue at MipTV. The broadcasters have come out of the recessionary period very strongly. They have addressed their cost base and emerged leaner and fitter. Ad revenues are flowing back and that is all going to their bottom line and so therefore they are reviewing what they can spend on content. That macro indicator suggests that there should be quite a lot of money in this market. Those who have got a strong slate of content are going to be the ones that reap the benefit of whatever buoyancy there might be. We’re feeling very positive because, as usual, we have got incredibly strong slate of content, particularly dramas now. We have invested a lot of time and effort and money in drama development over last 2-3 years and it’s really starting to bear fruit."

Sarah Tong
Director of sales, Hat Trick International
"There’s a lot of talk about the new “hot bed” for creativity, with representatives from Israel, Finland and the other Nordic regions talking about their various credentials. But what each of these commentators concedes is that the UK remains the territory that the world is watching for the best ideas, execution and talent. It’s important that British producers have a strong presence on the international stage and can partner with distributors, like Hat Trick International, whose own agendas don’t stifle their creativity. On a product level, as well as the continued interest in British comedy and drama formats, we are seeing an increased demand internationally for factual entertainment series with broad appeal."

David Pounds
Chief executive, Electric Sky
"Since Mipcom we have been very busy with some sales months being the best in the company’s history, so we have high expectations for MipTV. We are lucky to have amazing shows from our producers, with very high ratings attached, some even in glorious 3D. Generally most territories are buying with strong orders from Australasia, Europe and Scandinavia. Factual seems still to be king in the market, which is great for us, and our performance catalogue is showing signs of increased popularity as well. We look forward to launching our exciting New Releases catalogue at MIP with our hallmark of colour and flair."

Francois de Brugada
Executive vp, Banijay Group
"I believe the industry is now genuinely transcending the traditional boundaries of TV. The effect of this is that traditional television companies’ competitive set is changing, as is their product, and the way it is acquired and sold in Cannes. Content suppliers aren’t just competing with other television producers; they’re now competing with any other producer of leisure activities, big or small - in fact anything that attracts eyeballs! Their product is no longer confined to a number of episodes of a television series; they’re now free to sell all ideas and concepts that have the potential for multi platform exploitation. From a simple, smart interactive app to a complex mega entertainment format. The people they are selling to are not just international TV buyers, they are web portal owners, gaming platforms, social media networks, publishers, consumer product manufacturers" Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Whats-the-outlook-for-MipTV_bid-245.htmlFri, 18 Mar 2011 12:42:27The superindie view Interview: Steve Morrison has presided over the phenomenal growth of All3Media, from blank sheet of paper to the UK’s largest production group. But what’s next for the indie sector’s biggest consolidator?

Steve Morrison is midway through explaining how All3Media grew to become the UK’s largest ‘superindie’ production group, when a colleague steps into his glass panelled office and hands him a piece of paper. “Very interesting,” says Morrison quietly as he scans a news report saying that rival superindie Shine Group has just sold to News Corp for £415m, before speculating aloud about the financing of the deal.

It’s little wonder that the news is so interesting to him. Confirmation of the Shine/News Corp deal comes just as All3 is itself the subject of intense speculation that it is about to be put up for sale by its private equity owner Permira.

Morrison himself gives the All3 sale rumours short shrift. “It’s too premature. We haven’t hired [an investment bank]. At the moment we are concentrating on growth,” is all he says on the subject.

The All3 story is, indeed, one of incredible growth – from a blank sheet of paper in 2003, via a breathtaking series of acquisitions, it is set to turnover more than £450m this year. This, though, has come at a big cost: All3 has bank debts of £256m on earnings of £50.5m.

It began back in 2003, soon after Morrison quit as chief executive of Granada Media Group in the wake of the £1.3bn ITV Digital debacle. Instead of bowing out of the TV business, Morrison teamed up with former colleagues David Liddiment and Jules Burns to found All3.

“David Liddiment said there is no point starting our own production company – we are just far too old and it will take us years to get up and running,” recalls Morrison. “But, he said, doesn’t the independent sector now need a group?”

Backed at that time by private equity group Bridgepoint, All3 then went on a major buying spree beginning with Chrysalis for £45m. It now owns 20 companies, predominantly in the UK, but also in the US, Germany, Holland and New Zealand.

Since the very beginning, All3 has followed a federal model, allowing its indies creative autonomy and their own identity. It’s a model that Morrison learnt at Granada, when it acquired LWT, United and Yorkshire. “Matrix management” is the way he describes it. “You want the companies to be as self reliant and as strong as possible – we chose them because they are that type of company.”

He says this self-reliance is “All3’s secret weapon”, making it the very opposite of a centralised top heavy organisation that stifles widespread idea creation. There might be 200-300 formats swirling around All3’s companies at any one time, he says. It’s then the job of a central team at All3 including Liddiment, Ruth Wrigley and Wayne Garvie and All3Media International “to capture all this creativity and magnify it as best we can to help the companies get their programmes around the world.”

Morrison and his senior team also hold a “long and very detailed strategic meeting once a month with each production company to discuss and outline strategy. “We debate the strategy. It is theirs to do, but ours to listen and counsel.”

Despite paying millions to acquire each indie, no company boss has left since their big paydays, insists Morrison. “Everybody asks us this question: if you pay quite a lot of money for a production company to a relatively small number of individuals, will they all go off to the golf course?” He says it hasn’t happened because each outfit is run by creative entrepreneurs who remain proud of their companies and shows.

In fact, he maintains that it is All3’s support and central expertise that has helped outfits like Maverick “grow by 400% in a short space of time” or Company crack the American market with a US version of Skins for MTV. “We offer the companies the opportunity to grow, but with the backing that perhaps they would have found more difficult on their own.”

The US is a key target for growth in the coming months, with All3 aiming to double output there to $100m this year. Six All3 outfits are now producing in America, each with their own offices and set ups rather than one centralised American group.

The focus on America is crucial, he says. “My view is that the UK is a fantastic springboard – you can’t be a great exporter without a strong home market. But America is a magnifier, a megaphone of your idea which then sends a louder signal about being successful around the world.”

Morrison describes All3 as ’50-50’ UK and international. It’s clear that, in the face of a stagnating home market, he’s sees international markets as key to All3s future growth.

And it’s this growth that he clearly expects will help All3 offset the tremendous debts it has built up through its acquisition spree. “As long as you are growing – and this year we are hoping to go back to double digit growth, having very successfully survived the recession – the banks support you because they can see what you are doing with their credit.”

CV
Started as a radio producer with BBC Scotland.
In 1974 joined Granada, rising to director of programmes in 1987 and md in 1993.
Md of LWT (1994).
Chief exec of Granada in 2001.
Formed All3 in 2003 with David Liddiment and Jules Burns after the acquisition of Chrysalis TV.
All3 now comprises 20 companies including Company Pictures (Skins), Studio Lambert (Undercover Boss), Lime Pictures (Hollyoaks), Lion (Horrible Histories), Objective (Peep Show) and Optomen (Kitchen Nightmares).
All3 was initially backed by private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital, which sold its stake to Permira in 2006.

(This interview is taken from the March issue of Televisual magazine)
Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-superindie-view_bid-242.htmlWed, 16 Mar 2011 12:48:10Why do US studios like UK TV? US studios have bought up vast swathes of the UK production sector, with the likes of News Corp, Warners and NBCU acquiring superindies such as Shine Group and Shed Media Group.

Why are they targetting UK production so aggressively? Here's the opinions of four leading UK execs on the subject:

Thomas Dey
Chief executive officer, About Corporate Finance
The volume of films from US studios has fallen, whilst the costs have risen. This is as a result of consumers demanding more from their viewing experience, and the Studios preferring big branded films that are sure hits. As a result they are looking for other income streams. HBO has demonstrated that long running, high end TV series can be lucrative and the commercial outcome easier to predict than middle budget films. The UK TV production industry has consistently demonstrated its ability to produce long running TV series and equally important, have retained the ongoing rights to such series. The positive impact is the introduction of well funded, global players into a slightly bruised UK industry. The worry is they are hierarchical conglomerates, which culturally might clash with entrepreneurial spirit of UK production.

Mark Oliver
Chief executive, Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates
The UK is one of the main sources of global TV formats, which is one of the fastest growing parts of the global TV sector. US investors are interested in securing IP to programmes they can sell to networks and cablenets in the US (which has a proven appetite for UK formats such as Supernanny, Undercover Boss, MasterChef etc) and as a route to developing local production businesses around the world to exploit those formats globally (MasterChef Australia, MasterChef NZ etc) and to secure more ready-made distribution rights for the global sales teams (selling American Idol to ITV2 etc).

Sue Oriel
Managing director, Firecracker Films
The move by US studios on UK producers is as motivated by business interests as it is by creative ones. The UK sector is populated with highly motivated individuals forming companies to produce and exploit saleable output. The rights position in the UK is more generous than the US (where rights are rarely retained by creatives), so a successful UK company will have programmes to exploit worldwide through sales or format licensing. In the US, talent tends to be an individual issue with fewer talented show-runners starting their own businesses. These two things represent a huge opportunity for studios anxious to globalise.

Nick Southgate
CEO, Shed Media (acquired by Warners last year)
It is clear that Warner Bros think that the UK is a very important market for production. I know they had been interested in playing a role over here for a long time and had been searching for the right partner. I’m glad they found it with Shed. Having a strategic partner like Warner Bros is very valuable in this industry, a partner that understands that value creation comes through linking creativity and business. Warner Bros is committed to the further roll out of its network in other territories, which only goes to strengthen both businesses’ power in the UK. They have been very supportive of our creativity and culture and are encouraging us to add to it with the expertise that a major studio has to offer. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Why-do-US-studios-like-UK-TV_bid-238.htmlWed, 09 Mar 2011 14:27:56Behind the scenes of UK film The King’s Speech might have triumphed at the Baftas, but behind the scenes the UK independent film industry is going through a period of major upheaval.

In years to come, film historians and students are likely to look back at the next few weeks as a pivotal moment in the evolution of the British film industry. The King’s Speech is flying the flag for British film, cleaning up at last night’s Baftas and tipped for success at the Oscars.

But in a few weeks, The King’s Speech’s principal funder, the UK Film Council, will start closing down, the victim of the government decision last year to axe the film agency and transfer many of its functions over to the BFI.

Some 50% of the UKFC’s staff are likely to lose their jobs, just as the agency celebrates the biggest success story in its 11 year history. The rest of the UKFC staff, including the Film Fund team responsible for backing The King’s Speech, are expected to move over to the BFI from April.

For many industry execs, the big question is whether the government’s intervention will prove to be a hideous mistake that will irreparably damage the fragile film industry. Or whether the changes, together with more public funding being pumped into film, will prove to be a springboard for future growth.

Strange timing - The closure of the UKFC
Head of the UKFC Film Fund, Tanya Seghatchian, is careful to be diplomatic when she‘s asked to comment on what she makes of the closure of the organisation just as The King’s Speech is riding high. Citing £13m of receipts in the films first 13 days, she says its success “is all the more ironic in the light of the abolition.”

She points out that the UKFC was the only public funder of The King’s Speech: “So it’s vital that there is a robust public funding alternative which enables all kinds of quality films to get made. The axing of the UKFC caused fury amongst its supporters, who accuse the government of undermining 11 years of work and deliberately targeting the high profile UKFC so it could soften up the public and other arts quangos for cost-cutting and culling.

Working Title boss and UKFC chairman Tim Bevan called it “a bad decision, imposed without any consultation or evaluation.” Critics say the decision was made in haste, without a plan for replacing the UKFC’s functions.

The politics of film funding
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt recently elaborated on his reasons for closing the UKFC, saying high salaries, such as former boss John Woodward’s £208k a year, were not the primary factor.

Rather, its fate was sealed by what he saw as the UKFC’s failure to arrest the relative decline of the independent filmmaking sector. “There ought to be a huge opportunity for British independent filmmakers to grow and grow to a significant size,” said Hunt, who argued that only a new organisational structure could help achieve this.

Certainly, there are those who applaud the government’s decision. Perhaps the most vocal is producers’ body Pact. “For ten years we were promised the UK Film Council would change the industry – it didn’t,” says Pact chief executive John McVay.

He argues that the UKFC saw itself as a kind of “public sector tycoon” that acted like a feature film studio and that liked to keep producers reliant on public subsidy. In doing so, the UKFC “aligned itself contrary to the interests of the private sector,” and failed to nurture an entrepreneurial film industry where producers could own their IP.

Pact has long been critical that investment terms from public bodies like the UKFC prioritised their recoupment over producer earnings – meaning that without their own funding, producers have little negotiating leverage with investors. For example, Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner The Wind that Shakes the Barley took $26m in worldwide box office revenues – yet its production company Sixteen Films earned just £12k in returns.

For McVay, the demise of the UKFC offers the chance “to reset the agenda”. The BFI “doesn’t have the philosophical and intellectual prejudices of the UKFC built into it. The UKFC didn’t root for producers – they thought they could do it better.”

Others say it’s time to accept the government’s decision and move on. It’s best summed up by Film4’s head of commercial development, Sue Bruce-Smith. “There are a lot of people who think it was a decision made in rather too much haste and without sufficient consultation. But we need to move forward very positively looking at what we can make of the new scenario. And we still have the money – in fact we have a promise that the money will go up.”

Optimism about the future
Given that the film industry’s main public funder has just been scrapped, there’s a curious degree of optimism about the future.

Of course, the film-funding climate remains challenging. Equity financing is tentative, banks remain risk averse and the pre-sales market continues to be difficult although it has picked up recently. DVD revenues are also falling, while the revenues from online are only beginning to emerge. In all, 72 British films were made last year, down 11% on 2009.

“Where films have key elements that the market can respond to, certain talent attached for instance, they will find finance but whenever the economic climate becomes tougher, it is the riskier projects that find it even more difficult to get funded,” says the UKFC’s Tanya Seghatchian.

These funding difficulties have led to big changes in the industry. Most notably, film budgets have come down considerably, as producers realise the market will not sustain the budgets that the production community was used to working with.

On the positive side, though, public funding is actually on the increase. The BFI has pledged to increase film-funding levels by 20% from the UKFC’s £15m to £18m, finding the money through overhead savings.

Meanwhile, one of the first decisions of Channel 4’s new chief exec David Abraham was to increase Film4’s budget from £10m to £15m. And the BBC has said it would continue to invest £12m a year in film despite the cutbacks it’s facing.

Film 4 and BBC films
Film4 recently backed 127 Hours and Peter Mullan’s Neds, and has Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation Never Let Me Go, Kevin MacDonald’s Eagle, Richard Ayoade’s Submarine, and Lone Scherfig’s adaptation of bestselling book One Day coming through.

Film4’s Sue Bruce Smith says the funding increase was a ‘huge shot in the arm’, and should allow the department to expand, backing more than the 10-12 films it currently co-produces every year, and the 60-70 films it develops. “It will allow us to take more risks and experiment more, and also engage with projects that might previously have been a bit out of our reach,” she says.

BBC Films recently backed Bafta nominee Made in Dagenham and StreetDance 3d, and has upcoming films including Brighton Rock, West is West and We Need to Talk about Kevin. A recent BBC Trust review underlined its importance to the UK industry, guaranteeing its £12m funding.

Transfer of power - UKFC to BFI
The transfer of powers from the UKFC to the BFI will start from the beginning of April, after the two organisations complete a period of due diligence. The BFI’s head of press and public affairs Nick Mason Pearson says “the intention is that the BFI will pick up most if not all of the responsibilities of the UKFC.”

These include the distribution of lottery funds, certification of tax credits and the UK Media Desk. Later this year, the BFI plans to consult with the industry as it develops its new strategy for how lottery funding should be spent on film.

Culture minister Ed Vaizey is also holding round table discussions with film industry figures in an attempt to map out a coherent film policy.

All this is taking place against a background of cuts at the BFI, which has its own reputation for being overly bureaucratic. It is dealing with a 15% reduction to its £14.5m government grant.

With so much up in the air, what should producers looking for funding do?

The UKFC’s Tanya Seghatchian says: “We are continuing to accept applications and make funding awards to film projects.” She adds: “The aim is to make the transition process as smooth as possible for filmmakers, so our advice would be to apply for funding at the time that is right for the project.” The BFI will honour all Lottery award commitments made by the UKFC through the Film Fund.

The UKFC is set to leave behind some highly anticipated films that will be released in coming months, including Terence Davies’s The Deep Blue Sea, Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights, James Marsh’s Project Nim, Steve McQueen’s Shame and Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady.

This roll call of top level directors is testament to the fact that, while it might not have effected huge structural change in the industry, the UKFC leaves behind an industry rich in talent.

Film4’s Sue Bruce Smith remarks: “People have always said that making films is difficult – I don’t think it is ever going to be an easy option. But I think the lowering of budgets, exciting new talent, the increase in public funding and the success of films like The King’s Speech, means it’s a hugely exciting time. The important thing is to harness it, and make sure we build at both ends and don’t forget the new talent coming through.” Total Comments: 1 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Behind-the-scenes-of-UK-film_bid-232.htmlMon, 14 Feb 2011 11:21:57Operating at the BBC's heart Interview: Pat Younge has to make big cuts at BBC inhouse production but still wants to grow the business

“Inhouse production is the heartbeat of the BBC,” proclaims Pat Younge, chief creative officer of BBC Vision Productions.

If that is so, then Younge is the man who will have to perform surgery on it this year, taking out 20% of costs as a result of the licence fee freeze. Inhouse drama recently cut 22 jobs, and 75 went last month from Vision’s multiplatform operation. In coming months, more jobs will go from inhouse’s factual, comedy and entertainment departments.

Open and direct, Younge doesn’t attempt to hide the fact that his empire is set to take a hit. Unusually, he chooses to be interviewed in full view and earshot of his staff on a sofa in the midst of a large open plan BBC office.

He oversees 3,500 employees in England (of whom only one third are permanent staff, he stresses) producing shows such as EastEnders, Watchdog, Human Planet, Dragon’s Den and Miranda. In addition, production teams working on network shows in Scotland (Weakest Link), Wales (Doctor Who) and Northern Ireland also report into Younge. It’s an operation with a turnover of £350m.

Younge re-joined the BBC just over a year ago, after a spell in the US as president of Travel Channel Media, and is regarded as a key contender for the vacancy left by Jana Bennett at the top of BBC Vision.

He took on a business, he says, that was suffering from “very low morale”. Inhouse had been hit by major restructuring and job losses, thanks to increased competition from indies after the WOCC and a major shift of production out of London and into the nations. He thinks morale has since improved, and has put an emphasis on performance, which has included “managing people out” of the business if they are not up to the job, and multiplatform training.

Certainly, inhouse has enjoyed success lately - notably in comedy, thanks to hits like Come Fly With Me and Miranda. And the entertainment department has just delivered the “best ever series of Strictly”, he says.

After years on the defensive, Younge believes inhouse is now turning a corner. Buoyed by the guarantee that 50% of all BBC shows will be produced inhouse, it currently delivers 57% of BBC shows, with indies making 40%. “I’d love to get to 65-35,” he says, bullishly. “I don’t do declining businesses – I go into businesses to grow them.”

He can also look to grow the business without fear of censure from indies. Last year an indie lobbying campaign was brewing to try to end the BBC’s inhouse guarantee amid claims that inhouse was inefficient and anti-competitive. That campaign is now on ice after last year’s sudden licence fee deal, delayed until Charter Renewal in 2016. He’s clearly relieved that he doesn’t have to “waste all of this current year” on lobbying. “It means we can really aggressively plan for the future.”

On the downside, of course, he has to drive through a big cost-cutting agenda. In all, he’s looking to take 20% of costs out.

Half of these savings will come from ‘salami-slicing’– production efficiencies to be found within Vision Productions. The other half will be driven by the channels simply commissioning fewer shows, which will affect inhouse and indies alike.

Younge is confident he can find the production efficiencies. After all, he says, “The drive of technology dictates that programmes should be getting cheaper year after year.”

He questions the sizes of crews needed to make programmes now. He thinks gains from new technology are often wasted – crews, for example, shooting longer than they need to, simply because they now can. “We need to capture some of that gain, as opposed to spending that gain,” he says.

Last year, he claims that £60m of costs were taken out of Vision Productions. He gives one example: “We do Carols from Kings College at Christmas. And we do Easter from Kings. So this year, we filmed them both back to back. Different costumes. Two shows. One OB. Done. We cut the cost in half.”

Looking ahead, staff will move out of TV Centre by the end of 2012, offering the chance for savings. He also hints at a big rethink of the way Vision is managed. He fully endorses the BBC strategy of moving production out to the Nations, but it “introduced inefficiency into our own system,” he says. “There must be a more efficient way to run this.”

Despite the cuts, Younge says inhouse is more important that ever to the BBC, particularly in an era of connected TV. “We can populate iPlayer with our own content for viewers to consume ad infinitum without having to pay anybody else. Having control of production gives you some control of your destiny,” he says.

It’s a sense of control, he believes, that other broadcasters eye jealously. “There was a period when people were rather embarrassed by inhouse – it didn’t seem very freemarket or competitive. Now everybody wants to be back in the inhouse production game.” Total Comments: 1 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Operating-at-the-BBCs-heart_bid-227.htmlWed, 09 Feb 2011 12:04:28Q&A: Tanya Seghatchian, UKFC Here's a Q&A interview with the head of the UK Film Council's Film Fund, Tanya Seghatchian.

The UKFC, one of the most high profile victims of the government's spending cuts, is due to start winding down from this April. Many of its key functions will then transfer over to the British Film Institute, including its flagship Film Fund which invests £15m a year in British productions.

The following Q&A sees Seghatchian outline what the changes mean for film producers. The interview is taken from a feature on the British film industry in Televisual's upcoming February issue.

What do you make of the fact that The King's Speech is the Bafta and Oscar frontrunner, just as its key funder the UK Film Council is about to be closed?
I am genuinely delighted for the filmmakers and for everyone involved in making the film that they are getting this level of recognition from their peers in the industry. To see that it is also being lapped up by audiences, taking a £1m a day at the UK box office (with £13m of receipts in 13 days, it is now our biggest success story) and is all the more ironic in the light of the abolition. To put it context, it is running at twice the pace of Slumdog in terms of ticket sales. If you take a step back, you have to consider that we are the only public funder in this film, so it is vital that there is a robust public funding alternative which enables all kinds of quality films to get made and supports the talent in the UK - we make the difference and make things happen.

Is there any news yet about what will happen to the Film Fund team. Will you be going over to the BFI?
It is too early to talk about what is happening to the Film Fund team, or indeed anyone at the UK Film Council, because the transition process for employees and details of the discussions are subject to due diligence as set out in employment law - Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). TUPE rules will apply to the transfer of some the responsibilities and corresponding work from the UKFC to the BFI and to Film London.

What advice would you give to a producer looking for funding for their film at the moment? Should they get in touch with the UK Film Council or wait until after 1 April to contact the BFI?
We are continuing to accept applications and make funding awards to film projects and in terms of the transfer of activities to the BFI, the aim is to make the transition process as smooth as possible for filmmakers, so our advice would be to apply for funding at the time that is right for the project. Also, once the funding responsibility has transferred from the UKFC to the BFI, the BFI will honour all Lottery award commitments made by the UKFC through the Film Fund.

What is the climate for British film-makers like at the moment - is it improving as the economic climate gets a little better?
It may be too early to say but from talking to filmmakers, it is difficult to get financing. Part of that is undoubtedly to do with film's own finance ecology with the pre-sales market gone, DVD revenues falling, the revenues from online only beginning to emerge, etc. Where films have key elements that the market can respond to, certain talent attached for instance, they will find finance but whenever the economic climate becomes tougher, it is the riskier projects that find it even more difficult to get funded. And, of course, riskier projects might be those with new or emerging talent, which is why public funding is even more vital right now.

Which recent UKFC film investments are a good example of the kind of projects that the Film Fund likes to back?
We've tried to build a talent driven home for filmmakers in the UK, and are always looking out for the most ambitious work. We're trying to ensure that British talent can be supported every step of the way, be they first or second-time filmmakers, or signature filmmakers, whether they are developing material or are looking for production or completion funding. Essentially we are continuing to look for creative excellence in the shape of great vision and good stories which can reflect and impact on the culture. Clio Barnard's The Arbor, Terence Davies’s The Deep Blue Sea, Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk about Kevin, Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights, Joe Cornish's Attack the Block, James Marsh's Project Nim, Steve McQueen's Shame, Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady, and James Watkins The Woman in Black are some of the titles which currently show the breadth and ambition of our investments. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/QandA-Tanya-Seghatchian-UKFC_bid-225.htmlMon, 31 Jan 2011 12:32:15Flexing NBCU's studio muscle Interview: NBC Universal president of international TV production Michael Edelstein and UK md Gareth Neame.

One of the most notable TV trends of recent years has been the internationalisation of the UK production sector. British producers have prised open international markets, last year selling a record £1.34bn worth of their shows abroad. The US has been a particular focus, with superindies such as Shed, Shine and All3Media launching their own North American operations.

The direction of travel, however, is no longer one way. Attracted by British TV’s track record, the US studios have begun to build up their own production operations in the UK. Warner Bros snapped up the Shed Media group in the summer. Just last week, news emerged that News Corp, parent of Fox, is reportedly interested in Shine.

Notably, NBC Universal International has been very active in recent months. NBC first moved into the UK market in 2008, when it acquired Gareth Neame’s indie Carnival Films. The studio laid low during the worst of the credit crunch, but last year acquired factual entertainment indie Monkey Kingdom, announced a TV push through film producer Working Title, and hired leading producers Alan Brown (The Restaurant, The Apprentice) and Hat Trick’s head of comedy Mario Stylianides to set up their own bespoke production operations under the NBCU umbrella.

Encouragingly for NBCU, all this deal-making has taken place against a background of huge critical acclaim for Carnival Films’ Downton Abbey.

Former Desperate Housewives executive producer Michael Edelstein is the man charged with building NBCU’s TV production presence outside the US. He relocated from LA in the summer, and is based in NBCU’s Oxford Street HQ where he occupies a pristine office decorated with white orchids, carefully placed artefacts and a very large poster of Desperate Housewives.

NBCU’s push into international production is part of the studio’s wider plan to generate $5bn of annual revenue outside the US. Edelstein aims to build a production operation here and then launch into other territories.

One of his first moves was to promote Carnival’s Neame to UK md. “I realised right away that I would never know this market as well as Gareth,” says Edelstein.

Despite its deep pockets, NBCU has not made a ‘trophy’ buy of a UK superindie, but has gone down the route of making a few smaller, strategic acquisitions and hiring top talent. “Internally, we really felt the best thing we could do was build organically rather than buy something large and then figure out how to integrate it,” confirms Edelstein.

The idea is to buy or invest in small independent production businesses or individuals who have the potential to “generate the next Downton Abbey, the next Office or the next Friends.” A strong record of past success, it seems, is less important than the potential for future success.

Both Edelstein and Neame go out of their way to stress that NBCU’s presence is not about the Americanisation of UK production or a “US studio coming in saying we are going to do it better.” Rather, they pitch NBCU’s activity as “putting the muscle of a US studio behind British creativity.”

They cite Downton Abbey as an example. NBC put its own money into the ITV drama, plugging a big deficit on the show in exchange for rights. It did the same with Carnival’s C4 drama Any Human Heart. Without NBCU’s money, says Neame, “we would have made an inferior form of Downton.” He doubts Any Human Heart would even have got off the ground without NBC’s funding.

The backing of a US studio, believes Neame, is ‘game-changing’, particularly at a time when broadcasters want more ambitious ideas but can’t always pay for them and when other funders such as distributors have become more cautious about deficit financing projects.

Neame says: “The US studio model is a completely different accounting model and befits a large organisation that is relatively cash rich. Obtaining cash is not the problem, the problem is that you invest that cash properly on shows that will deliver a return.”

Edelstein stresses that NBCU’s presence in the UK means more money being spent on production here. “We are coming into the market to create more British content,” he says. “Downton was an all British cast, with an all British crew and – unless I’m mistaken – all the money was spent in the UK.”

He envisages spending more time in early 2011 outside the UK to launch international production operations. “We are in talks on acquisitions in several countries at the moment.” Clearly, it’s a case of watch this space.

This interview was taken from the January edition of Televisual Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Flexing-NBCUs-studio-muscle_bid-221.htmlMon, 17 Jan 2011 14:28:28Q&A: Andrew Jackson, NHU Here’s a Q and A interview that Televisual has just done with Andrew Jackson, head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit and former md of indie Tigress Productions. Just over a year into the job, he talks about making the transition from an indie to the BBC, upcoming NHU projects and the climate for natural programme making.

How have you found the transition from indie producer to head of a big BBC department?
Like a rollercoaster ride – love and hate! I’ve loved it because there’s a simplicity of ambition in the NHU – to make the greatest, most creative natural history shows in the world. The BBC’s unique funding puts us in an exceptionally privileged position, we can chase creativity and creativity alone; profit, at least for us, is not the incentive. Of course we must, like any business, be financially prudent, even more aware of our responsibilities to deliver value for money but in the end it’s the enjoyment and intrigue our programmes bring, not the profit.

What do you see are the challenges facing the NHU?
To keep doing what we’ve always done best – innovate and stay ahead. Our contract with the audience is to be consistently better, and that’s a challenge as the speed of change in the TV landscape gets faster and faster. Sometimes I think we have to be the world’s best fortune-tellers as well as the greatest programme makers!

And the opportunities?
The opportunities are enormous, not only because we are publicly funded but also because of our strong relationships with BBC Worldwide and our valuable co-producers. This gives us an extraordinary platform to be as ambitious and inventive as the Unit has ever been. Our challenge is to make shows that live up to that opportunity.

How is NHU changing under your leadership – what are you doing differently?
I’m not sure what I’m doing differently – I wasn’t here before – probably not that much. We continue to vigorously pursue creativity; I’m driving that as hard as I can. It’s fun and scary at the same time. It’s fun because everyone loves being creative – we’re all kids at heart – and scary because when you’re being truly creative, you don’t know what you’re doing, as by definition it’s never been done before.

Give us an example of some programmes that the NHU is making?
Too many to mention but one of the most exciting is a massive undertaking to bring Africa to life. Not only have we ramped up the ambition to show this ancient and much filmed continent in a new light (for BBC One for 2012) but we’re also producing a 3D feature film under the BBC Earth banner, thanks to our colleagues at BBC Worldwide. This will be the first major 3D project from the NHU.

What is it like raising the funding for these programmes?
I often wonder when asked this question, has it ever been easy? I don’t think it’s any harder now than before. If the idea’s good and it’ll cut through, then the money will be there. It’s true that as the market has splintered you have to work harder to cut through but that’s about being more creative not about it being harder to raise the money. There are some magnificent programmes being made around the globe and some amazing numbers being paid. We certainly intend to stay at the party.

Have the blue-chip docs crowded out the mid-budget wildlife programmes? Is it getting harder?
I’m not sure they’re related. If “mid-budget” wildlife is going down, I’d guess it’s because it’s not growing up, rather than being crowded out. The market will buy what the market wants; good programmes will always sell.

What kind of shows are proving popular with viewers?
Good question. For kids you can’t beat our Deadly 60 and it’s live adaptation, Live ‘n’ Deadly with Steve Backshall and Naomi Wilkinson. These shows rate off the scale for us and are an amazing introduction for a new audience. They capture the excitement of the wild, encourage kids to get out and because of their remarkable production values, portray a sense that anything can happen. The same is true of our other live shows, Springwatch and Autumnwatch. At their best, these are shows “where nature writes the script”. I sense audiences love the reality in the true sense of the word, something that’s here and now. And then of course, there’s the magical, escapist, never seen before footage that we’ll be treated to in Frozen Planet this year. Like all of these epics, they take us to a world we’ve probably never seen and never will see. It’s all, ‘must watch TV’.

What natural history film would you like to make if they weren’t running the NHU?
That’s a hard one! And actually I have no idea what I’d do. But thinking about it, High Society is one of my all time favourite films – there’s not been many natural history musicals! Probably for very good reason. I’ll just stick with the day job and leave the ideas to the people who know what they’re doing! Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/QandA-Andrew-Jackson-NHU_bid-218.htmlWed, 12 Jan 2011 11:08:52Indie outlook for 2011 Televisual asked five small-to-medium sized independent production companies for their views on business prospects for 2011, and found that few execs are betting on a big pick up in the TV market

Simon Huntley
Finance director, Keo Films
2011 will probably be fine for the "super indies" but it will be tough for everyone else. The "smaller guys" are going to have to diversify or face the prospect of nil or negative growth. Maximum exploitation of content via primary sources (TV) and the full range of ancillary revenues has to be addressed and not merely paid lip-service to. Indies will need to invest in people, systems and processes that enable them to squeeze every last penny from the content they own. These pressures may be too great for some but those that can handle it should emerge into 2012 and beyond as stronger and more competitive.

Charles Thompson
Creative director, DCD Factual
2011 should be the year of change.  We will see how Jay Hunt changes Channel 4 and, for the first time, BBC One has a controller younger than most of its stars. How will he make his mark on Britain's most important channel? Will 2012 see them remembered as a force for good? Meanwhile, the nakedly commercial channels will continue to drive through radical changes to the way in which UK indies have been used to working. Peter Fincham is part of fast-moving populist revolution at ITV, whilst Jeff Ford manfully tries to maintain Channel 5 as a network of value. And, my tip, as the network(s) to watch: UKTV. The changes, they are a blowin' in the wind...

Mike Watts
Md, Novel Entertainment
In recent years independent production has rightly been identified as a success story at home and internationally, but this is largely because producers have found more ways to exploit their creative assets and formats to cover gaps in funding. Fees are down, margins shrinking and the hard fought for terms of trade are under attack. 2011 will be critical as the first effects of the freeze on the BBC's licence fees are felt and producers will need to be even more resourceful to maintain their businesses at current levels.

John Marley
Creative director, Archie Productions
Our biggest challenge in 2011? The same old, same old...Show Me The Money! Finding a broadcaster who doesn't share Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard affliction when it comes to budgets will be the trick....too many of those closets are empty. It would also be nice to find a commissioner who is willing to take creative risks. There are a few but they are the exceptions. Pitching nowadays is a bit like leaving port and cheese out for Santa only to discover the rosy-cheeked git has eaten the lot and not left you any presents.

Nicky Huggett
Head of development, Windfall Films
Throughout 2010, constant accusations were thrown at the channels for not taking risks and for cutting budgets but I believe that indies who are consistently producing high quality programming will continue to be trusted with risky, ambitious and costly projects. It comes down to trust between commissioners and indie producers. But today, projects solely funded by one broadcaster are increasingly rare. In 2011 commissions will be there for those who can make the co-production business work for them. But a word to the wise - it takes lots of time and patience to make these relationships work.


Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Indie-outlook-for-2011_bid-216.htmlTue, 11 Jan 2011 11:46:142011's commissioning drought At the beginning of 2011, the business climate for independent producers looks remarkably similar to how it did last year – challenging.

Broadcaster fees have fallen for several years now and, certainly in the case of a cost-cutting BBC, will drop further in 2011.

Commissioning opportunities remain few and far between. Most broadcasters are now pursuing a version of the BBC’s ‘fewer, bigger, better’ strategy in an attempt to funnel reduced budgets into bigger budget shows that stand out in the schedule. Or they are playing it safe by investing heavily in long-running, familiar formats.

The amount of money available for new creative projects seems to be declining all the time.

One experienced producer who Televisual spoke with recently described the lack of funding available for new programmes – particularly one-offs or shows from smaller production companies – as “the great TV commissioning drought”.

All this is happening at a time when the hard fought terms of trade are under attack from broadcasters – which clouds the outlook for producers still further.

Moreover, producers have to deal with a very familiar bout of channel controller musical chairs. The commissioning process is again being thrown into flux with new controllers taking over at BBC1, BBC3, Channel 4 and ITV2.

There’s also additional competition in the production market from US studios such as Warners and NBCU, with the latter bankrolling ITV’s Downton Abbey (pictured). The US studios, as an interview in Televisual this month with NBCU execs Michael Edelstein and Gareth Neame shows, may have an edge on many UK indies – they are able to plug broadcaster deficits with their own funds to get projects off the ground.

There are positives for 2011: Campaign editor Claire Beale argues in her column in Televisual this month that the decision to allow product placement will mean a significant revenue boost for television. In depth features on the OB and sports sectors also showcase relatively buoyant sectors ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

Overall, though, the picture looks as tough as ever for the next twelve months. But then, isn’t it always so for a producer?

Televisual’s January issue is out on Tuesday 11th Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/2011s-commissioning-drought_bid-214.htmlWed, 05 Jan 2011 14:24:28Fighting the producers' corner Interview: John McVay, Pact.

At Pact’s small HQ just off the busy Euston Road, the in-tray of chief executive John McVay is piling up. In recent months, the producers’ alliance has found itself having to deal with multiple issues facing the indie production sector, from a C5 payments crisis to a call by the BBC dg to overhaul the terms of trade.

However, McVay, an articulate, engaging Scot who’s not afraid to voice robust opinions about the TV business, says his most immediate concern is that commercial broadcasters spend more money on programmes now that ad revenues are improving.

“Austerity programme budgets” are only sustainable in the short term, he argues, saying broadcasters need to start investing to drive innovation and refresh their schedules. Otherwise, he adds, the public – and advertisers – “will start thinking it’s all a bit samey.”

These austerity budgets are particularly harming smaller production companies, he believes. During the downturn, broadcasters looked for cost-effective, long running series of a kind often delivered by superindies. This meant less slots for single or short run factual shows, a traditional preserve of smaller indies. “It’s put real pressure on our smaller companies,” says McVay.

McVay stresses this point, one senses, because he’s keen to tackle the belief that his superindie members are the ones making life difficult for smaller indies. Indeed, superindies have received plenty of negative coverage for their domination of the sector. The Edinburgh TV Festival, for example, hosted a session this year called “All Superindies Are Bastards.” But, McVay argues, the superindie phenomenon is a reflection of broadcaster demand for big, long running franchises that can be delivered by producers with scale.

And he hits back at suggestions that the superindies have simply become rich off the back of the terms of trade, the agreements that allowed TV producers to own their own IP. Former ITV boss Michael Grade regularly called for the terms of trade to be torn up, believing them to be a bad deal for broadcasters. BBC dg Mark Thompson added to the pressure in August saying that the ‘scale and ownership’ of the indie sector meant it was time to re-examine the terms of trade.

McVay says broadcaster attempts to portray the terms of trade as terrible to their business is simplistic. “The world is much tougher if you are an indie producer than it was 10 years ago. But the rewards if you get something right are far greater.” Thompson’s comments were “disappointing”, says McVay. “They showed a level of ignorance of what the circumstances are. They [broadcasters] always portray it that the terms of trade are somehow a fix, that they are locked into a bad deal.” The truth, argues McVay, is that Pact has negotiated changes to the terms of trade on a regular basis.

Against this background, McVay explains Pact’s position. Broadcaster budgets, he thinks, will have fallen by about 25% between 2007-2012, led by the BBC’s decision to cut budgets by 5% a year in real terms. This has partly been soaked up by indies becoming more efficient. Indies have also stepped into the gap to fund bigger deficits, ranging from 5% to 50% of budget. Pact estimates that producers are now putting up to £220m a year into programmes.

“So the whole falsehood that commercial broadcasters spin that they are taking all the risk and they don’t get any benefit – actually indies are taking risk as well.” Scrapping the terms of trade, he believes, would mean that, overnight, indies in the UK would not be able to raise deficits. “Are the broadcasters really telling us that they could go out and raise that money tomorrow? I don’t believe they can because when they did have the rights, they weren’t very good at it.”

McVay thinks the terms of trade have helped create an entrepreneurial indie sector that delivers globally renowned programmes to broadcasters. “Why would you want to damage that,” he says. “And the broadcasters share in every single penny we make, in perpetuity,” he says. Many commercial broadcasters, he adds, disbelievingly, haven’t bothered to invoice for this share, which includes a 15% split of international revenues. “The whole concept that it is a one way street with indies walking away with all the goodies is just nonsense – it is just politics, it is not true.”

That said, he points out that Pact’s relations with C4 and ITV have improved markedly since their new managements took over. Not so with C5, with McVay decrying their “bullying tactics” over payment terms.

Negotiations about ‘finessing the terms of trade’ so they are fit for the world of VoD and web enabled TV began this summer with C4 and the BBC. There’s also been discussions with ITV about coming to the table too. But, with a new Communications Act likely at the end of 2012 or the start of 2013, McVay draws a marker in the sand: “We will never give up on producers owning IP,” he says.

This interview was taken from the December issue of Televisual. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Fighting-the-producers-corner_bid-212.htmlWed, 22 Dec 2010 11:17:51Attenborough soars in 3d Review: The private cinema at London’s Mayfair Hotel reverberated to the sound of lengthy applause last night as the credits rolled on the world premiere screening of David Attenborough’s Flying Monsters 3d.

Attenborough was on hand to present the film about pterosaurs, which plays on Sky’s new 3d channel on Christmas Day and represents the broadcaster’s most high profile foray into 3d production.

The film is, in a word, stunning. Produced by Atlantic Productions, it showcases the capabilities of 3d in recreating the lost world of the pterosaurs - flying dinosaurs with a wingspan of up to 45 feet who lived 200 million years ago.

Attenborough wrote and presented the film and his presence lends it a natural and calm authority.

But the real success of the film lies in its use of 3d to help viewers understand how these creatures evolved, how they looked, how they moved and the environment they lived in. The 3d isn’t flashy or over the top - it’s there to educate and inform as well as entertain.

In one of many technically accomplished sequences, confusing flat fossil specimens are meticulously transformed into fully formed, 3d pterosaur skeletons.

“I hope that we haven’t been too obvious in the way that we use 3d,” said Attenborough afterwards. “I hope that we had enough faith in what 3d does, not just to whiz out and come back at you.” He added that 3d helped to convey a reality that 2d wouldn’t be able to achieve.

Attenborough said it had been a “great shock” to make a natural history film in 3d. “Normally on a trip into Africa, there is me, a cameraman, a sound recordist and sometimes a director - four tops. Well there were 12 people just to handle the camera. Four people were required to carry it.”

He paid particular tribute to the team at Atlantic and vfx outfit Zoo who created the 3d images.

But he predicted that 3d wouldn’t be a format that would be used for everyday viewing. “I don’t think 3d is going to become wallpaper TV. Partly because with the technology as it stands, you need glasses. When you put them on, it is very isolating. I think that 3d is going to be for event television.”

Attenborough and Atlantic are now making another 3d film for Sky, about penguins in South Georgia. “The thought of the Penguin films is to have the penguins, and sea elephants and albatrosses - but also be underwater with penguins, great shoals and fleets of penguins. I am sure will be absolutely mind blowing. I am also sure it will be about as demanding technically as you could conceive for any programme.” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Attenborough-soars-in-3d_bid-208.htmlWed, 15 Dec 2010 11:23:18Cautious approval for local TV There’s clearly good money to be had in producing weighty reports on the state of the TV industry.

No less than three major reports on broadcasting are published today.

- Nicholas Shott’s long awaited report for Media Secretary Jeremy Hunt on the viability of local TV stations is out today. You can find the full report here. In a nutshell, Shott’s team concludes that local TV could be commercially viable - but only when IPTV gains sufficient market penetration (see below for more detail).

- Never to be outdone on report writing, the BBC has unveiled the final conclusions of its Strategy Review. It pledges a financial review to help it find the savings it needs to make in light of the recent licence fee settlement, and says it will be more open on costs for its services, talent and senior managers. There’s also a typical BBC commitment to put ‘distinctiveness’ at the heart of programme commissions. The report can be found here.

- Finally, the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee has produced its Channel 4 annual report. It concludes that the previous management ‘overplayed its hand’ when it claimed C4 had a major funding gap, saying that C4’s recent decision to pursue a strategy of self reliance is the right one. And it says that former boss Andy Duncan was paid too much. The report is here.

In fairness, all three reports are worth reading as they reveal much about the direction of travel at the BBC and Channel 4.

But Shott’s report is the most significant, as it gives Hunt a greenlight to press ahead with his cherished plan to introduce a network of local TV stations in the UK in the face of widespread industry cynicism about the idea.

The key line in his report states: “In the long term, local TV can be commercially viable, as and when IPTV gains sufficient penetration.”

Shott, who was initially cool in his assessment of the prospects for local TV in an interim report in the autumn, now seems to think it can work.

He says that’s because the prospects for IPTV have improved in recent months, with Ofcom’s decision not to investigate the launch of YouView in 2011 and the government’s announced plan to roll out superfast broadband to every community by 2015.

IPTV, it’s clear, is the future for local TV. Its non-linear nature means viewers can access the content they want, when they want it. And it’s far more economic than DTT.

He concludes that there’s scope for launching ten to twelve local TV services in the UK and that the cost to do so would be around £25m a year.

A national advertising sales contract between all stations could raise a minimum of £15m, leaving a gap of £10m a year. This could be closed thanks to the BBC’s pledge to acquire locally generated news content for up to £5m a year. And Shott also thinks that local ad revenues could exceed £5m a year. In time, profits could be ‘acceptable’ rather than huge. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Cautious-approval-for-local-TV_bid-207.htmlTue, 14 Dec 2010 11:49:422010: TV's eventful year Relief. That seems to be the single word that sums up the past year for many in the broadcast and production industries. The sense of relief is almost palpable, coming as it does after a nightmarish 12 months in 2009.

“In 2009, commercial TV was in a dark place,” says ITV director of television Peter Fincham. “Revenue went down very sharply. It created a very, very challenging environment for planning for the future. But in 2010, to some degree, the clouds have parted and we have seen a bit of sunshine.”

The facts bear out Fincham’s words. Average weekly viewing figures in 2010 are at a decade high, according to early Barb figures. TV advertising revenue will be 14% up by the end of the year, says WPP’s media buying outfit Group M. And pay-television subscriptions are running at a record level, with BSkyB crossing the 10m milestone.

The event TV phenomenon
One of the key drivers of all this growth has been the ‘event TV’ phenomenon. Entertainment shows like The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Britain’s Got Talent were, of course, big last year. They are even more popular this year, with Strictly performing strongly and The X Factor final peaking at 19.4m viewers. “The big entertainment bubble just keeps getting that bit bigger,” says director of BBC Vision Jana Bennett.

But it’s not just entertainment. Across drama, politics and sport, event television has reconfirmed TV’s ability to bring the nation together at the same time. ITV’s Downton Abbey and BBC1’s Sherlock attracted huge audiences of 10m and 9m respectively. And the World Cup and the Prime Ministerial debates drew in 16m and 10m viewers.

“Live TV audiences have gone up, even though we are in a world of lots more social media, twittering and video on demand,” says Bennett.

Fincham adds: “2010 has been a year that restores people’s faith in mainstream television in many ways.”

He says there’s a direct link between quality and big audiences. “Downton Abbey perhaps shows most clearly that you don’t underestimate the tastes of the public. They want quality, they want really good programmes. In a fast changing world, the enduring taste people have is for well made programmes in a very wide range of genres.”

In fact, Downton Abbey stands as a kind of TV beacon for many this year – possibly because its quality stands in stark contrast to so many tired looking, formulaic formats that dominate the schedules.

Veteran producer John Lloyd, creator of QI and producer of Blackadder and Spitting Image, describes it as a “superbly made piece of modern, popular television. ITV has had the guts to say ‘does everything have to be downbeat, contemporary and downmarket? Let’s do Edwardian England. And let’s do it well.’”

Audiences want quality
Lloyd thinks it points a way forward, away from “ripped off formats” and towards programmes of “expertise, style and quality” that producers can be proud of. Lloyd’s words chime with the thinking of Jana Bennett at the BBC, who adds: “There’s a quest out there for the new, the different and the very high quality – there’s an appetite for new things.”

It’s also notable how audiences have looked for distractions to endless news stories about recession. Stuart Murphy, director of programmes at Sky, says his commissioning team sat down at the beginning of the year to talk about how to respond to the recession on screen. “We were slightly nervous about trying to show people how to cope with the recession – in fact, we thought it best to ignore it.”

With some justification, he believes. The big TV theme of the year for Murphy is that people have wanted to laugh and to be entertained. He notes how E4’s The Inbetweeners broke out to become a huge hit, as did shows such as Glee. Sky benefited from this trend too, with An Idiot Abroad and Pineapple Dance Studios performing particularly well. It’s not just about comedy though.

Murphy thinks “kindness” and “warmth” are important in the current climate. He’s been surprised at how “uncomfortable, even nasty” The X Factor has become this season, and speculates that Daybreak’s launch problems lie in the fact that it lacks the warmth of GMTV.

The broadcasters' year on screen
On screen, the BBC has seen a big comedy push result in well-received shows such as Miranda, Rev, The Trip and Whites. It’s also been a strong year for science led by flagship docs like Wonders of the Solar System. New dramas such as Sherlock, Five Days and Five Daughters have also stood out.

On the commercial channels, broadcasters were held back by their parlous financial state and a lack of investment in new and original shows became very apparent. Critics weren’t the only ones to notice. International buyers were complaining at this year’s Mipcom programme market in Cannes that there was less original British programming to choose from.

Downton Abbey aside, ITV’s schedule is heavily propped up by bankers like its soaps, big reality shows, comedy such as Harry Hill’s TV Burp and returning dramas like Lewis and A Touch of Frost. That said, Fincham points out that a new doc strand, Perspectives, launches next year as does a raft of new drama.

Over on C4, it’s a similar story. Familiar formats around cooking, property and body image abound. New drama like This is England 86 and Mo has been few and far between – but have performed well when they’ve hit the screen. Next year looks more promising for C4 with a slew of original new shows to slot into the very big gap left by the departure of Big Brother.

The end of an era
The demise of Big Brother marks not just the end of an era for C4 and but of a programme that changed TV forever. It also marks the demise, says Sky’s Stuart Murphy, of a certain kind of show on which the next generation of TV talent trained. “It was The Word, The Sunday Show, Rough Guides, The Big Breakfast and then Big Brother – a whole generation of TV talent trained on shows like that.”

Not everyone will miss Big Brother though. In terms of ratings, the series limped to a close. John Lloyd comments: “When you hear people from the RTS telling you what an interesting social experiment Big Brother is – well, please, tell them to fuck off. It is roadcrash television. It’s about laughing at people. It’s manipulated by cynical people. A real social experiment with Big Brother would be to leave the people alone, leave the cameras running and you would find that people get on – like the Chilean miners. One or two might have been isolated, but they would emerge firm friends.”

Regime change at commercial broadcasters
Behind the scenes, it’s been a year of regime change and rebuilding at the main broadcasters. Both C4, ITV and C5 saw new managements take charge. C4’s new chief executive David Abraham moved quickly to restructure the broadcaster and announce more investment into areas such as film, comedy and drama. Producers sound impressed with his vision for the channel. Abraham recently gave a presentation of his future plans for C4 to the Pact council. Says Pact chief executive John McVay: “When he left, we were a bit wowed. It’s really nice having a chief executive from C4 who is economically literate, understands advertising and has a vision about where he is going.”

And ITV’s new bosses Adam Crozier and Archie Norman have enjoyed a year of growth on the back of strong ad revenues and ratings. McVay rates ITV’s new leadership, describing them as a “rational, reasonable group of people” and says that producer relations with ITV have improved since Crozier took over.

Channel 5, of course, has experienced a corporate bloodbath since Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell acquired the business. It’s busy reinventing itself with celebrity-led programming focusing on popular culture, which is only to be expected from a TV channel owned by a group that runs OK! Magazine, The Daily Star and The Express. But it’s run into serious trouble in its relations with producers, after a serious spat over payment terms with Shine Group and other indies.

Meanwhile, it’s been a year of rapid change at BSkyB. It acquired and rebranded the Virgin Media channels, launched a 3d channel and struck a big programming deal with HBO. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp is now fighting to acquire the entire business, eliciting protests from rival media owners.

The BBC’s brutal year
But the BBC has perhaps had the most momentous year of all. The corporation sailed through the recessionary years of 2008-9 with stable funding, while its envious commercial rivals floundered. In a sense, the BBC paid the price in 2010 for its years of plenty. A constant stream of BBC criticism from politicians and the media, centring on high salaries and inefficiency, culminated in a surprise 16% funding cut as part of the government’s Spending Review.

BBC execs highlight the positive in the deal, though. Jana Bennett describes it as a “tough settlement” but one which gives the BBC “certainty about our funding model for the next six years.”

The internationalisation of production
It’s been a challenging year for producers, although more positive than 2009. Most indies say the TV market is currently flat or going through a slight upswing as ad revenues improve. “2010 has been better,” said Shed Media chief executive Nick Southgate in Televisual’s Production 100 survey. “That’s partly because 2008/2009 was so bad that anything is better than then. We’ve had increased turnover in the UK over the last year from it being flat the year before, which is emblematic of the uptick in the market. People are feeling a bit better and that maybe the worst is over. But it’s still incredibly hard and competitive.”

The really notable feature about the independent production market in 2010, however, has been how it has internationalised. The consolidation trend has continued, with the likes of All3Media snapping up Optomen for a reported £40m. But most of the ownership changes this year have had an international element to them. Global groups such as Zodiak Entertainment acquired RDF Media, while US studios Warner Bros and NBC Universal took over Shed Media and Monkey Kingdom respectively.

UK indies also expanded oversees, with the likes of Shine Group launching new operations in Europe and Australasia, having already made significant inroads into the US. Says Jana Bennett: “The internationalisation of production continues, and that is running to the movement of talent internationally and the movement of ideas and formats.”

Smaller producers have found the going tough in the UK market, hit by declining budgets and fewer commissions from the major broadcasters. In response, they have also looked outwards, diversifying to find new broadcaster clients in the US or to raise money from international co-producers.

Bristol based Icon Film typifies the trend. It’s had great success with long running series River Monsters from US broadcaster Animal Planet. “Icon Films has grown consistently over the past year – despite tougher, meaner, leaner budgets and deal terms. A wide base of customers have cushioned the blow,” says Icon md Laura Marshall.

A year of technological upheaval
The stand out technological trend of the year has been the interest in 3d production. A year that began with Avatar becoming the fastest film ever to earn $1bn at the box office, has also seen Sky announce and launch its 3d channel in the UK. 3d was the key talking point at kit shows such as NAB and IBC, with the big post houses all investing in 3d.

However, the feverish enthusiasm that swirled around 3d at the start of the year has settled down into a more realistic acceptance that it’s a premium rather than everyday technology. Meanwhile, the reality of lower budgets has led to greater efficiencies in production.

Interest in file-based workflows has picked up, with even the biggest shows such as Coronation Street adopting the technology. Cameras such as Canon’s DSLR models have proved hugely popular with cost-conscious producers.

The post sector, which endured a traumatic 2008-9, has remained relatively stable in 2010. It wasn’t free of casualties, with the likes of Barcud Derwen, The Club and Concrete going under. But it was nothing like the bloodbath of the previous few years, and many companies said they prospered in 2010 having spent much of 2009 reducing costs. Overall, there’s a sense of caution going forward.

This mood was best summed up by ITV’s Adam Crozier recently: “The economic outlook for 2011 is uncertain and we continue to plan on a cautious basis,” he said. Measured optimism is apparent, though. 2010 has been a “year of rebuilding” and “survival tactics”, concludes Jana Bennett. “We’re now in recovery.” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/2010-TVs-eventful-year_bid-203.htmlMon, 13 Dec 2010 10:48:12How to create a TV app What’s the key to creating and monetising an app successfully?

Here’s the views of four experts, who’ve worked on the launches of some high profile apps for programmes such as Supernanny, Britain’s Got Talent, Top Gear and Doctor Who.

Mel Alcock
CEO, EMEA, FremantleMediaEnterprises
An app should not only be entertaining but a genuine extension of the TV show. It should use what makes the show popular as the cornerstone and offer fans a truly engaging experience. Game shows and reality shows do well as they are naturally engaging and have an inherent interactivity. I don’t think you can put a price on a successful app, it is all dependant on what you want the app to do. They can be a great source of revenue but they are also a great promotional tool. The very first app for Britain’s Got Talent was a huge success. Over half a million viewers downloaded the free app and it topped the app charts throughout the series.

Jilly Cross
Head of business development, ETV Media Group
Apps aren’t cheap in terms of both developer costs and time, so a robust ROI model is essential. Apps that make money tend to fall into one of two camps, utility or game play. TV formats with content across one or both of these will create a higher perceived value, making consumers more likely to pay either for the app or for updates. You also have sponsorship or ad revenue streams to consider. Promotion is often an overlooked area – linking an app with a new series is a no-brainer, but setting up other on and offline marketing channels is crucial to success.

Daniel Heaf
Digital director, BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide will launch paid-for mobile and tablet gaming apps off the back of Top Gear, Doctor Who and Teletubbies this Christmas. Keys to success are tight editorial integration with the TV show to ensure it feels like a natural extension of the brand, deep and highly visible cross promotion with our commercial services and finally offering something unique and bespoke. Games are just one area we’re experimenting with and it’s still early days – there is still plenty of innovation left in the ecosystem. I believe companies to keep an eye on are those thinking about navigation and recommendation apps.

Simon Meek
Head of digital and multiplatform, Tern TV
The key to creating a great app is to first take a giant step back and ask the simplest of questions: ‘why am I doing this?’ If the response is that ‘everyone else is doing it’, well that’s as good a reason as any not to. The other response that should send alarm bells ringing is the ‘we’re going to make huge amounts of money’, and even worse if that sentence is coupled with referencing the success of apps like Angry Birds or Flight Control. The important thing is not to try and do more than you can afford. If your app falls short of the mark, digital audiences are quick to criticise, and if the product is buggy or just not that good, a poor user rating will quickly seal the fate of an app. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/How-to-create-a-TV-app_bid-201.htmlFri, 10 Dec 2010 10:07:102010 set for TV viewing high One of the standout trends of 2010 is just how much television people are watching.

With only a few weeks of the year left to go, one can comfortably say that 2010 will break viewing figure records.

Average weekly viewing figures are consistently ahead this year compared to every year going back to 1992, when audience measurement outfit Barb’s records begin.

Graphs are always a bit painful to look at online, but it's worth clicking on the link to this one (from Barb's website). At the top, there's a big red line representing average weekly viewing figures for 2010. It sails above all the other squiggly lines bunched together underneath, which cover the years 2001-2009. A bit like Usain Bolt in the 100m, 2010 is out there all on its own, way ahead of the pack.

The year starts strongly, with people watching an average of nearly 34 hours of TV each a week - almost two hours more than the nearest comparable year.

The difference is most clearly marked in the late summer and autumn.

So what’s going on? At a time of strong competition from the internet, social media and gaming, it’s remarkable that TV viewing levels are not just holding steady but are actually growing.

Does the economic downturn mean that people are going out less and watching more TV? Is it simply that there is more TV and there are more channels to watch? After all, Sky subscriptions have soared past the 10m mark this year.

Here’s the views of ratings expert Philip Reevell, md of City Broadcasting, who blogs about TV at Reevellsratings: “I don’t think it’s possible to under-estimate the importance of ITV’s programming surge, particular this autumn. With a portfolio of The X Factor, Downton Abbey, I’m a Celebrity and 50 years of Coronation Street, the channel has created a huge amount of talk-about programming.

“It has put television at the centre of the tabloid news agenda, more so than ever, and the huge figures for X Factor provide a massive boost to the idea of watching television. I’m sure that this has helped with the overall time spent watching television – it’s seen by people as something to do which they will be talking about with their friends and colleagues.

“More generally the increase in overall viewing reflects the sense that viewers who might have spent money on going out are now being more cautious and staying in to watch more TV. But I’m sure it’s as much a matter of television being popular, rather than simply being a more cost effective form of entertainment.”

Indeed, it’s been a year of big ‘event TV’ - from the World Cup, the PM leadership debates, the last Big Brother, strong soaps, to a reinvigorated Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC. Proving that TV, despite stiff competition, has lost none of its ability to draw in mass audiences. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/2010-set-for-TV-viewing-high_bid-198.htmlWed, 08 Dec 2010 13:08:42First Flying Monsters 3d pics Here’s a first look at pics of Sir David Attenborough’s new 3d film, Flying Monsters 3d, which airs on Sky 3d on Christmas Day. The one hour film is Sky’s first original factual 3D commission.

A feature documentary about the evolution of pterosaurs - flying vertebrates with a wingspan of up to 45 feet who lived 200 million years ago - Flying Monsters 3d is written and presented by Attenborough.

Filming of the 3D natural history documentary took nine months and involved Sir David and a crew of 12 taking in locations across the world including Germany, New Mexico, France and the UK. A team of over 80 people were involved in the filming and post-production and the process took over half a year in total to complete.

The film is produced by Anthony Geffen through his company Atlantic Productions and was directed by Matthew Dyas. The 3d TV technology was from VFX studio ZOO, with members of the global team's credits including Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Flying Monsters 3d features several pterosaur species including Dimorphodon, Darwinopterus, Tapejara and Quetzalcoatlus and culminates with footage of Sir David Attenborough flying in a glider alongside a Quetzalcoatlus.



“This was one of the most complicated sequences ever filmed in 3d. We shot David in a real glider and later superimposed, using CGI, the biggest pterosaur – a Quetzalcoatlus. The idea was to demonstrate the extraordinary scale of the pterosaur, a creature that was longer than a bus and could fly at 75 miles an hour, by setting it beside something from the modern day of the same size that people could relate to,” explains Geffen.

The film will be released theatrically in IMAX cinemas around the world in 2011 and return to Sky 3D later in the year. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/First-Flying-Monsters-3d-pics_bid-192.htmlTue, 23 Nov 2010 10:10:02Year of sluggish growth ahead Among the many exclusive surveys that Televisual publishes each year, the Commercials 30 is perhaps the best at revealing the true state of the media industry’s prospects in the months ahead.

Every year, the Commercials 30 (see full survey here) weighs up the fortunes - or otherwise - of the UK’s commercials production companies. As such it’s an excellent barometer of advertiser confidence, which in turn directly impacts on the revenues of commercial broadcasters.

And the encouraging news is that commercials producers are reporting a slight upturn in business compared to last year. The general figures are all up: the average production budget for a 30 second ad has risen from £143k to £167k; companies are working on an average of 64 jobs each year, compared to 60 last year; and the turnover of commercials production companies has risen substantially too.

Many producers say business conditions, which were tough in the first six months of the year, have eased. Some even report an ‘autumn rush of scripts.’ Advertisers, it’s clear, are spending again.

This uptick was confirmed recently by WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell, who said the global ad giant had enjoyed its strongest quarter for 10 years as consumer goods companies and retailers started spending again.

Of course, few are predicting strong growth for the creative industries next year, despite these positive signs. Caution is the watchword, with business prospects likely to be dampened by the impact of last month's Spending Review as well as the BBC’s tough licence fee deal.

As our recent Talking Point (see here) on this subject clearly shows, the media industry is expected to avoid a double dip recession. Above all, there is a sense that business has come through the worst, but that conditions will remain tough and challenging for the forseeable future. If anything, it looks set to be a year of sluggish growth. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Year-of-sluggish-growth-ahead_bid-185.htmlFri, 12 Nov 2010 12:06:36TV tunes into Apps Two of TV’s best known shows launched their own iPhone Apps this week. The Supernanny and River Cottage Apps have both gone live, priced £2.99.

Shed Media Group, owner of Supernanny producer Ricochet, partnered with etv online to create the Supernanny iPhone app. It went on sale in the UK and the US yesterday. (It costs $4.99 in the US).

Meanwhile, Keo Digital - the digital arm of River Cottage producer Keo Films - created the River Cottage App, which launches today.

To date, relatively few production companies have successfully pushed into the App market on the back of their TV shows. TV chefs Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson have both launched Apps, as have programmes such as Shine TV’s MasterChef and All3Media’s The Cube.  [Nov 23 update: BBC Worldwide have just announced the launch of apps for top shows such as Doctor Who, Top Gear and Teletubbies]

Both the River Cottage and Supernanny Apps stand a good chance of making money for their producers, and could prove to be a profitable sideline like book tie-ins or DVDs. Crucially, the Apps are based on well-known brands so come to market with an inherent advantage. Also, they offer much more than just a rehash of old TV clips.

The Supernanny App is the first to come out of superindie Shed Media Group, which also produces shows such as Who Do You Think You Are? and Waterloo Road.

The Supernanny App draws on key elements of the TV show and is designed to help parents amuse and discipline their kids.

Shed’s director of commercial and legal affairs Claire Hungate said the App is not just a rerun of video clips from the show, but provided ‘added value’ for users. The App contains a customisable profile for each child, reward charts, a ‘Naughty Step timer’ and games as well as information and advice on the techniques used in the Supernanny programmes.



Meanwhile, the River Cottage App contains 32 seasonal recipes, recipe videos, a food sourcing guide and a live help network for culinary questions.

    






















Hungate said Shed had chosen to launch the Supernanny App first as it is one of the superindie’s biggest brands with a strong footprint in both the UK and the US.

Etv online, the digital division of etv media group, produced the Supernanny app for Shed. Etv paid for the development costs of the App, and will share its revenues with Shed. The Supernanny App took six months to produce.

Hungate declined to reveal sales targets for the App, saying it was an experiment for Shed, but pointed out that Supernanny is now in its 106th episode on ABC in the US and has been produced in 15 territories and acquired in 182 territories.

“We definitely wanted to do something that is both profitable and adds value, rather than producing an app for the sake of it,” said Hungate. Shed is now looking into the possibility of launching Apps for Who Do You Think You Are? and Waterloo Road. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/TV-tunes-into-Apps_bid-184.htmlThu, 11 Nov 2010 15:01:37The trouble with documentaries The UK's culture of TV documentary making came under attack last night from veteran filmmaker Penny Woolcock, who lambasted overly formatted docs and their lack of concern with telling the truth about the world.

Penny Woolcock films - from The Wet House to Tina Goes Shopping - are known for their ‘uncompromising’ attitude and ‘never shying from the more difficult aspects of life.”

It says as much in her citation for the Grierson Trustees Award, which she won last night at the prestigious Grierson British Documentary Awards, held at the BFI Southbank.

True to form, Woolcock was uncompromising in her take on the state of British documentary making when she took to the stage to accept the award.

The veteran documentary filmmaker used the occasion to hit out at heavily formatted docs and at the culture of TV documentary in the UK.

She also bemoaned the fact that commissioning is so centralised and that so many ‘terrific, innovative directors’ find themselves with no option but to take jobs on formatted docs.

“It’s like the civil engineers and doctors who put out deckchairs in Cuba,” said Woolcock, to applause and cheers from an audience packed with leading documentary makers and commissioners.

“A real documentary adventure is where the outcome is uncertain,” said Woolcock. “It’s not when a posturing hero pretends to be in the wilderness while sleeping in a hotel or undertaking tasks of derring-do which have been planned by the producer and his team of stunt coordinators.”

Woolcock then went on to criticise more directly formats like Secret Millionaire.

“Does it matter that we lie to people. I think it does even in relatively benign formats like Secret Millionaire. Essentially the film crew starts off lying about why they are there, the millionaires are so feeble apparently that they fall apart after a couple of days away from home, and then you meet some poor people and decide to give them some dosh. Then you pull in a poor old AP to do second camera so you make sure you can capture the tears, probably because they rumbled the millionaire and were hoping for more money.”

Woolcock added: “Have a look at the names of some of the terrific, innovative directors who are forced to take these jobs because they are down to their last £50. It’s like the civil engineers and doctors who put out deckchairs in Cuba.”

“Times change. They must. There is a thriving documentary scene outside television. Although I can’t be the only person in this room who receives a request for crowd funding several times a week.”

“Decisions seem to have been unmanageably centralised with no commissioners in control of their own budgets. Surely this will loosen up - it has to.”

“Television attracts a lot of brilliant and interesting people. And we live in a beautiful and terrifying world. One of the jobs of this most extraordinary and democratic of mediums is to try to understand the world as it is, and be as fearless and bold about telling the best truths we can.”

Woolcock’s words were made all the more poignant by the fact that the Griersons showcased so many original, intelligent films rather than formulaic documentary formats.

Over the course of the evening, fantastic clips from dozens of the nominated and winning Grierson films played out.

Many people in the audience, speaking at the Awards after-party, said how depressing it was that the nominated films got so little attention when they came out.

“I sat there thinking ‘oh, that looks good, how did I miss that’ to just about every nominee,” said one audience member.

For full list of Grierson winners, click here. Total Comments: 3 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-trouble-with-documentaries_bid-178.htmlWed, 03 Nov 2010 13:58:16Media cuts details emerge More details have just been published by DCMS about the cuts announced yesterday to the BBC, S4C, the Film Council and the British Film Institute.

The department has published the letters it has written to each of the 39 organisations that it funds, telling them how their budget will change.

You can find all of the correspondence here: http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7507.aspx.

You can also find Media Secretary Jeremy Hunt's ministerial statement about the cuts here: http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/ministers_speeches/7508.aspx

Interestingly, the BBC is told in its letter by Media Secretary Jeremy Hunt that it must fund a whole host of new commitments - and the first to be mentioned is Hunt’s pet project, Local Media. Hunt envisages 20 local TV stations launching within the next three years, each backed with over £1m in funding from the BBC.

More specifically, the letter says: “The BBC will play an active role in supporting new local television services through a partnership fund providing capital costs of up to a total of £25m in 2013/14 for up to twenty local TV services, subject to any necessary regulatory approval. The BBC will also commit to ongoing funding of up to £5m per annum from 2014/15 to acquire content for use on its own services from these new services.”

Meanwhile, amidst all the cuts, there is some good news. The film tax credit, which has been hugely beneficial to the UK film industry, will remain in place. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Media-cuts-details-emerge_bid-168.htmlThu, 21 Oct 2010 12:54:11BBC cuts: relief or outrage? At the end of a day in which the BBC has seen 16% effectively chopped off its budget, the general response seems to be - curiously - one of relief as much as outrage.

Which is remarkable, given that the cuts have come as such a bolt out of the blue - few people realised that cuts to the corporation were even on the agenda until Monday night.

However, context is key. The scale of the cuts across all public services announced today is immense. A £3.45bn funded enterprise like the BBC could hardly stand remote and distant from such a sweeping national savings exercise.

BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons summed up the BBC’s position in the corporation’s official response to the cuts. “These are pressing times for the nation as a whole, and we believe licence fee payers would expect us to see what contribution we can properly make.”

Many producers are breathing a sigh of relief that the BBC - which has been the subject of relentless political sniping since the coalition government came to power - has at least secured the licence fee for the next six years.

Of course, this is tempered by awareness that the licence fee freeze - plus the additional commitments to pay for the World Service, BBC Monitoring and to help fund S4C - will mean that the corporation will have to make some very difficult choices in the coming years.

The real concern - adeptly spelt out by the Bectu and NUJ unions - is that this will hit jobs, programme budgets and the quality of programmes themselves.

And there is disbelief at how the ‘back of a fag packet’ style negotiations were carried out by the coalition government over the funding of such an important institution as the BBC.

There’s an excellent behind the scenes account of how the dramatic negotiations over the rapid funding settlement played out on Dan Sabbagh’s Beehive City blog (http://bit.ly/dAh2Je).

And BBC historian Jean Seaton explains how the BBC has just managed to preserve the integrity of the licence fee in the face of a near constitutional assault by the coalition government (http://bit.ly/aKNDYo).

Also, here’s links to Televisual’s account of how the key events of the day played out:

Chancellor George Osborne announces the cuts to Parliament: http://bit.ly/96Gosp

The official announcement of the cuts: http://bit.ly/9bJfWb

The BBC’s response to the cuts: http://bit.ly/bOYNyz

Producer response to the BBC cuts: http://bit.ly/cNbRkk

Union response to the BBC cuts: http://bit.ly/cr0LdR Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/BBC-cuts-relief-or-outrage_bid-167.htmlWed, 20 Oct 2010 17:13:10'Political threat' to the BBC There is growing speculation that the BBC will take a massive hit in the coalition government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

BBC2’s Newsnight says that the government wants to take a £556m chunk out of the BBC’s budget by forcing the corporation to meet the cost of free television licences for the over-75s. The benefit is currently paid for by the Department for Work and Pensions. The loss of this money would effectively mean a 16% cut in the £3.45bn annual licence fee.

The MediaGuardian, meanwhile, leads today with the story the BBC has put a counter offer on the table to avoid such a huge cut to its budget. Instead, it reports the BBC has offered to pay the World Service's annual £272m-a-year running costs.

The World Service is currently funded by a Foreign Office grant that was set to be slashed by between £70m and £90m as part of the chancellor George Osborne's spending review tomorrow.

It seems clear that, whatever the outcome of these very last minute ‘negotiations’, huge sums of money are going to be stripped out of the BBC’s budget in the spending review.

Until yesterday, it looked as though the corporation was going to escape from the worst of the spending cuts. Last month the BBC Trust agreed to freeze the licence fee until March 2013, which effectively meant taking out £144m from planned BBC budgets.

Now, in a move that smacks of an 11th hour raid on its finances, the BBC looks set to take a far worse hit. This would be terrible news for programme makers and the UK’s creative community, who have already been hugely affected by the recession.

Others go further, and say that it is part of a deliberate attempt to undermine the independence of the BBC.

Respected commentator Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster, had this to say on today’s speculation about possible BBC cuts the Spending Review:

“Transferring the cost of free TV licences for the over-75s from government to the BBC would be a full frontal political assault on the BBC not seen in this country for 25 years. It would mean an unprecedented cut in BBC revenues of £500 million with huge programming consequences for British viewers and listeners.

Barnett added: “The suggestion that this is justified by salaries paid to so-called stars is disingenuous. This is a naked political threat by the coalition government to BBC independence.” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Political-threat-to-the-BBC_bid-166.htmlTue, 19 Oct 2010 16:06:33Animating a Maritime mission Here's three animated films that admirably show how to convey a lot of complex information in a very clear, informative and entertaining way.

Animation outfit Beakus worked on the three movies for the National Maritime Museum's 'Old Weather' project. The museum is trying to crowdsource as many members of the public as possible to help it transcribe thousands of pages of ship's logs. The idea is that the data will help to fill in gaps in our understanding of what the weather was like in the previous two centuries – helping scientists to understand and predict what the weather will do in the future.

Apparently computers have failed to read the pages of hand-written script, but humans can interpret and transcribe the delicate type - given enough of them.

Beakus used a variety of techniques, from 3d cgi to motion-tracking and 2d motion graphics.

Film one is called Global Weather Reconstructions and tracks three ships from Britains naval past: The Alfred, The Bugle and The Terra Nova as they travel around the globe.



Film two is The Art of Crowdsourcing which uses a mix of 2d and 3d motion graphics to the power of crowdsourcing.



And film three, Why Weather Readings Are So Useful explains why weather readings taken at sea can illustrate weather patterns all around the globe.

Why weather readings at sea are useful from National Maritime Museum on Vimeo.


 

Beakus was asked by filmmaker Mike Paterson, who directed all the live action in the films, to create the videos.
The credits are as follows:
Director: Steve Smith
Design and animation: Leo Bridle
Commission: National Maritime Museum & Mike Paterson
Modelling: Darragh Mason
Animation: Luca Paulli
Compositing: Jesse Collett
Sound: Mike Paterson

You can find more info at www.beakus.com. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Animating-a-Maritime-mission_bid-165.htmlFri, 15 Oct 2010 10:06:23TV strikes an upbeat note If you are looking for signs that the TV industry is pulling out of its two year recession, the past week provided plenty of them.

ITV demonstrated that it is enjoying a storming autumn - and proved the continuing pulling power of TV - with a huge peak audience of 13.8m viewers watching Saturday night’s first live final of The X Factor. It topped this on Sunday with a peak of 14.7m for The X Factor results show, while period drama Downton Abbey attracted over 8m.

Meanwhile, Channel 4’s new chief executive David Abraham was unusually bullish about the broadcaster’s prospects for 2011, predicting that C4’s ad sales would top £1bn. Hitting this symbolic figure, he admitted to a gathering of advertisers and agencies, would partly be achieved by C4 benefiting from YouView and the new UKTV sales contract.

Nevertheless, Abraham’s optimism stands in complete contrast to that of his predecessor Andy Duncan, whose period in charge was defined by the recession and his belief that C4 needed government support to keep it alive.

Elsewhere, last week's Mipcom programme market saw plenty of brisk business. Sellers reported that deals were being done at the market as broadcasters opened their chequebooks and stocked up on new content – in stark contrast to the caution that marked last year’s event.

In fact, there is a growing consensus that the outlook for TV industry is rather bright over the next few years.

Speaking at Mipcom, Marcel Fenez, the global leader of PwC's entertainment & media practice, delivered a very positive assessment of the TV business.

He argued that global ad spend – which plunged 12% in 2009 – would rebound over the next five years, increasing at about 4-5% on annual basis.

More importantly, he said that TV’s total share of ad revenue – currently around 35-36% of all advertising – would actually increase by 2014 to 37%. Crucially, he said it wouldn’t fall away in the face of competition from online.

Online would increase from 15% to 21% of total ad revenue. But this would largely be at the expense of print, particularly newspaper, advertising – and not television.

“People have talked about the demise of television – but we are a believer that that is absolutely not the case,” said Fenez.

Judging by the pull of The X Factor, a bullish C4 and a buoyant Mipcom, he’s absolutely right. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/TV-strikes-an-upbeat-note_bid-160.htmlSun, 10 Oct 2010 20:30:07A Lush crowd-funded eco doc In these straightened times, crowd-funding has become an increasingly important way to raise money for films and documentaries.

Environmental film The Age of Stupid is perhaps the most high profile and successful example of crowd-funding to date, raising its £450k budget with donations from multiple sources.

Now a new documentary about climate change activism, Just Do It, is also looking for crowd-funding – but it has a particularly pressing deadline to meet to raise its funds.

Lush, the soap manufacturer, has agreed to match Just Do It’s online donations pound for pound up to £10k – but has given the film-makers a 20 day deadline to do it in.

The challenge is to raise £20k in 20 days from October 12, half from the public and the other half from Lush.

Just Do It, directed by Emily James, is billed as “the inside story of the UK’s biggest troublemakers.” Drawn from over 300 hours of observational material that was filmed at events from the G20 in April 2009 to the Copenhagen Climate Summit, it follows protestors from Climate Camp, Plane Stupid, and Climate Rush, as they “pick up the mantle of civil disobedience and go after climate change with all they’ve got.“

The Just Do It team plan to release the film under a Creative Commons license – making it free to watch and free to share. Rather than charging people to watch their film when it’s finished, they are asking people to donate a tiny contribution now, with the funds going directly to production costs.

You can find out more - and donate - at their impressive website: http://just-do-it.org.uk/

Also, for an excellent guide to crowd funding, visit: http://spannerfilms.net/how_to_crowd_fund_your_film Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/A-Lush-crowd-funded-eco-doc_bid-159.htmlFri, 08 Oct 2010 11:54:03Morrissey on drama producing Interview: David Morrissey is one of the UK’s most acclaimed actors, the Bafta nominated-star of State of Play and Red Riding.

He also a director and producer, running his own indie - Stagereel - with his brother Prof. Paul Morrissey. Morrissey’s latest project is Sky1’s new crime drama Thorne: Sleepyhead which airs this Sunday (10th October).

As well as starring in Thorne he developed the piece with author Mark Billingham, and executive produced the series through Stagereel.

The Morrissey brothers previously ran another indie, Tubedale, which co-produced Patrice Leconte’s highly regarded feature The Man on the Train and several David Morrissey-directed shorts and his feature directorial debut Don’t Worry about Me.

Ahead of Thorne's transmission, Morrissey talked to Televisual about his work behind - rather than infront - of the camera.

Why did you decide to go into production and set up an indie?
It’s a desire to do things from a conceptual point of view. Lot of times as an actor you come in late in the process. You leave early and I want to be involved from A-Z really. I wanted to see a process through.

I was always a very nosy actor. I liked being on set even when my character wasn’t called. I was looking to direct and work with writers, but didn’t know to go about getting employed as a director. So I decided to make a short film and financed it myself. At one point I had to draw up contracts and employ people and I had no idea how to do that. My brother Paul was a businessman. So I went to him to help me with the business side of that. And he did that - and enjoyed it.

We made a number of shorts through our company Tubedale. The success of those shorts meant that I got work as a director. Then Paul and I carried on with company and did some co-production deals that I really enjoyed. We worked with Patrice Leconte on The Man On The Train. And we made our first feature which I directed and produced called Don’t Worry About Me.

How did you come to develop and star in Thorne?
I was in New Zealand and I read one Mark (Billingham)’s Thorne books. I liked it and Googled it and found out that he said that if it ever came to screen he’d like me to play the part. When I came back to England I met him, and we decided that Stagereel and Mark would form a company together.

How did you get the commission from Sky?
Sky came to us. We were working on the project, as a company developing it for telly. We hadn’t gone to any broadcasters - we were preparing our pitch and Sky came to us. Mark’s books were already on Sky’s radar. They found out I was involved which they were very happy about - and have been very supportive through whole process.

You can see that their desire for the future is to make a lot more drama and be a big player in that field. And I support that. I’m a big fan of the BBC, ITV and C4 and BBC. There is good room for another strong player in there and everyone needs strong opposition. Sky’s commitment to drama can only be good thing for all of us.

What have you got coming up next?
We have got quite a few things in development. We’re developing two films with the UK Film Council before they go under. And there’s a couple of TV projects that we’re working on as well.

What’s your sense of the outlook for British TV drama right now?
Every industry in Britain is having to face terrible cuts - the police, health and education - and even drama. It is going to be tough. But I would say that when I look at the screen, things like This is England ’86 and Sherlock show there is great drama being made. I travel around the world a lot and we have got a lot to be proud of and we need to encourage that.
Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Morrissey-on-drama-producing_bid-157.htmlThu, 07 Oct 2010 16:12:56Stars hit Cannes as deals flow Mipcom day three: From Robert Redford through to Mad Men’s Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Kiss front man Gene Simmons, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matt Lucas and Stephen Fry, there’s been an unusually large number of TV, film and music stars flying into Mipcom this week to promote their latest ventures. Veteran broadcaster Sir David Frost even flew in to interview Oliver Stone about his new project, The Untold History of the United States.

Not all the stars, however, were happy to be in the south of France. Stephen Fry, here to talk up his new series on the English language, tweeted mid-way through the market that he was “stuck in Cannes in arse-paralysingly dull meetings.”

Within the Palais itself, many others were probably thinking the same thing: one could sense buyers and sellers' energy levels starting to flag by the end of Wednesday after long days of deal-making and long nights of eating and drinking.

However, most sellers were still expressing optimism about how the market was going, saying that it had picked up decidedly since last year.

All3Media chief executive Louise Pedersen commented: “We are very positive about the state of the market - there is a lot of strong interest in shows across our catalogue and buyers seem to have the budgets to acquire across all genres - with drama, formats and factual entertainment being in demand.” She added that growth in DTT and IPTV channels had increased the demand for new programmes.

That said, many of the deals being announced were of the bread and butter kind that help fill schedules. Many buyers complained there was not enough ‘stand out’ new programming at the market, partly because the recession has meant less projects going into production.

In the meantime, here’s a round-up of the latest deals:

- Channel 4 acquired Arthurian tale Camelot from GK-tv, and plans to launch the series in 2011. The series stars Jamie Campbell Bower as Arthur, Joseph Fiennes as Merlin, Eva Green as Morgan, and Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere. Camelot is a co-production between Ireland’s Octagon and Take 5 Productions in Canada, and is executive produced by Ecosse Films’ Douglas Rae. Graham King (The Departed) along with Tim Headington and Craig Cegielski also executive produce. Other international buyers include RTL (Netherlands), DBS (Israel) and Sony Pictures Television’s AXN Beyond (Pan-Asia).

- Living in the UK has picked up Customs Series 3 (12 x 30-mins) from Electric Sky. Made by Favourite Films for Nine Network, Australia, it follows the work of Border Agency sniffer-dogs and their handlers. Customs Series 3 will be renamed as Nothing to Declare for Living.

- BBC Worldwide struck a raft of deals in Russia. It sold Spooks to Fox Television, which will see the spy drama broadcast across the CIS and Baltic states. Fox TV also acquired ITV romantic comedy Married, Single Other and thriller Silent Witness. Meanwhile, Russia’s Channel Five acquired Sherlock and 225 hours of mixed genre programming; Russia’s Kultura channel has picked up 84 hours of programming including History of Science, Wonders of the Solar System, Lennon Naked and Muddle Earth; And Slovak TV (Slovakia) bought a 52 hour package including Life and The Human Planet.

- DRG sold Don’t Tell The Bride, created by Renegade Pictures for BBC Three, to multiple European territories. Sales include RTL (Netherlands), TV4 (Sweden), Nelonen (Finland), TV2 (Denmark), TV2 (Hungary) and BBC Worldwide Channels which has acquired the series for BBC Entertainment in Latin America and BBC Lifestyle in Africa.The Don’t Tell the Bride format was also sold to ANT1 TV in Greece, where it will be produced by Studio Ata. Don’t Tell The Bride is now being produced locally in seven countries worldwide.

- BBC Worldwide sold 26 hours of content from the BBC’s Natural History Unit to Australia’s Nine Network. The deal includes the pre-sale of Frozen Planet to Channel Nine. Other natural history content will air on Nine’s new digital platform GEM, including Wild South America: Andes to Amazon, Wild Caribbean, and David Attenborough’s 10-part series Life of Mammals.

- Electric Sky sold a package of male skewed titles to Sweden’s Viasat including Miles to Surf (1 x 50') by Troy Frizzell Productions in Conjunction With Major Surf Corp; Supercar Run Featuring Jodie Kidd (1 x 47’) by Camera CHY Productions, Total Adventure (26 x 30') by Creative Touch Films Production for National Geographic, Finding Genghis (6 x 30’) by Cambridge Film and Television Productions for National Geographic, and The Fatal Eleven (1 x 44’) by German producer ColourFIELD on behalf of WDR for ARD. Electric Sky also sold titles to the Living Channel in New Zealand, including A Place in the Sun Down Under (3 x 60’) and A Million Pound Place in the Sun. Both series are produced by Freeform for Channel Four

- Discovery Communications announced new programming deals with European third party broadcasters to air 200 hours of its content. France broadcaster TF1’s free digital terrestrial channels NT1 and TMC will air the latest seasons of Deadliest Catch and Man vs. Wild. Italy’s RTI-Mediaset Group picked up fact ent shows including Man vs. Wild, I Was Bitten and Untamed and Uncut to air on Italia Uno in the network’s “Wild” primetime slot. Spain’s La Sexta acquired Next World, Destroyed in Seconds or Prototype This!. In addition, Spanish broadcaster Cuatro has acquired season 4 of Man vs. Wild and Not Your Average Travel Guide. Greek broadcaster Alpha TV bought Nostradmus, The Flight that Fought Back and Last Mysteries of the Titanic.

- Off The Fence (OTF) sold over 500 hours to leading African broadcasters. Over 370 hours of programming was sold to Wananchi Programming for their new Zuku Afrika and Zuku Life channels launching this month in East Africa. Wananchi bought a range of titles including The Locator (44x30’), Amazing Wedding Cakes (33x60’), Magnificent Obsessions (48x30’), Stories from the Vaults (14x26’), Equator (6x50’), Most Extreme Series One and Two (26x60’), Shamwari – A Wildlife (26x26’) and Future Earth: Journey to the End of the World (1x50’). Namibia Broadcasting Corporation bought 50 hours of programming for their free to air channel including Shamwari (26x26’), Extinction Sucks (6x30’), Nature’s Greatest Moments (158x5’), Man Made Marvels Series One (6x60’) and Sharkville (1x50’). South African broadcaster On Digital Media picked up 39 hours in a deal for TOP TV, including Magnificent Obsessions (48x30’) and Reservations Required (30x30’).

- BBC Worldwide licensed 27 classic television titles to Australian free-to-air digital channel 7TWO, in a deal that delivers over 500 hours of content, including Are you Being Served?, The Good Life, To the Manor Born and Keeping up Appearances. Jonathan Creek, All Creatures Great and Small, Born and Bred, Bargain Hunt, The Hairy Bikers Cookbook and James Martin’s Favourite Feasts are included in the deal.

- BBC Worldwide also sold 26 hours of content from the BBC’s Natural History Unit to Australia’s Nine Network. The deal includes the pre-sale of Frozen Planet to Channel Nine. Other natural history content will air on Nine’s new digital platform GEM, including Wild South America: Andes to Amazon, Wild Caribbean, and David Attenborough’s 10-part series Life of Mammals. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Stars-hit-Cannes-as-deals-flow_bid-155.htmlThu, 07 Oct 2010 10:30:32Fighting Terms of Trade and BBC inhouse In recent months, it’s become clear that there’s a big question mark hanging over the future of the Terms of the Trade, the foundation stone of the UK’s thriving independent production sector.

Cash strapped broadcasters have, for some time, been chipping away at the Terms of Trade, which allow producers to hold onto and exploit the rights of the shows they make.

Now, though, it seems that broadcasters are determined to force a complete rethink of the Terms of Trade. This was given very public expression by BBC director general Mark Thompson’s MacTaggart speech in Edinburgh.

Taking a sidewipe at “the scale and ownership” of the independent sector – in other words the superindies – he said it was “the right time to take a fresh look at” indie and broadcaster deals.

Broadcaster thinking, it seems, is that indie producers, particularly the superindies, have got rich thanks to the Terms of Trade at the expense of the people who commission them.

Unfortunately, this pressure to rethink the Terms of Trade is happening just as the screw is being turned on the indie sector itself. Programme budgets are under acute pressure. And the BBC licence fee freeze means less money for new commissions.

Faced with such a stagnant market, indies have been thinking hard about where growth can possibly come from. And they have set their sights on campaigning to scrap inhouse production.

At an Edinburgh session titled ‘Are Superindies Bastards?’, Endemol boss Tim Hincks adeptly turned criticism away from superindies by openly questioning the existence of inhouse production.

Scrapping the BBC inhouse department, runs indie thinking, will lead to greater production efficiencies and creativity on screen – while also freeing up a lot of cash to be spent on independent production contracts.

Whatever the pros and cons of scrapping inhouse production or revising the Terms of Trade, it’s clear the relationship between producers and broadcasters is going to be rethought in the run up to the next Communications Act. Let the lobbying battle begin. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Fighting-Terms-of-Trade-and-BBC-inhouse_bid-154.htmlWed, 06 Oct 2010 09:04:10Mipcom brightens up Day two: The sun has come out in Cannes, lifting the mood at the Mipcom programme market after yesterday’s rain soaked and stormy affair.

As always when there is a big downpour here, the main market space, the Palais, began leaking and letting in water.

Even worse, companies which rented boats to do business found themselves in – literally – choppy water.

And pity poor Warner Bros, which took a pier-type stand which extended out from the beach and over the Med – last time I looked it was being buffeted by large waves and was looking very wind-swept and empty.

On the positive side, sellers say that the appalling weather yesterday forced buyers inside and towards their stands – leading to some good business.

The mood here is certainly upbeat. “It feels better than last time,” DRG chief executive Jeremy Fox said this morning. “There is more of a feeling of optimism and confidence.”

Here’s a digest of some of the deals announced today:

- BBC Worldwide Channels acquired new programming from distributors All3Media International, Endemol, and Zodiak Rights for its global BBC Knowledge channel including Genius¸ Secret Millionaire US, Joanna Lumley: Jewel In the Nile, Ross Kemp In The Middle East, Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour and Derren Brown Investigates.

- ITV Studios Global Entertainment struck a distribution development deal with US production company Base Productions. The deal gives ITV Studios worldwide rights (excluding the US) to formats and series produced by Base, including Base’s Mystery 360.

- Banijay International sold BBC format The People’s Quiz to pan Middle Eastern broadcaster MBC. Licensed to Lebanon-based, Ideas Production, the 12 x 1-hr show is currently being filmed and will air in January 2011.

- Eagle Rock Entertainment announced international sales for Ladies and Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones (pictured). The re-mastered HD feature-length film, first released in 1974, sold to VH1 (US), WHD (Japan), Sky Arts (UK), ABC (Australia), HBO (Latin America), ZDF (Germany), SVT (Sweden) and Hi-Fidelity (Canada).

- Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) unveiled two co-pro deals for kids’ properties Kung Fu Chicken and Red, Yellow & Blue. Animasia Studio (Malaysia), Agogo International (Hong Kong) and Neptuno Films (Spain) will co-produce 2d animated action adventure series Kung Fu Chicken (26 x 22-mins). Ed-Online Technologies (Malaysia), Scrawl Studios (Singapore) and Bryant Whittle (UK) will co-develop and co-produce animated pre-school series Red, Yellow & Blue (52 x 11-mins).

- BBC Worldwide sold Temple Street Productions’s second season of Wingin’ It to CBBC in the UK. It’s has also been picked up by Noga (Israel), NRK Super (Norway) and Top TV (South Africa).

- Nickelodeon USA picked up a second season of pre-school show Olivia from producer and distributor Chorion. The new series of 26 x 11-min episodes plus 1 x 22-min special will be delivered to Nickelodeon in the USA in November 2010. To date, the new series has been pre-bought by TF1 France, ABC TV Australia and the Disney Channel in Japan and Latin America. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Mipcom-brightens-up_bid-153.htmlTue, 05 Oct 2010 12:54:27Hot PR in rainy Cannes Day one: Mipcom has only been running a few hours, but already Televisual’s inbox has been deluged with press releases that breathlessly announce the latest ‘high profile deals’, ‘exciting new commissions’ and ‘highly anticipated series’ from ‘world leading producers’.

To save you wading through story after story about Mipcom deals, here’s a digest of those announced so far. A quick note: most of these deals were signed long before Mipcom, so say little about how the market is playing out so far. But, talking to producers and distributors here in Cannes, one gets the sense that they are pretty upbeat about prospects.

Meanwhile, for those of you not down in Cannes, you’ll be glad to know that is raining and very windy.

- Endemol, which routinely bills itself as ‘a world leader in entertainment programming’ in its press releases, has sold its US comedy series Hot in Cleveland to BSkyB. Produced by TV Land, it’s about three best friends from L.A. discover that they are hot in Cleveland - and decide to stay.

- The Walt Disney Company has sold new family drama series No Ordinary Family to UKTV’s Watch. About a family that develops super-powers, it premiered in the US on ABC on 28 September. Naturally, No Ordinary Family is a ‘highly anticipated series’, according to Disney.

- Nickelodeon and Chorion have teamed to develop and produce a new animated pre-school series based on Beatrix Potter’s The Tales of Peter Rabbit. Set to air in 2012, the series will feature Potter characters such as Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. Nickolodeon is, of course, ‘the number-one entertainment brand for kids.’

- ITV Studios announced a raft of new local productions in Ireland, Iran and Cyprus for its ‘phenomenally successful format’ Come Dine With Me – which is now made for 30 countries. Ireland’s TV3 has ordered 30 local episodes, which will be produced by ITV Studios in Ireland. Cyprus’ CYBC has signed 65 episodes. And new Iranian broadcaster Marjan Television has licensed 30 episodes which will be produced in the UK by Manoto 1 and feature Iranian diners and will then broadcast throughout Iran.

- FremantleMedia, which likes to describe itself on press releases as “one of the largest creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world”, launched its Mipcom 2010 slate. This included casting format My Name Is...(pictured above), and game shows Total Blackout and Face It. The most eyecatching show on its slate, however, was You Can’t Take It With You which is being made by TalkbackThames for BBC2. According to Fremantle, it “tackles head on the often unaddressed problems of dividing an estate and writing a will.” Billed as an emotional journey, it sees families decide who gets what, and why. The show is fronted - and mediated by - Gerry Robinson (Can Gerry Robinson Fix the NHS?)

- Discovery Channel is looking to top the UK’s landmark Walking with Dinosaurs series with its own prehistoric commission, Reign of the Dinosaurs, a six part series that – so we are told - “combines the latest paleontological research with Hollywood storytelling, combined with the talent of the world's best illustrators and animators.” Discovery’s sales arm is launching the title here and seeking international pre-sale. Reign of the Dinosaurs is being produced for Discovery Channel by US-based Creative Differences.

- Wipeout, a ‘global hit’ created by Endemol USA, has been commissioned for a ten episode pan-regional version by TVN in Poland, Nova TV in the Czech Republic, Markiza TV in Slovakia, Inter Channel in Ukraine and ONT in Belarus. The series will see contestants from all five territories battling it out across the show’s extreme obstacle course and will be filmed at Wipeout’s global production hub in Argentina.

- Shooting on the Euros 25m twelve-part series Borgia, produced by Atlantique Production/EOS and Canal +, begins today in Prague. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall), it stars John Doman (ER, The Wire) as Rodrigo Borgia. The writer and producer of the series is Tom Fontana (Oz/HBO, Homicide/NBC). Beta Film is handling international sales of the English-language production.

- Last, but certainly not least, Red, “a company dedicated to raising awareness about Aids,” has partnered with HBO to create a 30 minute Spike Jonze documentary which records the life-restoring effects of Anti-retroviral drugs on four HIV-positive individuals from Lusaka, Zambia. Admirably, the documentary is being given away to broadcasters for FREE at this year’s Mipcom for them to broadcast on World Aids Day – 1st of December. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Hot-PR-in-rainy-Cannes_bid-151.htmlMon, 04 Oct 2010 13:46:36Explosive climate campaign Here’s an explosive climate change film from director Dougal Wilson and writer Richard Curtis for the 10:10 campaign.

It seems to be getting a pretty mixed reaction judging by some of the comments left on YouTube. The film looks good and the effects are strong. But the underlying message seems to be that if you don't do anything about your carbon emissions, you'll be targetted - even little children.

It was made through Spanner Films (Age of Stupid) and the vfx were by MPC. Dougal Wilson's recent credits include the acclaimed John Lewis ad Always a Woman.


 
Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Explosive-climate-campaign_bid-150.htmlFri, 01 Oct 2010 13:30:42What's the outlook for Mipcom? On the eve of next week’s Mipcom TV programme market (4-8 October), Televisual asked four leading distribution bosses to give their verdict on the state of the international sales business.

The four executives paint an encouraging picture ahead of the market, with widespread agreement that it’s going to be a busy week in Cannes. In particular, programmes and formats that have performed well in their home market will be in strong demand as buyers play it safe.


Sally Miles
CEO, Passion Distribution
“We are preparing ourselves for a very busy market. In 2009, we constantly came up against either broadcasters or entire territories with buying freezes and we all felt the pinch. There is no question that 2010 has seen an upturn against that and most territories, although some still with budget constraints, are out buying and in need of good content. Information is key - a show’s track record, added value in 360 degree cross platform materials and fantastic marketing make a show stand out and represent great value for money and a confident buy.”


Louise Pederson
CEO, All3Media International
“We’re very positive about Mipcom. We feel that the early part of last year was quite tough, but this year has been really good. We are lucky – we have got some fantastic shows from the producers we work with. And for the right show there are buyers and the market is moving. There is still some reluctance in certain territories. We went through a phase where a lot of people said we are not buying, we are waiting to see what happens but that is not such a problem now. Canada is little bit cautious, as are parts of eastern and central Europe, Scandinavia and New Zealand. But the rest of the world - for the right show - is pretty good.”


Rob Clark
President, Worldwide Entertainment, FremantleMedia
“Globally there’s a growing appetite for entertainment programmes, driven by glossy primetime formats, stripped reality and games. These have been performing well for broadcasters, and that’s very evident in the audience figures we’re seeing around the world, and in the number of new commissions and returning sales for FremantleMedia’s productions. Whilst the Europe/USA TV heartlands are still growing, we’re seeing some stellar performances in emerging Asian countries like India, China and Indonesia. We have a very broad slate of entertainment programmes for Mipcom and we’re expecting a busy and successful market.”


Jeremy Fox
CEO, DRG
“We’re optimistic about this year’s Mipcom. There are definite signs that international demand is on the up for factual programming which can confidently and efficiently sit in primetime television slots and deliver great ratings. High quality documentaries that bring universally relevant and world event stories to the screen are receiving strong interest from buyers. We have also seen a surge in commissions for scripted and non-scripted formats whose proven track-records are attractive in this risk averse market. Scripted formats are definitely going to be the new reality shows – you heard it here first!” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Whats-the-outlook-for-Mipcom_bid-144.htmlMon, 27 Sep 2010 14:50:07TV's stark gender imbalance There are some pretty sobering stats to be found in a new report, Women in the Creative Media Industries, from Skillset.

It’s hardly news that there’s a “stark gender imbalance” in the creative industries, according to the report. TV’s unforgiving freelance contract culture has long put working mothers at a disadvantage compared to men and women without children.

Yet the findings of the report still surprise. Here are just a few of them.

- TV has the greatest disparity in average earnings in the creative industries between men (£39,000) and women (£32,500). And while three-quarters (75 percent) of men working in the industry are aged 35 and over, this is true of just over half (52 per cent) of women.

- 35% of men in the industry have dependent children living with them but only 23% of women, suggesting that many women leave the industry as a consequence of starting a family.

- The proportion of women in the audiovisual industries dropped from 38 per cent to 27 per cent between 2006 and 2009.

- 51% of women are aged 35 or over compared with 64% of men. Even adjusting for increased levels of female new entrants in recent years, women have been leaving the industry before or during middle age.

The report can be read in full at the following link: www.skillset.org/skillset/press/2010/article_7937_1.asp

Meanwhile, it’s worth noting a couple of new initiatives to try to redress the gender imbalance in creative industries.

Women in Film and Television are running a new mentoring scheme which will pair up 16 mid-career women in the TV and film business with experienced mentors. The scheme is open for applicants until 1st October and it’s being managed by the impressive Nicola Lees, who produced Televisual’s Intelligent Factual Festival this year and who edits TVmole.com.

You can find details at the following link: www.wftv.org.uk/wftv/static.asp?menu=about&static=18

Secondly, mentoring and networking consultant Annmarie Dixon-Barrow will also run a series of Skillset-funded initiatives to connect women from the television industry with industry leaders from throughout the UK. This includes the WOMEN mentoring programme that will pair 25 women with industry leaders from around the world via a virtual network. Recruitment will begin on 1 October, with the programme starting in November.

Skillset has also secured funding for a limited number of training bursaries of up to £600 via the government's Women and Work scheme. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/TVs-stark-gender-imbalance_bid-142.htmlTue, 21 Sep 2010 17:42:13Production 100 goes online Televisual’s exclusive survey of the indie TV production sector, the Production 100 survey, is now online.

To read the full report for FREE, click on the following link: www.televisual.com/reports-surveys.html

The highly regarded Production 100 ranks and profiles the top 100 indie production outfits as well as providing a comprehensive report on the state of the indie market. It also contains contact and staff details for the UK's top indies.

Superindie All3Media took top spot in the Production 100 for the third year running. Endemol came in second, while Hit Entertainment came third.

The combined UK revenues of indies taking part in the Production 100 this year was £1.78bn. Falling budgets emerged as a key issue facing many indies, with 69% reporting they had declined in the last year. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Production-100-goes-online_bid-141.htmlMon, 20 Sep 2010 16:09:16Weighing up the indie sector What a difference a year makes. When Televisual last published its Production 100 survey, in September 2009, the mood was unremittingly bleak. Many indie producers told us their situation was so precarious that their biggest challenge was simply surviving the next few months.

This year’s Production 100 survey stands in stark contrast. In 2010, there’s a tangible sense of cautious optimism about the independent production sector. Most say that the business climate is gradually improving as broadcasters enjoy an advertising uptick and commission more programmes.

In fact, many indies have exited the recession with more diversified, dynamic businesses. Compelled to find new sources of revenue during the UK downturn, they have survived by spreading their wings into international markets, particularly the opened-up US network and cable sector.

Indies, of course, are still rightfully concerned about the state of the UK market. There’s a sense that we will never return to the levels of business seen before the market crashed in 2008.

Budgets are a real issue. Indies loudly complain that commissioning budgets are continually being squeezed, but that broadcasters want the same – or higher – quality for less money. Worse, there are numerous complaints that broadcasters are failing to cash flow productions properly, creating real problems for mid-sized and smaller indies without the benefit of deep pockets.

Meanwhile, at the top end of the market, there’s been a remarkable return of the indie consolidation trend that characterised the pre-recession era, with the likes of RDF, Shed and Optomen all changing hands in recent weeks.

The difference this time is that it goes beyond mere consolidation – this is more like a super-consolidation as the big get even bigger. According to our figures, the top five superindie groups now account for 50% of the indie market. And global outfits are doing much of the buying.

In fact much of the UK production sector is now in foreign hands with US studios Warner Bros and NBC Universal and European conglomerates Endemol, RTL and De Agostini owning five of our top 10 superindie groups. For good or ill, this fact alone reveals much about how far this so called ‘lifestyle’ business has come in the last ten years.

See Televisual’s September issue for the Production 100 survey Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Weighing-up-the-indie-sector_bid-129.htmlFri, 10 Sep 2010 11:26:30Thompson goes on the offensive
BSkyB. The national press. The terms of trade. These were just three of the targets of Mark Thompson’s ire in a wide ranging MacTaggart speech that saw the BBC director general go on the offensive after months of attacks against the corporation.

It lacked the rhetorical flourish of classic MacTaggart speeches, but in a workmanlike way he set out a convincing case for a BBC that was widely supported and respected by the general public.

“Support for the licence-fee is as high, if not higher, today than it was when Alan Peacock wrote his report on the future of broadcasting for Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Then there were four channels. Now there are hundreds,” said Thompson.

Attacking Sky
Thompson went directly on the offensive against Sky, in particular for failing to invest in British production. “It’s time that Sky pulled its weight by investing much, much more in British talent and British content,” said Thompson, who added that Sky spent around £100m in non-news, non-sport content - “not much more than Channel Five’s UK origination budget this year, despite the fact that Sky’s total turnover is more than fifteen times that of Five’s.”

“Sky’s marketing budget is larger than the entire programme budget of ITV1. As a proportion of Sky’s own turnover and its profits, its investment in original British content is just not enough.”

Thompson also said that Sky should pay public service outfits ITV, C4 and Five to carry their services on the BSkyB platform, which would help raise additional funds for the cash-strapped commercial broadcasters. Currently, the PSBs pay a charge for being carried on the Sky platform.

Thompson commented: “Sky is already a far more powerful commercial counterweight to the BBC than ITV ever was. It is well on its way to being the most dominant force in broadcast media in this country. Moreover, if News Corp’s proposal to acquire all of the remaining shares in Sky goes through, Sky will not just be Britain’s biggest broadcaster, but a full part of a company which is also dominant in national newspapers as well as one of the Britain’s biggest publishers.” It would be, he added, “a concentration of cross-media ownership which would not be allowed in the United States or Australia.”

Thompson said that if Sky invested more in British programming it would help make up for a £300m decline in production funding that has opened up since 2004 as a result of a fall in ad revenue at commercial broadcasters. “Between 2004 and today, the pot is estimated to have declined from around £2.9 billion to £2.6 billion,” said Thompson.

Attacking the terms of trade
Thompson caught the independent production sector by surprise by saying that the Terms of Trade should be renegotiated.

Clearly feeling that the Terms of Trade had had a negative impact on the income of broadcasters and their subsequent ability to spend on commissioning, Thompson said: “The current Terms of Trade did a good job helping to strengthen the indie sector: setting it on the path to its present success, and ending the bad old days when broadcasters held all the cards. However, the current pace of change affecting broadcasters, together with the scale and ownership of the independent sector, means it is the right time to take a fresh look at whether the current arrangements for contracting with broadcasters are flexible enough."

Attacking Contracts Rights Renewal
Thompson went on to speak in support of ITV’s campaign to renegotiate the Contracts Rights Renewal system.

“The UK needs a market in TV advertising which functions effectively, but it also needs to be a market in which ad-funded broadcasters can be confident enough of commercial success that they invest in quality content. Arrangements which risk a downward spiral of falling prices and disinvestment in programming will end up serving no one ⎯not advertisers, and certainly not the British public.”

Attacking the press
After a year of press attacks on the BBC over issues such as executive pay, Jonathan Ross’s salary, the corporation’s pension crisis and bureaucratic waste, Thompson hit back. “Systematic press attacks on broadcasters, and especially on the BBC, are nothing new of course ⎯ the first hostile campaigns began back in John Reith’s day ⎯ but the scale and intensity of the current assaults does feel different,” he said.

“Some newspapers appear to print something hostile about the BBC every week, even though the reporters often freely admit to us that they know the story is ramped up, distorted or just plain nonsense.

“And that’s true even of the readers of those papers which are most consistently hostile to the BBC. Across the UK population, 71% of people say they’re glad the BBC exists. Among readers of the Daily Mail, it’s 74%. The Telegraph, 82%. The Times, 83%. The Sunday Times, 85%. Not only do these newspapers fail to reflect the view of the majority of the British public about the BBC. They don’t even reflect the view of the majority of their own readers.” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Thompson-goes-on-the-offensive_bid-120.htmlTue, 31 Aug 2010 14:17:15Hat Trick's Mulville takes aim
One of the most enjoyable sessions of the Edinburgh TV festival was Hat Trick boss Jimmy Mulville’s Richard Dunn memorial lecture.

In a speech about how market research and business consultants are killing creativity in television, Mulville also dealt with Hat Trick’s near collapse in the mid-2000s after an investment bank bought into the Have I Got News For You? producer and the indie took on huge debts.

But the speech was also memorable for Mulville’s asides and jokes about everybody from the BBC to Channel Five and James Murdoch.

Here’s a selection of them:

On the BBC:
“Instituting a vast building programme up and down the land the like of which has not been seen since the days of Mussolini.”

On Channel 5
“They haven’t made a decent show since they started and now they’ve been bought by a porn baron – you couldn’t make it up.”

On ITV:
“Defined to a large degree by its huge entertainment brands. What would happen tomorrow if Simon Cowell went under a bus? God Forbid.”

On Peter Salmon and Salford:
“What is slightly surprising is that Peter Salmon it appears is refusing to sell up down here and buy up north. Really Peter?  As you know, Peter has been anointed Mark Thompson’s representative on earth in the newly created fiefdom in the North West. Odd signal to give the troops.  Perhaps we’ll find out more about the reasons for his decision in his session on Sunday, called ‘Leading From The Back.’ Sorry, that was cheap, but then, so is housing in Salford Peter.

On James Murdoch’s MacTaggart lecture last year:
"Did anyone see James Murdoch last year? I thought Baby Murdoch did quite well. I think Papa Murdoch would have been proud. To be honest, to begin with I struggled with his slightly strange delivery. It was a sort of cross between an American newsreader and the voice of a sat nav. But I did think he made some good sound points about the BBC being in areas it really had no business being in, that its cultural imperialism was choking competition in the area of online news delivery – all well thought out arguments made in a reasonable fashion.
So far so good I thought, but increasingly you had a growing feeling that he was just channelling Papa Murdoch and by the end of the speech as he become slightly more agitated, like some wires were shorting out in the mainframe – I thought I could hear a faint buzzing -  he was sounding like a post-modern Gordon Gecko. The quest for profit isn’t only good, he claimed, it will protect you from a sinister state controlled media and no doubt cure erectile dysfuction. 
I loved his portrayal of the BBC as some infernal state controlled efficient, well-oiled machine. Obviously he’s never made a programme for them. “

On the creative culture of the BBC:
“On a bad day like a 3.2 billion pounded funded parish council.”

On ITV’s new leadership team:
“It will be fascinating to see how things unfold on the South Bank where the two new boys are determined to bring a sharp focus to ITV. Adam and Archie, TVs new Ant and Dec.”


Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Hat-Tricks-Mulville-takes-aim_bid-119.htmlTue, 31 Aug 2010 14:15:56AFP: Goldmine or minefield? Advertiser Funded Programming (AFP) has been around since the 1930s when brands such as Proctor and Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive funded daytime dramas in the US – and the soap opera was born.

Until recently, however, examples of AFP were relatively scarce on British television. In particular, it was mistrusted by commissioning editors who disliked the idea of advertisers being closely involved in programme-making.

The recession has changed all that. Now, jokes one producer, you can barely get a commission at some cash-strapped broadcasters unless you walk in the door with an AFP deal.

In recent months, example, shows such as Five's Chinese Food in Minutes and Family Food Fight, were backed by Sharwoods and Flora respectively. Likewise, More4’s TV Book Club (pictured) was recently funded by Specsavers.

It’s hardly surprising, then, that a session titled The Branded Entertainment: Goldmine or Minefield? was packed out at last month’s Edinburgh TV Festival.

Here the four panellists give their views on the growing area of advertiser funded programming

Paul Day Vp branded entertainment and digital media, Cineflix Productions
Branded entertainment projects continue to grow in both size and frequency. An increasing range of advertisers are looking to connect with consumers in more inventive ways, engagement rather than interruption being the key for many. Cineflix believes that each project must fulfill the usual creative criteria before being associated with a brand. Stakeholders should then be engaged, with content specialists at media agencies working alongside broadcaster and production company to manage brand expectations from a creative and regulatory point of view. It is also key that other media are involved to increase media value across the board.

Mark Wood
Founding partner, Krempelwood
The will is there for the UK AFP market to grow from an estimated £15m in 2010 to £150m+ within five years. Successful TV shows are difficult to conceive. Creating them from a brand brief as a start point is an immense challenge. The vast majority of AFPs will find their way to air via producers charged with finding the funding for programming that broadcasters want to commission. Producers need to get their programmes in front of brands and demonstrate how the brand can be integrated into the programme and effectively market the brand. Krempelwood was formed specifically to fulfil this function and in the process build a conduit for brand briefs to the production community.

Nuno Bernardo
CEO, beActive Entertainment Branded entertainment is becoming more and more important as audience habits shift from live, linear broadcasts, to an On-demand, PVR based or Internet based consumption of moving images. With this paradigm shift, audiences are now able to skip ad breaks. Branded entertainment and product placement are two ways of putting the brands inside the content, so audiences can’t skip through them. But the big advantage is that if the brand is really integrated with the content, the impact will be higher than the traditional 30 seconds ad. As audiences tend to love shows and their characters, audiences will then start to engage at an emotional level with brands and products.

Katherine Marlow
Content partnership planner, ITV Commercial
Branded content has been around since the original “soaps” but it is enjoying a renaissance thanks largely to the current economic climate and the possible product placement changes. Projects with ITV have ranged from CITV to ITV1 peak, from factual to sport. The only limitations are the number of advertisers with the desire and understanding to take on projects and the quality of ideas generated – ultimately the job is to entertain our audiences. Branded content delivers better results if a client buys into a wide media strategy, of which a branded entertainment programme is just one part. We always urge clients and producers to come to us in the early stages of development to ensure it is something of interest to ITV’s commissioners before further work is undertaken. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/AFP-Goldmine-or-minefield-_bid-118.htmlThu, 26 Aug 2010 15:23:12What's the climate like for docs?

Four documentary commissioning editors gave their verdict on the state of docs at Televisual’s Intelligent Factual Festival last month. Surprisingly, they were uniformly upbeat, despite the downturn. Here's what they had to say:

Simon Dickson
Channel 4, deputy head of documentaries
We’re feeling incredibly buoyant about docs at Channel 4 and I think the BBC has got every right to feel pretty buoyant as well in many ways. It’s a golden age for docs. There are different ways of making them, there are different ways of getting them to the audience and there are different ways of funding them. As well as the special BAFTA winning singles that everybody loves that make a splash, we’re doing bigger, longer runs of more dynamic and innovative series than I can ever remember doing before. I would say that there’s no need for doom or gloom.  I think quite the opposite is true and docs are in rude health.

Emma Willis
BBC, commissioning executive for documentaries
I genuinely believe that this is a really amazing time for docs and it’s no coincidence, because we are probably living in the most interesting time in Britain since Thatcher. Frankly, it would be pretty grim if we couldn't attend to it and interrogate it. There’s so much to interrogate – the welfare state’s collapsing and the reason people are coming to real stories, unmediated, is that they’re living it, and they want to know a little bit more about it and put it in context. There are two things going on: people want to see themselves, like in C4’s One Born Every Minute, and they want to see other worlds like BBC2’s Welcome to Lagos. You can have both.

Anna Miralis
More 4 / True Stories, commissioning editor
True Stories is a strand that showcases the best films from around the world. I think digital television has provided a platform for those films to exist. We commission 40 films a year for True Stories and I think it would be difficult to imagine that they would exist on a terrestrial broadcaster, so I think digital has grown that opportunity. The platforms have created a new market. In terms of the content, it’s fantastic. I’m extremely optimistic. We can find those 40 films quite easily. There are just so many films out there, and we can give viewers a chance to experience those documentaries.

Lina Prestwood
Current TV, director of content
We’ve basically opened up the whole channel to new filmmakers. As well as the very esoteric passion projects that are normally associated with first time filmmakers, we’re encouraging people to come to us with format ideas and series. I would love to have a returnable format on the channel. I see Current as a real stepping stone. I don’t see our channel necessarily as a massive contender for the larger channels. It would be foolish to think that, but I strongly believe we exist to kind of give new television producers a slice of the broadcast pie that they may not have had before. That’s important for creating diversity within the industry.
Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Whats-the-climate-like-for-docs_bid-116.htmlThu, 05 Aug 2010 12:36:06How's business this year?

Midway through 2010, we ask four bosses from the indie TV, corporate and commercials production sectors how business is faring. Are things looking up? Or is a double dip recession on the way?

David Green
CEO, DCD Media

The dearth of UK production contracts has bottomed out and, after a disastrous 2009 for the indie TV sector, the worst is definitely over. Although the second half of 2010 remains uncertain, the sales growth in TV advertising for the complete year should be around 5%. As recession-hit UK broadcasters continue to drive down production fees, indies have looked elsewhere to increase revenues: growing their international production footprints; transforming themselves from service providers to owners of their intellectual property; embracing international distribution; and seeking out new ways of doing business such as co-pro and ad-funding.

Katy Eyre
Managing director, Jacaranda

So, what’s happening to the corporate market in 2010? Business is picking up, but not necessarily from traditional sources: public sector work could all but disappear. However, sustainability is still high on the stakeholder agenda, climate change is a hot potato and the Third Sector is alive, kicking and shouting about it. Plus, with digital convergence, we are seeing creative sector boundaries evaporating, hastened along by those who hold the purse strings looking ever more eagerly for creativity, professionalism and the Holy Grail...measurement and return on investment.

James Studholme
Managing director, Blink Productions
 
It’s never easy to compare years in creative businesses – particularly commercials production. That said, this has been a pretty busy six months for us. Busier than last year. The highlight being Dougal Wilson’s 90-second John Lewis ad that has had the nation’s ladyfolk weeping. It has never been harder to make money though. There is ceaseless pressure to reduce budgets. Clients apply increasingly draconian methods to bring this about. Procurement is purely on cost. The relationship between price and value is completely askew. The commercial production market is becoming less diverse as niche operators are driven out of business.

Laura Mansfield
Joint md, Outline Productions

Midway through 2010, there’s an overall feeling of increased confidence. We are as positive as you can be in an industry where no one honestly knows what’s next. Last year for us, like many TV indies was about putting our heads down and focusing. It paid off, with Outline securing four original and returnable fact ent formats, and getting them into first series, with two already in second series and selling well internationally. Technological change, from 3d TV to the iPad is coming faster than ever, and it’ll be the most imaginative and fast moving companies who capitalise on these emerging opportunities. We’re doing that by forging partnerships with gaming, digital and live events specialists. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Hows-business-this-year_bid-102.htmlWed, 16 Jun 2010 15:41:22World Cup production fever As the World Cup kicks off, here’s a selection of creative work that’s been made by UK producers to coincide with the event.

This isn’t a showcase of the big budget Nike-type ads that you always see around the World Cup. Instead it’s a mixture of virals, commercials, corporate campaigns and music videos that show the myriad different ways that UK producers are riding the footy wave.

First up is a neat HGA Creative Communications viral. It's a promo for HGA themselves - it’s designed to showcase HGA’s ability to come up with ‘creative solutions’ for their clients.



Meanwhile, London and Oxfordshire indie HCA Entertainment has shot this World Cup anthem with Neil Morrissey to coincide with its ITV4 show Men Brewing Badly. A reworking of Tight Fit’s The Lion Sleeps Tonight, it’s got Televisual’s vote for England song of the tournament.



Elsewhere, Jack Morton Worldwide made this smart Nokia viral out of its London office.



It comes with this behind the scenes footage too, which has cleverly sparked an online debate on the authenticity of the featured foosball tricks.



And finally, Wieden + Kennedy London has teamed up with Stink to create this TV spot to raise awareness for The Guardian and Observer’s World Cup coverage. The animation was created by Argentinian rising stars Peppermelon.

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/World-Cup-production-fever_bid-97.htmlThu, 10 Jun 2010 17:10:55How to shoot wild elephants in 3d Wildlife filmmakers Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone recently filmed a 3d pilot for a planned 3d theatrical feature film.

Shot for two weeks in Kenya, Distant Thunder follows a family of elephants as they struggle to survive when drought strikes their homeland.

Clearly, shooting in a fledgling format like 3d in the midst of the African bush is not a straightforward matter. Deeble & Stone worked with 3d production outfit Inition on the shoot and, in the q and a below, they describe how they captured fast-moving wildlife scenes in a notoriously slow medium like 3d.

The following q and a is an extended version of an interview running in the June issue of Televisual magazine.

Why is Distant Thunder being made in 3d rather than 2d?
Mark Deeble: We think 3d is the ideal medium for wildlife. 3d works well where it heightens an immersion in a subject in an almost visceral way - hence horror and porn. Wildlife and wild places appeal to an audience in a deep-rooted, almost genetically hard-wired way - wildlife subjects and wilderness locations make you want to be immersed in, and experience them . Wildlife in 3d is as close as you can get to the safari experience without buying an air-ticket. When that wilderness immersion and proximity to the animals is combined with good storytelling it is a compelling combination.

Who is funding it?
Vicky Stone: The film, a theatrical wildlife story, is being funded by a combination of presales by Hanway Films and equity.

How did Deeble & Stone and Inition come to work together on the project?
VS: We have been experimenting with 3d for a number of years. About eight years ago we had a meeting with James Cameron just as he was starting on Avatar. We bought in to his vision and could see that such a high profile release would drive the conversion of cinemas to digital 3d. That gave us the platform to launch a wildlife story in 3d.

We had done tests with various 3d specialists both in the US and Japan and had conversations with Inition early on. It seemed a good fit to combine with top 3d specialists as our story is so well suited for 3d digital cinema. Inition were developing their own solid state field recorder and that, combined with the SI-2Ks, mirror and side-by-side rigs that could be bought off the shelf, meant that all of a sudden, the right tools were available for a mobile and light-weight shoot in a remote location.

What kit did you use to film the production?
Andy Millns (Inition): We had four Silicon Imaging SI-2K mini cameras which we used on a variety of rigs. The small size of the SI-2K mini and convenience of the single integrated 3d recorder body allowed us a great deal of flexibility to shoot in a variety of styles. This was essential as the job demanded us to shoot in numerous locations, sometime vehicle-mounted, sometimes hand-held, and from macro work to wide scenics.

The main rigs we used were the P+S Technik mirror rig, a StereoTec side-by-side rig and smaller custom rigs for hand-held with gyro stabilisation. The P+S Technik rig was used mainly with Canon 6.6 to 66mm with full 3 axis C-motion lens control and motorisation of interaxial and convergence.

For monitoring we used our own custom recorder running the SiliconDVR-3d software which allowed us to monitor in a variety of modes (anaglyph, over-layed, subtractive) whilst we pulled convergence and interaxial in response to Mark's framing. Mark had an electronic viewfinder with split-screen left/right monitoring to allow him to check focus over both eyes.

The SI-2K system is great for power consumption. We would get an hour on a single Anton Bauer Hytron 140 on the handheld rig and over three hours on their Cine VCLX battery. This was powering the cameras, all lens and rig control motors, stereographer and operator monitoring, and the recorder. We shot time-lapse on SI-2K on the StereoTec rig, which allows for interaxials up to 15 inches, and a stills rig which was used for interaxials of up to 30 metres for some shots.

Screening dailies was a very important part of the shoot as it allowed us all to learn and refine very quickly what worked best when shooting wildlife in 3d. We used a 2m screen and DepthQ projector with SpeedGrade. This allows us to view the native Raw uncompressed camera files very quickly and do 3d adjustments where necessary without any rendering.

How did the 3d production differ from a 2d production?
VS: Filming was different to a normal 2d wildlife feature where if you are filming from a vehicle (using it as a mobile hide) you can pare down to a crew of two. 3d meant a bigger crew (stereographer plus digital image technician), more kit, longer set-up times etc. But it was much more manageable than we anticipated and we were very pleased by what we were able to achieve in the two week shoot. More kit and people meant an extra vehicle so we were generally a crew of 5-6 in two landcruisers. What became particularly exciting for us was when 3d left the realm of the purely technical and we were able to use it as an extra storytelling device - in the same way that you might use colour or sound to enhance the narrative and emotional impact.

What were the particular challenges of filming a herd of wild elephants in 3d in the middle of Africa?
MS: Many of the challenges came from having to react to events, rather than predict and control them as you might in drama. It is what we are used to in 2d, but it meant that convergence and interaxial had to be adjusted on the fly. It meant having to film in dust or being unable to clean a water drop off the mirror in the middle of an essential piece of action - it was crucial to capture the action as fast and and well as we could while it unfolded. In wildlife filmmaking this can mean rapidly repositioning the car to get another angle, while holding on to the rig and then rolling the moment the engine has stopped, while the stereographer either chases the interaxial and convergence or does a rough setting for the type of shot he imagines the DoP/ operator will go for next.

This style of shooting requires rapid communication and a director completely in sync with the operator and stereographer. Luckily Vicky and I, and assistant director Etienne Oliff, have worked together for 20 years and Andy and Campbell, from Inition, were both fast, and very professional. It made for a great team.

How does the editing differ in 3d from 2d?
MS: We found that we had a slower cutting pace - averaging c. 6-7 seconds per shot. We didn't set out with this as an aim - it was what felt right in the final edit. I think there can be a delight in 'dwelling' longer in 3d, particularly in the wide shots, where there is the desire to look around more. We checked the shots in 3d in the field every evening, playing out from a P&S Technik 'Onebox' with embedded Speedgrade to a DepthQ projector, with a 2m screen with active shutter glasses, so we knew the material worked. We then edited in 2d back in the UK, then rough assembled in 3d and did a first pass correction for colour and stereo alignment in Speedgrade - all the while checking any corrections on a large screen at inition. We finished the film at Apuntolapospo in Barcelona.

What kind of advice would you give to a producer/director wanting to film in 3d?
VS: Don't be frightened of it, it can be an extraordinarily exciting medium, but think whether your film will really benefit from 3d - not all subjects do. Your life will be a lot easier if you can work with a good stereographer / 3d supervisor and we would highly recommend Inition. Ensure that the team is united in the 3d 'feel' you are trying to achieve - you don't want a DoP and stereographer who are at odds. Think about what producing in 3d will add to your budget, the uplift might only be 15-20% for heavily scripted shoots, but it will be significantly more for unscripted 3d. 3d will only get easier - every month there are exciting new developments in hardware and software.

You’ve made the pilot – what happens next?
VS: We start shooting the film knowing exactly which equipment and people we want to work with, how long it will take and all the other details which were impossible to know prior to doing a test shoot. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/How-to-shoot-wild-elephants-in-3d_bid-93.htmlWed, 02 Jun 2010 10:34:52Hollywood shoots flock to the UK Here's a list of the big US feature films shooting in the UK this year.

With Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood opening the Cannes Film Festival this week, it’s a good time to note the amount of production business coming from Hollywood to UK shores. A Universal Studios film, Robin Hood shot at Pinewood and on locations in Surrey and South Wales.

This year, there’s a raft of big Hollywood productions being made in the UK including the final Harry Potter films, a new Martin Scorsese feature and Tim Burton’s latest. They’re attracted by the UK’s film talent and facilities, as well as the favourable exchange rate and our film tax break which is worth 20% of budget.

This list is courtesy of the Office of the British Film Commissioner, which has been instrumental in attracting big studio shoots to the UK. Last year, US studios spent a near record £728.5m on film production in the UK. Film commissioner Colin Brown thinks it’s likely to be around that level in 2010.

In Production:

The final instalment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Warner Bros. Pictures) is currently being filmed at Leavesden Studios, Pinewood Studios and on location in the UK. It is directed by David Yates, with David Heyman and David Barrron producing.

John Carter of Mars (Walt Disney Pictures) has just finished a shoot in the UK. It was filmed between late January and April 2010 and has now moved to Utah for the final leg of filming. John Carter of Mars was filmed at three studios in the UK – Shepperton, Longcross and Greenford. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton, with Colin Wilson producing, and is Pixar’s first live-action feature film.

Frankenweenie (Walt Disney Pictures) has just started production at 3 Mills Studios. It is directed by Tim Burton and produced by Allison Abbate. The story is the feature-length version of Tim Burton’s 1984 short film of the same name.

127 Hours (Fox Searchlight Pictures) recently started filming in the USA. It tells the story of a mountain climber who becomes trapped beneath a boulder. It is directed by Danny Boyle, with Christian Colson and John Smithson producing. The film is being shot entirely in the US with post-production in the UK.

Pirates! (Sony Pictures Entertainment/Aardman Animations) went into production in April. It is a stop frame animation with CGI elements and is directed by Peter Lord. Arthur Christmas (Sony Pictures Imageworks/Aardman Animations) also recently entered production. It is a CGI feature film, with CGI being undertaken in the US. Substantial animation and post production work is being completed in the UK. It is directed by Sarah Smith and Barry Cook.

In Pre-Production:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret (GK Films) is Martin Scorsese’s first feature to be filmed in the UK. Adapted from the children’s novel by Brian Selznick, it has been in pre-production at Shepperton Studios since February and is due to start shooting in early June. It is produced by Graham King, Christi Dembrowski, and Tim Headington.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Walt Disney Pictures) is the fourth instalment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. It began pre-production at Pinewood Studios in February. It is expected to film at Pinewood Studios and on location in the UK in August 2010. It will be directed by Rob Marshall, with Jerry Bruckheimer producing.

Films which shot in the UK and which are undertaking post-production in the UK:

The first instalment of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Warner Bros. Pictures) is in post-production at Framestore, Cinesite and Double Negative.

The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company) is in post-production at Molinare.

Your Highness (Universal Pictures) is in post-production at Framestore CFC.

Inception (Warner Bros. Pictures) is in post-production at Double Negative.

Never Let Me Go (Fox Searchlight) is in post-production at Ascent 142.

Films which DID NOT shoot in the UK and did not qualify as British (thus did not obtain tax credit) but which are undertaking VFX in the UK:
Marmaduke (Twentieth Century Fox) at Cinesite
Battle: Los Angeles (Columbia) at Cinesite Iron Man 2 (Marvel) at Double Negative
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Univeral) at Double Negative Salt (Columbia) at Framestore
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Walt Disney Pictures) at Double Negative
Naked Beauty: A Love Story That Feeds The Earth (Disney Nature) at Cinesite
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Fox 2000) at MPC
Leap Year (Spyglass Entertainment) at Cinesite

Possible shoots in 2010:
Gravity (Warner Bros. Pictures).
Dark Shadows (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Sherlock Holmes sequel (Warner Bros. Pictures)
New Batman project (Warner Bros. Pictures) Total Comments: 1 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Hollywood-shoots-flock-to-the-UK_bid-88.htmlTue, 11 May 2010 11:18:54Janice Hadlow on making BBC2 matter What are the five things that define BBC2? No, this isn’t a media studies exam question. But it’s something that BBC2 controller Janice Hadlow has clearly put a lot of thought into.

At a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today, she gave a talk about the five things that make BBC2 what it is. It was a good insight into how Hadlow sees the channel, and provided a useful frame of reference to understand how her commissioning decisions are made.

Here are the five points she outlined:

1. Intelligence, intelligence, intelligence. Hadlow defined BBC2 as, first and foremost, the home of intelligent thinking in terrestrial television, a place where big minds and big ideas come together. It’s for an audience that “relishes the opportunity to brain up rather than dumb down,” she said. Unsurprisingly, she pointed to Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Solar System as a good example and said that BBC2 would soon see historians Mary Beard and Amanda Vickery front a pair of new factual series on BBC2. She named Andrew Marr, Simon Schama, Michael Moseley, Dan Snow and Alice Roberts as key BBC2 faces, arguing that they are “engaging, articulate proselytisers for what they know…they have genuine, unimpeachable, real knowledge." Hadlow added: “I think there is a bull market on cleverness out there if we have the will to grasp it."

2. Curious about the world. Hadlow reckons that BBC2 is a good place to make sense of great events. As an example she cited The Love of Money, last year’s series about the financial crisis. BBC2 can also open up hidden worlds. She’s a fan of Welcome to Lagos, calling it “ a truly conscious-altering observational documentary…it shows that BBC2 is about challenging our picture of how the world works as well as seeking to explain it.” Hadlow added that Lambing Live is perhaps the show she’s most proud of, arguing that it opened up a dimension of British life that doesn’t often a look in on TV.

3. Culturally engaged. Hadlow wants to showcase arts docs and feature “confident expressions of expertise across a heady variety of subjects” on the channel. Citing last year’s poetry season with Simon Schama on John Donne and Armando Iannucci on John Milton, she said there was an upcoming season of opera programmes as well as a series on literature presented by Sebastian Faulks called The Secret Life of The Novel. Meanwhile, Melvyn Bragg is working on a series about culture and class that will air in a couple of years. Music seems to be a particular priority. “I’m keen to find ways of giving documentaries about popular music a more confident presence on the channel.” Above all, she’s after “grown up, witty interrogation of popular culture.”

4. The importance of being mainstream. BBC2, reckons Hadlow, is about a mixed economy of programmes that can intelligently entertain and authoritatively inform. Popular formats like Victorian Farm can “become something of real substance” on BBC2. She thinks the old dichotomy between high and low brow is much less apparent now, pointing out that the same person can effortlessly move between Masterchef and the documentary Great Ormond Street.

5. Entertaining. “A big channel cannot live by factual programming alone,” said Hadlow. “Audiences want a channel to have a heart as well as a head. That’s why comedy and drama are so important to BBC2.” Comedy is key to Hadlow, although she thinks it’s been marginalised recently. Recent highlights included The Thick of It and Miranda, with the latter in the tradition of the good-hearted 1970s classic The Good Life. Meanwhile, single drama will continue to be important to BBC2 but she wants a greater presence for series and serials. Here Hadlow cited Our Friends in the North as an example of the kind of “thoughtful, ambitious stories that reflect modern experience” that she is after. She also plans to open up the market for literary adaptations, looking beyond 19th Century classics of English literature to French and Russian novels as well as contemporary British novels. But it doesn’t have to be high literature - it could mean genre fiction such as clever thrillers or thoughtful sci-fi. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Janice-Hadlow-on-making-BBC2-matter_bid-85.htmlTue, 27 Apr 2010 18:19:08Stuart Murphy's shopping list at Sky1 Televisual is running an interview with Sky1 director of programmes Stuart Murphy in the May issue. It’s almost a year since Murphy joined Sky from indie Twofour.

In part of the interview, Murphy sets out his programme shopping list for the year ahead. The biggest opportunities, he says, are in factual and features.

Although it’s best not to pitch ideas where an expert host is the star. “I am bored of seeing those expert shows where they walk up the garden path and knock on the door. And I’m also slightly bored of seeing a self-consciously controversial host who is more of focus in the programme than the members of the public.”

Sky1 hit Pineapple Dance Studios has made its mark in terms of commissioning at the broadcaster. “Pineapple Dance Studios has really shown that with a bit of silliness but high production values you can really break the mould of fly on the wall documentaries. I’d love to have conversations with producers about what are those genres we can mix with other genres. Is it that we do music and cookery, for instance (we’re not planning that!). I’d love to have that creative discussion about the mixes.”

Sky runs three big entertainment shows a year and is currently booked up in terms of the genre. “We probably don’t need that many more big entertainment shows,” says Murphy. Likewise, Sky’s not on the hunt for new daytime shows.

Meanwhile, Sky is moving on in terms of drama. It’s had good success with book adaptations recently such as Martina Cole’s The Take and there’s the upcoming Terry Pratchett adaptation Going Postal and Chris Ryan’s Strike Back. But, says Murphy, he’s now looking for dramas that “aren’t necessarily based on book adaptations.”

For full interview and further details see Televisual’s May issue Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Stuart-Murphys-shopping-list-at-Sky1_bid-82.htmlThu, 22 Apr 2010 18:40:22The mood at Mip There’s a degree of cautious optimism ahead of this year’s annual TV programme sales market, MipTV (April 12-16).

The mood going into 2010’s Cannes market is certainly different to last April’s edition, which was held in the depths of the recession.

There’s likely to be a particular focus on drama and new formats. If you have new drama at the market, it’s going to be very much in demand as there’s not been an awful lot of new drama commissioned over the last year. The formats market is still buoyant too. But there’s been very few new formats hitting screens recently - mostly it’s been recommissions.

“I get a sense that for the right show, there is definitely more of a buzz around than there was six months ago,” says Louise Pederson, managing director of All3Media International.

Televisual canvassed several distributors for their take on the market for our April edition. Here’s what they had to say:

Jane Millichip
Chief operating officer, RDF Rights
One thing that will be an issue at this year’s MipTV is programme supply. There is likely to be a shortage of new format ideas, because last year commissioning was risk-averse with more re-commissions and fewer original ideas. There’s also been a big shift in the market – the distinctions between high end cable buyers and terrestrial buyers are beginning to disappear. Last year we had an absolutely fantastic year with high end cable channels, because they were more insulated from recession. Our top 15 clients for in 2009 were dramatically different from the previous year - which is very unusual.

Leila Monks
Director, TVF International
One really interesting area is ad funded programming. I don’t think I’ve seen so many ad agencies going to MipTV as I have this year. With the guidelines becoming more relaxed it’s an area producers need to be taking notice of. There’s no doubt that overall the tide has turned and this year’s MipTV will be much busier. That’s going to be true for factual in particular, a genre which has tended to fare better in the downturn because programmes can be made more cheaply and can be turned around relatively quickly. The kind of shows which buyers have responded to internationally are those with an upbeat theme.

Justin Judd
Managing director i-Rights, Digital Rights Group
We expect to see a surge in demand for 3d at this year’s MipTV, driven by the launch in 2010 of 3d channels at a time when there’s not a huge amount of 3d content available. We are interested in making strategic investments in 3d content. But at this stage it’s so early in the whole evolution of 3d it’ll be more about levels of interest rather than actual sales. The key driver will be the availability and affordability of the 3d sets to consumers. In a depressed economic environment where a lot of people have replaced their TVs in recent years, take up is more likely to be gradual rather than there being a stampede at retailers.

Cary Fitzgerald
Managing director, Highpoint Media Group
I’m quite optimistic about this year’s MipTV being at least as busy as last year’s Mipcom - which was fantastically busy, particular when compared to MipTV in 2009. This time last year the market was really flat – we had an empty stand opposite us which was really depressing! The last quarter of 2009 saw an enormous surge in business and I expect that trend which has been going on for the last six months to continue. On 3d I’m going to wait and see. The number of times I have heard that 3d is the next big thing and six months later nothing has happened. The one thing about 3d is that it has to be fantastic quality. I did see 3d promos in Berlin where the quality was questionable and you can’t sell rubbish. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-mood-at-Mip_bid-73.htmlTue, 06 Apr 2010 12:52:07Finding funds in the English regions English regional screen agencies have been an important source of financing for producers in recent years, helping fund projects such as Married Single Other, Red Riding, Inspector George Gently and The Unloved.

Unsurprisingly, however, there’s a big question mark over how much longer the largesse of English screen agencies will last. With government finances under severe pressure, the traditional backers of the nine English regional screen agencies – the UK Film Council, Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – are facing their own funding problems.

Many agencies struck fixed term funding deals several years ago with their RDAs or ERDFs which are now coming to an end.

For example, Screen Yorkshire has been one of the most high profile funding agencies in recent years, backing acclaimed dramas such as Red Riding, Lost in Austen and Married Single Other. Its £10m four year funding programme from its local RDA, Yorkshire Forward, comes to an end in a few months and it now has its own funding applications in with unnamed organisations to secure further financing.

Similarly, EM Media is coming to the end of a £6m fund from the ERDF which allowed it to back features such as Shane Meadows' This Is England, Samantha Morton's The Unloved and Anton Corbijn's Control. It's also had further investment to the tune of £500k from its local RDA and it is coming to the end of that. It too is involved in delicate re-funding negotiations.

Meanwhile, Northwest Vision+Media no longer directly gives funding for productions but, says sector lead for broadcast, music and publishing Maureen Walker, it will help producers and directors find and exploit what funding is out there, citing the North West Venture Capital Loan Fund which launches later this year with a dedicated fund of between £15m and £30m for the digital and creative industries.

On the flip side, Northern Film and Media have just launched a £2.4m fund. In a first for a regional screen agency, it's teamed up with a venture capital firm NorthStar Equity Investors to manage the cash. This public/private model is being eyed up with interest by other regional screen agencies.

And Screen East have just launched a £3.5m Low Carbon Fund which aims to invest in a minimum of 15 productions.

See the April edition for Televisual for further details Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Finding-funds-in-the-English-regions_bid-68.htmlTue, 30 Mar 2010 10:17:21The best way to turn down a pitch One of the most important parts of a commissioning editor's job is learning the many ways of saying 'no' to programme pitches.

Recently, commissioners have been able to rely on a particularly effective way of turning producer ideas down.

It’s all thanks to the rise of advertiser funded programming (AFP). Cash strapped commercial broadcasters, particularly Five, have enthusiastically embraced AFP to fund shows such as Chinese Food in Minutes (pictured), which is backed by Sharwoods.

Now, instead of simply rejecting an idea, a commissioner can express enthusiasm for the proposal but say there’s no budget and then ask the producer to find an advertiser to fund it.

This is tantamount to a polite but flat out rejection as, contrary to all the industry hype surrounding AFP, it’s very difficult to find advertisers who are prepared to fully fund TV programmes.

AFP specialist Simon Wells of Drum Screen, who played a key role in the resurrection of ITV1’s The Krypton Factor which is backed by IT firm Sage, explains: “A commissioning editor’s answer to a programme pitch used to be ‘yes, no or maybe in six months.’

“Now it’s ‘yes, no, maybe or if you can find money from the advertiser come back’. That’s said in the pretty certain knowledge that it’s very, very hard to find money from an advertiser.” Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-best-way-to-turn-down-a-pitch_bid-67.htmlThu, 25 Mar 2010 18:02:53The lure of South Africa It's got little to do with the World Cup, but there's a rush on right now for British TV producers to film out in South Africa.

The reason is South Africa’s favourable tax breaks, which have recently attracted the likes of Kudos post apocalyptic BBC1 drama Outcasts and Left Bank’s Sky One drama Strikeback out to the country.

Televisual is putting together a finance special for its April issue, and South Africa is cited as the top destination for producers looking access international tax breaks to help make their production budgets go further.

Stephen McDonogh, head of co-production funding, content & production at BBC Worldwide, gives the following advice:

“I’d say currently the top four tax incentives in TV are of the non-recoupable type based on a return on local qualifying expenditures within the following countries:

1. South Africa: 15% (foreign film - production services) or 35% (co-productions). Good value for money (although ever weakening sterling is reducing this margin!), experienced SA crews and great for winter filming but ZAR10m cap limits benefit on higher budgets.

2. Canada: combining Federal (15%-25%) and Provincial (23%-65%) tax credits (largely limited to qualifying labour expenses only) – rules on higher rates are complex to secure and usually only show a real benefit if there is a significant Canadian broadcaster investment.

3. Ireland: 28% (Section 481) – easy to set up, paid on first day of filming but Ireland remains expensive.

4. France: 20% (TRIPS) – great newcomer, no French language requirements designed for international productions filming in France. Downside - many key expenses are excluded and French labour social security costs remain one of the most expensive in Europe.

The above ‘soft money’ incentives also work very well in combination of each other on a single production (e.g. CAN/IRE or CAN/SA).”

See Televisual’s April edition for full details. Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/The-lure-of-South-Africa_bid-65.htmlTue, 23 Mar 2010 14:48:25TV and film's big bet on 3d If you want evidence of the big bet that the TV and film industries are putting on 3d, then a day long European press briefing held by Sony Professional last week provided it.

Sony flew over about 40 journalists from countries such as France, Germany, Sweden and Spain to its Basingstoke HQ to outline its 3d plans and to showcase 3d kit from cameras, OB trucks right through to new Sony Bravia 3d televisions. Senior execs from Sony as well as Sky and OB outfit Telegenic were rolled out to give presentations.

By the end of the day, journalists were left with little doubt that Sony believes that 3d will be a big driver for its business going forward.

Sony will have 3d televisions in stores in Europe in time for this year’s World Cup, where 25 games are due to be filmed in 3d.

The World Cup is expected to give only a modest boost to the consumer take-up of 3d but, crucially, it’s likely that ‘early adopters and status seekers’ will go out and buy the sets ahead of the event.

However, Sony execs believe the real tipping point for mass market 3d TV adoption will come around the time of the 2012 London Olympics.

Sony sets will require proprietary glasses. All manufacturers are looking at creating 3d TV sets that don’t require glasses, but these are long way off yet. “We’re many years away from a really good bright 3d display that doesn’t require glasses,” says Sony Professional’s Paul Cameron.

Tips for shooting in 3d came thick and fast on the day. Key lessons included:

1. It’s much easier on the viewer’s eye if the 3d action takes place behind the screens, rather than leaping out at them.

2. You don’t need as many cameras to shoot 3d sports events. Sky took five 3d cameras to film Usain Bolt’s 100m dash in Manchester last year, but only really needed two.

3. Camera positions are really important. High and wide shots that look down from a long distance in football stadiums, for example, are very disappointing.

4. Rain is a big problem. If you get a drop of rain on one of the camera’s dual lenses, it messes up the image.

5. Cameras shooting a subject at an angle give a great sense of depth, compared to cameras that shoot directly in front or to the side.

6 You can cut 2d and 3d footage together - the interplay between the two does work.

Both Sky and OB outfit Telegenic are clearly betting big on 3d.  Telegenic has already built one 3d OB truck from the ground up. Telegenic’s Eamonn Curtinn said, “We are so confident that 3d is going to work that we have commissioned a second 3d truck to be ready in July.”

The big push by manufactuers, broadcasters and producers into 3d also means that suddenly there’s a huge demand for skilled 3d workers, in particular stereographers. “If anyone knows any or where I can find them, I'm desperate for them,” said Sky Sports director of operations Darren Long.

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/TV-and-films-big-bet-on-3d_bid-63.htmlTue, 16 Mar 2010 12:56:34Is TV a young girl's game? If you look at the upper echelons of TV, there are plenty of women at the top table, from Dawn Airey at Channel Five through to Lorraine Heggessey at Talkbackthames, Jay Hunt at BBC1 and Janice Hadlow at BBC2.

On the surface, TV is one of the most open and accessible industries to women, with the glass ceiling well and truly smashed. Yet Skillset's 2009 Employment Census Report is due to reveal real differences between men and women in the TV workforce, with particular evidence that women aged over 35 are women leaving.

The issue is being discussed up at a MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Edinburgh TV Festival/BAFTA debate later this month, titled Is TV a young girl's game?, which will look at what barriers are being faced by women and ask whether the industry is institutionally ageist and sexist?

Ahead of the MGEITF/BAFTA debate, Televisual picked up on the subject and asked four senior female execs if TV is a young girl's game? Here's what they had to say:

Karen Smith, joint md, Shine TV
"I bloody hope not! And speaking as a female md, that's part of a group run by women, I really don't think so. The brutal truth is that life is easier if you get yourself well established before you have children. It is also hard work and long hours but, if you're talented, TV is probably more forgiving than most industries. Men in TV often have as many childcare issues as women - a commissioner meeting was rescheduled recently because he had to pick his kids up from school - nobody minded. Good people are the key to any company thriving and are hard to find so must be cherished. If that's not your experience, you're working at the wrong place."

Anne Morrison, director, BBC Academy
"We need the life experience of older women reflected on our screens, yet the insecurity, long and erratic hours of our industry mean that too many women are still having to decide between family life and working in TV. When I started in the BBC in the 1980s it felt like a gentleman's club. Over the years, family friendly policies have meant that now half of BBC Vision's workforce are women. However, being a freelance director and a mother requires as much creativity in working out support systems at home as goes on screen. Take my tip and consider finding a supportive stay at home partner. It's made all the difference to me."

Eileen Gallagher, chief executive, Shed Productions
"Simple answer is it shouldn't be - but the stats seem to prove the point. Looking at Shed Media's employment stats (PAYE only, so not counting the armies of production staff) I was surprised to find that 60% of our staff are female, but the average age of men and women was virtually the same (male 34yrs; female 33.2yrs). Women in our company seem to fare well in terms of employment and don't appear to be discriminated against as they grow older. Our HR department works to support staff in their life choices with enhanced parental benefits and opportunities to work from home. It's the right thing to do morally but also makes sound economic sense."

Sue Davidson, executive producer, The Apprentice, Talkbackthames
"I don't want to be negative because I am enjoying my TV career and consider myself to be 'in my prime'. And as I am working in an indie run by successful women there doesn't seem much to complain of. But I have a deep, niggling worry that one day soon it will all come to an end, not because I have run out of ideas and energy but because I might look older. A bit like our on-screen counterparts, women are perceived not to age as well as men. I do fear this prejudice and even commenting here is a bit like 'coming out' and feels risky."

Working in TV: is it a Young Girl's Game?, presented by MediaGuardian Edinburgh Int'l TVFestival and BAFTA, takes place on 17 March at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly. See www.bafta.org Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Is-TV-a-young-girls-game_bid-60.htmlThu, 11 Mar 2010 20:14:47Can Pineapple Dance Studios save factual TV? Sky1’s formatted doc Pineapple Dance Studios is a “ground breaking TV format” that points the way for producers looking to reinvent factual and entertainment formats.

So thinks Alex Connock, the boss of one of Britain’s biggest factual TV producers, Ten Alps, which owns blue-chip documentary makers Brook Lapping and Films of Record.

Speaking at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today Connock said: “Pineapple Dance Studios is frivolous docusoap about a Covent Garden dance company. In a nice way it’s a load of old nonsense, but a groundbreaking TV format. They [producers Pulse Films] have invented something called the performance doc.”

“The world of TV formats is in a constant state of evolution but in the last few years it’s been in stasis because of the whole panic over factual TV. But I think you are going to see a new explosion in factual formats over the next couple of years and Pineapple Dance Studios is right at the cutting edge of it. Everybody who works in TV loves it because it is so innovative and there is so much joi de vivre about it.”

For the record, Connock is not involved in the production at all and says he doesn’t know the production company behind Pineapple Dance Studios, Pulse Films.

Connock thinks the big challenge in TV in the years ahead is to create new entertainment formats. “All the big formats of first decade of 21st century are at the end of their shelf life. Big Brother has been decommissioned while judging shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent are being sustained by the charisma of Simon Cowell. The big challenge that the BBC, ITV and Sky face is what is next global entertainment format. That is the elixir - that is what they are after.”

Reinventing formats that sell abroad is one of the ways that Connock thinks that British media can help the UK export itself out of the recession.

To help boost British media exports, Connock also called for the BBC to create an online equivalent of the BBC’s Window of Creative Competition (WOCC) and open up the BBC’s online activities to outside producers and organisations.

“The WOCC has been a genuine success. You could build on that success online. So you could have situation where the BBC says lets have a Shakespeare presence and would put that out to tender to BBC drama and the Royal Shakespeare Company…and may the best man win. Say the RSC won because it had a better proposition, you’d strategically put all BBC Shakespeare on the RSC site. That would be a real serious value builder for the UK."

He added that if the BBC created strategic partnerships with other cultural organisations in the UK, as suggested by BBC director general Mark Thompson last week, it could create valuable assets for Britain.

If organisations like The National Gallery, The Royal Opera House and the Tate Gallery could get access to the BBC’s programme library and resources “they could take tentative steps to become broadcasters in their own right”, he said.

Total Comments: 0 ]]>http://www.televisual.com/blog-detail/Can-Pineapple-Dance-Studios-save-factual-TV_bid-57.htmlWed, 10 Mar 2010 18:51:50