Tag: Formats

Developing a Creative Connection

Developing a Creative Connection

This week Producer and PB member, Simon Henderson talks about how the Development Producers Meeting has brought together a community of development enthusiasts and hales the benefits of sharing the highs, lows and creative hurdles.

Every so often a friend will collar me and tell me about their great idea for a TV show. As I listen to them talk I usually think ‘Really? Just ONE great idea?’.

Working as a researcher, AP or Producer in development isn’t about one great idea, its about being able to churn out hundreds of ideas all the time, knowing full well that 99% of them will be unceremoniously ditched before they turn into the next big series.

With such a small opportunity for success, I want to celebrate people in development, and that’s why I’ve set up the Development Producers Group.

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What’s Your Future Return On Investment?

What's Your Future Return On Investment?

Re-reading my Word Of Mouth pieces over the last few months, I realise that there are three firm themes.

Theme 1: The television production industry is changing fast, and you must change with it, or you may become isolated and abandoned as it moves on without you.

Theme 2: People at large are watching more filmed content, in more ways, than ever before. Single-platform broadcasting is in trouble, not television production. So as a programme-maker you should be fine in the longer-run.

Theme 3: We know that our industry is in transition, but your guess is as good as mine about what are going to be the most popular media, how they will be funded, and who will be controlling them, even within a five-year timescale.

Times of transition are financially tough. The old paymasters are struggling and the new ones have not become apparent yet. Below are some of the reasons that television freelancers are finding contracts harder to find with the production companies.

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