What is selling now in film and TV
Euroscript recently hosted a Q&A with industry insiders on the subject of what is selling in Film and TV and how you dear writer can get in on the action. These are my detailed notes that may have made sense when I wrote them, but now need some degree of decoding.
The first thing you need to know is….
- There is money
- A lack of great of scripts.
However this is not 1997 when Cool Britannia ruled the world and money was getting throw at every half assed attempt at creativity with Union flag slapped on the front and the industry remains hard for new writers.
The first speaker Viki Petterson addresses the state of British cinema in 2008.
From 2000-2007, Viki Patterson was a partner in State Films, where she ran the film and television development slates. Vicki’s credits with Slade include Script editor/Development Executive credits for Hotel (Mike Figgis); Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (Shane Meadows); The Last King of Scotland (Kevin MacDonald); and Associate Producer credit on Cargo (wr: Paul Laverty, dir Clive Gordon). Prior to setting up Slate Films, Vicki was Development and Production Co-ordinator at Pathe Pictures from 1998-2000. Various other positions include interning in the development department at Good Machine (now Focus Features) in New York and working for the Edinburgh International Film Festival on both the Young People’s strand and the innovative, music based Mirrorball strand. Vicki continues to develop film and television projects for established production companies on a freelance basis.
What Viki has to say
While there is still money up for grabs, it is harder get to hold of. There is less money for production and less for development. This is why companies prefer to work with established writers, because they can not afford to grow new talent.
Adaptations are also safe, because they have a profile, a brand and instant name recognition with a built in audience. Names that companies can count on are also deciding factor. Is a well known, tested and reliable director attached? For example.
At the end of the day, films are expensive and any project that is undertaken is a calculated risk.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. The UK Film Council has created a team to back new talent. The scheme supplies £25k to develop a script. Now before you get too excited and plonk down the money on a new luxury flat, that money will go to Production Company to help get your idea shaped and then hopefully produced.
If you want to get your script off the ground, start getting to know the companies, let them know who you are and what you are writing. Make contacts and keep them updated.
Companies that are known to be new writer friendly.
BBC Writers Room
Slate Films
Sixteen Films.
Film 4
Brit films are currently not that hot and money on the national level is hard to come by, look for regional funding. For example…
Meridian initiative
At the end of the day you have two options, join with a company who will develop your script, or write a script on spec and then try and get the money to get it made.
From what Viki said it seems you are in stronger position with company, but you may lose some of your voice.
Next Matt Jones takes to the microphone to talk about TV (most specifically TV Drama).
Since joining Company (one of the biggest suppliers of television drama to all the major channels), Matt has developed and produced (or executive produced) over fifty hours of drama, including Shameless, Talk to Me, POW and Serious & Organised. He script edited Queer as Folk and has also written for Doctor Who. He is currently developing major projects with Company.
Matt describes TV as indifferent and hostile, your script has to grab an audience in the first 5 minutes or they will switch over. In a multi channel world the remote control is king.
The TV audience is made up of story experts; they can smell cynicism and lack of passion.
You need to present people with a world they are not familiar with and then get to a universal truth they can relate to. He sites the success of Watch the lakes.
You need to show the world in a different light and find the human story; TV is about people not events.
The way in
BBC Writing Academy
Getting on the story team of a series drama like Coronation Street, Eastenters
Cannel 4 encourages new writing.
Start contacting Agencies who can represent your work, getting in front of the people you want to get it in front of.
What Sells
Drama costs money. The drama being made today is being done on budgets that would have been laughed at 10 years ago.
High concept scripts that can be pitched in a sentence.
TV wants shows like Spooks, Skins, The Hustle – big ideas with magnetic characters that engage the audience and that the audience wants to be around. He site Studio 60. The audience is looking for characters to make a relationship with.
Since the budgets are going down you need to think of the best way to limit the budget. Many stories that are getting picked up are based around one central location. Great scripts will not get picked up because there is not the money.
Single drama needs to have a contemporary relevance. The idea has to be clear and British, headline grabbing. Low concepts are for film.
What Can Writers Expect.
If you are a new writer expect your idea to be hijacked. It will be pushed and pulled, characters changed, relationships altered.
You will not be in charge of your show. At best you will have involvement, but as a new writer, control will handed over to someone with more experience and a proven track record.
In the best scenario you will be able to learn your trade as writer on your own show.
Because drama is not as big in the UK as in the USA, writers are not treated as well. In America writers often double as producers.
Agents
Agents are not that easy to get hold of, your best bet is to get in with upcoming company or a new agent or even assistant who are looking to expand their client base. They will be hungry to connect with new talent.
Agencies mentioned are Castrato, United Talent, PFT and Rod Hull.
Why he Down Turn
In the 90s we had the likes of Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, Full Monty, Four Weddings and a Funeral. These were big hits, but now no one cares for British film.
The recession also means there is less money; tax loop holes for production have closed.
In a multi channel world there is less money to go around.
On the Plus Side
The UK does now have a tax credit for producers to help develop new work.
TV people are also desperate to find a way to make from the internet developing Mobisodes and Webisodes. Skins has had success in this area.
So you have a script
So you have your great idea, with an interesting twist. So now you turn to the agents or production companies. Give them a call. Pitch one idea; offer to e-mail them a treatment. When you e-mail don’t sent attachments, because that requires extra effort and everyone is lazy.
You are going to want to hunt down script editors and other people who have access.
If you have an agent you don’t need to write as script as they will pitch the outline and script will get commissioned. If you don’t have an agent then you are relying on your script to sell your talent.
In TV it is unlikely that your spec script will get picked up because the production company will want more involvement in the development. If they are impressed with your talent they may ask what other ideas you have and then work with you to develop one of those. Scripts are calling card to get other ideas made.
People don't nick ideas. But they may have similar ideas in development.
Animation
When Shameless was in development they were looking producing it as an animation, the costs are comparable because of computers. Kids’ animation is booming. It is a growth industry and there is money for development.
Know the Slots
7 on sat. Adventure (Dr Who, Primeval)
8 on sun family
9 on weekday post watershed (Hotel Babylon)
10 C4 Shameless, skins
Avoid targeting an audience, despite the gay themes women were actually the main audience for Queer as Folk.
Well that is all for now. At some point I will pop back and clean these notes up more and add hyperlinks.
Euroscript regularly holds such events and training workshops.
