Programme
Registration
Opening welcome from the Chair
Keynote Presentation
Oscar winner Julian Fellowes is one of the UK’s most celebrated film, drama and literary talents. Here Julian will reveal his view on the state of UK drama and offer creative tips on transcending film and drama. Julian will also discuss his latest project, Downton Abbey in a keynote interview.
Commissioners panel Identifying the content requirements and budgets of key drama commissioners
- Establishing what budget exists for drama commissioning and forecasting change in 2010 and beyond
- Determining the impact of key commissioning decisions in other genres – could drama stand to benefit through the reallocation of funds from elsewhere?
- Revealing the creative features and preferred formats of leading commissioners – informing the programmes you pitch with the shopping lists of key drama buyers
- Assessing the importance, criteria and budget available for on-screen talentCharting the rise of stripped drama – a continued preference of commissioners and schedulers?
- Charting the rise of stripped drama – a continued preference of commissioners and schedulers?
- Co-production – the defining feature of contemporary drama? Where are the opportunities and who are your potential partners?
- Tackling branded content and anticipating product placement – do either have a viable role in offsetting the drama funding crisis?
- Drama 360 – assessing the importance of multiplatform in the overall drama mix
Morning refreshments
Designing, managing and maintaining editorial control in multi-party co-production deals
When ITV pulled the plug on the 4th series of Primeval in June 2009, it looked bleak for a drama that had attracted an average 25% audience share and sold in 45 countries worldwide. In a headline grabbing u-turn, Impossible Pictures struck a ground-breaking co-production deal with ITV, BBC Worldwide, UKTV and German broadcaster ProSeiben. This session will offer top tips on managing the interests of multiple stakeholders, maintaining editorial integrity and securing the future of a global successful programme brand.
Case Study
Lower cost drama Being Human: meeting the need to deliver high quality, popular drama on a slim budget
BBC 3’s Being Human has set the bar for a high quality, low-budget drama.
This case study will reveal:
- Overcoming budget constraints and practical challenges to produce a creatively compelling product
- Organising development effectively: matching the writers’ creative brief with the budget
- Managing expectations - maintaining a sense of realism of what can be achieved on a particular budget
- Minimising production costs - choosing inexpensive locations and tapping into the regional production infrastructure
- Designing the production process and workflows around a realistic time-frame - top tips on reducing costs in the field
Case Study
Lower cost drama 1066: top tips on developing cost-effective, ambitious and acclaimed historical TV drama
Hardy Pictures’ ‘1066’ is a leading example of how to make the most of a limited budget. On a budget of just £450,000 an hour, Justin Hardy’s team were able to re-create 11th century battles and deliver an acclaimed Channel 4 drama.
This session will focus on:
- Balancing budget constraints with creative necessities - ensuring cost-effective, compelling storytelling
- HD: a standard requirement or an unnecessary cost?
- Top tips from the field: getting value out of your locations, crews and shooting time
Lunch
Keynote Interview
Unlocking the secrets of developing world class mainstream drama and addressing the impact of the commissioning budget squeeze
With credits such as Spooks and Hustle to her name, Jane Featherstone has been responsible for developing some of this century’s most iconic drama productions. This session will focus on pushing the boundaries of large-scale drama to create ambitious, compelling programmes that strike a chord with commissioners and consumers alike. Jane’s session will address how falling commissioning budgets are forcing programme makers to re-think their approach to drama whilst at the same time forcing a new level of editorial and cost-saving creativity.
A new deal to place writers at the heart of the creative process?
Founded by Gub Neal and Justin Thomson-Glover in early 2009, the Artists Studio is designed to offer a US studio style alternative model to facilitate writers in pitching ideas directly to broadcasters and commissioners, securing finance for shows and maximising distribution revenues.
This session will focus on:
- Why is the current model not working and how will writers benefit from using the Artists Studio?
- What are the terms available and how will the studio provide a viable business model?
- How will the studio enable writers to secure a larger slice of the profits from their intellectual property?
E20: Identifying new ways of extending your brand experience to consumers online
The BBC’s decision to launch an Eastenders drama spin-off raises the bar in the search for popular online drama formats. Delivered by commissioner and producer, this case study will detail how the BBC intends to engage with online audiences through the powerful Eastenders brand. You will also hear how the corporation intends to enhance the brand experience through E20 and use the show as a means to nurture new talent.
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