Productions greenlit and roles set in stone

Well we did the pitches today and the relevant projects have been selected for Unit 160; of the two pitches I participated in, ‘Mutilation: The Unthinkable Truth’ was successful and ‘Bionic Man’ was unsuccessful. L

Our ‘Executive Producers’, Jane and Mel, felt that ‘Bionic Man’ was too one-dimensional and would not work if we did not get access to EKSO Bionics where our key contributor David Follett was product testing a bionic suit. I feel that we probably would have been granted access and actually David would have made a compelling character and a wonderful ‘Extraordinary Me’, however, this is the reality of television that not all your ideas will get through and all art is subjective.

‘Mutilation: The Unthinkable Truth’, or ‘Alien Hunters’ as I have been calling it, will be made though, and the key points from the Execs was to look for younger contributors and to focus on creating a sensitive and well-rounded portrayal of the contributors, who let’s face it might be difficult for a lot of people to empathize with!

So having lost one project, I have now moved onto another and I will now be producing ‘BMX: Hoodies to Heroes’ which is an insight into the world of pro-BMX racers through the eyes of the youngest up-and-coming riders. I am really intrigued by this project and I feel it will not only make a great ‘First Cut’ but also will be incredibly suitable for the Channel 4 demographic and schedule.

A couple more things….

I feel I have not elaborated on why I have not been more forth-coming with my own ideas, contributors and projects (because there are a few on the back-burner and sometimes my head feels like it’s overflowing with ideas)

Well, I feel that I rugby-tackled the last module in that I ended up working on four different productions, two projects as a Director, one project as a Producer and one project as a 1^st AD. So this time, I feel I really want to engage with the role of the Producer and yes work really hard and support my team but also really process rather than hit things full on with extreme impact. (Think bear-hug not rugby tackle.)

Additionally, to turn up in industry with a plethora of ideas can only be a good thing; be prepared TV...

(However, still might be tempted into directing the TV Studio thing on the 17th, did love studio last time, but we'll see how we go and what other interest is out there.)

Also, I did want to quickly add we had a really good talk from Dogbite Films the other day.

It is so brilliant to hear that there are really people out there actually trying to build the Cornish film industry not trying to rip us out of £1.87million! (Remember that story? What a travesty.)

All the best of good luck to the Dogbite team.

It’s all kicking off….

Been quite a hectic bank holiday with one thing and another! I am incredibly conscious that my work experience placement with Twofour Development is rapidly approaching so I’ve been booking accommodation, trains & checking that my wardrobe does have something smart in it…(Highly doubtful right now being a poor student. Think I will stand on a roundabout with a placard reading “Hire me ‘cause I need something to wear which is un-creased and not scuffed please!)

In regards to the projects, I have taken the decision to not produce on the Nazi Battleship doc with Jon for the following reasons:

a)      I am growing increasingly aware that I am going to work in factual and factual entertainment programming very soon and I need to keep my experience relevant; history docs are just not on the cards for me although I do watch them from time-to-time

b)      James pitched a wonderful Extraordinary Me story and I was a bit smitten with the idea….

Extraordinary Me was a season of 10x1hr programmes broadcast last year on BBC3, good move channel controller Zai Bennet, and I was raving about them when I first joined this course.

I thought they were, not all of them but the majority, really well done personal stories told unobtrusively and they set a really good tone/pace.

I would now like to help James tell the ‘Extra-ordinary Me’ story of David Follett, the Bionic Man, in such a energetic and enigmatic way.

Dear old 'Replacement'

Upon reviewing my blog after the last module, I felt that it was a bit wordy and colourless so I am going to take any excuse to post photos, drawings, paintings...etc. to brighten the walls....

This is the moodboard left over from Replacement, I made it in pre-production and had it propped up in one of the bedrooms on-shoot all the way through production.

How many actors, films, slippers or butterflies can you recognise?!

Financial mine-field and UFOs

Really good morning in that we had a visitor!
A guest lecture from Cornish Producer Denzil Monk which turned out to be really enlightening and very interesting session because up to now we haven’t really gone too much into the nuts and bolts of budgets and production costs but Denzil obliged and we were able to discuss funding and cost out the ‘Alien-Doc’….

The ‘Alien Doc’ is the latest project I am embroiled in, we have to have two production roles again, and it was pitched to me a couple of nights ago by James and Michaela.

It is going to revolve around the activities of a group called the Animal Pathology Field Unit (the APFU) that are based up in Shrewsbury and investigate the mutilation of animals by aliens….

Bear with me because as soon as I heard this idea, I thought this has the potential to make great telly and I have been dying to make a programme that is much more ‘produced’, ‘manufactured’ and less ‘free-flowing’ than the other documentaries we’ve made…

My TV programme of the year so far has to be Channel 4 The Undateables it is immense, a sensitive yet good humoured look at the human condition and I think this ‘Alien doc’ can emulate that quality.

A well-measured, even-handed look at average people taking on the extra-terrestrial as well as leading ordinary suburban lives… #TVGOLD.