I watched an interesting talk with Rhiannon Forsyth and Stephen Lambert of Studio Lambert today as part of @Channel4 and @NFTSCymruWales’s 2 week webinar programme ‘Unscripted: Inside the Industry’ aimed at freelancers including a range of subjects on pitching, editing, casting, AI, storytelling, and tips on location.
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I watched an interesting talk with Rhiannon Forsyth and Stephen Lambert of Studio Lambert today as part of @Channel4 and @NFTSCymruWales’s 2 week webinar programme ‘Unscripted: Inside the Industry’ aimed at freelancers including a range of subjects on pitching, editing, casting, AI, storytelling, and tips on location.
There were some useful insights to hear across the whole 2 weeks and I hope this is something we can get more of - you don’t know what you don’t know until you know it….
Here are some takeaways from Stephen’s talk:
🧐 Keenness and enthusiasm for TV is key to succeeding - you have to be able to think critically about programmes, what you like, what you don’t and what you think is missing - of which he says a lot of people in interview do not do.
🙌 Finding a mentor is always going to be key to having a successful career. You need someone who is going to champion you.
☺️ Factual entertainment (often deemed low brow) can sometimes be more satisfying for story tellers than documentary (often deemed high brow) as you get to see the beginning, the middle and the end - something you don’t always get with documentary access.
💸 Pitching and commissioning has changed - SL are spending more of their own money to get an idea to a more fully formed format and shop it around to multiple buyers (a bit more a la USA), as opposed to working with 1 commissioner on multiple half formed ideas.
🏠 SL are now making programmes that they find interesting and finding homes for them rather than catering to a commissioner.
🤭 What people are currently talking about in real life, or what is not being said about life’s most common situations is often what makes for the most interesting programming.
🗣️ A helpful way to develop an idea is to frequently articulate what you’re doing - and it’s in what you choose to say to hold people’s attention (especially those out of TV) that will highlight to you what your programme is really about.
🇬🇧 🤑 🇱🇷 Making a show for a PSB is currently still more economical for companies over SOVDs, and if its popular in the UK & US its likely to sell well in other territories.
🤔 Buyers aren’t only buying the idea of the programme they are buying you and your ability to deliver - much like getting a job in TV - if you haven’t done it before, or you’re not in that niche inner circle of the genre then breaking into it and proving your worth is hard.
➡️ Say it with me people ‘ 👏 THE 👏 SKILLS 👏 ARE 👏 ALWAYS 👏 TRANSFERABLE 👏 ’
📺 They are always considering how programmes will perform on the streaming service - which typically has a younger audience. Overnights can be bad but the streaming views can be the saving grace.
💻 AI can be like the very useful and clever extra member of the team - but it cannot yet edit any meaningful rushes - so it seems editors and edit producers can be safe for now!
@Channel4skills @NFTSCymruWales
There were some useful insights to hear across the whole 2 weeks and I hope this is something we can get more of - you don’t know what you don’t know until you know it….
Here are some takeaways from Stephen’s talk:
🧐 Keenness and enthusiasm for TV is key to succeeding - you have to be able to think critically about programmes, what you like, what you don’t and what you think is missing - of which he says a lot of people in interview do not do.
🙌 Finding a mentor is always going to be key to having a successful career. You need someone who is going to champion you.
☺️ Factual entertainment (often deemed low brow) can sometimes be more satisfying for story tellers than documentary (often deemed high brow) as you get to see the beginning, the middle and the end - something you don’t always get with documentary access.
💸 Pitching and commissioning has changed - SL are spending more of their own money to get an idea to a more fully formed format and shop it around to multiple buyers (a bit more a la USA), as opposed to working with 1 commissioner on multiple half formed ideas.
🏠 SL are now making programmes that they find interesting and finding homes for them rather than catering to a commissioner.
🤭 What people are currently talking about in real life, or what is not being said about life’s most common situations is often what makes for the most interesting programming.
🗣️ A helpful way to develop an idea is to frequently articulate what you’re doing - and it’s in what you choose to say to hold people’s attention (especially those out of TV) that will highlight to you what your programme is really about.
🇬🇧 🤑 🇱🇷 Making a show for a PSB is currently still more economical for companies over SOVDs, and if its popular in the UK & US its likely to sell well in other territories.
🤔 Buyers aren’t only buying the idea of the programme they are buying you and your ability to deliver - much like getting a job in TV - if you haven’t done it before, or you’re not in that niche inner circle of the genre then breaking into it and proving your worth is hard.
➡️ Say it with me people ‘ 👏 THE 👏 SKILLS 👏 ARE 👏 ALWAYS 👏 TRANSFERABLE 👏 ’
📺 They are always considering how programmes will perform on the streaming service - which typically has a younger audience. Overnights can be bad but the streaming views can be the saving grace.
💻 AI can be like the very useful and clever extra member of the team - but it cannot yet edit any meaningful rushes - so it seems editors and edit producers can be safe for now!
@Channel4skills @NFTSCymruWales
