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ABC3 Television Format Workshop with Nick Hopkin - Last call!
This is your last chance to apply for the two-day intensive Television Format Workshop with BAFTA Award winning producer, Nick Hopkin. Presented by ABC3 and ScreenWest, the Workshop is in response to ABC3 looking for home grown formatted television series. Applications close 5:00PM Monday September 6, 2010.
Nick Hopkin is an award winning UK television producer and director with more than 23 years of experience in the industry. He has developed and produced a diverse range of program content (Entertainment, Children’s, Factual, Animation, Music, Comedy and Online) and has had projects commissioned by BBC, CBBC, ITV, MTV, Paramount, BSkyB and C5.
Eight participants will be selected to attend the two-day workshop which will focus on deconstructing current popular children’s formats and identifying how and why they are so successful, as well as developing skills and techniques on generating creative ideas from the initial spark to writing a children’s format pitch document, presenting this type of show to a network and exploring different funding models and challenging budget requirements.
The Format Workshop is open to anyone to apply. Applicants wishing to take part must complete the application form and submit an idea for a format based on the brief below of no more than 500 words. The successful applicants will be chosen on the strength of their idea. If successful, you and your project will undergo a workshop with Nick Hopkin.
Following the workshop all projects will be considered for further development with ABC3. ABC3 will have the option to develop the eight ideas selected for this workshop for up to three months.
Attendees are required to attend the entire workshop, please do not apply if you can only make it to part of the workshop.
Television Format Workshop with Nick Hopkin
Date: 18 and 19 September 2010
Time: TBC - Full days
Where: Art Gallery Theatrette, James St Northbridge
Cost: Nil
Applications close 5:00PM Monday September 6, 2010. Applications should be sent to ScreenWest via email: info@screenwest.wa.gov.au. Applications will be acknowledged via email.
Click here to download the application form.
The Brief:
In under 500 words please tell us your idea for a format that you think would work well for the 8 – 15 year old demographic. We are open to shows based on a wide range of topics especially wildlife.
It could be ordinary kids doing extraordinary things, or experiencing extraordinary situations, like in Prank Patrol. Or it could be more documentary style, something that has a strong narrative thread and ‘characters’ that the audience emotionally connect with such as Outback 8 or Serious Arctic. Sometime a sense of competition or rivalry that builds real jeopardy can be key to a format, where the stakes are high and there are twists at every turn like Scorpion Island. Or a factual format packed with knowledge nuggets like Barney’s Barrier Reef. Talent is also something that you could consider; Deadly 60 and Michaela’s Wild Challenge are great examples of this. Programs with strong multi-platform or cross platform elements that have potential for a life outside the box are also highly desirable.
