Programme

Registration and coffee

Chair’s opening remarks

Keynote Interview

Pinpointing the role of factual content on Channel 4 post creative renewal

The commissioners - budgets, content requirements and new ways of funding factual programming

• Matching your projects to the needs of factual broadcasters – what features are the commissioners looking for?
• Revealing what budgets exist for factual commissioning at leading broadcasters
• Pinpointing where factual fits in the plans of leading broadcasters in 2011 and beyond 
• Assessing the importance, criteria and budget available for on-screen talent
• Co-production – the new reality for factual? Identifying the opportunity and your potential partners
• How open are factual commissioners to ad-funded projects?
• HD vs. SD – how important are high technical standards when budget constraints are severely strained?
• Identifying where multiplatform fits in the overall factual content mix

The commissioners - Part 1

Morning refreshments

The commissioners - Part 2

The commissioners - Part 3

Lunch

Keynote Interview

Video podcasts, twitter and fostering interactivity – effectively utilising technology to create new viewer experiences

Dan Snow’s history programmes for the BBC have attracted high audiences for the broadcaster, gaining viewers from a range of demographics. This session will examine how Snow has made history to accessible to mass audiences and used multimedia interaction to enhance the consumer offering.

Interview

Financing documentaries during a funding crisis - maintaining quality and a diverse range of factual output

Case study: Garrow’s Law

Making hybrid genres work – funding and tapping into the demand for factually inspired drama

Featuring archive content and other factually inspired elements, Garrow’s Law is an example of a new breed of hybrid programmes. Commissioned by the then BBC Specialist Factual Commissioning Editor Mark Bell, Garrow’s Law’s impressive viewing figures could be indicative of a bright future for hybrid genres. This case study will offer an end-to-end account of Garrow’s Law, from the conception of the idea to the pitch and execution.

Afternoon refreshments

Case Study

Costs in creativity – using archive as a creative resource, overcoming technical challenges and keeping costs down

• Is archive really cost effective? Understanding the upfront costs and limitations
• Sourcing and clearing archive to secure powerful creative footage within budget
• Archive in the edit - cutting archive effectively and minimising costs in post
• Combining archive content with other creative techniques - ensuring a positive viewer experience

Case Study

Inside Nature’s Giants: pushing the boundaries of factual television from pitch to execution

How do you source and transport a dead elephant? More to the point, how do you convince a factual commissioner that a science programme featuring autopsies of large animals towards the top of the food chain is a good idea? David Dugan of Windfall Films was successful in his Channel 4 pitch and recently had a second run commissioned. This session will examine how the programme was delivered on-time, on-budget for one of the most daring factual programmes of 2009.

Closing remarks from the Chair and end of conference