Founding a Production Company, with industry experts Nicola Shindler OBE and Soleta Rogan

Want to know how to set up your own indie? WFTV’s own Katie Bailiff will be talking to Nicola Shindler OBE and Soleta Rogan, founders of successful independent production companies, Quay Street Productions, part of ITV Studios, and Rogan Productions. 

Find out about the different models of starting up a production company, growth and sustainability, defining your USP, how to nurture talent, developing ideas and how to form commissioner relationships.

You’ll hear about the panel’s own experiences, the challenges they have faced and will have the chance to ask your own questions in a Q&A at the end of the session.

Katie Bailiff, CEO of WFTV

Before joining WFTV as CEO at the beginning of 2021, Katie was the co-owner and Creative Director at Century Films. Katie has produced award winning documentary and dramas for all the major networks.

Soleta Rogan, Managing Director and Executive Producer  of Rogan Productions

Soleta Rogan is co-owner, Managing Director and Executive Producer at London/Glasgow producer, Rogan Productions. Soleta began her career working for nearly 10 years in retail sales and marketing. She co-founded the indie Rogan Productions in 2013, with a vision of delivering high-end films for broadcast and not-for- broadcast content. In addition to her operational responsibilities, Soleta performs Executive Producer and Production Executive roles across the production slate. Recent Executive Producer credits include BAFTA-winning series Uprising (BBC/Amazon), BAFTA-nominated Black Power: A British Story of Resistance (BBC/Amazon), and BAFTA-nominated, RTS Award-winning Freddie Mercury: The Final Act (BBC). Soleta serves on the Festival Board of the Edinburgh TV Festival and she is also a managing member of peer-to-peer network group, We Are Doc Women.

Nicola Shindler OBE, Executive Producer and Chief Executive of Quay Street Productions

Nicola Shindler OBE is a prolific, multi award-winning British television producer, who has worked with some of the most lauded names in television and created some of its most memorable series.

With over 25 years’ experience in television, Nicola has produced some of the UK’s most successful and award-winning dramas, including It’s A Sin (Ch4/ HBO), Harlan Coben’s The Stranger (Netflix), Years and Years (BBC/HBO), Happy Valley (BBC), Queer As Folk (Channel 4), Ridley Road (BBC/ Masterpiece), Traces UKTV), Last Tango in Halifax (BBC), Butterfly (ITV), Finding Alice (ITV) and most recently Harlan Coben’s Stay Close for Netflix, No Return for ITV, and Traces series 2 for UKTV. Forthcoming series include the first Quay Street Productions drama Nolly, written by Russell T Davies and starring Helena Bonham Carter, for ITV.

Renowned for her relationships with writers, Nicola has worked with an array of the UK’s most prolific and exciting writing talent including Russell T Davies, Sally Wainwright, Lenny Henry, Paul Abbot, Dan Sefton, Tony Marchant, Amelia Bullmore, Danny Brocklehurst, Matt Greenhalgh and Sarah Solemani, on series starring some of the world’s leading on-screen names.

In 2019, Nicola was awarded an OBE and took home one of BAFTA’s highest honours, the Special Award, for her services to British Broadcasting.

Prior to launching Quay Street Productions in 2021, Nicola founded RED Production Company in 1998, where she was Chief Executive for over twenty years, and she also previously served as chief executive and chief creative officer at StudioCanal UK.

Event Schedule:

17:55: Please join the webinar waiting room

18:00: In conversation with Nicola Shindler OBE and Soleta Rogan 

18:45: Attendee Q&A opens

19:00: Finish

How will the online event work?

This event will be live streamed via Zoom.us. Viewing details will be sent via your confirmation.

Attending participants will not be visible to others and will be muted throughout the session. After the talk, there will be an opportunity for audience members to ask their questions to the panel by using the Q&A feature.

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