Event: In Factual Development - Getting Your Idea Over the Line

How do you take the seed of an idea through to a successful commission? Is it an exact science or luck of the draw? How do you decide what and when to pitch? And, just as importantly, what and when to ditch?

In this panel discussion, factual development producers at the top of their game share their successes, failures, and insider tips on how to land that all important commission.

Chaired by Emma Morgan (Creative Director, Lion TV), Avigail Cenci di Bello (Director of Development, Mentorn) and Mel Bezalel (Director of Development, RDF) will be sharing their tips to help you get your idea over the line.

Panel

Avigail Cenci di Bello is Mentorn Media's Director of Development and responsible for developing the company’s documentaries, factual series, and returnable formats for UK broadcasters, streamers and international networks.  Avigail has won numerous commissions and produced a wide range of award-winning programmes including IKEA – the Flatpack Empire, Asperger’s and Me with Chris Packham, Loan Shop, Bouncers 24/7, Abused by my Girlfriend, The Sexbots are Coming, Conviction: Murder at the Station and Inside the Bank of England.

With 20 years’ experience, Avigal has previously worked in both development and production at several UK indies including Raw TV, Century Films and Objective Media​.

Mel Bezalel is Director of Development at RDF, responsible for leading the factual development team and steering the company’s development strategy. Credits at the company include: Shop Well For Less (BBC1); Lodgers For Codgers (C4); Six Puppies and Us (BBC2); My New Greek Life (C5); and Being Black, Going Crazy (BBC3) amongst others.

Mel previously worked at several indies in production and development, including: Films of Record, BBC Studios, Me & You Productions and Twenty Twenty. Credits include: The Met (BBC1); GPs: Behind Closed Doors (C5); Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life (Sky1); Hoff the Record (Dave) amongst others.

She’s a previous Ones To Watch, Broadcast Hotshot and was on the 2020 Women in Film and TV mentoring scheme.

Host

Emma Morgan is Creative Director at Lion TV driving the generation of new shows both in the UK and US.  Emma previously held key roles at Twofour, Mentorn and Firecracker Films where she devised Mums Make Porn (C4), Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over (WTV) and the award-winning Emma Willis: Delivering Babies (WTV).  Other key credits inc. A Very British Hotel (C4), Gregg’s: More Than Meats the Pie (Sky1), The Fried Chicken Shop (C4), Hotel of Mum & Dad (BBC3), Angry White & Proud (C4) and Why Men Wear Frocks with Grayson Perry(C4).

Emma has been a mentor for C4’s diversity training scheme eight times and on the BAFTA TV committee for six years.

Event Schedule:

17:55: Please join webinar

18:00-18:45: Event begins, host-led discussion

18:45-19:00: Audience Q&A

19:30: Finish

How will the online event work?

This event will be live streamed via Zoom.us as a webinar. Viewing details will be sent via your email confirmation.

Attendees won’t be visible and will be muted throughout the session. After the talk, there will be an opportunity for audience members to ask their questions by using the Q&A feature.

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