Upskilling: Creating TV Formats

In this WFTV event we will be joined by co-authors of Creating TV Formats: From Inception to Pitch, Hazel Marshall and Linda Green, who will be sharing the techniques and tools they’ve identified to get into a creative mindset and generate ideas for new factual TV formats.

Hazel and Linda will be dissecting what a format is, why it is important and what a format needs in terms of story elements. They will also give examples of practical exercises you can use to help get into a creative mindset, to identify new hooks for format ideas and to explore the different story shapes a format might take. At the end of the session there will be opportunity to put your questions to Hazel and Linda.

If you have an idea for a format, or don’t, if you are looking to get new skills to develop formats or would like to refine your skills, or if you’re curious to know what makes great formats work, then this is for you.

This session is for anyone working in factual development, from researchers to series producers. Others working in factual may also find this session useful.

Speakers

Linda Green is the Director of Leading Creative Talent. Linda has been working in creative strategy and development for over 20 years working on titles such as Top Gear, Blue Planet and Entertainment formats, The Voice and Strictly (Dancing with the Stars). Linda has worked across all genres in the BBC, and is currently consulting for Sky, Banijay and the BBC. She is a TEDx speaker and is currently studying an Msc in Applied Neuroscience.

Hazel Marshall’s expertise in storytelling comes from her diverse background in the craft of shaping narratives in a wide range of factual genres across multiple platforms. Her career has spanned radio, TV and publishing. She has trained hundreds of programme and documentary makers at all stages in their careers across multiple genres and has also worked as a story consultant on numerous award winning series. She continues to work as a story consultant, trainer and script writer for national broadcasters, streamers, production companies and media festivals as well as working on her own projects.

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 questions by using the Q&A feature.

This event is for existing WFTV members only.

If you are not a member and would like to join, membership costs just £100 + VAT/yr , please click here or email admin@wftv.org.uk

At WFTV, we want our events to be accessible for everyone. If you have any access requirements, please let us know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please contact admin@wftv.org.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.