Watch previous WFTV online webinars here
JUNE 2023 events
Meet the Producer: Feature Films with Rebecca O’Brien
Speakers:
Rebecca O’Brien | Producer
Michelle Stein | Producer
In this new strand of WFTV events, members were invited to Meet the Producer.
This inaugural session featured our host and fellow producer Michelle Stein in conversation with acclaimed feature film producer, Rebecca O’Brien.
BAFTA winning Rebecca O’Brien works closely with Ken Loach and has produced major works such as The Wind That Shakes The Barley and I, Daniel Blake which both won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Michelle and Rebecca discussed Rebecca’s career path developing features, along with any current trends she’s noticing within the industry, and insights on funding and developing projects.
Reality TV: Working Practices and Duties of Care
Speakers:
Professor Helen Wood | Media and Cultural Studies, University of Lancaster
Dr Jack Newsinger | Associate Professor in Cultural Industries and Media, University of NottinghamDr Jilly Kay | Lecturer in Media and Communication, University of Leicester
This special online discussion looked into the working practices and duties of care within UK Reality TV, focusing on upcoming AHRC funded project; RE-Care TV.
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Hear from academics Professor Helen Wood, Dr Jack Newsinger and Dr Jilly Kay as they discussed the intentions of their studies into the controversial, ever-growing industry of the UK’s Reality TV sector.
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About the RE-Care TV project:
This project will develop a theorisation of care in the cultural industries, by holistically considering the interrelations between production, participation and policy in the UK's reality television (RTV) sector. RTV is a significant and highly controversial site of media production that has rapidly expanded over the last two decades with an increasing share of the UK's £1.48bn global TV export market. High profile concerns around mental health risks have led to changes to Ofcom's Broadcasting Code around improved welfare for participants, whilst broadcasters increasingly understand a need for the continued evolution of care practices across the sector. Most policy and industry initiatives have thus far focused on risk management around mental health concerns for individual participants, without any interrogation of the broader contexts of cultural labour and working practices.
Significant Other: Q&A with the team behind the series
Speaker:
Katherine Parkinson | Actress
Youssef Kerkour | Actor
Hamish Wright | Writer
Fiona McAllister | Script Executive
Dana Fainaru | Writer
Watch back this conversation with some of the creatives behind Significant Other.
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Writers Dana Fainaru and Hamish Wright along with lead talent, Katherine Parkinson and Youssef Kerkour, and Quay Street Productions Script Executive, Fiona McAllister offered a behind the scenes look at the making of the new comedy drama.
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Adapted from yes Studios’ award-winning Israeli series of the same name, our panellists discussed their process for adapting the story to be rooted in Manchester and working with Katherine and Youssef to bring the characters of Anna and Sam from script to screen.
Pretty Red Dress: Q&A with director Dionne Edwards and Producer Georgia Goggin
Speakers
Dionne Edwards | Director
Georgia Goggin | Producer
Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor | Producer
Watch back this conversation with director Dionne Edwards and producer Georgia Goggin of the feature film: Pretty Red Dress. The film stars Natey Jones and Alexandra Burke, making her screen debut. The Q&A was moderated by producer Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor.
In Conversation with Sadie Frost: Directing Feature Documentaries Quant and Twiggy
Speaker:
Sadie Frost | Actor, Producer and Director
Simran Hans | Journalist
In this special event, actor, producer and director Sadie Frost discussed her four decades experience in film, theatre and television, from acting in globally acclaimed films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula to her experience directing a documentary film about iconic British fashion designer Mary Quant, and her latest directorial project Twiggy, a feature-length documentary on the iconic supermodel.
An Introduction to Immersive Storytelling
Speakers
Eloise Singer | Producer and Director
Becky Gregory-Clarke | Head of StoryFutures Immersive
WFTV members were invited to join this online exploration of the immersive landscape and how immersive storytelling can be incorporated into creative portfolios. Head of StoryFutures immersive, Becky Gregory-Clarke was joined by multi-award-winning producer and director Eloise Singer as they discussed how traditional film and TV creative practitioners can utilise immersive storytelling within their toolkits.
Eloise will be spoke about how her debut VR venture; The Pirate Queen, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival this June.