Watch previous WFTV online webinars here
OCTOBER 2022 events
Inside The Pact: Q&A with the Series 2 Team
Speakers:
Rakie Ayola | Lead and Executive Producer
Pete McTighe | Writer, Creator and Executive Producer
Elwen Rowlands | Executive producer, CEO and Co-Founder Little Door Productions
Nicole Volavka | Director
Christiana Ebohon-Green | Director
​Aleighcia Scott | BBC Radio Wales Presenter
Watch this conversation with some of the team behind the new series of the hit BBC One and BBC Wales drama The Pact, with panellists Rakie Ayola, Pete McTighe, Elwen Rowlands, Nicole Volavka and Christiana Ebohon-Green.
Produced by Cardiff-based production company Little Door Productions and co-commissioned by BBC Drama and BBC Wales, the second series of The Pact brings to screens a brand-new story and cast.
Hosted by BBC Radio Wales presenter Aleighcia Scott, the panel discussed their roles in the new series, experience filming in and around Wales and the significance of location to the story.
Writers’ Group: Writing for Pre-School Audiences with Catherine Williams
Speakers:
Catherine Williams| Series writer/ editor and series creator
Christina Pickworth | Agent
For October’s Writers’ Group, we were joined by script writer/ editor and series creator Catherine Williams for a session focused on writing for pre-school audiences.
In conversation with Agent Christina Pickworth, Catherine will be discussing her journey into the industry and career so far, sharing her experience writing for pre-school audiences on shows such as Chip and Potato (Netflix), PJ Masks and the New Teletubbies (Cbeebies), and offering tips to other writers considering working in this area.
Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews with Sam McAlister
Speakers:
Sam McAlister | Producer
Katie Bailiff | CEO, WFTV
Sam McAlister is the producer responsible for some of the biggest scoops in broadcasting. To mark the publication of her new book Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, former Newsnight producer and 2021 WFTV Award winner Sam McAlister was in conversation with WFTV’s CEO Katie Bailiff.
Sam McAlister is the woman who clinched the 2019 TV interview with Prince Andrew described as ‘a plane crashing into an oil tanker, causing a tsunami, triggering a nuclear explosion’. To her former BBC colleagues she was the ‘booker extraordinaire,’ responsible for securing many of Newsnight’s exclusive interviews over the past decade including Stormy Daniels, Sean Spicer, Brigitte Höss, Steven Seagal, Mel Greig and Julian Assange.
In this conversation with WFTV CEO Katie Bailiff, Sam discussed the story behind that interview and the secrets of her trade, plus her personal story as the first in her family to go to university, a trained barrister and a single mum, who against the odds, proved her worth in a fast-paced, hard-hitting TV newsroom.
After 12 years producing content for Newsnight, McAlister reflected with candour on her experience, sharing not just how the news gets made, but also changes at the BBC, the future of ‘mainstream media’ in the age of clickbait and the role of power and privilege in shaping our media landscape.
Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews is available from Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops.
WFTV Event: Meet the Commissioner (Scripted): Jo McClellan, Commissioning Editor, BBC Drama
Speakers:
Jo McClellan | Commissioning Editor, BBC Drama, North of England
Alice Ramsey | Assistant Commissioner, BBC Drama
In this event host Alice Ramsey was in conversation with Jo McClellan, Commissioning Editor at BBC Drama, discussing the current landscape of scripted drama in TV, her thoughts on what makes a great show and sharing insights on how to get a project commissioned.
Jo’s recent commissions include Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, I May Destroy You by Michaela Coel, US by David Nichols, The North Water by Andrew Haigh and Silent Witness.
Character Masterclass: Introduction to Psychology for Writers, Directors and Actors
Speaker:
Kira-Anne Pelican, PhD | Writer, Educator and Script Editor
Kira-Anne Pelican, PhD is a writer, educator and script editor, specialising in helping writers develop more compelling characters and stories through insights from evidence-based psychology. She is the author of The Science of Writing Characters and founder of Character Masterclass.
From Book to Screen: Q&A with the team behind Paramount+ romantic comedy, The Flatshare
Speakers:
Jessica Brown Findlay | Actors
Rose Lewenstein | Lead Writer
Miriam Brent | Executive Producer
Based on the bestselling book by Beth O’Leary and produced by 42, The Flatshare follows two cash-strapped twentysomethings – Tiffany (Jessica Brown Findlay) and Leon (Anthony Welsh) – who share a bed. The catch is – Tiffany and Leon have never met and, if their plan works out, they never will. Newly dumped by her controlling ex, Tiffany spends her days earning minimum wage for minimum appreciation on a viral news website, while Leon works nightshifts in a hospice getting life advice from a terminally ill teen as he tries to free his wrongfully jailed brother. But, as the Post-its start to fly and each gets unexpectedly drawn into the other’s messy, complex life, an attraction evolves backwards. The question is – can you really fall in love with a person you’ve never set eyes on?
Watch this conversation with some of the team behind the new Paramount+ rom-com: actor Jessica Brown Findlay, lead writer Rose Lewenstein, and executive producer Miriam Brent - where they discussed bringing the book to screen, offering insight into the process of adapting the novel, the relevance of the story for audiences today and experiences filming on location in Bristol, London and Brighton.
Film Finance: Funding tips with Great Point Media
Speaker:
Laura Macara | Managing Director of the Investments team, Great Point Media
Silvia Schmidt | Legal Consultant in the Legal team, Great Point Media
In this event, funding experts Laura Macara and Silvia Schmidt shared their thoughts and experience on successful television and film productions. You’ll find out what makes the Commercial team look at a project, what you need to do to develop and work on a project as well as guide you through the legal jargon of what to do once your film has been financed.
The Great Point Media team has collectively over 150 years of experience in entertainment media, over 400 film and television production credits and has produced, financed, and distributed over £2 billion of content.
How to Build Your Elevator Pitch with Tracy Forsyth
Speakers:
Tracy Forsyth | Coach, Mentor and Director of Mentoring at WFTV
Watch back this workshop with Coach, Mentor and Director of Mentoring at WFTV, Tracy Forsyth.
Do you get tongue-tied when networking and find it hard to pitch yourself? Do you feel you constantly undersell yourself? Or do you feel like an imposter or that you are boasting when talking about your achievements? In this workshop, Leadership Coach, Tracy Forsyth will take you through a step-by-step process to build your very own elevator pitch to ensure you can sell yourself fearlessly without feeling like an imposter!