Pitch a documentary idea

Why bother? There are real positives from engaging with TV: It will raise the profile of your work, your faculty and the university. It will bring a subject about which you are passionate to a wider, nonacademic audience. You can impress 'secondary' audiences, like department heads, funding bodies, business leaders and MPs. But: It can be a slow, time-consuming and sometimes frustrating process. It is unlikely to offer rich financial rewards.

What makes a good documentary? TV is at its strongest in characterisations, dramatisations, stories and broad brushstrokes. It thrives on controversy and debate. TV needs interesting, visually striking stories, which can be made engaging to a broad range of viewers and which ideally take the audience into surprising new ground. But TV production is also governed by economy in 2002, one hours documentary TV would have a typical budget of 250,000, yet by 2007 it was less than half that figure.

What makes your idea stand out? Science programmes on television tend to be a talking head with cuts away to animation, or a very dry commentary. Children dont engage much with that so I wanted to find a different approach. Professor Bob Cywinski, University of Leeds. TVs Pocket Professor Has this been done before and if so what makes the subject worth revisiting? Why should it be done now? Is there a useful peg you could hang the idea on for example, does it tie in with some forthcoming event or anniversary? Is yours a whole new idea? Will it startle and surprise people outside your academic field?

How can you give it a broad appeal how would someone not naturally interested in, say, geology be engaged by the idea?

How can you make your story come alive? Whether its a fresh approach to an old problem, or something new that makes you think wow if someones got a thumping good idea, as a journalist you just know. Roger Corke, Director-Producer, Panorama (LLB, Law, Leeds, 1988) Although filmmakers may have the imagination to turn your idea into something visually appealing, it helps if you can present some interesting visual ideas to fire their imagination. Your idea will probably have to compete with a number of different documentary ideas they are considering. So think visually: How can your idea be best illustrated on screen? Presenting an idea on TV is wholly different to presenting a lecture to a roomful of undergraduates. Suggest relevant, visually-appealing locations which can be used. Would the dramatization of a part of the story be a useful way to express the idea visually? Has other TV or film work been done on the subject and could this existing footage be spliced with new shots to illustrate your own idea?

Think about who will present the story on screen Really good interviewees are like gold dust, especially among academics. Diana Muir, independent documentary maker Will you want to present the idea yourself on screen, or is there a seasoned presenter, ideally with an interest in the subject, who the programme could get on board?

Who do you pitch to? Do you aim at independent film makers or mainstream channels? The vast majority of TV documentary material is made independently of the mainstream TV channels. Though a documentary strand may be shown on BBC or ITV, it may well have been produced by an independent film company.

So are there documentary makers with an obvious track record of working in your own field of expertise? Is there an existing TV documentary strand which would lend itself to the kind of story you are hoping to tell and if so, which company is behind it? Perhaps some of your colleagues already have working relationships with film makers who they could recommend. The biggest production companies have the advantage of strong relationships and proven track records with all broadcasters. With the smaller independents, you may benefit from a closer relationship if they like your idea you will be more important to them.

An alternative route There are many programmes Tonight with Trevor McDonald, This Morning, Richard and Judy, The One Show, Newsnight that get good audiences and hoover up good ideas. Alexander Gardiner, Deputy Controller, Current Affairs, Granada Media (BA Hons, Politics and Parliamentary Studies, Leeds, 1989) It isn't all about single documentaries. These high-rating, mainstream programmes are always on the lookout for ideas to fill their airtime and are well worth pitching to.

The pitch Be yourself. You dont have to be some larger than life character like Magnus Pyke, Miriam Stoppard or David Bellamy. Be enthusiastic and make your subject clear and accessible. Simon Burrows, School of History, University of Leeds Cut out the jargon. Where possible talk in simple language you can use to put your ideas across. Metaphors and similes are good to help a lay person to access new and difficult concepts. Your enthusiasm for the story is its biggest selling point, so be clear and focussed. If you cant make your idea work for the documentary maker, then what chance do you have of holding the attention of an audience? Dont be shy. Establish your own credentials as an expert in the field who could bring real value to the project.

Dont give away so much of your idea that the filmmaker could work without your cooperation in the future.

Reaching agreement The parsimony [of the programme makers] is not the result of meanness or exploitative tendencies but the natural consequence of the intense competition for the few commissions going. Dr Maria Misra, Oxford University, THES (15.12.06) Theyre keen, but Is this a company you can trust? Do they feel right? Are they people you can build up a good relationship with? What is their track record?

Be certain about what would be expected of you in terms of your time and your commitment. Reach a clear agreement about what you will get in return in terms of credit and payment. Documentaries are produced on a shoestring, so dont expect to be richly rewarded for your contribution. If you are approached by a production company, find out whether they have a commission to make a particular programme. If you spend time working with a company, and their work remains uncommissioned, you are unlikely to get paid. Only the larger companies operate a development budget. Were investigating making a programme for the BBC means something quite different to The BBC has commissioned us to make a programme

Going in front of the cameras There are some general rules of thumb for appearing on screen: Wear comfortable, smart casual clothing. Avoid patterned clothing which can strobe or form moir patterns on screen. Be relaxed fidgeting with hands, jewellery or papers is very distracting for TV viewers and can interfere with sound. Avoid dangly earrings. Drink plenty of water.

Speak clearly and succinctly, avoiding jargon, and remember that your words will be edited, so short soundbites are ideal. Avoid lecturing keep your answers brief and conversational. Avoid dry statistics and if possible find everyday examples to illustrate your points the size of a suitcase, as heavy as a bag of sugar, the price of a pint. Look at the interviewer they represent the audience. Avoid qualifying statements it's normal academic practice but can confuse audiences or appear to weaken your case. Be yourself your interest in your subject will convey more than your words. Useful practical advice on appearing on screen is available on courses run by SDDU in the Universitys own TV studio. See here for details of the next course.

Pitfalls Just because you reach a stage where the documentary people are interested and talking seriously, dont automatically expect that it will come to anything. But just think of it as a bit of fun and it may pay off further down the line. Matthew Kieran, School of Philosophy, University of Leeds

The wheels of the TV industry can move painfully slowly. There can be long time-lags between interesting a documentary maker in the idea, doing some actual filming, and seeing your story make it onto the screen. Another pitfall, of course, is that your work might not be taken up at all. Your contribution to the documentary might be cut down, or edited right out of the final programme. But be prepared for these disappointments and try to draw positives from the experience. Plan a fall-back position where the work you have done will not be wasted: Could your idea be pitched to another film maker? Could you get feedback from the film-maker about why your idea failed to reach the screen? Could the experiences you have gained be useful in preparing better pitches in future? If you have made a pilot, perhaps another TV company might be interested. Could the material be used elsewhere in on-line form, in the preparation of a book or a magazine article?

Further information The BBC commissioning website can be found here: www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/

Though chiefly aimed at TV producers, the Channel 4 commissioning website www.channel4.com/corporate/4producers/ gives extensive advice on the types of programme they are looking for.

The Pact Directory at http://www.pact.co.uk/pactdirectory/ contains useful information about UK independent producers and distributors, including the programmes they've produced, projects they have in development, distribution catalogues, key personnel, contact details and brief company profiles.