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Engine Room Pitch Workshops

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The Engine Room Pitch - 2-day Regional Pitch Workshops


Sheffield Doc/Fest, in partnership with Wide Eye Pictures, organises special 2-day regional pitch workshops across the UK, offering complete preparation for getting your factual project funded internationally, including at Doc/Fest’s Marketplace.

The pitch workshops are returning in 2010 in more locations, and have been renamed The Engine Room Pitch. The first one took place in Nottingham (February 2010), and the next one is in Birmingham (March 2010), with 3 more now announced across the North of England, in Newcastle, Manchester, and Leeds. If you're in these regions and are interested in attending, please read the information below and contact us.

In 2009, these workshops ran in more areas of the UK with Edinburgh, Inverness, London, Sheffield, Newcastle and Cardiff all part of the 2009 programme. In total we offered pitch and market training to over 150 people. More information on all the workshops will continue to appear here.

If you would like an Engine Room Pitch Workshop in your region, please contact us

Birmingham Engine Room Pitch Workshop - March 23rd and 24th 2010

Sheffield Doc/Fest, in partnership with Wide Eye Pictures, Screen WM and The Flatpack Festival, invites you to THE BIRMINGHAM ENGINE ROOM PITCH

Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th March 2010


The Bond, Birmingham

THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is an intensive 2 day proposal development and pitching workshop to help you prepare your factual project for UK and international funding.

The workshop is a high-level project development opportunity and includes an introduction to MeetMarket and all Marketplace activities at Doc/Fest and to wider opportunities in international documentary funding and markets. Delivered by international marketplace specialist Christina Burnett, of Wide Eye Pictures, this is also a unique chance to pitch your project and get feedback from two UK commissioners as well as Charlie Philips, Doc/Fest Marketplace Producer. Commissioners from BBC, Channel 4, Britdoc and CBA-DFID Broadcast Media Scheme have taken part in previous workshops.

THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is suitable for all levels of experience, from senior producers and directors to new entrants. You can attend either as a pitcher with project, or as an observer.

Applicants must be West Midlands-based filmmakers. The cost of the workshop is £30 for all attendees.

To express interest, email Doc/Fest Marketplace Producer Charlie Phillips via charlie@sidf.co.uk with a one-page proposal for a factual/documentary project (single, series or cross-platform doc) and brief information about yourself. Projects can be at any stage of development, for any platform, as long as it is a factual project.

ABOUT SCREEN WM:

This workshop is very kindly supported by Screen WM. Screen WM is the regional agency which supports, promotes and develops a sustainable and thriving screen media sector in the West Midlands. Screen WM will:

• promote the West Midlands region by raising the profile of its diverse locations
• promote the West Midlands by highlighting the abundance of talent within the region’s screen media sector
• support businesses through skills development and financial assistance
• develop talent, from new entrants to professional freelancers and employees, within the West Midlands through skills development
• support the region’s moving image heritage and develop access to it
• develop and inspire audiences across a broad range of screen media
• promote and develop the cultural diversity of the region through the moving image

Screen WM is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council, the European Regional Development Fund and Advantage West Midlands.

ABOUT THE FLATPACK FESTIVAL:

With fresh eyes and a unique sense of occasion, Flatpack Festival 2010 offers a platform for new filmmakers and moving image creativity together with a playful and original programme of cult classics re-imagined, silent cinema re-scored and archive material re-invented.

Taking place in locations across Birmingham including warehouse spaces, art galleries, a church and the country's oldest cinema, Flatpack’s joyous visual adventure takes place from 23 – 28 March 2010.

www.flatpackfestival.org.uk

THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH - NEWCASTLE, MANCHESTER AND LEEDS

Sheffield Doc/Fest, in partnership with Wide Eye Pictures and Northern Net, invites you to The Engine Room Pitch, taking place in Newcastle (April 22nd/23rd), Manchester (May 12th/13th) and Leeds (July 19th/20th)

THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is an intensive 2 day proposal development and pitching workshop which enables you to prepare your factual cross platform or your documentary project for UK and international funding. The workshop is a high-level project development opportunity and includes an introduction to MeetMarket and all cross-platform and other marketplace activities at Doc/Fest and to wider opportunities in international funding and markets. Delivered by leading international specialist Christina Burnett, of Wide Eye Pictures, this is also a unique chance to pitch your project and get feedback from two UK commissioners as well as Charlie Philips, Doc/Fest Marketplace Producer.

Commissioners from BBC, Channel 4, Britdoc and CBA-DFID Broadcast Media Scheme have taken part in previous workshops.

THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is suitable for all levels of experience,from senior producers and directors to new entrants. You can attend either as a pitcher with project, or as an observer. This workshop is open to filmmakers and producers from the North East, North West and Yorkshire only, but applicants can choose which of the 3 workshops they wish to attend.

To express interest, email Doc/Fest Marketplace Producer Charlie Phillips at charlie@sidf.co.uk with a one-page proposal for a documentary or a doc/factual cross platform project (single or series), brief information about yourself, and stating a preference for which of the 3 locations you would like to attend.

For full information please see the attached information.

WHAT COMMISSIONERS AND DELEGATES SAY ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS

“The Engine Room Pitch is an invaluable addition to the training available for UK indies to develop the pitching skills necessary to make it in the international market. Over several years, I've been consistently impressed by the calibre of the pitches and the passion of the pitchers. I look forward to my next visit!” Greg Sanderson, Executive Producer, BBC Stoyville

“I found the workshop absolutely invaluable. Over the course of two days I rewrote my pitch several times and had lots of practice delivering it until I almost enjoyed the pitching process! On the second day we had the opportunity to pitch to two commissioners from major broadcasters. This pitch led directly to a commission for a feature doc for More 4's True Stories strand. I applied for, and got into MeetMarket and, armed with my commission and my reworked pitch, managed to secure pre-sales to a number of territories, possible deficit funding and distribution deals.” Victoria Steventon, Greenside Productions

"THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH workshops provide an important opportunity to meet face to face with producers from around the UK. When looking for new proposals for films it's so important to seek ideas from the UK's nations and regions and the workshops provide an ideal opportunity to do that." Sally-Ann Wilson, CBA-DFID Broadcast Media Scheme

“I attended the pitch workshop as a new entrant observer and found the sessions incredibly organised. The structure offers everyone a voice without pressure to perform…. Furthermore it is an opportunity for newcomers to become confident, inspired by the rich variety of filmmakers at the workshop. To be able to do this in South Yorkshire is invaluable for the development of local film makers into national and internationally recognised directors.” Luke Moody

“The Engine Room Pitch is a must-do for every filmmaker looking to pitch into the marketplace. Practical and inspiring, it makes you think about, and present your film, in the best possible way.” Sandra Whipham, MD London Fields Films and former commissioning editor True Stories, Channel 4

“I have no hesitation in saying that the impact of these training initiatives over time on the skill base within the Irish production industry has been material and hugely positive.” Kevin Dawson, Head of Documentary programming, RTE, Ireland

*THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH is the new name for the highly successful two day project development and pitching workshops run by Christina Burnett of Wide Eye Pictures, with partners in countries including the UK, Ireland and Brazil.