Major Project - idea development

Cat and I met today to discuss our ideasss.

Here is what we talked about -



Research on topics to make videos about

Finance – student finance calls, budgeting – making correct money decisions, making it last, rent & bills, (TV licence, water, electricity, gas etc)
- Shopping- discounts, fresher fayres, free stuff, giveaways, discount cards (NUS, railcard, student bus card) loans, credit cards, overdrafts

Relationships – meeting new people, relationships with tutors, fellow students, having a relationship before or during university

Food – staying healthy, cooking for yourself on a small budget, basic cooking skills, easy recipes, you don’t have to eat like a ‘student’, go home as much as you can, don’t turn down free food!, try to limit eating out, if you do, research restaurant discounts, protecting your own food from housemates! Or fairly divide cooking responsibilities and food shopping – joint bank account??, (positives and negatives when sharing!)

Coursework – staying on top of it, how to deal with it when you have left it to the last minute, what happens if you fail, where to get essay help, tips- read as much as possible, try to do a little bit every day or as often as possible, plagiarism, curing procrastination, work flow techniques, organising your computer files etc, back up files, plan, research, time management, don’t log on to facebook, (ten reasons to not go on facebook), take breaks, if you deserve them!

Accommodation – council tax exemption letter, landlords, living with strangers/friends, cleaning tips (landlord stress! Deposit) read your contract,

Lifestyle – Drinking, partying, etc. .hangover cures- ( research)

Travel – walking, familiarising with your new area, buses, trains, not necessary to have a car, free bus passes?? (research) cycling!

Being away from home – coping without your mummy, how to cook, clean, launder, food shopping, clothes buying?, creating your own new boundaries (e.g. bedtimes and waking up!) what to take with you to halls – kitchen utensils etc.

Health – registering to doctors and dentists (EU students especially) avoid too much energy drink, generally looking after yourself, proper sleep patterns, eating well, nutrients, sexual health, personal hygiene,

Employment – maintaining a part time job whilst studying, preparing for full time employment after uni, how to get a job when you’re a student, use your local address, look for employment within university first?

Nightlife – stay safe, stay in groups of 2 or more, watch your drink, don’t drink other peoples drinks, don’t mix your drinks, don’t walk home alone, student nights are cheaper, when you’re a fresher its good for meeting people,


Studentbeans.com

Major Project Update

Now, since my doc idea has kind of hit a brick wall, its time to ditch it! As much as I would love to do it, its not at all new or original. So, as I really like Cat's 'How to' idea, and I can really 'see it' I am going to collaborate with her. I really hope this does not come across that I couldnt think of any of my own ideas so i'll work with Cat, I would love to have made docs, but as I say its not original. And I think I could put a lot of great input into Cat's project and would work well together. I feel I have strengths in contacting people for casting, broadcasting opportunities and generally getting things set up, so I can take the weight off her with that. I am excited to do this as I can really see this coming together.

'How to' research to come!

Major Project unit- idea development - or not..

So, I wanted to do short, human interest docs, that were inspiring or touching. However 4thought, 3 minute wonders and bbc2 video nations, especially the 3 minute wonders are pretty much what I had in mind to do.. So I guess its back to the drawing board? :(

Blog Update - 1 min practice clip

Major Project Unit- idea development

So I am looking into doing a doc series, and here is a sort of brainstorm of my thoughts in how to get an idea(s)

-BBC3/ Channel 4 target - therefore not so heavy, more personal, human interest, mainly youth orientated
- look up the production companies that have made docs that i like
- look for a 'gap' in the market in terms of what bbc3/ channel 4 may not have made a doc about before
- check out local press stories, as finding a local story is going to be much more viable to actually make
- what would i like to see?
- check out newspapers, helen said especially The Mail has a lot of human interest stories
- find a WHY for the story e.g a recent event, anniversary etc
- turn the story on its head, for example, a recent story has been the london riots, but that is too 'heavy' for my interests, however
if I could find a sort of bi-story of the people affected, it could alot more personal and lighter.



So, I looked up the production company that made BBC3's "Small teen, big world", which is Nine Lives Media, and it conspired that they also made -
"Nightmare in Suburbia: The Perfect Murder (#3.1)" (2011) ... Production Company
World's Oldest Conjoined Twins Move Home (2010) (TV) ... Production Company
Losing One of My Giant Legs (2010) (TV) ... Production Company
Dancer with Tiny Legs (2010) (TV) ... Production Company
Small Teen, Big World (2010) (TV) ... Production Company
The Man with Half a Body (2010) (TV) ... Production Company
"Extraordinary People: Britain's Tiniest Toddlers" (2009) ... Production Company
"Nightmare in Suburbia" (2008) ... Production Company
"Nightmare in Suburbia: Kidnapped (#1.6)" (2008) ... Production Company


I then looked up "Tulisa, my mum and me" and found this was made by MentornMedia, who also made a massive number of other similar pieces -
"Underage and pregnant", "Katie: My Beautiful Friends", "An Idiot abroad", "Night Cops", "I can't stop stealing", "Cutting edge: Katie: My beautiful face", "The man who can't stop hiccupping", "Cutting edge: Madeleine was her" and many many more!

Equally, Firecracker Films produced "Big Fat Gypsy Wedding", "Glamour Models, Mum and Me", "Our daughter the mermaid", "Baboon Woman", "My Penis and Everyone else's", "The Man who loves with Bears", "Pyromania", "Lock up your sons" and many many many more.

Major Project Unit - research

Channel 5's commission statement for docs and factual-

What We Are Looking For in Factual and Documentaries...


7.30pm
High Volume commissions and medium length runs skewed towards shared viewing. We’re aiming at soap avoiders here.
All programs must be ad funded for the 7.30pm slot. Examples are: How to take Stunning Pictures, Chinese Food in Minutes, Mexican Food Made Simple, Highland Emergency. Easy to watch technology shows could work here with lots of information take out.

8pm and 9pm
Wildlife - Obs doc series’ follows animal lovers who are experts in their field such as The Man Who Lives with Bears, Alone with Grizzlies, Sharkman, Mr. and Mrs. Wolf. Also light docs featuring nature and humans co-existing and/or living in strange situations such as There's a Hippo in My House.

Nature Shock Strand – Amazing and unusual tales of wildlife and the natural world, such as The Whale that Ate the Great White or Cannibal Hippos.

Adventure – Travel and adventure series featuring well known talent. E.g.: JLC: Turning Japanese, Extreme Fishing with Robson Green, Paul Merton in China and Paul Merton in India.

History – A modern take on well known events, legends or iconic figures, either series' or one offs. Also looking for interesting ways of getting into contemporary history and skewing younger. E.g.: Battle over Arnhem.

Revealed Strand – Attention grabbing mainstream subjects either series’ or one-offs, featuring iconic, historical figures, and/or stories that haven't been told. We're seeking a large, broad audience here from a wide spectrum of areas from WW2 to Tudors for example.

Extraordinary People Strand – Must feature tales of individuals or groups who live with extraordinary conditions. We’re looking for bigger and better stories with new and fresh subjects which must not have been seen before.

Engineering and Technology – Extraordinary feats of pioneering engineering. Commissions and acquisitions for 8pm. We are looking to move the genre on from Monster Moves and Megastructures and to re-invigorate this genre with specials and 3-4 part series and/or expert/presenter-led explorations. They must be big and extreme.

10pm
Looking for obs-docs here and younger skewing docs/series that appeal to a younger audience. Think out of the box. Example Candy Bar Girls.

Major Project - Research

http://www.productionfocus.com/?p=364


Very helpful and interesting article about commissioning documentaries!