Wednesday, 5 August 2009

StartinTV.com launches countrywide competition to find best new TV ideas - kit and b roll available

StartinTV.com is calling on undiscovered TV talent across the UK to join forces and enter their film/TV ideas in a competition on Facebook, as part of a major drive to find the next generation of creative programme-makers.

The competition is backed by the National Film and Television School (NFTS), Staffordshire University, and Screenhouse Training which are offering the winners short courses and master classes ranging from Final Cut Pro editing, to Single-Camera direction and Presenting. The courses are led by industry experts, including the award-winning director David G Croft, head of television at the National Film and Television School, StartinTV Managing Director David Wheeler and BAFTA winning Director Patrick Titley.

‘We know there’s a wealth of new TV talent out there, with untapped ideas, and the ability to create great productions, who are struggling to get their foot in the door of the film and television industry, says David Wheeler.

‘At the same time, the fall in advertising revenues and growth of digital channels puts even greater pressure on commissioners to track down exciting content at a realistic cost – if they are to grow audiences and market share. To achieve this, we need to find more ways to bring the two together.’

StartinTV.com provides help to TV production companies and networks to find skilled, competent and talented people through its free online search service, and will be providing expert guidance on how to create a professional Programme Treatment.

Talented people often work in isolation. That’s why the StartinTV.com competition will use the advantages of social networking on Facebook to bring talented individuals together, and for the first time get them to collaborate with other talented people in their region to develop ideas and create compelling sizzle tapes that will get their talents noticed.

“Ideas are crucial in getting your first foot in the door which is the toughest part of getting into TV” says Grant Mansfield, managing director and chairman of RDF Television. “If you assume that everybody that comes along for an interview is clever then the difference that will give someone the edge is having loads of ideas. It gives them an instant head start.”

It's an excellent idea which addresses an important issue in the TV industry. People making programmes need to be aware of the huge resource of talent waiting to get into the industry. It has long been missing out on this unknown talent. Now it no longer has to be about who you know rather than what you know. The site will be of huge benefit to the industry and the viewer. StartinTV, means they are able to select talented new people with the skills they need.

The competition is being judged by David G Croft of the NFTS, David Wheeler, producer/director and StartinTV Managing Director, and Trevor Hill, industry leader and former asst. head of network programmes, BBC Manchester.

The deadline for competition entries is 9th September 2009. The winning entries will be announced at a screening led by leading figures from TV at the British Film Institute on London’s South Bank in September 2009.
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To set up an interview with David Wheeler, Managing Director of StartinTV.com, Zilpah Hartley, Georgina Burnett or Trevor Hill, please contact David Wheeler at StartinTV.com 01428 722468 m: 07850 771108 e: DavidHwheeler@btinternet.com

Notes to editors
A three minute news package about the Facebook competition will shortly be available by email, online, and DVD, for editors, to accompany the story.

How to enter:

1. Register on the StartinTV pages on Facebook. (facebook/com/StartinTV). StartinTV currently has regional groups at London, Manchester, Birmingham, Devon, Cornwall, Taunton, West Midlands , Liverpool, Bristol, Dorset, Gloucestershire and North West - with more coming on stream all the time..
2. Gather your talented crew and start developing your idea.
3. See the proposal writing techniques/rules on StartinTV.com/news and email your entry in to competition@StartinTV.com
4. If you have a taster video, send it in to: StartinTV, P.O. Box 891, Cheltenham, GL50 2WT

About StartinTV.com

The www.StartinTV.com website offers expert help and advice to newcomers to the television and film industries.
Since 2001, StartinTV.com has helped talented people across the UK to start their television or film careers. Founded by David Wheeler and a leading TV Presenter, StartinTV matches television producers like BBC TV, ITV, Channel 4 and MTV with exciting new talent. It has also expanded its roster to include Camera Operators, Researchers, Scriptwriters, Sound and Lighting Technicians, Editors and Presenters who are launching their careers in the film and television industry.

The Judges

David Wheeler is a BBC trained Producer/Director with over 20 years experience in the industry, David is a Film Production Lecturer at Staffordshire University. He has also judged Broadcast Talent awards, IVCA awards, Assisted with Princes Trust Film-makers.

David G. Croft has directed and produced some of the most well known entertainment programmes on network television over the past 25 years. He is highly experienced in Studio and Outside Broadcast multi-camera directing of both live and recorded programmes and has directed and produced single camera documentaries. His credits include Live Aid (BAFTA winner), Crystal Maze (BAFTA Nominated), Shooting Stars (SILVER ROSE of MONTREAUX winner), Top of The Pops, Wogan

Trevor Hill was a key player in searching for new talent in the past, and was responsible for starting the careers of Judith Chalmers, Geoffrey Wheeler, Ben Kingsley, Tony Warren, Robert Powell and Billie Whitelaw to name a few. He understands the importance of finding good talent and giving them a chance.

Tuesday, 28 July 2009

TV and Video clips sought

TV and video clips are being sought for a European AIDS Video Clip Competition right across Europe for the first time. Formerly just held in Germany, entries are invited from anywhere in Europe this year.

'Clip & Klar Europe 09' is a creative competition hosted annually by the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) with the aim of raising and strengthening awareness around the issue of HIV/AIDS prevention.

The competition seeks film and video clips no longer than 60 seconds in length that creatively and sensitively address the topic of AIDS and HIV prevention by reinforcing awareness to a broader public. They can be carried out in the form of documentary, narrative or similar productions.

Most importantly, the productions should be original, address young viewers and encourage an active awareness of Aids and Aids prevention. Live action animation, computer-animated films or a combination of these techniques, even short films that communicate their message without dialogue are welcome.

A prominent European jury will decide which clips will take the prizes. Three prizes will be awarded in each of the two main categories:

'Best National T.V. and Cinema Campaign against AIDS'

and

'Best AIDS Video Clip by a Filmmaker or Film Student'

Winners can look forward to cash prizes ranging from €2,000 - 5,000.

The official announcement of contest-winners will take place at the awards ceremony to be held at the Gloria Theater in Cologne on November 12th, 2009. The event is kindly supported by Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V., Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung and Aidshilfe Köln e.V.

The deadline for entries is 8 September 2009 and entry regulations can be downloaded at www.clipundklar-bzga.de

Over 33 million people world-wide are either infected with the HIV virus or suffering from the disease itself - AIDS. World-wide, every 12 seconds a person is newly infected with HIV. For this reason AIDS is still one of the most life-threatening diseases for which there is neither a cure, nor vaccination. Therefore, protection against HIV / AIDS is essential, even if the face of AIDS has changed today.

It is for these reasons that the BZgA announces its Europe-wide call for submissions to the European AIDS Video Clip Contest "clip & klar europe 09".

Since 1987, Germany has been active in campaigning in the fight against HIV/AIDS, both in European and international sectors.

All entries will be shown on the website www.hivisible.euTV and Video

Friday, 20 March 2009

Zattoo takes BBC Alba online to the Highlands and Islands ahead of BBC

BBC Alba, the Gaelic channel, goes live online today for the first time, thanks to Zattoo. BBC Alba is a digital TV channel broadcasting Gaelic programmes daily from 1700-2330.

Zattoo beats the BBC in putting the channel fully live online. Until now it has only been available on digital satellite: Freeview carriage is subject to review by the BBC Trust in 2010.

Alex Guest, Country Manager UK for Zattoo, says: “There are people in Scotland who are unable to receive BBC Alba because they don’t have satellite receivers. Licence fee money is being invested in this channel but it has not been reaching all of the interested audiences. We were approached by representatives of these communities asking us to put the channel online. So Zattoo is happy to assist the BBC in delivering on its public service commitments at no additional cost to the licence fee payer.”

Zattoo is uniquely positioned to take part in the delivery of public service broadcasting to communities around the UK, through its online TV infrastructure. It is Zattoo’s intention to do all it can to give diverse local communities access to the content that is intended for them.


What is Zattoo?

Zattoo is an online TV player. Users download the player from http://zattoo.com and can watch live TV from the top broadcasters on their computers within minutes. The Zattoo player is available for all current operating systems (Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux). Just add broadband.

http://zattoo.com