Training crisis? What crisis?

Broadcast: In My View

Everyone benefits from having a well-trained freelance community, says Nick Catliff

In The Guardian recently, Maggie Brown declared that TV was in a “chaotic state”, relying “too heavily on poorly trained freelancers”. More than 50% of independent TV employers said they couldn’t afford to invest in training, which wasn’t a priority in the current economic climate.

As chairman of the Indie Training Fund (ITF) – a non-profit training provider for TV and digital media professionals – I just don’t recognise the picture Maggie paints. There are some skills shortages in TV and many freelancers struggle to build a coherent career path but, at the same time, the indie sector is carrying out a great deal of high-quality training.

Recent Skillset research reveals that more than 60% of TV indies have funded or arranged training or development in the past year. Nearly 70% offered it to people on short-term contracts.

Much of it is in-house. Companies such as Lime Pictures and Shed Media have shrewdly decided to resolve skills shortages by training their own teams.

Other indies, from giants like Shine, Endemol, Zodiak and Talkback Thames to leaner outfits like Feelgood Fiction, Oxford Film & TV, Windfall Films, Wildfire and my own company, Lion, provide financial backing for the ITF. In return, each receives tailor-made training for their staff.

Through the ITF, these companies also make a major contribution to the Skillset TV Skills Fund, which provides training bursaries for freelancers and employees.

By far the largest funder of Skillset is the BBC, which, as well as putting cash into training schemes across the industry, trains large numbers of its own staff at the BBC Academy. This in turn feeds into the indie community since virtually everyone who goes through a BBC course will sooner or later turn up on a freelance contract at an indie.  Similarly, we should welcome Channel 4’s commitment to train a new generation of TV journalists for Dispatches. The best will go on to work in the indie sector.

Funding will always be an issue. Sky, ITV and the cable channels are among those who withdrew financial support from Skillset some years ago. The indie sector can and should do better.

While we all benefit from training across the board, many companies do little in-house training and don’t provide funding for the industry’s key training organisation, the ITF. Frankly, they are getting a free ride.

I would argue that, for all indies, training is enlightened self-interest. Better-trained staff means better programmes and better use of ever-tightening budgets.

Offering top-quality training is also a way for any company to attract and retain the best people, since it shows a clear commitment that goes beyond the limitations of yet another short-term contract.

There are many ways to achieve this and I, of course, would urge any indie to contribute to the ITF and work with us to understand any skills gaps and provide the best training.

In co-operation with our partners – including broadcasters, Pact, Skillset, the BBC Academy and other training providers – we’re determined to lead the way by developing the professional skills of the next generation of programme-makers.

Nick Catliff is managing director of Lion Television and chairs the Indie Training Fund

Posted by indietrainingfund
Tags: BBC Academy, channel 4, endemol, Feelgood Fiction, ITF, Lion Television, Oxford Film & TV, pact, Shine, Skillset, Talkback Thames, Wildfire, Windfall Films, Zodiak
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ITF Fast Track session at MGEITF, Edinburgh

Is Big Brother Dead? – creative anarchy at Endemol

‘Creativity is what separates us from pretty much every producer out there: we’re creative and entrepreneurial with a good dose of anarchy, but – importantly – we are successful because we believe in our shows. The great advantage that Endemol has is that we are a collection of creative and entrepreneurial producers – each is at the top of their game. Creating a show is like inventing a new sport: for a sport to work it’s got to have drama and emotion and you have to care about who wins. And that’s what we try to create at Endemol.’

Endemol UK CEO Tim Hincks was addressing ambitious young hot shots in the ITF-sponsored Fast Track session ‘Small Screen, Big Business’ of the Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival, on Thursday 26th August. The event was opened by ITF Trustee David Strachan (joint MD of Scottish indie Tern) who told the delegates how much ITF could develop their professional skills, as it had done with his own teams at Tern.

The Fast Track scheme gives 40 of the industry’s future movers and shakers the chance to network and gain access to senior industry executives, over two days of intimate and insightful masterclasses.

‘My first real break in TV was with a small Indie company, Bazal Productions. The indie sector is where I grew up, so that was important to me, and I think the indie sector thrives on and teaches you, if you want it, is how to think on your feet and grab chances as they appear.’

Now that Hincks runs the super indie Endemol he is putting that ethos into action on a daily basis.

‘As indies, no one owes us a living: we don’t have advertising money coming in to us, we don’t have a licence fee, we don’t have subscriptions. If we stopped making shows tomorrow, we would go bankrupt. That’s what would happen, so it’s incredibly important we create our own stuff. Endemol is an ideas generator, that’s what we do.’

Small screen success has its new challenges with tougher economic challenges and the battle between quality and audience share.

‘Everyone talks about risk, but nobody wants to take them. If you’re a broadcaster, your lifespan is so much shorter than it ever was: you make one mistake and that’s it. So the pressure on broadcasters is immense and it’s important to understand that. They need the shows to work. Everything’s about money about the moment. People are commissioning things that they consider to be more reliable and extending brands more than taking risks. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, after all, I’m a viewer and I like to watch stuff that works’ said Hincks.

As Endemol ’s Big Brother evicts its housemates for the very last time on Channel 4, Hincks hinted at its likely resurrection in a way to deliver an even bigger buzz than when the blockbuster show launched in 2000.

‘Even after 10 years, Big Brother is far and away the biggest show Channel 4 has. It still manages to double its average viewing figures – utterly extraordinary. You can compare it with a sporting event or soap opera for longevity’ said Hincks.

‘ Big Brother is clearly a brand that’s doing better than it’s done before and, with a loyal audience, I think it’s going to carry on in some form. The questions are: what shape it will be in? where and when should it be shown? should we rest it for a bit before reviving it? or should we bring it straight back – perhaps on a different channel?’

‘Whatever we do next with Big Brother, there’s a big decision to be made. But I guarantee it’s not about how we make loads of money now, it’s how we keep it running for the next ten years. It’s a question about creativity as much as it is about economic. A purely business-oriented company could really ruin Big Brother.’

Hincks closed the Fast Track session – his last as MGEITF executive chair -– with inspirational words for the next generation of TV and digital media executives:

‘Creative people and producers are like premiership football players – we’re the most valuable thing in a company . Your value is immense.’

Endemol UK is an ITF Member Company. Tern TV Managing Director David Strachan – who introduced the Fast Track – is a member of ITF’s Board of Trustees.

Posted by indietrainingfund
Tags: bazal, big brother, brand, creativity, david strachan, endemol, fast track, media guardian, mgeitf, risk, small screen big business, tern tv, tim hincks
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So what’s all this multiplatform business?

ITF Open Forum

in association with Film London

When? Wednesday 18th March 2009 at 18.00

Where? Framestore Cinema, 19-23 Wells Street, London W1T 3PQ

Price? Free

In the current tough financial climate, TV & digital media production companies are exploring different ways of surviving the storm, including the use of branded and commercial platforms as well as broadcast ones.

space

• Why is this important, especially for the future of digital Britain?

• Who’s commissioning what, and for which platforms?

• How does a digital project differ from a TV commission?

• What is wanted for different platforms, and how is it funded?

• How do you develop & make successful projects?

• Can you make money out of cross-platform production?

• How can you make the most of digital rights?

• Starting with digital interactive content rather than TV?

• The importance of collaboration and joined-up production for TV and digital media teams

Contributors:

Andrew Chitty (Illumina Digital Managing Director) – Chair

Peter Cowley (Endemol UK Director of Digital Media)

Louise Brown (Channel 4 Head of Cross-platform Commissioning)

Jonathan Jackson (Digital Rights Group Chief Operating Officer)

Anthony Lukom (MySpace UK Managing Director)

This is one of a new series of free ITF Open Forum evening discussions when leading industry figures will talk about the latest hot topics in our business. TV, film and digital media professionals are all welcome, and those attending will have a chance to share their experiences and network with each other.

Agenda

1800 Registration, light refreshments & networking

1830 Forum session begins

Followed by open discussion & questions

2015 Closure

Online registration at www.filmlondon.org.uk/seminars

Please note that this event is now fully subscribed, and already has a large waiting list

NB: Contributors are subject to change and will be updated on this page.

Posted by indietrainingfund
Tags: channel 4, chitty, digital media, digital rights group, endemol, Film London, Illumina, interactive, ITF Open Forum, multiplatform, myspace
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