Why Your Documentary Grant Proposal Should be Like a Great Ski Run

At Sheffield Doc/Fest in 2015 one of the panels, which consisted of a range of funders and filmmakers, discussed how documentary producer/directors could best approach writing grant proposals for documentary funds. Writing proposals is generally the thing that visually-driven filmmakers like doing least. And, as Tracie Holder, Production Assistance Program Consultant to NYC-based Women Make Movies, pointed out: it’s hard to know what a good proposal looks like as filmmakers never see other people’s proposals.

Tracie explained that a written proposal is your introduction to a funder, so it should establish confidence that you can deliver a fantastic film.The reader should be able to “ski down the proposal without hitting any red flags”.

How to Write a Proposal a TV Commissioner Will Actually Read

Commissioning editors can receive up to 80 programme proposals a week; few will be read from start to finish. Many commissioners never read past the first paragraph, or even the title. On average, they make a decision within 40 seconds. Usually that decision results in the proposal being filed in the bin.

So how can you make sure a commissioner keeps reading to the end of your proposal? Here are ten ways to make your proposal stand out and keep your commissioner reading to the end.

The Development Toolkit: Proposal, Trailer, Pitch

The three key elements of your pitch are the paper proposal, the trailer and the verbal pitch. In this panel, which took place at Sheffield Doc/Fest’s DFG Day in 2011 three experts talk about how to hone your pitch materials: Andrea Paterson, Development Producer, Fresh One describes an effective written proposal. Fernanda Rossi, Documentary and […]

The Power of the Right Words

If you want to know how to get people to do what you want to do, watch this video:

How to Kill Innovation

Is the question “what about…” the killer of innovation? Entrepreneur Scott Anthony thinks it is. He says that “resource-rich companies have the “luxury” of researching and researching problems” and that stops progress being made. Is this something you are guilty of when researching an new factual programme idea (especially if it’s a subject you know […]

Greenlit: Developing Factual/Reality TV Ideas From Concept to Pitch by Nicola Lees

There are some simple principles to successfully developing and pitching your ideas, whether you are working for a global ‘super-indie’ production company, or are a documentary filmmaker pitching a passion project. The extraordinary thing is that no one will tell you what they are! Greenlit is the first book to reveal, step-by-step, how to originate, develop and pitch your factual/non-scripted TV ideas in a global market.

Get insider tips from: * 10 TV development producers – who have a combined 50+ years experience of developing and pitching ideas at all levels; * 20 senior executives who have sold some of the world’s most successful shows, to: * 16 channel executives, who between them have worked at: * 18 TV channels in: * 7 countries across 4 continents.

Greenlit is available now from Amazon and all good bookstores.

Development and Pitching 101: How to Write a Nonfiction TV Proposal

Once you’ve developed your idea you need to commit it to paper. Although you might be itching to pitch your idea verbally, the process of writing it down can really help to flush out the flaws in your concept.

Although the pitching process often starts with a conversation, at some point you will need to submit a proposal, or longer treatment, before a contract agreement can be made with a channel so they can see exactly what they are committing to. And having a detailed written proposal creates a paper trail if you ever feel your idea has been ripped off. Click through to find out where to get sample proposals. (Photo by jm3 CC BY SA 2.0)

Copyblogger Articles You Need to Read Before You Write Your TV Proposal: Part III

Sometimes, OK often, you know you need to do something – come up with an idea, write a proposal – but somehow you just can’t seem to sit down and do it. You’ll know this problem because you’ll suddenly become interested in doing the things you’d usually avoid – washing up, ironing or dropping off your dry cleaning.

In the final part of this three-part series on turbocharging your development skills we look at how you can overcome your mental blocks, with the help of Copyblogger, which was named by The Guardian as one of the World’s 50 Most Powerful Blogs (click through the titles to read the full articles).(Photo by AuthenticEccentric CC BY- SA 2.0)

Copyblogger Articles You Need to Read Before You Write Your TV Proposal: Part II

Copyblogger named by The Guardian as one of the World’s 50 Most Powerful Blogs is a site all about marketing online content, but you can adapt the principles to help you write your TV proposal. In the second of this three-part series on turbocharging your development skills we look at some article that will help your proposal grab a buyer’s attention – making your idea stand out; starting your proposal with a bang, and using bullet points (click through to read more).

(Photo by AuthenticEccentric under CC BY- SA 2.0)

Copyblogger Articles You Need to Read Before You Write Your TV Proposal: Part I

Writing a concise, compelling proposal is a task that many TV producers and filmmakers find difficult: coming up with the idea and visualizing what it will look like probably comes easily to you; but being able to put your idea into words in a proposal or in a pitch is a different matter entirely. You have to switch from thinking like a director and start thinking like a copywriter. Copywriters (at least good ones) sell stuff and that’s the purpose of your proposal – it’s a sales pitch.

Copyblogger, named by The Guardian as one of the World’s 50 Most Powerful Blogs, is a site all about marketing online content, but you can adapt Copyblogger’s principles to help you write your TV proposal. In the first of this three-part series on turbocharging your development skills we look at some articles that explain the simple writing rules that you should use to polish your proposal so it looks professional. Click through to read more. (Photo by AuthenticEccentric CC BY- SA 2.0)

How to Write an Arresting Tagline: Quiz Answers

Last week, we looked at loglines – where you boil your concept down into one succinct, hooky sentence – with a fiendishly difficult quiz. As promised, here are the answers (click on the headline to go to the answers). Remember, the first thing your buyer will look at is the title, so the logline should complement and build upon it, so they get an instant feel for the tone and content of your programme. Give yourself a point for each one (and subtract five if you failed to get no. 6 correct).

If you didn’t do that well, you can console yourself with the thought that the loglines weren’t doing their job properly.

And, as ever, feel free to share, tweet or comment. (Photo by ♠ le max)

How to Write an Arresting Factual TV Tagline: A Quiz

When you are selling factual television show, whether you are sending an email, writing a proposal or pitching in an elevator, you need to capture the attention of a buyer within seconds. The best way of doing that is to boil down your concept into a single succinct sentence that captures the essence of your programme, suggests the content and makes your commissioner want to know more.

A successful logline (aka tagline or strapline) looks deceptively simple and obvious, but they are fiendishly difficult to devise; and you need to have thought your idea through thoroughly in order to do it right. That means a lot of work, but you knew that, right?

The best way to understand loglines is to look at what other people have come up with, so here’s a quiz to get you going.

I’ve given you 20 taglines that have been attributed to factual TV shows – can guess which show each one refers to (I’ve removed the actual name of the shows in a couple of instances)?

(Photo by Nick J Webb)

TV Proposal Writing Lessons from George Orwell

When writing a proposal for your TV show, you have to impress your commissioner, right? Wrong. You need to communicate to your commissioner exactly what you’re proposing as succinctly and clearly as possible. And that means cutting out long words and jargon. Less, in this instance is definitely more. And that’s because your proposal has […]

The Secret of Finding Fabulous Free Photos For Your Television Proposal

A well-chosen image makes your proposal stand out. It helps communicate the tone of the show and allows the commissioner to visualize how the programme might look stylistically. The finished show won’t look anything like your photograph, but at this stage you are in the business of seduction – and you wouldn’t put a ropey photo on your online dating profile. Would you..? (Photo by anarchosyn under Attribution-Share Alike CC)

How to Write a Proposal a TV Commissioner Will Actually Read

Commissioning editors can receive up to 80 programme proposals a week; few will be read from start to finish.

Many commissioners never read past the first paragraph, or even the title. On average, they make a decision within 40 seconds. Usually that decision results in the proposal being filed in the bin.

So how can you make sure a commissioner keeps reading to the end of your proposal? Here are ten ways to make your proposal stand out and keep your commissioner reading to the end.

15 Steps to Writing an Impressive Non-Fiction TV Proposal

Your written proposal is possibly your first – maybe your only – shot at impressing a commissioner so it’s important to capture their attention for the right reasons. Take the time to get it right.