BBC Multiplatform is to visit the South West in November – and we’re giving local TV and digital media companies the chance to put your ideas to them.Fresh from signing the first ever city partnership with Bristol, the BBC is now seeking new talent from the South West region to bring science to life for a multiplatform audience.
South West Screen and the BBC are therefore pleased to be hosting an intimate workshop with a small number of digital and TV companies aiming to explore potential partnerships and projects. This will be a one-day event held on Tuesday 24 November at Arnolfini, Bristol.
Lisa Sargood, Multiplatform Commissioning Executive for Science & Natural History for BBC, will invite up to 10 TV businesses and 10 digital agencies to the seminar in which she will explain the BBCs future multiplatform/digital strategy and highlight the opportunities it presents. She will also outline current significant projects and provide a commissioner brief on any science or factual gaps they have.
To see if you might be eligible to attend, please see below the criteria the BBC is looking for and see if you fit the bill. Then send an Expresssion of Interest, explaining in up to 250 words why you would like to be there. Please email hannah.green@swscreen.co.uk by 9am on Monday 9th November. Invitations will be issued by Friday 20th November.

BBC TV / DIGITAL MULTIPLATFORM WORKSHOP
Description

South West Screen is working with the BBC on a project to achieve 3 key aims:

•to improve understanding of multiplatform opportunities at BBC; •to foster collaboration between traditional TV companies and digital agencies; •to generate some new and interesting ideas in the multiplatform space (especially in factual / science).
On 24th November the BBC and South West Screen will stage an event for a small group selected by application against BBC criteria. This workshop will have up to 20 participants with a mix of TV businesses and digital agencies, potentially with other outside influences, i.e. a scientist. The BBC will explain future multiplatform/digital strategy and opportunity, show and tell on significant or illustrative projects, and brief on current gaps/need as they relate to Science / Factual in particular. However, rather than a one way monologue, the event will be focused on generating productive new relationships and new multiplatform ideas – bringing digital and TV businesses together to brainstorm against a broad theme.

Criteria

We are now seeking expressions of interest from companies who would like to attend the workshop.

In the first instance you must be either a television production company or digital communications business which is looking to expand its business through strategic partnership. Companies must be based, or have a permanent production office, in the South West and attendees must be creatives at a senior level – for example, Executive Producer, Producer or Creative Director.

In addition:

■TV production companies must have secured at least one commission from a UK broadcaster (not necessarily the BBC), clearly factual experience is preferable but not essential

■Digital Media companies will ideally have 5+ employees and must be able to evidence delivery, whether commercial or corporate, for a significant media organisation client

As well as details on your company and representative we would ask that you send 250 words answering the following questions:

■Why this workshop is relevant to you and what you see as the opportunity for factual content in the multiplatform space?
■What your interest in science or factual content is? What expertise do you bring?

Expressions of interest should be e-mailed to: hannah.green@swscreen.co.uk by 9am on Monday November 9th.

To confirm, the workshop will take place on 24th November at the Arnolfini in Bristol. There will also be an opportunity for participants to attend a wider BBC Commissioning briefing in Bristol on the 25th.

Successful applicants will be supplied with a brief ahead of time by Lisa Sargood, BBC Multiplatform Commissioning Executive, in order to frame the thinking and parameters for the day.

Background information

BBC Definition of “multiplatform” – Multiplatform is where all platforms (i.e. TV, online, mobile etc) complement each other to enrich the experience of the audience. The BBC will commission across all platforms by a single process, meaning that there is a one-stop shop for multimedia commissioning..

BBC Vision commissioning site:www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning

And the Science Multiplatform requirements in particular: http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/network/genres/science_detail.shtml#multiplatform

The BBC is actively seeking to expand its supplier base of digital media businesses in the SW, for details see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/futuremediacommissioning/supplier/register.pl


Bristol-BBC-Anchor is the new formal collaboration between the BBC, Bristol City Council, South West England’s Regional Development Agency, South West Screen and other local organisations listed on the website bristol-bbc-anchor.org