UpdatesfromtheGuardianEdinburghInternationalTelevisionFestival

This week Directors UK CEO, Andrew Chowns is at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival along with Head of Campaigns, Alison Bailey and Chair, Charles Sturridge. They are attending and participating in sessions and lobbying on behalf of directors. Whilst they're there they will be sending through daily updates.

Saturday 23rd August

Andrew: Day 2 of the Edinburgh TV Festival began with a session entitled How to be a Better Indie. Set up in two parts, this session was structured around two research projects by SPA. For the first, they surveyed 200 freelancers and asked them a number of questions about their working life. They also surveyed the top indies and commissioners and asked them a set of questions about what it is like to deal with each other. The survey results can be seen here and make for grim reading, with 77% of freelancers saying they received no training from indies, 44% saying they felt that their employer took advantage of them, 42% having had their contractual dates changed at short notice, 56% having to work at weekends and much more like this.

I understand that the original idea of the session was to have freelancers on the panel to comment on the survey findings, which would have made for a bright debate. Unfortunately, I think the organisers were nervous about this and in the end it was mostly about how well the top two indies - Wall to Wall and Betty - had performed, with videos about their workforce and executives from both companies on the panel talking about how they run their companies. Good though it was to see best practice laid out in this way, it was all getting very rose-tinted as it went on. As the moderator Conor Dignam moved to a close with questions from the audience, I jumped in to say that the reality of a freelancer's life was better understood by the survey results and that our caseload at Directors UK included examples of directors being denied some basic decent treatment: suffering from unpaid salaries and expenses, rolled up or no holiday pay, unfair contract terminations, expropriation of copyright and so on. To his credit Conor said that the session was not intended to minimise the problems and when I spoke to him afterwards he told me that Broadcast was going to look at following up this survey in more detail, which would be welcome.

Another survey provided the focus on the next session which revisited last year's We Need to talk about Commissioning. In that session, many examples of poor behaviour and practice by commissioners towards producers were exposed and it prompted much soul-searching. Any hope that the trend would be reversed was dashed pretty early on as the new results revealed that the bad behaviour was persisting if not getting worse in some cases, with the BBC and Channel 4 coming off especially badly. You can see the results here.

Most worrying for me was to read about behaviour that will impact on freelance directors - productions being started before the commissioner has given the go-ahead, productions where the broadcasters require unreasonable and unpaid development, and overspending that results from unclear editorial guidance. Charlotte Brotherton and I have heard many directors tell us their own experiences of these traits and it is a real concern that they are not being tackled with sufficient urgency by the broadcasters concerned. Although they all appealed to the audience for people who had suffered from these poor practices to come forward it seemed to me that they were failing to show a genuine sense of being prepared to listen to others and to act decisively when problems were pointed out to them.

The big session of the afternoon examined the BBC's recently announced proposal to end its production quotas for indies and in-house productions, and to allow in-house to make programmes for other broadcasters. The big winners from this idea will be the super-indies who currently can only pitch for 25% of BBC commissions because they no longer qualify as indies under the rules due to their foreign ownership. The new proposal would free them from any limits but make life very hard for the smaller indies and BBC in-house productions. In my view, the only way BBC in-house could survive would be if it also behaved just like a super-indie and concentrated on making global formats with a minimal staff. The loser here would be the viewers, who would see a diminution of the range and quality of programmes.

Pact dropped a bombshell halfway through the session when John McVay revealed the results of some research they have commissioned that suggested that £500m could be saved over 10 years if BBC in-house productions were transferred to Indies or contracted out. It became clear that this meant BBC shows like Eastenders being contracted out to indies and the BBC being potentially left with nothing. At this point moderator Steve Hewlett, with perfect timing, decided to ask for a poll of the audience on whether the BBC should stay in production, which resulted in a 77% vote in favour. There is still a fight to be had over this proposal. We at Directors UK believe that it would be very damaging to abolish all the quotas and other creative guilds and unions agree with us on this. This battle is far from over.

Friday 22nd August

Alison:

Is TV the New Film? Alison summarises the points raised at this morning's panel session, which included director and Directors UK member SJ Clarkson as one of its contributors:

So what is the recent shift? Acting and directing profession used to view TV as a platform to film but TV is seen as increasingly respectable. The popularity of TV and its expansion is widening the opportunity for storytellers to tell stories in different ways using long and short forms. Film industry is not in great shape and weaker than it has been, many film companies looking to make some move into the TV arena. TV hasn't taken over from film but the HE tax break means that production can move beyond film and expand British drama. The UK market is seeing more drama made here and confidence has snowballed. The US paid-for cable is setting the standard. SJ Clarkson: Ever since the distinctively cinematic Spooks (which is now the norm) there has been increased ambition within TV and the lines are blurring and talent crisscrossing. Film industry is polarised right now with $200m franchises that lock talent in for years or ultra low budget independents that are difficult to distribute so if you're not established or have an existing fan base you don't get to make films. The BFI stat Quoted bfi 83% stat on first time directors to illustrate point around breaking through. Has the passion for film moved over to online TV? It's a different experience but was is clear is the desire of the viewer/consumer to immerse themselves in richness of content and binge. Talent can commit to this form of TV in a different way, they're given the opportunity to develop and delve into a character over many hours rather than just 1.5-2. Impact of US markets and standard of content from HBO et al has meant that the UK is increasingly commissioning more filmic and larger scale content. This in turn has driven the need to seek partnerships in order to secure funds. Co-productions are carefully entered into because thay can potentially have an impact on the outcome (through editorial influence). Inward investment has also led to inflation across the industry that itself contributes to the need to look for partner support. Partnerships in Europe are not as common because it's felt there's a shared sensibility with the US, although more Europeans are now starting to look to English language commissions. How is making high end TV in the US different to the UK? SJ Clarkson: US directors have more money, more people and more toys, but less time. SJ Clarkson: TV seems to be exploring the more risky and dark societal concepts that film is currently unwilling to explore. It's more challenging. TV has been dominated by writers but the growth of the showrunner is helping to highlight the role of the director as the creative voice. Directors bring an a authenticity to the work and a director's involvement in the early stages, looking at the script and being collaborative, makes all the difference. Good direction attracts acting talent, which in turn attracts audiences and leads to revenues - the virtuous circle all projects seek. Thursday 21st August

Andrew: First up was a session with the main broadcasters asking Is TV Racist? It began promisingly with ABC USA's head of casting Kelly Lee explaining a project she has been running several years on on-screen diversity, illustrated with a high impact promo reel with a dazzlingly diverse range of characters. All the broadcasters admitted to embarrassment about the declining presence of BAME people on and off-screen, for example a couple of stats came to light that over the past year there have been more daleks on the cover of the Radio Times than there have been ethnic minorities and that more TV Commissioners are called Dave than are non-white. Stuart Murphy for BSkyB threw down a gauntlet with their announcement earlier this week of a 20% quota for lead roles and writers and at least one out of 6 main creative roles to be BAME. The other broadcasters were against quotas and far less direct in their approach, and the feeling in the audience seemed to be that this could be yet another example of warm words but not enough action.

The good news is that they are all committed to collecting data about diversity on and off screen, but will they all take the necessary action once they see the findings? For a group of broadcasters who intervene in productions and their crewing regularly, it seems weird to me that they seem so reluctant to act directly in this case. The session could have done with some producers and creative individuals on the panel to give it more bite. And no opportunity to ask questions from the floor - always a worrying sign...

David Abraham, Channel 4 CEO, used his MacTaggart Lecture to mount an attack on the takeover of much of the UK's broadcasters and producers by major US studios and platforms. He started brightly with an interesting reference to a scene from Mike Leigh's Mr Turner, comparing Turner's refusal of a lucrative offer for his paintings from a wealthy man because his works had already been bequeathed to the nation to enjoy for free. There was plenty to agree with in his pledges of support for creativity and innovation. However, he used large parts of his speech to boast of Chanel 4's achievements and to call for government assistance to improve Channel 4's commercial position with BSkyB and the indies. There was no acknowledgement of the channel's growing reliance on acquired programmes and heavily formatted factual series. Expect the wrath of Sky to rain down...

Alison: 

Danny Cohen: Meet the Controller opened with question of which fictional character Cohen would be: he answered with "Doctor Who's assistant" as the enabler of brilliance, providing opportunities and being part of the best projects. 

The discussion rapidly moved onto Jeremy Clarkson and whether he truly is untouchable given his brushes with controversy; Cohen reiterated his 'public and private unhappiness' which physically manifested itself in his letter to Guardian . When pressed on whether Clarkson had been given a final warning, Cohen stated again he was unhappy and Clarkson was aware of this. Although he also reported that Clarkson maintains his language didn't warrant the responses it's received, so seemingly this has been to little or no effect. Cohen stated that no one person is bigger than the channel...it looks like we'll have to wait and see for the next gaff then! "Mission BBC 2" continues to be informing through exciting, dramatic and original content. In-house production has focused on developing new presenter talent. In terms of content, Kim Shillinglaw's appointment will result in a fresh approach, wishing to make a mark, a new eye and ultimately more risk-taking. Kim is looking to reinvent feature formats and growing from BBC2 to BBC1. Food programmes particularly need to move from "Chop and cook" to a new approach. BBC2 & BBC4 will continue to develop an ever-closer relationship. With shared audiences for some content there are increasingly shared seasons. Complimentary in that if BBC2 is looking at the universe as a big picture, then BBC4 is deep-dive looking at atomic level. This interaction is very important. With the average age of the BBC2 viewer over 55 there is push to get audiences across the range and particularly aged 30-55. The Horizon strand is considered very successful at bringing through new presenters but Danny agreed that it is white male dominated. Although arguable BBC better at bringing in new talent than most and continues to set standards and will "p ush harder". Factual - documentary range is impressive and now looking to be slightly more entertaining in an "edgy" way going forward. Looking at half-hour factuals and to open up opportunities for more gritty content. Drama - asked about the impact of box sets and Netflix, Cohen's response was to say that this isn't a problem as drama repeats practically disappeared from the BBC2 schedule 3-4 years ago. It is a "golden age" for TV drama and it's eclipsing films. The US market comments frequently on the quality coming out of the UK; we're getting it right and it is not necessary to ape the "US model". Cohen happy to produce 14 frame series for price of two series of House of Cards, as this gives greater opportunity and wider range of voices and talent. Comedy still enjoys healthy commissioning, BBC3 continues to be a great nursery slope for mainstream development. In relation to budget and production: a smaller BBC will mean a smaller creative industry in many ways and so charter renewal conditions will be extremely significant.

Cassian Harrison BBC4: Meet the Controller

BBC4 is a unique singular channel, there is nothing else like it. Legacy-building, a unique voice, a platform for innovation. But the truth about audience is that anything referencing society post-1989 sees drop-off begin. Worked with Kim at BBC2 previously in commissioning and she is very conducive to a shared approach to running channels, mindful of their respective content and missions. BBC2 draws a mainstream audience and BBC4 provides depth. There is a singular approach to factual content. Style is an EPG that spikes interest and opens the door to much much more info in a way that's non-threatening but intellectually strong. 26% budget cuts are manageable, more money is not the solution but innovation in projects. Developing new relationships that enable content production and working more with the nations, British Library and British Museum for example. Elegant and interesting solutions. Saturday foreign drama pulling mainstream audiences but not because they're needed per se as this programming is not ratings-driven. Which means they can take chances on new things - for instance, about to launch new 15-minute dialogues from new writers along the lines of Talking Heads. Pitching- feels he gets to hear enough pitches already but at the same time invited them. Keep them short and be aware he will use his commissions team as he relies on them for understanding their areas. Currently looking for comedy that can be bold and bring critical comment along lines of The Thick of It and 2012. "Sharp-ended pungent content about world we live in".

Jay Hunt Channel 4: Meet the Controller

A brief foray into Jay's background: born Australia, raised in the US and went to school and university in the UK. A transient and challenging way of growing-up makes her a good fit for a worldly channel. A "resilient outsider". Returning after what was a relatively tough session last year but the channel has turned a corner with huge successes. Secured its reputation for backing risk-taking productions through strong commissioning of indies and busting genres. The Island (seeding control to participants) and The Last Leg just two examples. Channel has moved to a healthier balance than when she joined, when Big Brother dominated in terms of volume and remainder was a schizophrenic mix of small-scale public service content courting awards. Educating Yorkshire is evolution of risk-taking as the "Essex version" not seen in big volumes but they took a further punt on strong content about being young in Britain today. The documentary team are returning today to film GCSE results, that they will quickly turn around and get out in an episode tonight. This demonstrates the adaptive way of genre working, innovative form. The next big rig show is with non-English speaking tribe in south-west Ethiopia which again is technically risky and innovative. Questioned about Syria Across the Lines, which was well-regarded but failed to achieve mass audiences. Hunt: international current affairs are notoriously difficult to get numbers for and it's for other content to carry numbers and to enable the channel to continue producing important content. She knew when commissioning piece on FGM that it wasn't exactly the X Factor. Desperately seeking Friday night comedy for 10pm slot, ideas on what we can do as strong alternative to news. Goggle Box seen as an example of huge risk in the simplicity of the idea, could have failed and first series didn't work, the second series was better and produced Friday 9pm slot with 3-4m audience, so proving itself. First Dates was cited as Hunt's 'what was I thinking' programme as dating has always been hard to crack and the third series is still working on getting formula quite right. Hunt doesn't miss the absence of Big Brother as it had dominated and adversely-shaped the rest of the channel and latterly became embarrassing when it was still on. Comment on controversy of Benefit Street - this was public service broadcasting with audiences at X-Factor level and engaged 16-24 year-olds in the run-up to an election, looking at an important issue such as welfare. It featured difficult and inflammatory content but was a quality piece of work. Yes it was tabloid nirvana on a critical political issue but it led to an open and live public debate held by the broadcaster and was commended by Ofcom on the treatment of the young people featured. Diversity - actively pursuing through commissioning and ensuring strong women role models in commissioning. The "Henry intervention" has prompted an important debate and there is a clear consensus that we need to do better. On Sky quota: CDN and Silver Mouse will better monitor and 20% might work for Sky but not everyone else. Channel 4 'Stripping content across channels' with new commission Cucumber that will have a related series called Banana on E4 and internet content called Tofu. About being gay in modern Britain and some characters from Cucumber will be found on Banana - an ethnically-diverse programme too.