Workshop a rousing success

The Canadian Film Centre’s first annual Television Workshop wrapped March 31 with some very solid promises for its residents. Workshop producer Karen Lee Hall, an independent assistant director and film producer (The Fairy Who Didn’t Want To Be A Fairy Anymore, A Particular Messiah) estimated that ‘at least half the people walked away with discussion offers.’

The residents, made up of 20 experienced writers and producers with projects in early stages of development, spent four weeks in creative sessions with established industry types from Canada, the u.s. and Britain. Panel topics included assessing tv formats, studying the functions of the funding agencies and looking at various case studies.

The plan was for each participant to develop at least one proposal to the point of a comprehensive pitch to tv executive producers and programmers including Martin Katz of Atlantis Films, Deborah Bernstein of cbc, Farrukh Dhondy of Channel Four in the u.k. and Christine Shipton of Alliance.

According to Hall, ‘ctv, Primedia and ytv all showed strong interest in some projects. Alliance purchased a couple of movies and Channel Four gave solid offers to two or three people. Alliance wants to bring in a couple of writers (Gail Collins and Aurora Winter) to write for a new series. Deborah Day did well vis-a-vis Channel Four, and Dwayne John Beaver got a solid offer from Channel Four. ytv was really interested in Atul Rao and Carolyn Mamshur. Peter Lower (of ctv) was solidly interested in Ted Biggs’ project and Laura Hutchinson Maclean (from Lethbridge) has been invited to consult on North of 60.

‘No one expected this unbelievable outpouring of support,’ says Hall.

The workshop committee will meet to discuss any necessary changes in the future, but the Centre has confirmed the workshop will be back next year.