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NSI Totally Television phase two teams on their second boot camp

Posted: 16 Apr 2018 11:03 AM PDT

From left: Alexandra Caulfield, Gemma Holdway, Rob Ramsay and Jon Mann

Our phase two NSI Totally Television students recently finished their second boot camp in Toronto where they continued to polish their TV project ideas with the assistance of industry mentors.

We asked students to tell us about it.

Alexandra Caulfield (producer), DeGeneration

I’m flying back to Vancouver. It’s Friday night and we have just finished the second boot camp. Thinking back to September when we had our first boot camp it’s amazing to see how much our project has evolved, and all the ways I’ve grown as a producer.

Through NSI Totally Television we’ve dug deep into our show, DeGeneration, and got clearer on our characters and the story we’re telling.

In this phase of boot camp, Sandra Chwialkowska was our script editor and her insights about pilot episodes in the US vs Canadian markets was invaluable from a producing standpoint. And our mock pitches at the beginning and end of the week were great practice.

Coming from an independent filmmaking background, the world of television felt a bit foreign to me. Catalina Briceño from the Canada Media Fund (CMF) was so informative about the state of the industry in Canada, and also introduced me to the CMF Trends website which is an invaluable resource I’ve only begun to use.

In both boot camps we had case studies – industry professionals talked us through how they actually got their shows made, what their biggest challenges were and what it took to overcome them. These were both informative and inspiring. Talking with Jess Watson (Boat Rocker Media) and Justin Rebelo (Entertainment One) clarified for us that we’re on the right track with where we want our show to live.

Meeting with line producer Chris Hatcher about the realities of the budget our show requires helped us make adjustments where necessary.

I’m so grateful for the opportunities this program has provided me with, and for the guidance of Joy Loewen, program manager and Julie Di Cresce, program advisor. Next stop Banff!

Gemma Holdway (writer), DeGeneration

When I think back to where DeGeneration was, before we started this program, I realize that I couldn’t have asked for a richer experience. I actually wish I could go through this process with each and every script I’ve ever written. This 10-month course is an education and a huge advantage to anyone who not only wants to work in television but also give their own projects their best shot at getting made.

Joy and Julie tailor the course to what we both want and need as a producer/writer team. They ask us “Who do you want to meet with?” and do their best to make those connections for us. It’s really empowering for us as creatives and I hope we make them proud in the long run.

Alexandra and I are closer than ever. Not just as friends but also as professionals. We have a shorthand now so if one of us is pitching and trails off or gets stuck, the other is so attuned to what’s going on and the other’s looks and habits, they can jump in. We’re a solid team and we would not be yin and yang if we had not gone through this process.

Having worked with two story editors (Karen Walton and Sandra Chwialkowska) now over two boot camps, we’ve been through the process of knocking down the house, solidifying the foundation and rebuilding again.

I love the story editor sessions. It’s a lot of work but it’s where I get the most help. The tricky thing with DeGeneration is that it’s a mystery show and how much we reveal in the pilot is often up for discussion.

We jam-packed the pilot draft that Karen worked on with us and were encouraged to pull back and slow-burn several storylines so that we could focus on the core dynamic between a mother and daughter. Then, when we worked with Sandra, she encouraged us to frontload with more mystery and answers to really hook the reader.

Karen and Sandra were both right. There’s a fine line between mystery and confusion. Alexandra and I continue to navigate this carefully. We have a very clear vision for this project but we continue to make changes, consistently elevating the material. That’s the nature of television.

We met a huge variety of people over the course of each boot camp and everyone who came to see us was so generous with their time. Distribution, budgets, financing and the general ever-evolving landscape of television can be confusing. This is a safe place to ask questions.

Now we have the know-how to talk comfortably about a strategy for our series.

Rob Ramsay (producer), Wolfville

Another exciting week, another giant leap for Wolfville.

This past boot camp offered invaluable expertise, connections and opportunities. It started with an incredibly helpful meeting with story editor Adam Higgs. He was able to push our story and guide us on how to make our script tighter and more fluid at the same time.

It’s incredible to look back at the script we originally submitted to NSI Totally Television and the version we have now. It’s come leaps and bounds with the assistance of some of the best in the business.

We also heard from Tecca Crosby (Entertainment One), Alex Patrick (Take the Shot Productions) and actor/writer/exec producer Allan Hawco on their experience with Mary Kills People and Caught. Hearing firsthand accounts was invaluable and we were able to pull things from both conversations that we can directly apply to our process and future tactics.

A laundry list of informative meetings filled out the rest of the week. Catalina Briceño shared her knowledge of CMF key trends. Emma Hartley (Creative Industries, Ryerson University) helped make our pitch better and Jenn Kuzmyk gave us tips and tricks for the Banff World Media Festival.

All of these sessions and many more gave us confidence for a lineup of industry meetings on Friday. Walking into CBC and Sienna Films we reflected on where this process began and where we are now – all thanks to NSI.

Next stop Banff.

Jon Mann (writer), Wolfville

In May 2017, Rob and I submitted submitted Wolfville to NSI Totally Television. We were naive writers, but had a drive to learn as much as we could, and would have been happy to just receive notes from the jury on our script.

What we didn’t know was how the past year would be shaped by the Institute as professionals and as people.

We knew what we had, which was a unique take on how small towns can shape people from childhood into adulthood. We also knew what we were trying to say. Unfortunately, those two aspects of our story were not quite in sync, and could definitely be considered to still be in ‘theory’ stage. It was a great script, in theory.

What it needed was direction and mentoring, which is exactly what it received from the program.

The project went through a massive re-write during phase one of the course but, every step of the way, our vision for the story and characters were respected.

Notes are never easy. However, the program is designed in a way that creates an open dialogue between editor and writer. Working with James Hurst and Adam Higgs as our story editors propelled our script from simply finished to something we are very proud of.

NSI created the perfect environment for us to meet with the biggest names in Canadian television. It gave us the confidence to share our project and also the insight to talk about the project. Questions from Kathleen Meek (Bell Media) helped us understand where specific improvements could be made.

We can’t wait to take our experiences and knowledge from the program to Banff in June.

• • •

NSI Totally Television provides hands-on series development training for creative producer/writer teams serious about getting their television series concept made.

The program has produced 13 series that have gone into development: six have gone to air, one was piloted and another was produced as a feature film that had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

NSI Totally Television is made possible by Presenting Sponsor Bell Media; Program Partner Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; and Territorial Sponsor Yukon Media Development. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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