Emerging TV Producers Program

Program Overview

The Emerging TV Producers Program provides training and mentorship for up to ten women and gender-diverse creators, with the goal of providing business skills, training and connections to break into the complex Canadian TV production system.

We held an Information Session on May 27. You can watch it here!

Key Dates

Program Outline

PHASE 1: Foundation Workshops

Participants will take part in an in-person, hands-on television business training in Vancouver, September 22-26, 2023. This is a series of Foundation Workshops led by instructors and assistants expert in industry business practices and possessing essential knowledge of what emerging TV producers need to know to get a foot in the door.

The Foundation Workshops will cover:

• Assessing your opportunities: Who and where the broadcasters are, what streamers and other TV funders exist in Canada and how they work with emerging producers. What are they looking for, whether your project is a good fit and what they expect from you as a producer.
• Navigating funding applications: Researching and interpreting the different requirements and intentions/mandates of each fund, how to do budget estimates and work with budget formats, and how to source and solicit required reference letters and mentors.
• Making a connection: Who and where to pitch your project and how to pitch when you get the chance. 
• Follow up: timing, techniques and skills. Attending markets, making and maintaining contacts, promoting yourself and your project.
• Putting the money together: Designing a financing plan: how broadcast licenses work, applying for CMF funding, tax credits and other sources and how to put them all together.
• Creating a budget and financing plan: Creating an appropriate budget – estimating, researching, calculating – and learning ways to scale your budget depending on the funding you might secure.
• The legal side: Understanding and assessing company structures, financing contracts, license agreements, deal memos, rights clearances and chain of title.
• Other sources of support for your TV project: distributors, broadcasters outside of Canada, crowd-funding, other grants. How to find them, and what they can do for you.

PHASE 2: Project Packaging with One-on-One Consultations

From September to December, 2023, participants will apply what they learned, at their own pace, to package their projects for development funding and or industry markets. Each participant will be matched to a mentor, who will review and provide advice on their project.

• Strategic Plan
• Financial Plan
• Budget & Budget Strategy
• Project Package
• Funding application

Costs

There is no cost to apply or participate in the program. Funds for travel, accommodations, and meals will be provided to out-of-town participants. Assistance will be provided for childcare and other accessibility barriers based on needs.

Applicant Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you:

• Identify as female or gender diverse.
• Reside in British Columbia.
• Are a Canadian citizen or have a permanent resident status, and aged 18 or over.
• Do not have a credit as a producer or show-runner on an existing Canadian TV series project (Telus Storyhive project producers and writers are eligible to apply). 
• Have an eligible project in development, for which you have already completed narrative pilot script. 
• Own the intellectual property of the submitted project.

It is the program’s mandate to have a diverse cohort that includes women and gender diverse persons from the IBPOC, LGBTQ2S+, and persons living with disabilities communities. Sign language and mobility accommodations will be provided as needed.

Only one person per project may apply. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact etvp@womeninfilm.ca.

Project Eligibility

We are looking for projects that have strong potential to succeed in the Canadian TV market. These types of projects will prioritize authentic storytelling and will showcase compelling stories through a bold and original point of view. We are looking for projects that already have a clearly developed pilot treatment and season outline. ETVP is not a story development lab, but rather a business skills training program for emerging producers and showrunners. However, the applicants will workshop the packaging of their project with their mentors in Phase 2, so it is important that the project be ready to package.

Projects should be: :

• Narrative live-action series only (reality, lifestyle, animation, variety or sketch comedy are not eligible).
• Limited (6-8 episodes) or recurring series.
• Projects can be half-hour or hour-long episodes, or short form series.
• Project should be well-suited to the contemporary Canadian TV landscape (could be made within similar budget and scope of existing Canadian TV projects).
• Project can be in any language, but application materials in languages other than English must contain translations.

If you are curious in learning more about what some Canadian broadcasters are looking for, please take a look at these guidelines outlined by CBC, APTN, Bell Media, and Crave. 

Application Requirements

• Completed Application and Release Form 
• Pitch document that clearly outlines the project’s story, themes, and creative approach (max. 10 pages, in a single PDF). This document should include:
  • Project details (program format, genre, running time, number of episodes).
  • Synopsis 
  • Series  Outline (Season 1 overview and mention of any further seasons if applicable)
  • Character descriptions
  • Target audience and any plans to reach/engage with them
  • Financing plan (no financing need to be in place, but please outline who you would pitch this project to)
  • List of any creatives attached to the project, if applicable
  • Brief description of other projects in your production or development slate, if applicable
• Letter of intent telling us more about who you are and your desired career path. Please outline why you want to participate in ETVP and how this program would help advance your career (max. 1 page).
• Applicant CV with filmography (max. 2 pages).
• Two letters of support (max 1 page each) from an industry contact who is familiar with you and your work.

Selection Process

Applications will be scored heavily on the strength and originality of the proposed project, on the applicant’s potential as an emerging producer or showrunner, and on the project’s suitability for the Canadian TV landscape. The selection process will be influenced by the program’s intent to select a diverse group of participants, who are not all based in Vancouver.

Frequently Asked Questions

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