| Producer’s Passion is Key to Broadcast Deals |
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Page 3 of 3 Passion can be expressed in many waysTypically projects already have development money from other sources, such as Telefilm or Astral Media’s Harold Greenberg Fund. And like Telefilm or the provincial funding agencies, development funding from the Made With Pay Fund must be paid back on the first day of principal photography. But as a broadcaster, Gillen has right of first refusal to license the film. “We don’t license everything we develop, because we develop a lot of projects, but typically if we like it and put in development money we hope it’s going to go the distance.” On the set of It's All Gone Pete Tong with lead Paul Kaye What makes a project stand out? To Gillen, it’s passion. But, she notes, that can be expressed in many ways. It can happen in a two-page synopsis attached to the script or during an in-person interview. Or in some photographs that capture the mood and tone of the project. But, Gillen adds, don’t include any visuals that aren’t going to be part of the film. “Meaning, don’t use a Camcorder to shoot you and your family badly acting out the living room scene and tell me that the real thing will be much better.” When asked to name the single most important element, Gillen replied without hesitation: “The script. A good director and a good cast can elevate a weak script up to a point, but nothing can make a bad script good.”  |
