2010 Schedule
TUESDAY, NOV. 30
02:30 pm
Steering Committee Nominations Open Onsite
Nominations for the Steering Committee are handed in to the Registration and Information Desk beginning Tuesday, November 30, at 8:30 am. Onsite nominations will be accepted up until Wednesday, December 1, at 10:00 am.
02:30 pm - 03:00 am
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.
04:30 pm - 06:30 pm
Meet the German Producers
WCSFP offers international producers the chance to fast track co-production partnerships with German producers in Dresden. Using a speed dating format, Meet the German Producers will allow international producers to pitch their ideas and concepts for German and international co-productions. The selected international producers will have seven minutes to pitch their concepts to individual German producers, all with extensive knowledge and industry experience. At the end of the session the international producers decide which of the German counterparts will best suit their interests and together they will try to secure the interest of German CEs. To score a place in this session, international producers will be asked to submit their profile and a one page idea in advance. Each producer can submit up to two proposals (each for a different project).
Session Producer:
Werner Vennewald, Head of Development and Non-Fiction, Vincent-TV (Germany)
06:30 pm - 07:30 pm
European Commission Micro Meeting
This session offers delegates new insights and information into the workings of the European Commission, including a look at star projects and co-production opportunities.
Speaker:
Patrick Vittet-Philippe, Press and Information Counsellor, Directorate General Research, European Commission (Belgium)
07:30 pm - 03:00 am
WCSFP Member Lounge and Videotheque Open
The WCSFP Member Lounge and Videotheque is located inside Bellevue 1.
08:30 pm - 09:15 pm
International Broadcasting Landscape Overview: Asia
Throughout Congress we will present an overview of the broadcasting landscape for science and history programming in the major territories of the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, and an update on the array of channels under the Discovery banner and the reorganization of National Geographic Channels.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVERDOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Shin Yasuda, Producer, International Co-productions, Programming Department, NHK (Japan)
Speakers:
Zhou Bing, Senior Director and Producer, China Central Newsreel & Documentary Film Studio (China)
Geraldine Phua, Executive, Media Development Authority of Singapore (Singapore)
Mohd Naguib Razak, Managing Director, Producer/Director, Blue In Green Productions (Malaysia)
08:30 pm - 09:15 pm
International Broadcasting Landscape Overview: National Geographic
Throughout Congress we will present an overview of the broadcasting landscape for science and history programming in the major territories of the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, and an update on the array of channels under the Discovery banner and the reorganization of National Geographic Channels.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVERDOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVERDOCS (USA)
Speakers:
Janet Han Vissering, SVP Program Development Wild, National Geographic Channels (USA)
Bridget Whalen-Hunnicutt, SVP of Development, Programming & Development, National Geographic Channel (USA)
09:29 pm - 10:14 pm
International Broadcasting Landscape Overview: Europe
Throughout Congress we will present an overview of the broadcasting landscape for science and history programming in the major territories of the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, and an update on the array of channels under the Discovery banner and the reorganization of National Geographic Channels.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVERDOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Robert Salvestrin, Pre-Acquisitions and Coproductions Manager, Gedeon Programmes (France)
Speaker:
Michael Breu, Science Journalist/Producer, Swiss National Public TV (Switzerland)
Henrik Ekman, Acquisitions Executive Nature and Science, SVT Acquisitions, SVT (Sweden)
Ann Julienne, Head of International Development, France Télévisions (France)
Riitta Jalonen, Commissioning Editor, YLE Teema, YLE (Finland)
09:30 pm - 10:15 pm
International Broadcasting Landscape Overview: USA
Throughout Congress we will present an overview of the broadcasting landscape for science and history programming in the major territories of the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, and an update on the array of channels under the Discovery banner and the reorganization of National Geographic Channels.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVERDOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Peter Hamilton, Managing Director, Peter Hamilton Consultants (USA)
Speakers:
Tom Koch, VP, PBS International (USA)
Dawn Porter, Principal, Trilogy Films (USA)
Susan Werbe, Executive Producer, History (USA)
10:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Who is Who and What is What in the German Broadcasting Landscape
The German broadcasting landscape is a major puzzle to everyone, including the Germans! This session offers an essential guide to the array of German and German-speaking networks and channels that commission science and history programming.
Session Producer and Moderator:
Patrick Hörl, Founder and Managing Director, Autentic (Germany)
Speakers:
Peter Arens, Managing Director, Culture and Science, ZDF (Germany)
Florian Falkenstein, Vice President, Documentaries and Factual Events, ProSiebenSat.1 TV Deutschland GmbH (Germany)
Walter Köhler, Head of Natural History Unit, ORF (Austria)
Matthias Kremin, Head of Culture and Science, WDR (Germany)
Dirk Neuhoff, Head of Documentaries, NDR Television (Germany)
Kai Sturm, Editor-in-Chief, Vox Television (Germany)
01:30 am - 03:30 am
Willkommen Cocktail
Join us in the heart of Dresden at the newly restored and renovated Kurländer Palace. Located behind the Frauenkirche and adjacent to the Albertinum, this “Palace of the Senses” is marked by stunning architecture, where the past reveals itself from beneath the rugged textures of historic untreated masonry. Coupling these original structural elements with a sleek and refreshing modern design, the interiors unite past and present to wonderfully sensationalize Dresden’s glorious restoration, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere for members to welcome one another on this first evening of Congress.
Presented in partnership with ZDF and ZDF Enterprises
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 1
02:30 pm - 12:30 am
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.
02:30 pm - 12:30 am
WCSFP Member Lounge and Videotheque Open
The WCSFP Member Lounge and Videotheque is located inside Bellevue 1.
03:15 pm - 05:00 pm
Welcome to Germany and What’s the Buzz?
If you’ve spent a good part of 2010 down a mineshaft, you might be interested in the science of drills and tunnelling - but what are the program trends and breakthroughs you’d have missed? Hurricanes, volcanoes, ash clouds and oil spills all pushed science to the top of the agenda (and helped commissioners brew up a ratings storm) while nostalgia encouraged programs about history within living memory. Was it a year of innovation or consolidation? Did we break new ground or create the illusion of novelty, turning everyday subjects into ratings gold through the alchemy of treatment and format? Did we still rely on celebrity to entice the viewer? How did we deal with the audience increasingly wanting content sliced up and served in bite-sized chunks - TV tapas or broadcast banquets? Was there real value? Will the programs last? Will we look back at the year Ten and see it as a year Zero? Consider all of this as we emerge above ground into Congress, blinking in the light to reveal the seams we’ve mined in order to bring our best ideas to the surface.
Session Producer:
Thomas Zwiessler, General Manager, Story House Productions (Germany)
Moderator:
Dirk Steffens, Presenter, Journalist and Wildlife Filmmaker, ZDF (Germany)
Presented in partnership with ZDF and ZDF Enterprises
04:00 pm
Steering Committee Nominations Close
Nominations for the Steering Committee can be handed in to the Registration & Information Desk up until the deadline of 10:00 am on Wednesday, December 1. A box will be provided in which to place nominations.
05:00 pm
Steering Committee Voting Opens
Following the close of nominations at 10 am, voting will open to fill 2010 WCSFP Steering Committee vacancies. A list of candidates will be posted at the Registration and Information Desk and ballots will be distributed to any attending member who wishes to vote. Votes can be cast in the sealed ballot box that will be placed at the Registration and Information Desk. Voting closes on Friday, December 3 at 10:00 am.
05:00 pm - 05:30 pm
Coffee Break
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments outside the session rooms.
05:30 pm - 07:00 pm
Don’t Mention the War
Like every other perennial favourite of WWII history, the stories of both Nazi and Allied bombings - whether those of London, Coventry, Berlin or Dresden - have been told and retold many times. The challenge for program makers is to find a new slant, a new angle, or possibly a new gimmick. In Don’t Mention the War - we welcome two distinguished program makers: celebrated German filmmaker Nico Hofmann and Channel 4’s David Glover. They will discuss their recent work and the pros and cons of a variety of different storytelling techniques that have been employed to help these stories cross the boundaries of nationality and generations. Were they successful in bringing in new audiences?
Session Producer:
Margie Bryant, Executive Producer, Serendipity Productions (Australia)
Moderator:
Alan Hayling, Editorial Director, Renegade (UK)
Speakers:
Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business Programming, BBC (UK)
David Glover, Commissioning Editor, Science, Channel 4 Television (UK)
Nico Hofmann, Filmmaker, Chairman of the Executive Board, teamWorx (Germany)
Steve Humphries, Managing Director, Testimony Films (UK)
Richard Kingsbury, Channel Head - Yesterday, UKTV (UK)
Tilman Remme, Creative Director, Picture Films (UK)
Louis Vaudeville, President and Producer, CC&C Clarke Costelle & Co (France)
05:30 pm - 07:00 pm
From “Out There” to Right Here - What You Need to Know About Transmedia
It’s the new buzzword for the clever stuff that your kids already take for granted - online games, interactive documentaries, non-linear storytelling - content that bounces between the web, the TV and the mobile. But transmedia is starting to go mainstream: big players have stopped dipping toes and started plunging in, using it to tackle the sort of factual content - science, history, social affairs - that’s the traditional territory of the TV documentary. So does it deliver? Judge for yourself as this session shows you the latest and most creative content competing for your audience, and asks leading producers and commissioning editors whether they think this is the future of factual.
Session Producer:
Marcus Herbert, Executive Producer, Specialist Factual, BBC Scotland (UK)
Moderator:
Frank Boyd, Creative Director, Unexpected Media (UK)
Speakers:
Bruno Felix, Executive Director, Submarine (Netherlands)
Shigeru Iino, Producer, Science Programs, NHK (Japan)
Matt Locke, Acting Head of Cross-Platform, Channel 4 (UK)
Debbie Myers, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Programming, Science Channel (USA)
06:00 pm - 06:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Karin Leske (MDM)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Speaker:
Karin Leske, Production, Documentaries, Animation, MDM (Germany)
06:30 pm - 07:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Charles Schuerhoff (PBS)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Speaker:
Charles Schuerhoff, Director of International Acquisitions, PBS International (USA)
07:00 pm - 08:30 pm
Lunch
Lunch served in the Palais Restaurant.
Presented in partnership with ZDF and ZDF Enterprises
07:00 pm - 07:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Caroline Behar (France 5)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Johanna Samuel, President- Acquisitions/International Distribution/Intl. Co-Productions, Nightwood International (Canada)
Speaker:
Caroline Behar, Head of Acquisitions and International Co-Productions, France 5 (France)
07:00 pm - 07:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Janet Han Vissering (National Geographic)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Alberta Nokes, Head of Development, Apartment 11 Productions (Canada)
Speaker:
Janet Han Vissering, Senior Vice President, Strategic Development and Co-Finance, National Geographic Channels International (USA)
07:30 pm - 08:15 pm
Lunchtime Screening: 50 Years of The Nature of Things
CBC’s The Nature of Things celebrates its 50th birthday by screening excerpts from episodes past, present and future. Come and see how science storytelling has evolved over the years.
Speakers:
Michael Allder, Executive Producer, Science & Natural History Unit, CBC (Canada)
Bob Culbert, Executive Producer, Documentary and Science Unit / Executive Producer, The Nature of Things, CBC (Canada)
07:30 pm - 08:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: David Glover (Channel 4)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Veronica Fury, Company Director, Fury Productions (Australia)
Speaker:
David Glover, Commissioning Editor, Science, Channel 4 Television (UK)
08:00 pm - 08:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Debbie Myers (Science Channel)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Anne Pick, VP & Executive Producer, Real to Reel Productions (Canada)
Speaker:
Debbie Myers, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Programming, Science Channel (USA)
08:00 pm - 08:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Linde Dehner and Ann-Christin Hornberger (ZDF/ARTE)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Volker Barth, Coordination, International Projects, Nature, Science, Living History, Anthro Media (Germany)
Speakers:
Linde Dehner, Commissioning Editor, Culture and Science, ZDF/ARTE (Germany)
Ann Christin Hornberger, Commissioning Editor, Culture and Science, ZDF/ARTE (Germany)
08:29 pm - 09:59 pm
Brilliant Beginnings - The First Five Minutes
The first five minutes of any show can often tell you whether it will be a hit or not. They can also reveal stark differences in storytelling, highlighting what works in different markets. Commissioners, programmers and buyers often make key decisions based on them. The first five minutes are also a challenge for the filmmaker: they must grab attention, establish characters, ideas and tone, and compel us to follow the story… right to the end. Too much hype and we may switch off; too little and we don’t know why we should care. Going beyond the pre-title set up, we look at what works, where, and why.
Session Producer:
Sonya Pemberton, Executive Producer/Managing Director, Pemberton Films (Australia)
Moderators:
Ralph Lee, Head of Specialist Factual, Channel 4 Television (UK)
Sonya Pemberton, Executive Producer/Managing Director, Pemberton Films (Australia)
Bridget Whalen-Hunnicutt, SVP of Development, Programming and Development, National Geographic Channel (USA)
Speakers:
Peter Arens, Managing Director, Culture and Science, ZDF (Germany)
Andrew Cohen, Head of Science, BBC (UK)
Jennifer Collins, Head of Factual, ABC Television (Australia)
Uwe Kersken, Managing Director, Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion GmbH (Germany)
Susan Werbe, Executive Producer, Programming, History (USA)
Presented in partnership with ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment
08:30 pm - 09:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Riitta Jalonen and Nina Tuominen (YLE)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Dawn Porter, Principal, Trilogy Films (USA)
Speakers:
Riitta Jalonen, Commissioning Editor, YLE Teema (Finland)
Nina Tuominen, Acquisition Executive, International Programme Acquisitions, YLE (Finland)
08:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Hard Science
Like every science producer on the planet, Paul Sen and Jim Al-Khalili are constantly wrestling with the problem of explaining hard scientific concepts like quantum physics, chaos theory, and cosmology to television audiences who may have no scientific education at all. The challenge is to engage an audience in intellectually demanding subjects in a way that’s both illuminating and entertaining. In this session they will discuss how to put tough scientific ideas on TV, showing clips from some of the best examples from around the world. The producers of these clips will also talk about their experiences and about how to satisfy audiences who demand ever more sophisticated programs.
Session Producer:
Paul Sen, Creative Director, Furnace TV (UK)
Moderators:
Jim Al-Khalili, Professor of Physics, Professor of Public Engagement in Science, EPSRC Senior Media Fellow, University of Surrey (UK)
Paul Sen, Creative Director, Furnace TV (UK)
Speakers:
Paula Apsell, Senior Executive Producer, NOVA / Director, Science Unit, WGBH (USA)
Ben Bowie, Senior Executive Producer, Darlow Smithson Productions (UK)
Christiane Goetz-Sobel, Head of Department, Science and Technology, ZDF (Germany)
Shinya Ide, Senior Producer, Current Affairs Programs, NHK (Japan)
09:00 pm - 09:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Alexander Hesse and Jens Monath (ZDF)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Bettina Hatami, Sunny Side of the Doc (France)
Speakers:
Alexander Hesse, Head of Department, History and Society, ZDF (Germany)
Jens Monath, Editor, History and Society, ZDF (Germany)
09:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: David Hooper (Espresso TV)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Speaker:
David Hooper, Managing Director, Espresso TV (UK)
10:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Tea
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments just outside the Members Lounge.
10:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Ralf Blasius and Georgina Eyre (Off The Fence)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Johanna Samuel, President- Acquisitions/International Distribution/Intl. Co-Productions, Nightwood International (Canada)
Speaker:
Ralf Blasius, Executive Producer, Off the Fence (Netherlands)
Georgina Eyre, Head of Acquisitions, Off The Fence (Netherlands)
10:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Is Factual Fd?
Television program makers, like all content producers, are wrestling with the effects of the digital revolution. How is it altering the way we make programs and the way audiences experience them? Do you tweet? Do you blog? Do you care? Is it possible to adapt to the online age? Or are we all f****d? We’ll be revealing the surprising results of our survey on what our members are already doing, or not doing, in the new media space. Come along and argue about the ten most important things you need to know to future-proof your business. Bring opinions, wit and brevity.
Session Producers:
John Farren, Creative Director, 360production.com (UK)
Marcus Herbert, Executive Producer, BBC Scotland (UK)
Janet Tobias, CEO, Sierra Tango Productions (USA)
Moderators:
John Farren, Creative Director, 360production.com (UK)
Janet Tobias, CEO, Sierra Tango Productions (USA)
10:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Window on Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe… what is it? The CIA says six countries; the UN says 10, and there were 23 in the former Eastern Bloc. That is a lot of stories, a lot of Polish Pierniki, and a lot of confusion. But our panel know exactly who they are and they know how to tell a good story. War, dictatorships and collapsed regimes have shaped them and inspired their films. What are they doing now? What’s new in the shifting shape that is Eastern Europe? Take a look through our window: you’ll get to see what’s coming out of the East, meet some outstanding producers, explore co-production opportunities, and perhaps even exchange recipes.
Session Producer:
Ruth Berry, Head of Science, CICADABellwether Productions (UK)
Moderator:
Walter Sucher, Head of Department, Science & Education, SWR-TV (Germany)
Speakers:
Ekaterina Eremenko, Director/Producer, EEFilms (Germany)
Tomáš Kudrna, Producer/Director, Armada Films (Czech Republic)
Andrea Prenghyova, Institute of Documentary Film (Czech Republic)
Anna Wydra, Producer/Production Manager, Otter Films (Poland)
11:30 pm - 12:30 am
Speed Dating 1
Speed Dating is a great way for independent producers to have a one-on-one chat with commissioners to whom they wouldn’t otherwise have easy access. This year has involved some preliminary matchmaking to make the encounters more rewarding for both parties. However, in keeping with the spirit of WCSFP, which is more about building networks and contacts than an actual market, we have asked the participating CEs to pre-select the projects that they find interesting - but they won’t know who or where they came from until their face-to-face meeting.
Session Producers:
Stephanie McArthur, Forum and Market Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Elizabeth Radshaw, Forum and Market Director, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
11:30 pm - 12:00 am
International Broadcasting Landscape Overview: UK
Throughout Congress we will present an overview of the broadcasting landscape for science and history programming in the major territories of the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, and an update on the array of channels under the Discovery banner and the reorganization of National Geographic Channels.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVERDOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Stuart Carter, Managing Director and Executive Producer, Pioneer Productions (UK)
Speaker:
Cassian Harrison, Commissioning Executive Producer, Specialist Factual, BBC (UK)
Richard Kingsbury, Channel Head, Good Food & Yesterday, UKTV (UK)
Leanne Klein, Head of Factual, Wall to Wall (UK)
Ralph Lee, Head of Specialist Factual, Channel 4 Television (UK)
01:30 am - 05:59 am
Ball and Brauhaus
Watzke Ball and Brauhaus is a house filled with the warmth and charm of centuries past. In this traditional brewery you will find the first unfiltered beer brewed in Dresden City: aromatic and pleasant to drink. Join us for a buffet dinner in the historic ballroom followed by live music and lots of dancing!
Special thanks to MDM
THURSDAY, DEC. 2
02:30 pm - 12:30 am
Registration and Information Desk Open
Registration and information desk open for pass pickup and general inquires.
02:30 pm - 12:30 am
WCSFP Member Lounge and Videotheque Open
The WCSFP Member Lounge and Videotheque is located inside Bellevue 1.
02:45 pm - 03:15 pm
International Broadcasting Landscape Overview: Discovery
Throughout Congress we will present an overview of the broadcasting landscape for science and history programming in the major territories of the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, and an update on the array of channels under the Discovery banner and the reorganization of National Geographic Channels.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVERDOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Daryl Karp, Managing Director, Tattooed Media (Australia)
Speakers:
Emily Flood, Manager, Program Development, Discovery Channel (USA)
Beth Hoppe, Executive Producer, Discovery Studios (USA)
Brian Lavin, Manager of Programming, Discovery Communications (USA)
Ken MacDonald, Vice President Programming, Discovery Channel Canada (Canada)
03:00 pm - 03:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Dirk Neuhoff (NDR Television)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Veronica Fury, Company Director, Fury Productions (Australia)
Speaker:
Dirk Neuhoff, Head of Documentaries, NDR Television (Germany)
03:30 pm - 05:00 pm
Films I Wish I Had Commissioned…. and Some That I Did!
In his newly expanded role as EVP of Global Programming for National Geographic Channels, Steve Burns is uniquely placed to see an array of science and history films from all over the world and is constantly on the look out for creative storytelling and high production values; or, as he puts it, “top notch” filmmaking. While television commissioners stick to the tried-and-true topics that they know will bring in audiences, producers have to come up with ever more creative ideas for refreshing the stories and the ways of telling them. Steve will unveil his pick of this year’s crop of top notch international films.
Host: Steve Burns, EVP of Global Programming, National Geographic Channels (USA)
03:30 pm - 05:00 pm
The Fundamentals of 3D Documentary Production
This session will focus on the essentials of producing documentaries in stereoscopic 3D. It will give an introduction to 3D perception of the human brain and lead through the various aspects and technologies of 3D image acquisition in the field, providing a brief overview of the possibilities and challenges in post-production and mastering, and concluding with the implications 3D production has in production management, scheduling and budgeting.
Session Producer:
Thomas Sassenberg, Director of Production Services, Story House Productions (USA)
Moderator:
Chris Haws, International Media Consultant (USA)
Speakers:
Joe Beirne, EVP, Technology, PostWorks NY (USA)
Phil Fairclough, EVP Development and Production, Creative Differences (USA)
Sarah Hume, VP of Production Management, Discovery Communications (USA)
Thomas Sassenberg, Director of Production Services, Story House Productions (USA)
04:00 pm - 04:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Whit Higgins (Fox International Channels)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Johanna Samuel, President- Acquisitions/International Distribution/Intl. Co-Productions, Nightwood International (Canada)
Speaker:
Whit Higgins, VP, Channel Development, Fox International Channels (Spain)
04:30 pm - 05:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: John Godfrey, Peter Newman and Ben Nguyen (SBS)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Speakers:
John Godfrey, EP Factual, SBS Corporation (Australia)
Peter Newman, EP Factual, SBS Corporation (Australia)
Ben Nguyen, Program Acquisitions, Documentary and Factual, SBS Corporation (Australia)
05:00 pm - 05:30 pm
Coffee Break
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments outside the session rooms.
05:30 pm - 07:00 pm
Cracking the Co-Pro Market
There are as many approaches to co-productions as there are projects and producers. A panel of veterans from the co-pro battlefront shares war stories and strategies for conquering international markets. Hear real tales of real projects, real deals and how they were put together.
Session Producer and Moderator:
Lisa Zeff, Co-President, Iliad Entertainment (USA)
Speakers:
Rudolph Herzog, Producer and Director, Brümmer & Herzog Filmproduktion (Germany)
Jasper James, CEO, Wide-Eyed Entertainment (UK)
Carsten Oblaender, Co-President and CEO, Story House Productions (Germany)
Mark Starowicz, Executive Director, Documentary Programming, CBC (Canada)
Presented in partnership with CBC and The Nature of Things
05:30 pm - 07:00 pm
3D On Trial - The Truth Behind the Hype
3D is the buzzword of the year, but is it true TV gold or just a flash in the pan? We will put 3D in the dock to judge whether it really adds a new dimension to TV production. Our skilled interrogators will cross-examine key witnesses and ask the burning questions that we all need the answers to: do the numbers add up or will 3D production leave me out of pocket, and can 21st century technology finally crack 3D, or will my audience get physically sick of it? If you want to know the truth (and nothing but the truth) about 3D, this is the session for you.
Session Producer:
Rob Hartel, Producer/Director, Windfall Films (UK)
Judge:
Sara Ramsden, Freelance Executive Producer (UK)
Prosecuting Lawyer:
David Glover, Commissioning Editor, Science, Channel 4 Television (UK)
Defense Lawyer:
Thomas von Hennet, Vice President, International Co-Production Drama & Factual, ProSiebenSat 1 TV Deutschland GmbH (Germany)
Witnesses:
Craig Colby, Director of Production, High Fidelity HDTV (Canada)
Yoshikatsu Date, Senior Engineer, CGI, NHK (Japan)
Phil Fairclough, EVP Development and Production, Creative Differences (USA)
Anthony Geffen, CEO, Atlantic Productions (UK)
Walter Köhler, Head of Natural History Unit, ORF (Austria)
Shin Yasuda, Producer, International Co-productions, Programming Department, NHK (Japan)
05:30 pm - 06:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Claudia Schreiner (MDR/ARD)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Dawn Porter, Principal, Trilogy Films (USA)
Speaker:
Claudia Schreiner, Head of Programme, Culture and Science, MDR/ARD (Germany)
06:00 pm - 06:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Chris Hoelzl (Smithsonian Networks)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Speaker:
Chris Hoelzl, VP Development, Smithsonian Networks (USA)
06:30 pm - 07:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Yvonne Body (Beyond Distribution)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Alberta Nokes, Head of Development, Apartment 11 Productions (Canada)
Speaker:
Yvonne Body, Head of Co-Productions & Acquisitions, Beyond Distribution (UK)
07:00 pm - 11:30 pm
The Art of Telling Science and History Stories - A Workshop for Scientists and Historians
A workshop for scientists and historians interested in getting their material onto film and TV. Do you get blank stares at cocktail parties when explaining your research? Do you have problems convincing your friends and family that your work is relevant and exciting? Relax. This session will enable you to formulate your own compelling television program idea that could - in principle - be aired on national and international broadcast channels. Hosted by a top international program commissioning team, this half day workshop will offer insight into the minds of the international media gatekeepers. You’ll get an inside glimpse of broadcasters’ appetites, desires and aversions. The workshop will prompt you to ask the unthinkable – “does my research really matter?” You’ll learn how to convey the significance of your work in an understandable manner. It will shed light on how engaging and entertaining television is really created, and will show you how to step back from that petri dish and the lingo known only in your field and tell a gripping story. Can’t be done? Come to the workshop and find out how it can. Gain confidence in relating your work to a general audience.
Session Producer:
Andrea Cross, Independent Producer/Writer/Director (Germany)
Chris Haws, International Media Consultant (USA)
Moderators:
Chris Haws, International Media Consultant (USA)
Jens Monath, Editor, History and Society, ZDF (Germany)
Sara Ramsden, Freelance Executive Producer (UK)
Participants:
Michael R. Alvers, CEO & Co-Founder, Transinsight GmbH (Germany)
Nicole Dubilier, Head of the Symbiosis Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Germany)
Thomas Fritz, Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (Germany)
Paul Heggarty, Senior Scientist in Linguistics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Germany)
Achim Kramer, Laboratory of Chronobiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institut für Medizinische Immunologie (Germany)
Ulrich Pietsch, Direktor der Porzellansammlung , Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Germany)
Josef Settele, Research Scientist, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ (Germany)
Martin Wikelski, Director, Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (Germany)
Sponsored by ZDF and ZDF Enterprises
07:00 pm - 07:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Ralph Lee (Channel 4)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Dawn Porter, Principal, Trilogy Films (USA)
Speaker:
Ralph Lee, Head of Specialist Factual, Channel 4 Television (UK)
07:00 pm - 08:30 pm
Lunch
Lunch served in the Palais Restaurant.
Presented in partnership with MDM
07:00 pm - 07:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Stéphane Millière (Gedeon Programmes)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Johanna Samuel, President- Acquisitions/International Distribution/Intl. Co-Productions, Nightwood International (Canada)
Speaker:
Stéphane Millière, President, Gedeon Programmes (France)
07:15 pm - 08:15 pm
Lunchtime In 3D
Come to see a selection of excerpts from some of the upcoming 3D programs soon coming to a stereoscopic television near you.
Moderator:
Diane Woods, Producer, aquaCULTURE Pictures / 3reedom Digital Inc (Canada)
07:30 pm - 08:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Melanie Wallace (NOVA)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Volker Barth, Coordination, International Projects, Nature, Science, Living History, Anthro Media (Germany)
Speaker:
Melanie Wallace, Senior Series Producer, NOVA, WGBH (USA)
08:00 pm - 08:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Hélène Coldefy (ARTE France)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Hoda Elatawi, Senior Producer, GAPC Entertainment (Canada)
Speaker:
Hélène Coldefy, Head of Specialist and Factual, ARTEFrance (France)
08:00 pm - 08:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Bob Culbert and Sue Dando (CBC)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Bettina Hatami, Sunny Side of the Doc (France)
Speakers:
Bob Culbert, Executive Producer, Documentary and Science Unit / Executive Producer, The Nature of Things, CBC (Canada)
Sue Dando, Executive Producer, Documentary Unit, CBC (Canada)
08:30 pm - 09:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Leila Monks (TVF International)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Speaker:
Leila Monks, Director, TVF International (UK)
08:30 pm - 10:00 pm
How to Tell a Nation’s Story - One Size Fits All or Made to Measure?
Telling the definitive story of a nation is not only hugely ambitious, it’s also inevitably emotive and controversial. Should you stoke people’s patriotic verve or tackle dark moments head on? The Story of Us burst onto U.S. screens this year with Sheryl Crow’s views on the Statue of Liberty and Michael Douglas on Abraham Lincoln’s virtues - a feel good glossy affirmation of the American dream. Australians came at it from another perspective, collecting stories and UGC online from ordinary people across the nation, while epic scripted docu-drama The Germans captured the moment when the nation felt able to be proud of its history again, twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Could these formats be applied to other national histories or is the approach so wrapped up with a country’s unique identity it could only work in one place?
Session Producer:
George Harris, Senior Producer, Development, Darlow Smithson Productions (UK)
Moderator:
Claudia Schreiner, Head of Programme, Culture and Science, ARD MDR (Germany)
Speakers:
Peter Arens, Managing Director, Culture and Science, ZDF (Germany)
Martin Davidson, Commissioning Editor, History and Business Programming, BBC (UK)
Ben Goold, Executive Producer, Nutopia (UK)
Chris Hilton, Executive Producer, Essential Media and Entertainment (Australia)
Beth Hoppe, Executive Producer, Discovery Studios (USA)
Uwe Kersken, Managing Director, Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion (Germany)
Dirk Neuhoff Head of Documentaries, NDR (Germany)
08:30 pm - 10:00 pm
The DNA of Fact Ent - How the Tried and Tested Ingredients and Skills of the Factual Entertainment Master Chefs Make Successful Recipes for Science and History TV
The boundaries between factual and pure entertainment television are increasingly porous. Pawn Stars, Deadliest Catch, The Young Ones, and Jimmy’s Food Factory are commissioned by science and history focused channels - do they really contain information as well as entertainment? Sometimes it is hard to tell reality shows and shows about reality apart. Critics complain that we’re in danger of sacrificing content for laughs and cheap thrills. But some of the most successful science and history shows are those which have taken the well-honed methods of popular entertainment shows and mixed them up with fascinating factual content. The result: shows that deliver a seamless package of content and fun and high ratings. Commissioners from USA, UK and Europe demonstrate some of the magic ingredients that make the best reality factual entertainment shows fly, and factual producers show how they have successfully used that fact ent DNA in new science and history formats.
Session Producer/ Moderator:
Malcolm Clark, Executive Producer, Twister Films (UK)
Speakers:
Jill Fullerton-Smith, Creative Director, BBC Scotland (UK)
Daryl Karp, Managing Director, Tattooed Media (Australia)
Brent Montgomery, Co-Founder and Owner, Leftfield Pictures (USA)
Michael Schedl von Brockdorff, Senior Program Manager, Factual Information and Magazine, ProSiebenSat1 TV Deutschland (Germany)
Kim Shillinglaw, Commissioning Editor, Science and Natural History, BBC (UK)
Susan Werbe, Executive Producer, History (USA)
Presented in partnership with EPI
09:00 pm - 09:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Paul Heaney (Cineflix)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
TBA
Speaker:
Paul Heaney, President and Managing Director, Cineflix International Distribution (UK)
09:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Elvira Lind (Spiegel TV)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Anne Pick, VP & Executive Producer, Real to Reel Productions (Canada)
Speaker:
Elvira Lind, Head of Acquisitions and Sales, Spiegel TV (Germany)
10:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Tea
Join your fellow members for a break with refreshments just outside the Members Lounge.
10:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Lindsay Cowan Dotchison (Discovery Canada)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Speaker:
Lindsay Cowan Dotchison, Director of Programming, Discovery, Discovery Canada (Canada)
10:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Who Do THEY Think THEY Are?
Producers, like broadcasters, are always looking to revisit, refresh, retune, and reinvent. One company that has perfected the art of refreshing and retuning is Wall to Wall. Wall to Wall are responsible for
ground-breaking formats which have been franchised, sold or copied all over the world, including House franchise and Who Do You Think You Are?, as well as event specials such as Man On Wire and Smallpox 2002. This year, as well as being voted Best Indie in the Televisual Peer Poll for the second year running, Wall to Wall has had three specialist factual series on BBC1 at 9 pm - Who Do You Think You Are?, The Young Ones and Turn Back Time: the High Street - all of which have been rating their socks off. Who Do You Think You Are? consistently delivers top ratings around the globe. Congress puts Wall to Wall on the spot: are they genuinely creative or are they cynically taking advantage of the current conservative state of the market just because - editorially and economically - one can. Focusing on four recent productions, Wall to Wall will take us through how they originate, develop and execute hit after hit.
Session Producer:
Jonathan Hewes, Deputy Chief Executive, Wall to Wall (UK)
Moderator:
Chris Hoelzl, VP Development, Smithsonian Networks (USA)
Speakers:
Alex Graham, Chief Executive, Wall to Wall (UK)
Jonathan Hewes, Deputy Chief Executive, Wall to Wall (UK)
Leanne Klein, Head of Factual, Wall to Wall (UK)
Tom McDonald, Executive Producer, Wall to Wall (UK)
10:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Blue Chip Meets Silicon Chip
Take real images captured with highly-specialized lenses and new imaging techniques, add some state of the art special effects, and presto: not only does the evolution in science and natural history program making unfold, but program makers learn things about animal behaviour that surprises even the experts. Producer and cameraman Martin Dohrn (Ammonite, UK) will show delegates how he and his team captured night footage of lions that is so astounding, even scientists with years of expertise have had to rethink their ideas about how lions hunt. This is the culmination of 18 years of work, capturing things never seen before ?by combining scientific tools with broadcast and imaging technology. Neuroscientist turned science film and video producer, Volker Barth runs a team who specialize in decoding scientific data and then visualizing the data to reveal the previously unseen. He will discuss how his team has improved on existing 3D animations of animals to show perfectly accurate movement in 3D graphics and showcase advancements in marine science. Finally, a member of the team behind Life Force, a co-production between NHK, NHNZ, France Télévisions and Discovery, will discuss how the team achieved rare and unusual footage of some of the world’s most astonishing animals and their behaviour through innovative use of colour night vision, extreme slow motion, and time-lapse.
Session Producer:
Gillian Mosely, Producer, medialab (UK)
Moderator:
Caroline Behar, Head of Acquisitions and International Co-Productions, France 5 (France)
Speakers:
Volker Barth, Coordination, International Projects, Anthro Media (Germany)
Martin Dohrn, Managing Director, Ammonite Limited (UK)
Hideki Tazuke, Senior Producer, Science Programs, NHK (Japan)
Presented in partnership with NHK
11:00 pm - 11:30 pm
Close Encounters of the Funding Kind: Emily Flood (Discovery)
Throughout the week WCSFP offers small group meetings with individual commissioning editors and media executives who either commission science and history programs from independent producers outside their own territories or who provide significant funding. Designed to be intimate and interactive, the numbers will be strictly limited and advance sign-up is required to attend this session. Sign-up forms will be available at the registration and information desk one hour before the start time.
Session Producers:
Diana Ingraham, Managing Director/Conference Director, US Independents/SILVER DOCS (USA)
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Moderator:
Meg Villarreal, Director, US Independents (USA)
Speaker:
Emily Flood, Manager, Program Development, Discovery Communications (USA)
11:30 pm - 12:30 am
Speed Dating 2
Speed Dating is a great way for independent producers to have a one-on-one chat with commissioners to whom they wouldn’t otherwise have easy access. This year has involved some preliminary matchmaking to make the encounters more rewarding for both parties. However, in keeping with the spirit of WCSFP, which is more about building networks and contacts than an actual market, we have asked the participating CEs to pre-select the projects that they find interesting - but they won’t know who or where they came from until their face-to-face meeting.
Session Producer:
Stephanie McArthur, Forum and Market Manager, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
Elizabeth Radshaw, Director, Forum and Market Director, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (Canada)
11:30 pm - 12:30 am
The Pitch
Come and discover the next great German science or history story and expert. All delegates are invited to a public session where three experts - recently and briefly schooled in art of pitching as part of the closed workshop The Art of Telling Stories - will expose their stories, and themselves, to the glare of your merciless scrutiny! Learn about current German research which isn’t as well-known outside of Germany as it should be. Always surprising; always productive, and always fun.
Moderator:
Chris Haws, International Media Consultant (USA)
Speakers:
Hélène Coldefy, Head of Specialist and Factual, ARTEFrance (France)
Linde Dehner, Commissioning Editor, Culture and Science, ZDF/ARTE (Germany)
John Godfrey, EP Factual, SBS Corporation (Australia)
Ann-Christin Hornberger, Commissioning Editor, Culture and Science, ZDF/ARTE (Germany)
Thomas Kamp, Commissioning Editor, Culture and Science, WDR (Germany)
Howard Swartz, Executive Producer, NOVA, WGBH (USA)
Janet Han Vissering, Senior Vice President, Strategic Development and Co-Finance, National Geographic Channels International (USA)
Melanie Wallace, Senior Series Producer, NOVA, WGBH (USA)
Participants:
Michael R. Alvers, CEO & Co-Founder, Transinsight GmbH (Germany)
Nicole Dubilier, Head of the Symbiosis Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Germany)
Thomas Fritz, Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (Germany)
Achim Kramer, Laboratory of Chronobiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institut für Medizinische Immunologie (Germany)
Ulrich Pietsch, Direktor der Porzellansammlung , Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Germany)
Josef Settele, Research Scientist, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ (Germany)
Martin Wikelski, Director, Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (Germany)
12:30 am - 01:30 am
Dresden Reborn: A Private Tour of the Frauenkirche
Thanks to generous arrangements by Host Broadcaster ZDF, WCSFP delegates will have exclusive access to one of Dresden’s most famous landmarks, the Frauenkirche. Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World