Documentary Proposal

So I've just come out of my commissioning proposal with:

• Sarah Murch, former head of ITV Granada documentaries, now of Blakeway TV, one of the biggest producers of factual programming in Britain
• Sol Papadopulos, head of Hurricane Films
• Camilla Affleck, journalist, experienced documentary maker and member of Liverpool Screen School staff

And received feedback on my documentary... A Fighter's Story
I went in completely nervous seeing as most other people are doing doc's centred on news stories such as cot death and homophobic attacks, but I have taken the profile route. The 3 commissioners were completely lovely but I'm still unsure on my own idea as I'm not entirely sure whether it's going to work in the way that I want it to.

This is Mark Russell...

He is 3 times heavyweight champion of the world in Thai boxing and has featured in award winning films. I met him on my work experience in Crewe as he was running a six week kickboxing program in schools around the area with children who are not keen in P.E. and struggle to focus. I thought this guy would make a really interesting documentary to understand his life story and how he came from a rough area in Manchester to being a world champion and now teaching children and helping them to focus.

The general feedback was to not focus it on him as a person, but to focus it on the children he is now helping, and the difference he is making in the community. I'm still slightly reserved in the sense of not actually knowing too much about what he does, and whether I'm going to get the access to the schools. But I do have a meeting with him tomorrow where I hope to find out more about what I can film and do with the project as I am slightly pushed for time as it is due in on 20th April.

I was happy that the commissioners said I had produced one of the best looking proposals. And although Sarah Murch said she had googled Mark Russell prior to the meeting and felt like she didn't really understand the essence of the story, she then completely changed her mind after hearing the passion I had about how he was making a difference with children, which is a big issue in society today, and youngsters are becoming more involved in the wrong sort of fighting i.e. guns, knives etc. Sol was keen for me to see the development in the children, and maybe get interviews with pupils who have really been changed by his programme.

The proposal has definitely given me food for thought, and I'll keep you updated after my meeting with Mark himself tomorrow.