Access all areas: How to negotiate the keys to the kingdom

As part of our Step Up strand, we’re offering training to help individuals coming back into the industry after a break, moving into a new role or responsibility level, or improving skills in unscripted TV. 

Documentaries, fact ent and obs doc series live or die on the strength of their access.  You can have the most brilliant idea in the world, hear about the most wonderful story.  But if you can’t get in to film it, if the people inside don’t trust you – you have nothing. Access has a million faces: you have to be a chameleon, a negotiator and a diplomat  - and ultimately – you have to make the gate keepers trust you within about ten seconds of walking in the door.   Join us to find out how you do that.

Who it's for

Researchers and assistant producers (AP) in unscripted TV who want to develop their access skills.  

Shooting producer directors (PD) in unscripted TV looking to diversify into creating their own content.

We are committed to ensuring all our courses are accessible to everyone. This course is designed to be as interactive as possible.

Please email USF@screenskills.com if you have any access requirements and we will be delighted to help, be that clarifying the form such interaction is likely to take or discussing reasonable adjustments.

What it covers

• What is access?
• Getting past the gatekeepers
• What to do before you approach
• Tailoring your approach
• Unpicking the access layers - examples
• First meeting/strategies
• Managing expectations – Media law
• Managing relationships after commission
• Questions and horror stories.

Trainer:

Vanessa Frances-Georgianna has been called the Queen of Access by the people who hire her. She’s been negotiating access with organizations on the front line of human experience for the last 20 years.  From US law enforcement, to international art forger networks and billion dollar federal agencies, she builds relationships that last from the ground up.  She’s produced and directed authored films for the BBC, series produced for Warner Bros Discovery, CBBC and Channel 5 and edit produced an Emmy Award winning drama doc with Hollywood A List talent for Netflix. 

A creative storyteller of important complex narratives, she’s a proven critical asset to the success of access based series.  She can see the difference it makes to a film when access has been negotiated well and when it’s been thrown together.  And after this course – you will too!

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘apply now’ at the top of the page and follow the instructions to apply for your place: you must login or register before you are able to complete your application.

If you need additional support to complete your application or require the application form in an alternative format please contact USF@screenskills.com 

Places on these free online courses are limited and applications are often highly competitive. To stand the best chance of securing a place, please be sure to consider the following:

• When asked to list your three most recent credits, please include the programme title and your job role.
• When asked what you hope to gain from the course, please be concise but ensure you cover the specific elements of the topic you would like to gain knowledge of and what gaps in your skillset you believe the course may address. A rewording of the course title or a general comment on career progression does not tell us much about how this course would benefit you.

If you are no longer able to attend, we ask you to please use the 'decline ticket' function on the right hand side of the page so that we can release your place. Our sessions are often oversubscribed, so we’d like to give other freelancers the opportunity to fill available spots. Thank you for your consideration.