Masterclass: How to get access for documentaries with Willard Foxton

Industry great Willard Foxton returns to our schedule to take you through the process of developing access documentaries. He will cover:

• the commercial awareness of what access commissioners want
• the initial approach
• winning over sceptical decision makers
• how to sell (but not over-sell!) access to commissioners
• what happens beyond the commission, right up to the film going on air 
• how to keep the channel, the organisation you're filming with and individual contributors happy 

Time will be allowed for Q&A. 

This session is part of our week-long focus on all things factual and documentary television. You might want to try these others too:

Olly Lambert: The seven rules for war reporters and anyone else who is making a film)

How to get the fly on the wall to capture the real story with Simon Ford

Getting the best out of your contributors with Sue Bourne

Return to work: Professional development workshops with Sam Jukes-Adams

 Factual storytelling with Hazel Marshall

Speaker

Willard Foxton is a development exec and former Head of Development, and is currently working at Brown Bob Production's Leeds office. He specialises in developing documentaries requiring the most difficult access. His commissions have included series shot in the West Wing of the White House and the cockpit of the RAF's most secret jetplane, and with people as varied as British MPs, Mattel's Barbie design team, and funeral directors for Chicago's gangsters. 

This event is supported by the ScreenSkills Television Skills Fund which invests in training for the freelance television workforce thanks to contributions from the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. 

It is part of a ScreenSkills programme managed by the Indie Training Fund to support freelancers to upskill and stay connected, helping keep the industry resilient in these difficult times. 

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘get ticket’ to reserve your place: you must login or register before you are able to get a ticket for this event. A booking confirmation with a joining link to the session will be sent to you via email. 

If you are no longer able to use your ticket, we ask you to please contact support@screenskills.com  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.