Understanding commissioning for production teams

As part of the Mind Your Business strand, we're offering training in a range of areas related to business management & development, production finance, legal & business affairs, rights, and compliance, giving individuals the tools needed to thrive in their chosen field in unscripted TV. 

How does the commissioning process work in unscripted TV and what is your involvement in that process working in the production management team? How does the budgeting process work to get an unscripted TV programme or series commissioned? What are tariff amounts and broadcaster fees and where do we find them? When the programme or series is commissioned how do you complete the contractual paperwork for the broadcaster?

This course will guide you through the key principles and the process of commissioning for unscripted TV productions and how the production management teams are involved. It will include practical examples as well as guidance and the chance to ask questions throughout.

This session is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.

Who it's for

This course is aimed at production co-ordinators, junior production managers and production managers looking to take the next step in their career, or those who want to learn more about the commissioning process in unscripted TV.

We generally require applicants to have at least 3 credits (unless working in a traditionally uncredited role). If you strongly feel you would still benefit from the training, please email USF@screenskills.com

We are committed to ensuring all our courses are accessible to everyone. Please email the above address with any access requirements so that we can make the arrangements you need.

What it covers

• When to pitch to broadcasters and how the process works
• Working with your development team
• When the production management team gets involved
• What are tariffs and broadcaster fees and where do we find them
• Completing your contractual paperwork – commissioning specification and programme production agreement
• Q and As

Trainer:

Hannah Gosney is an experienced head of production/senior production manager. She has extensive knowledge and experience of helping to get programmes or series commissioned across a variety of unscripted genres.

Starting out as an office runner, Hannah quickly worked her way up the ranks working on extreme sports shows and commercials to remote and hostile shoots among others, to specialise in factual, factual entertainment and natural history programmes. Credits include The Mekong River with Sue Perkins (BBC 2), Flintoff’s Road to Nowhere (Sky One), Wild Shepherdess with Kate Humble (BBC 2), Wales: Land of the Wild (BBC 2), Veganville (BBC Three) and Wonders of the Celtic Deep (BBC 2).

Throughout Hannah's career she’s been passionate about nurturing and training crew and understands the importance of best practice in the industry. With this in mind, she now focuses her time on providing training for the media industry with an emphasis on those working in production. She has a Level 3 Train the Trainer qualification, a Level 3 Award in Education and Training contextualised to the screen industries and is a Level 3 qualified ILM Coach & Mentor.

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘get ticket’ at the top of the page and follow the instructions to book your place; you must login or register before you are able to book your place.

Our courses are popular and often book up quickly. 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 to someone on the waiting list.