Screentime and SOS Ventures launch TV format school

Independent television production company Screentime ShinAwiL and former Dragon's Den star Seán O'Sullivan have embarked on a "fledgling new partnership" with Dublin Institute of Technology's School of Media, launching MakersTV, a "format accelerator programme".

Screentime and O'Sullivan's SOS Ventures have lined up "the leading lights from the television industry all over the world", including David Liddiment of "superindie" All3Media and former ITV executive Paul Jackson, to share their knowledge in a 50-day programme at DIT.

Would-be format production teams with “the spark of an idea” have until May 9th to apply for the mentoring scheme, which will cover topics such as scripting, pitching, casting, creating format “bibles” and marketing formats internationally.

SOS Ventures has previously run accelerator programmes designed to give start-ups in the technology sector access to training and mentoring. "We got talking and started thinking about how that could be adapted to TV," says Larry Bass, founder of Screentime ShinAwiL.

The programme begins in June and aims to “inspire young TV start-ups to launch a new generation of TV shows”, helping them take their ideas “from doodle to demo tape”. It will culminate in a pitching day for selected start-ups to compete for investment.

makerstv.net