BBC Documentary info request

[Tony]

I’ve been in contact with a member of the BBC Documentry team called Marco. They’re developing a 40-minute documentary about consumer culture for BBC2, which will broadcast this autumn. They would like to get in contact with people who have completely rejected consumer culture - people who are living radically different lifestyles, in contact with nature and far outside the mainstream.

The film is an observational documentary - they do not have a presenter or any kind of format, but are aiming entirely to follow people's real-life stories. They would ideally be looking to film with people in the next couple of months - filming would be arranged according to the person's convenience.

If you're interested or you know of people that this documentary would cover, please get in contact with Marco Crivellari on 0208 752 6123, or e-mail him at marco.crivellari@bbc.co.uk

He’s a good bloke and I’m sure that if you’re not sure on something he’ll be more than happy to clarify anything.

We’ll keep you posted on any info to do with the documentary.
Thanks all

[Klenchblaize]

I reload my own ammunition as I've "completely rejected" the factory variety !

Sorry

[ESpy]

I've completely rejected television, but I don't think it would make for, um, good television...

[mayfly]

Making a documentary for people who eat microwave TV dinners, about people who have ostensibly rejected the notion of such a meal, but who presumably fancy a bit of celebrity, is such a glorious example of the paradox and idiocy of reality TV, this made me laugh a great deal What a very strange society we live in!

Chris

[Klenchblaize]

I strongly suggest e-mailing the chap if you wish to lean more of what is being considred.

Here though a little more info that I hope Marco won't mind me conveying as sent today:

"The film we're developing is about people's anxieties with consumer culture/ western industrialised living, global warming etc.

I think the majority of people now have concerns about modern living, whether their concerns revolve around climate change, the terrorist threat, or just the general decline in morals/ values. I think this should be a very timely film - addressing people's real concerns.

However, not everyone has actually done something about their concerns. We don't just want to interview people talking about their worries - we would like to film with people who have reacted to these concerns proactively, and have changed their lifestyle as a result.

At the moment I'm researching the idea, so would like to talk to as many people as possible who fit into this proactive camp. It would be good to talk a little about what changes people have made to their lifestyles, and look into any possible filming ideas. Eventually, what I'd be looking for is someone who would be happy to film for something like 5 days or so (spread out according to their convenience)."
Cheers

[Nomad_Of_Soul]

Thanks for the info, look forward to seeing it, i sent Marco an email about Tony Wrench http://www.thatroundhouse.info i hope this is what Marco is after.

[troyka]

If you have rejected consumer culture, you wouldn’t be online to reply via email or see the add in a paper/ window etc..and why would you want to be part of consumer culture by being on tv?
Very odd…

[Tony]

I think that the bit "if you know anyone" covers it. There's also people that help out groups and individuals who try to live a consumer free life.

[Ed]

If you have rejected consumer culture, you wouldn’t be online to reply via email or see the add in a paper/ window etc

But you will have friends that let you know, libraries (or friends) have internet connections you can use for free to reply to them. Just because you are not involved in the consumer society doesn't mean you have no contact with anyone else in the world at all.

Ed

[Heathenpeddler]

I've passed this on to some friends of mine who are starting a permaculture farm. They have contacted the bloke and had a good response.

[Psy23]

oh great... lets hijack the bushcraft community and use it as a vehicle to push some global warming propaganda. I hate the BBC.

[British Red]

Better yet, lets learn to read a date on a previous post

If you want to dig up anything even earlier as an excuse for a whinge, give Toddy a shout - she's an archaeologist

Red

[delbach]

Better yet, lets learn to read a date on a previous post

If you want to dig up anything even earlier as an excuse for a whinge, give Toddy a shout - she's an archaeologist

Red

Andrew

[Mesquite]

Better yet, lets learn to read a date on a previous post

If you want to dig up anything even earlier as an excuse for a whinge, give Toddy a shout - she's an archaeologist

Red

Think that sums it up really

[Tengu]

I know some people but I respect them too much to pass this on.

I havent rejected consumer culture, just never been able to afford it myself

(Of course they dont want `that` csort of person, do they?)

[Big Geordie]

Brilliant Red.
ATB
G

[Firebringer]

Reality TV; scraping frantically at the bottom of the barrel to entertain the masses.

[Psy23]

Have I left it long enough to ironically bring it back up?

[John Fenna]

No..................

[Toddy]

I've just read this one

BR you have a way with words

Psy23, if the topic interests you then maybe start a fresh thread in Other Chatter ?
Usual caveat, just keep politics out of it please

cheers,
Toddy

[craeg]

Does anyone, ie, Tone, know if this programme actually went ahead and got made? Might possibly make a interesting watch?

[craeg]

Just seen your post total Toddy. Are you the first person in BCUK to break the 10000 post barrier? If so, bloody well done

[nige7whit]

Surely the kind of people who have rejected 'consumer culture' would be averse to contributing to the consumer driven media?

Excuse me if I'm wrong, but it's a little TV snippet to show 'different' ways of life, become involved at your peril....

[fisheyelens]

Observational Documentary isn't the same as "Reality TV".

[nuggets]

Observational Documentary isn't the same as "Reality TV".

how`s it different then ???

[fisheyelens]

ObDoc is where a camera team follows real events and tells a story using a combination of peoples stories, live events..
for example - Lost land of the Tiger...is an OBdoc, great telly, good story following scientists and filmmakers looking for tigers in a new area. in the buisness Obdoc is a career path, it has kudos as its a hard job, winging it, you spend your life jumping in and out of jeeps and trying to show an audience your version of "reality" while being careful of being editorially objective and representing the contributors fairly.

Reality TV is chewing gum for the mind. exploiting people who do look for attention, "fame" and money. Its cheap, nasty, doesn't really tell a story other than the events contrived by the production team and the reactions of the contributor. They look for manipulatable people and choose how they want them to be portrayed on screen, usually creating an unfair representation, that sells to the heat magazine masses.

The research request from the BBC chap as far as I can tell seems like a genuine obdoc to me. I am part of various forums, Diving, science, broadcast etc and you usually get a couple requests a year from people like myself asking for story leads. looking for charismatic people who are interested in telling their story and appearing in a doc, might only be for a 2 min piece to get across one part of a story. A lot of forum people seem to take great offence to the requests, I can understand that it feels like a breach of group privacy but if your not interested you don't have to be. We all love the things we do, some people want to keep it to themselves, others are happy to tell the world about it. Whichever shoe fits.

[British Red]

I suspect that many people see the outcomes of these types of shows and feel annoyed that someone wants to do that to them. Its extremely difficult to kmow if the invite is for a serious piece or something that will be used to show the participants in the worst possible light via selective editing etc.

I'm sorry to say that the mistrust of journalists is due to the behaviour of journalists. I suspect thats why a lot of people are offended it comes across as an insult to our intelligence to be honest.

On the three occasions I've been asked to participate in such things the two questions I have asked are "What do you pay and what editorial control do I retain?"

On all three occasions the answers have been "nothing and none". Which feels to me like exploitation. I'm sure others may feel differently.

Red

[Toddy]

Maybe it's the five minutes of fame thing
I know it holds absolutely no appeal for me. I don't watch tv, well, that's not quite true, maybe in total about three or four hours a year.
Maybe that says it all
I don't think I'd like such intrusiveness into my life, especially from people I don't know as friends.

atb,
M

p.s. Craeg, just saw your post, I think BR broke through it first, Shewie's through it too, I'm sure there are a few others too.
I asked the Boss if he could freeze mine He said no, but we reckon it's just 'cos I touch type and nip in and out through the day when I'm home and passing the computer, this post has taken me seconds.
M

[fisheyelens]

I totally agree Red, the only way you can find out what kind of programme its going to be is to ask, and not just listen to what the researcher/producer is saying, ask if it is in development or if it has been green lit, if its been green lit you can ask for the programme pitch and treatment used to get the funding, that way you will see what exactly has been promised to the broadcaster.

The big program we have as serious doc makers, is that when everything went digital, and more channels popped up, it didn't mean more programming with traditional money. It meant the pie was sliced thinner and thinner. Now we do at least three peoples jobs, working 12 plus hours a day fighting to make good television.

The people who make edited for language tv, reality stuff, that its cheap, easy and theres always a que of edited for language ready to ruin themselves and an army of media graduates to exploit who have no idea how to make real broadcasting, they just get stuck in the world of "entertainment" or "infotainment" whatever edited for language tagline is made up by the PR company.

I work in mostly science, nature, humanitarian films, but on the times when moneys is hard, and I have ventured to the dark side, the hardest thing is to get people who have been burned by TV companys before. Be it messy locations, overrunning and refusing to pay the extra, swanning about like they own the place. It gives us all a bad name, devalues our careers and forces us to do three jobs...so I get it.

Getting paid as a contributor is hard these days, unless its a big money doc, not many of them around. Most of the people I interview are scientists who do it for the spread of knowledge, and were all reading from the same sheet.

Editorial control is never given, you cant afford it, with time constraints and budget, if someone turns around and blocks your piece you would usually lose the whole film as you wouldn't get it done to schedule. We just try, and hope that we represent each individual properly.

[British Red]

I totally agree Red, the only way you can find out what kind of programme its going to be is to ask, and not just listen to what the researcher/producer is saying

Sad though that we have to distrust someone from the outset

Getting paid as a contributor is hard these days, unless its a big money doc, not many of them around. ...<snip>

Editorial control is never given, you cant afford it, with time constraints and budget, if someone turns around and blocks your piece you would usually lose the whole film as you wouldn't get it done to schedule. We just try, and hope that we represent each individual properly.

So, to recap, if asked to appear...don't trust the producer, there is nothing in it for you, if they misrepresent you, you cannot stop them?

I hope it makes it understandable why people are offended by the requests?

There are great documentaries out there - but personally it strikes me as all risk and no reward

Red