Our SuperSizer programme for development executives wrapped recently with a trip to London, where delegates met with Commissioners and executives from the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
At Channel 5, the group of 13 development executives from across the Nations and Regions took part in a Pitching Challenge with Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount and Commissioning Editors, Daniel Louw and Kate Ansell.
Three winners were awarded a total of £6,000 of development funding:
- Majella McNeaney – Firecracker Films Scotland
- Christine Morrison – Corcadal Productions
- Ella Jackson – BBC, Pacific Quay
The SuperSizer programme, which has recently concluded its sixth edition, supports the growth of Development Executives to win high value commissions and develop ideas of scale for the next big returning series, with the aim of transforming indies in the Nations and Regions. As well as gaining exclusive access to leading broadcasters and commissioners, the delegates received exceptional training on a variety of topics such as pitching, personal branding and how to lead a creative team.
SuperSizer continues to grow from strength to strength. In its last year, SuperSizer provided a total of 66 hours of training, inclusive of 22 commissioner insight sessions. More recently, TRC piloted SuperSizing Development Teams, with the aim to maximise creativity and embed and nurture the development process across the full development team within a Company.
The winners provided the following comments on the course:
“SuperSizer has boosted my professional growth in many ways. I’ve gained new insights into the industry and found friends for life in a group of talented and supportive peers. The Ben Frow 5min pitch challenge was a personal highlight and is something I will never forget. I’m grateful to Ben and the incredible team at TRC for the opportunity.”
Majella McNeaney, Firecracker Films
“The Supersizer course has been a brilliant learning opportunity for me. As well as the wide range of sessions and workshops, one of the best things was getting to know my fellow Supersizers who are a wonderful bunch. The opportunity to pitch to Ben Frow and put into practise what we learnt on Supersizer was a real highlight (albeit nerve racking) and I’m delighted that my pitch was selected for further development.”
Christine Morrison, Corcadal Productions
“Being part of SuperSizer has been a game-changer. It’s given me the opportunity not only to develop my confidence and professional skills, but to establish an inspiring new network of programme-makers. Having the chance to pitch to Ben Frow and his team was a truly amazing and memorable experience – and hopefully the start of many more creative conversations to come!”
Ella Jackson, BBC, Pacific Quay
Ben Frow commented:
“The pitching challenge was a lot of good fun and we have three very worthy winners – the team and I are looking forward to seeing what they come up with.”
Claire Scally, Managing Director of TRC, said:
“As the programme draws to a close, we are delighted to announce the winners of the SuperSizer Pitching Challenge with Ben Frow. This trip comes as a welcome return to in person events across the country for TRC, and we are proud to provide hugely valuable contact with commissioners and broadcasters. We look forward to seeing what our incredibly talented delegates will achieve after SuperSizer.”
To learn more about SuperSizer and register your interest for its upcoming edition please visit https://trcmedia.org/supersizer/.