As outlined in our newsletter, we’ve been working with James Davison on his fantastic original IP and pitching it to the BFI.
A lot of us imagine our stories on screen. I know I for one would make up elaborate stories as a child and often disappear into my vast imagination with a sketchbook and some pencils.
James was much the same, growing up in a chaotic family with lots of siblings, he would often write stories, and create game ideas. Years later he’s self-published books and now has a short film in development.
So, what did we look for in James, and how - if you are an author or just have a great idea for a film or series - do you pitch it and what problems might you face?
The first myth I want to debunk is that you have to be an artist or a published author to pitch an idea. Although a track record is beneficial to the BFI, it’s not essential. One of the things I really appreciate about James, (and a lot of our collaborators), is his willingness to put himself out there, to be vulnerable, and his unwavering belief in his vision. James is a self-starter if I ever saw one - he published his first book, ‘Mindy’s Journey’ completely independently. We look for people, not just IP, that we feel can go the distance.
Copyright James Davison
The second myth is that contacting a lot of studios will get you a lead. The best thing to do is actually come and meet founders at events like James did. James didn’t cold email and he made sure to send work after I requested it. If you need extra help reaching out to studios I’m working on a free handy guide that will be first sent out to our newsletter subscribers. If you’d like to learn more about other things I do in the community and be the first to hear about these updates you can subscribe here.
When it comes to pitfalls, one that you might face is putting all your eggs in one basket. The animation industry is always changing and therefore having one, ‘baby’ project that you want to get made is admirable but a bit ineffective.
James had a selection of work for me to look at, all with different characters and length and for different formats. I then reviewed the work and found one that was suited to the sort of funding we could apply for.
Ok, so lets assume you have a producer or production house that is interested in the project… how do you apply? Something to keep in mind with all BFI funds is that all the executive team must be UK citizens, which means you can’t outsource to another country.
Another question I get asked a lot is whether individuals should include AI artwork in the pack they send. I would say a resounding no. If you are requested a script, send a script, which leads me nicely to my next point.
Be happy for studios to have their own ‘spin’ on your IP, and only work with studios that you enjoy the work of. For example, if you work with a CGI studio, but always imagined the series or film to be 2D or hand-drawn, speak to hand-drawn studios.
We selected James’s IP because not only was it a wonderful story, but he was open to seeing what we could create based on his characters and happy for us to tweak elements to make for a more compelling end product. Remember development is a collaborative process, and it takes a whole team to bring an IP to life. Keep that in mind before you start pitching work.
If you have an idea that you would like to develop, we will be updating where we will be, and when we will be looking for new ideas in my newsletter which you can sign up to here.
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