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NSI Totally Television boot camp 2016: students tell us what they thought

Posted: 03 Oct 2016 03:01 PM PDT

Clockwise from left: John-Paul Nynkowski, Ashleigh Rains, Randy Sumeraj, Geordie Sabbagh, Oliver Brackenbury and John Griffith

Our NSI Totally Television 2016 teams recently took part in their first boot camp and here they tell us how it went.

NSI Totally Television is a TV series development training course that connects teams with executives from all major Canadian networks, showrunners, story editors and executive producers.

Training takes place over 10 months. Teams pitch their concepts to broadcasters and attend the Banff World Media Festival.

• • •

Randy Sumeraj (writer, Lucky Falls)

Well, that was the longest week that ever flew by. Right into it with a day-long session led by David Barlow on scripted storytelling. If you ever think you know it all, talk to this man. I filled half a notebook listening to David, and he helped us refine our loglines and themes into simple, short, evocative sentences. What a great foundation for the entire boot camp to come.

Over the course of the week, we heard from experts in the fields of budgeting, financing/funding and insuring productions. My own knowledge on those subjects is woefully thin, so that was an eye-opening experience.

We met with two very impressive agents, several producers, production executives, showrunners and even broadcasters who shared their experiences in the business.

They also told us what kind of material they were looking for – and why. That type of context was the theme of the week. Some days were back-to-back (-to-back-to-back) lessons with little time to reflect on what we’d heard. But the very practical way that everyone imparted their information (along with my copious note-taking) meant that it was jam-packed but never overwhelming.

The highlight of the week was a two-day session with our carefully selected story editor, Jeff Biederman.

To make things simple, we’d brought in a perfect script with a rock-solid premise that was eminently pitchable. Or so we thought.

On day one, Jeff blew it all up. Then we examined the fragments.

He showed us what worked and what didn’t. What was worth keeping and what wasn’t. And he did it all without ever being haughty or superior about it. For every problem, he had either a solution or the guidance to help us come up with our own new angle.

Day two with Jeff was about putting the pieces back together. John (Griffith, my producing partner) and I stood up for a couple of elements that meant a lot to us. Jeff accepted that, but still never let us off the hook until we’d justified every decision, and motivated every action.

What we built on that second day is a clearer, sharper version of our original idea that still contains the heart and style of the story we brought in.

We still have some hard work to do, but with what we learned from Jeff and the other guest faculty, John and I have the tools to come back with a pilot script, series concept and pitch that’ll represent a market-ready project.

My heartfelt thanks to Joy Loewen, the NSI Totally Television program manager, who organized and ran a seamless week of meetings with remarkable aplomb – even when dealing with a thermostat that had two settings: “Arizona in August” and “Absolute Zero.” Also to program advisor Julie Di Cresce for her expert guidance and support.

They both managed to steer us through the week and nurture our projects without ever playing favourites.

And a final shout out to the other teams in the program. It was a pleasure to meet two very creative and personable producers in Ashleigh [Rains] and JP [John-Paul Nynkowski], and two very talented writers, Geordie [Sabbagh] and Oliver [Brackenbury]. We may not all be going rollerblading together next weekend (in fact, we’re still in competition with each other for a spot in the second phase of the program), but we’ve shared a very rare experience, and I’ll always have time for each of them.

John Griffith (producer, Lucky Falls)

Aside from the week zipping by at lightning speed, I found the experience quite helpful for our project, Lucky Falls.

The week allowed us, with laser focus, the time to get in there and refine, question, and refine yet again, our script/idea.

It was incredibly gratifying to get all the feedback along the way. A number of quite difficult questions were brought up and we were forced to come up with truths about what the project was/is and what it means to us going forward.

Thankfully, we are now motivated more than ever to hone the seed of the idea into a stronger, more complex and complete presentation. We are really looking forward to putting in some more work and being ready for the next round of competition.

The caliber of guests was top notch and I felt extremely grateful to all who gave of their time during the program. Their advice and industry insight was truly inspiring and I couldn’t be happier. I have now had a few days to digest the information and there is still so much more coming up from the discussions and presentations that it will take a while to fully integrate it all.

Oliver Brackenbury (writer, Heirloom)

I could write whole paragraphs trying to properly thank the week’s many wonderful speakers. But since I thanked them all in person, I’ll try to provide some useful advice for anyone who might be considering applying to next year’s program.

For starters, apply! Even if you don’t get in, the worst thing is that you’ve given your script and bible another layer of polish. If you do get in, don’t be shy about adding still more polish between your acceptance and actually starting the program, as you’ll be asked for updated materials later.

Once you’re in, keep your evenings free during boot camp week. I was very glad I did this because it gave me time to process the large amounts of new information I was being given each day. It also allowed me to be rested for the next day.

That may sound simple, but by the sixth consecutive day you’ll be pretty beat even if you don’t stay out late drinking with pals or whatever. It’s boot camp, not spa week!

Other than that, make the effort to read the other team’s scripts and to be sincerely friendly. Sure you’re competing to get into phase two, but it doesn’t have to be miserable, and you never know when you’ll run into each other again.

Finally, writers? If you haven’t worked with a professional story editor before then brace yourselves for a real deep tissue experience.

Remember, this is a professional who is giving you the full benefit of their hard-earned skills – if you have any issues taking critique, leave them at home. It’s not melodramatic to say there is a freshly drawn, thick line between my career before the past week and afterward – my two days of story editing with Ellen Vanstone having played a key role.

It’s all been just such a transformative experience, from which I’ve come away with a few gleaming treasures, dozens of pages of useful information, and the perverse attitude of being excited at the prospect of a page one re-write of my script. I feel greatly improved, as a writer and a person; you can’t ask for much more than that.

John-Paul Nynkowski (producer, Heirloom)

I would recommend the NSI Totally Television program to any producer looking to make their foray into television production. It was just as informative as it was intense, and ultimately extremely productive.

From a creative perspective we were able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of our pilot and find ways to build on its strengths. Having a third and much more experienced opinion in the room helped us gain better perspective of the project and a clear understanding of what we want out of it.

From the business and sales side the individual guests, as well as panel speakers, gave us insight into the broad workings of broadcasters. Through sharing their experiences in pitching and being pitched, I was personally made aware of the many of components at play in the relationship between broadcaster and content creator.

It may be the fact that I just finished the course, but I definitely feel like it has kick-started my journey into producing television and I am looking forward to building on the foundation NSI has provided for me.

Geordie Sabbagh (writer, A Detective Lives Here)

When asked to write this, I was told to reflect on the week past and give advice to those who will follow. It’s a difficult task as every script is unique, every writer is different and every note given can be interpreted a million different ways. So I can only share my personal experience as a writer doing the NSI Totally Television boot camp.

I came into the program with a 62 page, one hour pilot script. I left the week with a one page, one hour pilot script!

I knew the course would be challenging and force me to dig in deep. The script was not perfect and I went into the course ready and willing to make it the best script and the best show possible. But, like any writer, I’d created a world, and with each note that world had to get re-adjusted.

Some things you don’t want to leave behind, others you discover only you seem to get and some you happily let go in order to bring new twists to the universe.

At the beginning, I was able to process the notes and make sense of them, but it’s not called a boot camp for nothing. The notes, like push-ups, don’t come in ones and twos. A tornado rips through your world as the notes are given day after day. Some kindly, others not so kindly and, like Dorothy, you are soon caught up and spinning with the pieces of the universe you’ve spent so much time creating.

At the end of it all, you too are dropped down feeling tired, raw and disoriented. You may or may not get any words of encouragement or assurance that it will work out with just a couple of fixes, but what you will be left with are the absolutes. Those core pieces that are the essence of your world – those pieces that are the bits of yourself that every writer has to put into each world they create. And they aren’t always the pieces you thought they were when you started.

So after a day of rest, I’ve looked around. The world I created isn’t there, but I see a yellow brick road, so I’m going to pick up the pieces and follow it to see if it leads somewhere different or just back home.

In either case, the world I created will be better for it and so will I. Both will be stronger. Both will be different and both will become even more determined to share this new universe with an audience.

Ashleigh Rains (producer, A Detective Lives Here)

I’ve started writing this blog post on a Saturday morning. I feel raw, vulnerable and a little nostalgic – like summer is officially over. My routine over the past week has come to an end.

For six days, Geordie [Sabbagh, writer] and I have been all consumed with our series, A Detective Lives Here, but now I can rest. I’m tired – physically, mentally, emotionally – but my mind is still racing with an incredible amount of information.

I wonder where A Detective Lives Here now lives?

Phase one of the NSI Totally Television course was a rigorous boot camp. I sit here writing with many unanswered questions. I want to talk to Geordie, but we’ve been at it for six days and he likely needs a break from me. I’ll bug him tomorrow.

From the first day to the last, Geordie and I were challenged, along with two other teams, to take our series and push, pull and stretch it in every direction.

Sometimes our show looked and sounded familiar, while other times it felt foreign and distant.

We were asked to examine our pilot from every angle – to build it up and then break it apart. There were moments of pure excitement talking about why we want to make this show now. There were moments of being at a loss for words when feedback and suggestions really forced us to examine what we were saying.

We were paired with a great story editor who came with the pilot in hand, marked up with pen, and full of notes. This was exciting. We sat eagerly listening to his advice with promises not to take anything personally.

We explored budgeting, financing, the landscape in Canadian TV and pitching. We were fortunate to meet with producers and network executives who gave us direct feedback but also overall notes on what they are looking for in a series. We were all buzzing after Tatiana Maslany’s Emmy win for Orphan Black, so when we met with Temple Street for a case study on the show, that session felt all the more sweet.

At the end of each day, Geordie and I sat together and regrouped. We talked about story, plot, characters, our pitch. We started making a plan. We sought advice from our program managers only to throw out our ideas and start again. We kept trying.

It’s a privilege to have concentrated time to work together as a team exclusively on one project. We challenged each other, we agreed, we disagreed, we ate homemade chocolate by Geordie’s wife, Olga (a frequent diet staple when we’re in production).

I’m grateful for this opportunity to stretch our muscles. The dream of making a show feels less like a dream and more like a reality. We aren’t waiting to start the work. We are doing it. Though our work wasn’t always easy, what was apparent was that each guest, industry professional and the NSI team was there to provide honest, constructive criticism and feedback to help us take the next steps with our show.

We have homework and deadlines. Geordie is starting on re-writes. We are asking questions and don’t yet have answers. We have choices. For that, I am excited.

• • •

NSI Totally Television 2016 is made possible by Presenting Sponsor Bell Media; Program Partner Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One; Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; and Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.