Nine Welsh indies have secured up to £10,000 to develop innovative format pilots for S4C in a scheme run by the broadcaster and Media Cymru, the consortium of 23 industry partners including Film Wales, BBC Wales, Channel 4 and Cardiff University.
The cohort of indies was picked following two training camps run by Grand Scheme Media in which potential applicants received advice, audience data and commissioning insights from producers, commissioners and format experts.
S4C has committed to pilot at least one of the ideas that is developed and pitched over the next three months.
The indies now developing formats are:
- Wildflame Productions
- Rondo Media
- Chwarel Cyfyngedig
- Little Bird Films
- Orchard Media and Events Group
- Cardiff Productions
- Tomos TV
- Ty’r Draig
- Boom
S4C head of unscripted Iwan England said he was looking to find “the sweet spot between what works for S4C's audiences, what the global formats market is looking for and Media Cymru's emphasis on innovation through research and development”.
He added: "The TV industry is experiencing so much turbulence at the moment, and I think this combination of training, information sharing, investment and ongoing support is a great response and a way of bridging the local and the global.”
