Bell's non-profit arm is reaching into Collingwood to grab hold of a few good ideas for local shows.
The production team for Bell Fibe TV1 was in town on April 30 to listen to 10 pitches from locals for shows set in Collingwood and The Blue Mountains.
TV1 showcases local programming in communities where Bell has CRTC licences to broadcast. A new licence issued for Collingwood has producers looking for between three and seven shows over the next year that will showcase Collingwood, its people, and its landmarks.
Senior producer Paul Gardner, supervising producer John Buffone and producer Donna Cagnoli were at the Simcoe Street Theatre to give a brief explainer of the community television program before hearing pitches individually.
Buffone said the parameters set by the CRTC licence require that the shows have to originate from a member of the community and the show needs to be produced in the market area.
"It has to be a Collingwood story, something that matters to the people who call it home and want something they can look at on the screen and say, 'hey, I know that place!'" said Buffone.
The TV1 shows can be almost any genre and content varies from lifestyle, sports, music, food and scripted/ sitcom-style shows.
"We'll do anything if we think it's good," said Buffone.
"We're looking for good ideas," agreed Cagnoli.
The shows that are chosen will be aired on the TV1 on-demand channel and the Fibe TV app for Bell customers.
Cagnoli receives all the pitches submitted through the TV1 website, and said she focuses on show pitches with a strong community connection – not just a show shot in Collingwood or involving Collingwood people, but with a connection to the community.
"We want that city or that region to be a character in your show," said Gardner.
The production team didn't disclose the budget they have available for Collingwood shows, but did confirm they want anywhere from three to ten shows in the next year starring the town.
The audience for TV1 stretches from Newfoundland to Manitoba, so the production crew pitches that are "hyper-local with global appeal."
Generally, pitches should be for six episodes at ten minutes an episode for a total of an hour of content.
The Blue Mountains resident, Benjamin Rouse, brought a pitch to the TV1 producers at Simcoe Street Theatre for a show about a fellow resident and friend.
Rouse is a filmmaker and has written and directed docu-series and scripted projects that have played at festivals and he is the president and creative director of his company Resolve Films.
He pitched his idea for Anna's Garage Rocks, which would showcase the garage-turned-live-music venue of his friend, also in The Blue Mountains, who puts on intimate shows featuring high-profile Canadian acts like Chantal Kreviazuk, Skydiggers, Harry Manx, and other Juno-nominated and winning artists.
"It's super cozy and really cool," said Rouse, who plans to make the show about his friend and her work to turn her garage into a studio and host concerts.
Rouse said he was grateful to Tom Strnad of the South Georgian Bay Media Association for helping to coordinate the pitch day.
"You're always looking for work in this business no matter what, how, and who you know, you jump around in different areas," said Rouse. "I think this is an incredible opportunity for up-and-coming people in the industry to meet executives and to pitch ideas and hopefully get a show off the ground."
"There should be some shows popping up about this area, which is very diverse," said Rouse.
Bell Fibe TV1 is a non-profit organization that was first started when the CRTC mandated that broadcasters use a portion of their revenues to fund community television.
The community television will pay to help get the show marketed, promoted and on the screen as an idea, and will also cover the entire production. TV1 also loans out camera equipment for free.
"After an exclusivity period where it's on our channel, you're allowed to do with it what you will, you can sell it ... and you can cut it up and use it for marketing reels, put it on a demo reel, put it on YouTube, anything!" said Buffone.
Pitches can be submitted online via the Bell TV1 website here.
