MEDIA Programme Development: how to submit a good proposal

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MEDIA Programme Development how to submit a good
proposal?
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Objectives of this presentation

• To explain the logic behind the information
  requested in the forms
• To make you familiar with the paperwork
• To advise how to prepare at best your application
  ( to understand the correspondance between the
  requested information and how it is scored)

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Results Call for Proposals 1rst round 16/2007
17/2007

• Applications IE
• 7 Single Project (out of 397) 1 Animation, 1
  Drama 5 Creative Documentaries
• 3 Interactive work (out of 87)
• 3 Slate Funding (out of 103)
• Selections IE
• 4 Single Project (out 91) 1 Animation, 1 drama
  2 Creative Documentaries
• 1 Interactive work (out of 15)
• 2 Slate Funding (out of 29)
• Total amount 628.731
• Single Project 188.731 (out of 3.858.581 )
• Interactive work 60.000 (out of 987.939 )
• Slate Funding 380.000 (out of 4.388.932 )

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HOW ARE STRUCTUREDTHE APPLICATIONS FORMS?

• 2 TYPES OF FORMS
• - Forms with letters from A to max G 
• The purpose is the technical evaluation (check of
  the compliance to the eligibility criteria)
• - 1 unbound copy
• - Forms numbered from 1 to 3/5
• Part sent to the experts for evaluation
• - 1 unbound copy 2 copies for the experts

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FORMS A B ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSE

• - Form A  Acknowledgement of Receipt
• Form B  Declaration on honour
• ! Signature of the authorised signatory

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Form C  Legal Status of the applicant company

• Eligibility criteria Applicants must be
• -European independent companies whose main
  activity is audiovisual production
• - legally constituted for at least 12 months
  (Single Projects) or 36 months (Slate funding)
• ! New companies are accepted for interactive
  works
• Document(s) to be provided
• Certificate of Incorporation (Registrar of
  Companies)
• Annual Return Form B1 (Companies Registration
  Office)
• VAT document Tax Clearance Certificate
• ! Memorandum of Association is not requested
  anymore

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Form D Financial Status of the Applicant Company

• Selection criterion Financial capacity of the
• company
• Documents to be provided
• Bank Identification Form
• For applications requesting sufficient to sign the declaration confirming the
  co-financing capacity
• For applications requesting 25.000 complete
  the form requesting Equity capital, Current
  assets, Liabilities, Total Balance Sheet,
  Depreciations, Profit/loss
• Certified Balance Profit and loss account

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Form E  Experience of the applicant company

• Eligibility criterion
• Companies submitting an application must have
  produced
• - 1 work (Single Project)
• - in principle 2 works (Slate Funding) but for
  countries with low production capacity one work
  is sufficient
• - this work must have been distributed during
  the following period
• - between the 1 January 2006 and the date of
  submission (Single Project)
• - between the 5 years preceding the application
  (Slate Funding) Internationally!
• ! Choose an already completed work
• ! Check the duration of the previous work

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Form E  Experience of the applicant company

• Documents to be provided
• 1. PROOF OF DISTRIBUTION
• - agreement with the distributor for theatrical
  release
• - agreement with a broadcaster
• - agreement with the sales agent or a sales
  report
• - agreement concerning DVD publishing or on-line
  distribution
• - proof of release or broadcast (screening
  programme, tv programme)

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Form E  Experience of the applicant company

• 2. PROOF OF PRODUCTION
• The proof that the applicant company was the
  major producer
• - the proof that it was the only production
  company
• - the co-production agreement
• - the list of credits/DvD showing that the Chief
  Executive, the shareholder or the producer
  employed for at least 12 months has the credit as
  producer/delegate producer
• If the work is not produced by the applicant
  company
• - the proof that the experienced person is Chief
  Executive, shareholder or producer for at least
  12 months
• - the proof of the personal credit (!) as
  producer/delegate producer/executive producer
  list of credits/DvD

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Recommendations concerning the experience
criterion

• A proof of distribution must always be provided!
• Check the signature date of the agreement or the
  date of release/broadcast
• If Slate Funding distribution must be
  international
• Distribution must be commercial
• The experience of the company that would be
  shareholder is not accepted

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Form F Ownership of Rights

• Eligibility Criterion The applicant company must
  show that, no later than on the date of
  submission, it holds the majority of the rights
  relating to the project for which support is
  being sought.
• Document(s) to be provided
• - An option agreement or a contract transferring
  the rights from the author to the applicant
  company
• - A unilateral declaration of transfer of rights
  to the applicant company where the author is the
  producer, shareholder or employee of the company
• - A co-production/co-development agreement

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Form F Recommendations concerning the authors
rights

• An agreement must always be provided!
• The provided agreement must be signed at least by
  the author!
• In case of adaptation the ownership of rights to
  the original work must also be demonstrated
• The issue is the transfer of rights from the
  author to the company (if the writer just allow
  the company to develop the script or to make a
  submission for Media is not enough)

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Form G  Award Criteria Automatic Points

• Mention and prove if the applicant has already
  been selected for development support for a
  project that has been completed (1 point)
• Mention and prove if the project was the object
  of a training activity supported by Media (2
  points)

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• Eligible Applications are sent to the experts
  for the award criteria assessment
• Ineligible Pre-information e-mail is sent

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• THE FORMS 1 to 3/5
• Information?Score

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Form Information concerning the applicant company

• Documents information to be provided
• - Presentation of the applicant company and of
  its members
• - List of the current projects and works
  produced to date by the applicant company and/or
  by its experienced producer stating titles,
  category, production year, production budget,
  coproducers nationality, distribution
  territories and selection at festivals prizes

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Corresponding award criterion for Slate Funding
Slate Funding 2nd stage

• Capacity of the company to develop and produce
  at European level
• Evaluation and score take into account
• - the track record of the company and/or the
  experience of its members
• - the position of the company on the European
  market
• - the capacity in terms of management concerning
  the simultaneous development of a slate of
  projects

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Form Project Description

• Documents information to be provided
• A statement of motivations from the author
• Synopsis of the project a treatment
• for Drama  a treatment of at least 10 p.
  minimum one dialogue scene
• for Creative documentary  a treatment of at
  least 2 p. including
• a description of the subject matter, the
  intended narrative structure, visual approach and
  the creative character
• for Animation a literary bible o treatment
  including the concept description, the narrative
  structure, the characters, the visual approach
  an extract from the storyboard and/or a sample of
  the artistic work of the project in colour
  (drawings and/or model sheets of main characters,
  backgrounds)

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Form Project Description

• Documents to be provided
• CVs of key members of the creative team (author,
  script-editor, director etc.)
• Optional supporting documents visual material
  (shorts, previous works, promo-reel)
• ! Project duration min. 24 Animation
• min. 25
  Creative Doc (also per episode in case of series)
• min. 50 Drama

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Corresponding award Criterion Quality of the
project

• Evaluation and score are based on
• - originality, premise and strength of idea
• - quality of the writing, the character
  development and the world of the story
• - creative potential of the project taking into
  consideration the specific approach suggested,
  the creative team and the likelihood to succeed
  due to artistic qualities
• Drama quality of the dramatic potential and
  narrative choices
• Creative Doc strength of subject matter,
  purpose and quality of the project focus, quality
  of the visual approach, the research work, the
  expressed point of view
• Animation Quality of the visual approach and
  art work

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Corresponding award criterion for Slate Funding
Slate Funding 2nd stage

• Potential of the creative teams
• the likelihood to succeed due to their artistic
  qualities, their track record and level of
  involvement, as well as the adequacy of their
  experience to the project

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Form Description of the development strategy

• Information to be provided
• A description of the foreseen activities during
  the development of the project as well as the
  development schedule until the start of
  production (including  scriptwriting, script
  editing, research work, choice of th director,
  casting, scheduled start of filming)
• Optional supporting document a note of intent
  of the producer

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Corresponding award criterion Quality of the
development strategy

• Evaluation and score are based on
• the adequacy to the needs of the project
• the sufficiency of detail
• the potential of the creative team

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Form Requested amount, Estimated Development
Budget and Sources of Finance

• Media Contribution is limited to 50 of the
  development budget (60 if cultural diversity
  enhancement)
• Costs must be incurred by the applicant company
  and have to correspond to real costs supported by
  invoices
• Costs must be eligible (related to the
  development of the project and from the date of
  submission except rights that are eligible 12
  months before)

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Corresponding award criterion Consistency of the
development budget

• Evaluation and score are based on
• - how the budget reflects the development
  strategy and the needs of the project
• - the appropriateness of the estimated costs

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Form Description of the Financing Strategy

• Information to be provided
• A description of the envisaged strategy to
  finance the production of the submitted project
  including the main options, the initial financial
  elements in place or to be confirmed and explain
  which countries are considered important in terms
  of a possible co-production.
• Letters of interest for co-development/co-producti
  on/pre-sale/distribution and/or respective
  agreements

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Corresponding award Criterion Quality of the
Financing strategy

• Evaluation and score are based on
• - the adequacy to the estimated production costs
• -the awareness of the suitable potential
  partners and territories
• - the sufficiency and realism of detail
• - the co-financing capacity of the applicant
  company

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Form Description of the Distribution Strategy

• Information to be provided
• A description of the planned distribution
  strategy at national and European level, the
  marketing potential (national and international)
  and the envisaged target audience. Please explain
  which countries you consider important for the
  distribution of the project and if first
  distribution agreements have been already signed
• Letters of interest for co-development/co-producti
  on/pre-sale/distribution and/or respective
  agreements

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Corresponding award criterion Quality of the
Distribution strategy

• Evaluation and score are based on
• the sufficiency of information regarding the
  identified target audiences
• the knowledge of the markets
• the European/International vision
• the relevance of the choice of territories

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OTHER CORRESPONDING AWARD CRITERIA

• Production potential and feasibility of the
  project
• - the experience of the company
• - the estimated production cost
• - the potential of the team members for the
  development of the project
• Potential for European and International
  distribution
• - the transnational appeal
• - the potential to cross-border

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SUMMARY OF THE KEY SUCCESS ELEMENTS

• A complete and accurate file
• A project whose quality and potential you really
  believe in
• A clear presentation of the strategies
• Realism and credibility ambitions in line with
  the companys experience
• Specificity think specifically to the needs of
  the project, according to its budget, typology
  and stage of art
• Exhaustive and concrete information (like
  identify and describe the various stages to reach
  the optimal development of the project)
• European vision but non necessarely a European
  content

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NEXT CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2009 BUDGET

• From summer 2008 to 15/11/08 (first deadline)
• Dal 16/11/08 al 15/04/09 (second deadline)
• www.ec.europa.eu/media
• Media Desk Antenna
• Contact in Bxl Eva Ntafitsopoulou
• eva.ntafitsopoulou_at_ec.europa.eu
• Tel [phone]

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• THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
• Ádh mór oraibh