Meetings

Robert Thirkell - 16th May 2011

The Circle Club

Robert is the Exec Producer of countless hit TV documentaries and hit formats from The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off to Jamie's School Dinners.   He began his career at the BBC, finding success by creating a number of hit series in its Business Unit including Troubleshooter, Back to the Floor and Blood on the Carpet.

Robert has recently written an excellent book called C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T in which he discloses his formula for creating excellent documentaries.  He'll talk though the tips and secrets he thinks every programme maker should know and there'll be copies of his new book available to buy.

Stuart Cosgrove - The Alpha Fund Explained - 30th March 2011

The Circle Club

Stuart Cosgrove, Channel 4's Director of Nations, Regions & Creative Diversity, told us all about the Alpha Fund and how we can access it.  The new pot of £2 million is designed to identify and support creative talent at its earliest stage.  Under Jay Hunt and David Abrahams, Channel 4 is keen to use the Alpha Fund to forge closer ties with the grassroots of creative communities, in order to talent spot, shape smart ideas and develop them for the wider creative diversity of the company.

Rob Black and Reg Sanders - 16th February 2011

The Circle Club

3D is the new big technical advancement in television.  With films such as Alice and Wonderland and Avatar in the top 10 of 2010's highest grossing films and Sky now providing 3D content in people's homes, the Indie Club thought it was about time we held a session on how to make 3D TV.  We had Rob Black and Reg Sanders who revealed the secrets behind making 3D TV and all the practical implications.  They covered the equipment and budgets needed, plus the pitfalls to avoid, so we can start integrating 3D into our own development and production.

Rob Black is one of the UK's foremost authorities on stereoscopy and the perceptual processes behind it.  Based at the University of Liverpool, Rob runs training sessions for production houses and film makers who wish to learn how to shoot footage in 3D.

Reg Sanders is a 3D director at The Mob Film Company.  With an eye for observational comedy this year has seen Reg developing with ITV 3D versions for shows such as Countdown, Jeremy Kyle and the new title sequence for Coronation Street.

Stephen Lambert - 12th January 2011

Holiday Inn MediaCity

Stephen Lambert is recognised as one of the world's most innovative and successful producers of factual formats and has created Faking It, Wife Swap, Secret Millionaire, The Fairy Job Mother and Undercover Boss (which was the most popular new factual format in America last year).  After working for sixteen years in documentaries at the BBC, he became the chief creative officer of RDF Media Group for nine years, before setting up his own London and LA based indie, Studio Lambert.

Drinks and nibbles were provided by our meeting sponsor Aframe - creators of a new collaborative video platform that was  built for freelancers, brands, archives, broadcasters, production companies, in fact just about anyone who produces video content. You can access their website at: http://aframe.com

Tina Flintoff - 16th November 2010

The Old Grapes, Little Quay Street

Channel 4's new Fact Ent Commissioner Tina Flintoff came to meet Indie Club members  to tell everyone what the broadcaster is currently looking for.

Claire Lewis - 15th November 2010

BBC Manchester, Oxford Road

Claire is the producer of the multi award winning and highly acclaimed Seven Up documentary series and the recent End of the Line feature release documentary.   During this meeting she discussed her experience of producing the Seven Up series, including the challenges and triumphs.