The art of sizzles

As part of our Step Up strand, we're offering training to help individuals coming back into the industry after a break, moving into a new role or responsibility level, or improving skills in unscripted TV. 

The Art of The Sizzle is a session which helps you understand why, when and for whom a sizzle tape is needed. Never before has it been more important to pitch with tape and this session will demystify the dos and don’ts of making taster tapes. We cover why and when you need a sizzle; explore how to make them punch through; discuss how best to pitch with tape and talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of taster tapes.  The session will end with a showcase of sizzles – can you guess which ones got commissioned and which ones didn’t?. You’ll leave with the tools and tips to make your next best idea come to life!

Who it's for

Whether you’re a new producer trying to win your first commission, a head of development wanting to elevate the quality of your pitching materials, an editor looking to learn more about sizzles, a PD with a great idea or if you’re thinking of setting up on your own, this session will help your idea burn-up the inbox of even the most discerning commissioning editors in unscripted tv!

The majority of the USF online short course offering is for those at early career stage and above. As a result, we generally require applicants to have at least 3 credits (unless working in a traditionally uncredited role). If you strongly feel you would still benefit from the training, please email USF@screenskills.com so we can assess if an exception should be made.

We are committed to ensuring all our courses are accessible to everyone. This course is designed to be as interactive as possible. Please email the above address if you have any access requirements and we will be delighted to help, be that clarifying the form such interaction is likely to take or discussing reasonable adjustments.

Speaker

Larry Walford is an award-winning producer who won his first commission with a sizzle tape in 2004, played on a VHS machine in the meeting room!  Since then he has won commissions and made TV programs for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Discovery and Netflix.  He is currently Creative Director at Double Act.

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘apply now’ at the top of the page and follow the instructions to apply for your place: you must login or register before you are able to complete your application.

If you need additional support to complete your application or require the application form in an alternative format please contact USF@screenskills.com

Places on these free online courses are limited and applications are often highly competitive. To stand the best chance of securing a place, please be sure to consider the following:

• When asked to list your three most recent credits, please include the programme title and your job role.
• When asked what you hope to gain from the course, please be concise but ensure you cover the specific elements of the topic you would like to gain knowledge of and what gaps in your skillset you believe the course may address. A rewording of the course title or a general comment on career progression does not tell us much about how this course would benefit you.

If you are no longer able to attend, we ask you to please use the “decline ticket” function on the right hand side of the page so that we can release your place. Our sessions are often oversubscribed, so we’d like to give other freelancers the opportunity to fill available spots. Thank you for your consideration.

This session is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.

This course would normally cost participants to attend, but thanks to this support, we are able to offer it to you for free. If you fail to attend, we reserve the right to request reimbursement of costs, unless your place can be taken by someone else.