Young People’s Programmes – RTÉjr CALLOUT FOR RTÉ/EUROVISION CHILDREN’S DRAMA PROPOSAL
Wed 7th February 2018
CALLOUT FOR RTÉ/EUROVISION CHILDREN’S DRAMA PROPOSAL
No. Of Episodes / Duration: 1 x 15 minutes
Budget: Up to a maximum of €100,000
Closing Date: Friday 16th March 2018 at 12 Noon (Strict Deadline)
´TELL ME A SECRET’ – EUROVISION CHILDREN’S DRAM
RTÉ’s Young People’s Programmes is seeking proposals for an original, short children’s drama as part of its participation in the Eurovision Children’s Drama Series 2018, which is operated by the EBU [European Broadcasting Union]. This is an international co-production exchange whereby RTÉ commissions and delivers to the EBU one children’s film [or ‘episode’], suitable for sharing with other broadcasters, as a result of which it receives Irish broadcast rights for all episodes made/commissioned as part of the exchange by other participating broadcasters.
Films in the series must be original and this commission for the Irish episode is contingent on the production company clearing all rights on an exclusive, transferable and worldwide basis, i.e. covering all writers, performers, composers et al. Please read both the Eurovision Rules which apply to the series and the Eurovision Executive Producer’s guidelines - these are available at:
https://rtejr.rte.ie/ebu-rules-childrens-dramaseries-2018/
These should help in preparing a proposal. Please note that, in respect of RTÉ’s involvement, the deadlines and calendar dates specified for the pre-production milestones will vary from those given in the Rules but that all other provisions of the Rules will apply. This includes the obligation by the production company which makes the film to comply with any reasonable instructions issued by the supervising Eurovision Executive Producer.
Each film in the series should tell a story for children aged from 6 to 9 years, and it should be suitable for broadcast to children under this age even if it is not specifically made for them. It will be broadcast in the evening co-viewing slot on RTÉjr.
The main character[s] or actor[s] should be aged between 8 and 11 years and be active protagonists. Stories should feature children from diverse social backgrounds, have clear plots, take account of the audience’s appetite for action, fantasy and adventure and should be partly set outdoors.
The story should not rely on plot alone but should be character-driven and should appeal the emotions of the young target viewers. When thinking of story ideas, we would encourage submitters to think of genres as this can help the audience relate to the story: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Period Drama, Horror/Ghost Story, Thriller, Detective, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fable, Musical, Personal Drama etc. These have delivered several of the most successful films made for this initiative to date.
The film may use an out-of-vision or third-person storyteller, it may have a narrative in the first person or there may be no narrator at all. However, the narrative should not exceed one-third of the overall duration and a smaller percentage is recommended. Films in this series to date have been cinematic in style and approach, and similarly we want the Irish film to be visually-driven to a large degree, although a small amount of synchronous dialogue [which will require translation by other broadcasters] is acceptable.
Any synchronous dialogue should also be supported by the action or the narrative. The Eurovision Rules also require that the main actors are in no way related to anyone from the production team.
To see a selection of the films which have been produced to date in the exchange, please visit: https://showcase.ebu.ch/gallery/children-s-drama-series-1
As a whole, the Irish film must reflect the values of RTÉjr, which aims to explore and reflect the world in which youngsters in Ireland are growing up. Accordingly, the production mustbe fundamentally inclusive, prepared to embrace children of all backgrounds, abilities, cultures and ethnicities.
RTÉ Young People's is now seeking submissions from independent companies to produce the Irish film in this series. Please note that this commission also encompasses the production and delivery of approximately eight of the other countries’ films in English-language dubbed versions and this cost is included in the quoted budget. The quoted budget does not need to cover the Participation Fee which will be a separate cost to RTÉ.
Submissions should demonstrate the company’s ability to deliver in the following areas:
- A strong, original story and a treatment that is convincingly age-appropriate - we want a film that promises to engage viewers aged between 6 and 9 years [and is suitable for screening to younger children, i.e. not too scary/dark for RTÉjr]. The series theme/title [‘TELL ME A SECRET’] must feature clearly but it can be interpreted laterally/creatively
- The company, particularly key personnel proposed for this series, must demonstrate a proven track record in the production of films or television programmes for children. We are looking for an experienced film or television director with a strong leaning towards working with children; and a writer with a clear affinity for, and understanding of, the target audience age group of 6 to 9 years
- The submission should outline a convincing casting strategy along with any initial casting suggestions
- An understanding of the Eurovision Rules, including a willingness to engage with Eurovision’s Executive Producer, who will work with the company/producer to ensure the production is of the required standard and who will have the authority to approve or reject a treatment, make editorial decisions and, in specified circumstances, exclude a participant. Please note that the deadline for delivery of the completed programme and the other 8 dubbed films will be 12th October 2018.
- The proposal must include a costed plan for dubbing into English approximately eight of the series’ other films and delivering these dubbed versions ready for broadcast to RTÉ.
Submit ideas into the eCommissioning system under the programme category“Young Peoples – EBU 2018