Passion is essential in any pitch—but it’s not just about being passionate; it’s about what you’re passionate about. Watch any episode of Dragons’ Den or Shark Tank (yes, they’re the same show), and you’ll notice a pattern: the most successful pitches solve a real problem or meet a tangible need. So Stop Chasing the Next Big Thing!
Interestingly, even when an idea is a non-starter, the best pitchers often walk away with job offers. Why? Because their passion is grounded in their ability to sell, adapt, and connect—not just in their attachment to a “passion project.”
Here’s the truth: the “next big thing” is often an illusion. Success lies in taking the last big thing and doing it better or differently. The real challenge is identifying the next big trend and transforming it into entertaining, engaging content that resonates with audiences.
4. Innovation Through Iteration: Reinventing Presentation, Not Content
In an era where the “next big thing” feels like a constant chase, true innovation often lies in how you package your content, not in reinventing the wheel.
Take the true crime genre: a familiar format that continually reinvents itself. The stories haven’t changed—mystery, suspense, and justice—but the way they’re told evolves.
• Dramatic reenactments add cinematic flair, making the experience feel like a movie.
• Master interviews bring gravitas and legitimacy, heightening audience trust.
• Archival footage and raw audio transport viewers directly into the story, creating an immersive experience.
The lesson? Don’t feel pressured to abandon what works. Instead, ask yourself: How can I make my content feel new without losing the essence of what audiences already love? Whether it’s fresh editing styles, creative use of graphics, or a new perspective, iteration keeps audiences engaged without alienating them.
5. The Art of Consistency: Lessons from the Masters
Think of iconic artists like Van Gogh, Warhol, or even contemporary filmmakers like Wes Anderson. Their brilliance isn’t just in their creativity—it’s in their consistency. Audiences know what to expect, yet they’re always delighted by the details that surprise them.
In media, the same principle applies.
• Shows like The Great British Bake Offthrive because of their reliable structure: challenges, camaraderie, and comforting storytelling. The innovation comes in small details, like themed weeks or fresh contestants—not a reinvention of the format.
• Consistency builds trust. When viewers recognize your “style,” they’re more likely to stick with you, knowing you deliver on their expectations.
As creators and producers, take a page from the masters: Understand your audience deeply, and refine what works. Wild reinventions may grab headlines, but consistency keeps audiences coming back.
6. Success Is a Moving Target: Monitor, Adapt, Deliver
In today’s media landscape, success isn’t static. It’s a constantly shifting target, dictated by evolving viewer habits and technological advancements.
• Monitor: Use analytics, audience feedback, and industry trends to keep a pulse on what’s changing. For example, platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts signal that short-form, snackable content is where many younger audiences live.
• Adapt: Adjust your strategies to meet audiences where they are. This doesn’t mean abandoning long-form content but integrating formats that complement their habits, like behind-the-scenes snippets or live Q&A sessions.
• Deliver: Stay one step ahead. Think of Disney+ or Netflix, which leverage data to anticipate shifts in consumption and release content tailored to those insights. Your focus should be not just where the audience is now, but where they will be.
In practice, this means staying flexible while holding onto your core values. Whether you’re experimenting with a new platform, format, or strategy, remain true to your brand while delivering content in a way that feels timely and relevant.
Final Thoughts on Stop Chasing the Next Big Thing
The pressure to chase the “next big thing” is real, but the path to success lies in a different approach. Iterate, stay consistent and adapt to change. By focusing on these fundamentals, you’ll not only stay ahead of trends but also build a loyal audience that values your work for the long haul.
What’s your take? Are you focused on iteration, consistency, or adaptability in your work? I’d love to hear how you’re navigating the shifting media landscape.
Aligning Creativity with Market Demand: The Foundation of Success
So, Stop Chasing the Next Big Thing because in the world of content creation, the allure of crafting something purely driven by personal passion can be powerful but ultimately a waste of time. After all, creativity thrives when we’re inspired, and personal projects often feel more authentic. But when it comes to achieving success in a market-driven economy, relying solely on passion can lead to disappointment if your creation doesn’t align with what audiences—or commissioners—actually want. My FAQ on formats may help you.
The harsh reality is this: audiences don’t care about your personal passion. They care about their needs being met, so Chasing the Next Big Thing is futile. Whether it’s entertainment, escapism, information, or a sense of connection, the success of any TV show, format, or production lies in its ability to solve a problem or fulfil a demand for the target market.
Why Demand-Led Production Works
At its core, a market-driven approach ensures you’re creating for an existing or emerging audience. Here’s why this matters:
Relevance Equals Resonance
Creating content aligned with market trends ensures your project resonates with viewers. A show that taps into current cultural moments or audience desires will stand out among the sea of offerings competing for attention.
Efficiency of Effort
Producing for a proven demand reduces the risks of wasting time, money, and creative energy on something that audiences don’t connect with. Instead of gambling on a passion project, you’re investing in something with a higher likelihood of success.
Sustainability of Success
When you solve a problem or meet a need, you build trust with your audience. Over time, this trust can grow into loyalty, creating sustainable viewership or engagement for your brand or production company.
Personal Passion vs. Market Demand: A False Dichotomy
It’s easy to think of market demand and personal passion as opposites, but the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The most successful creatives find ways to align their passion with what the market wants. they may be Chasing the Next Big Thing but its probable not on their BBC 4 playlist!
For instance, take The Great British Bake Off. It wasn’t just a baking show—it tapped into the growing cultural trend of celebrating homemade food, nostalgia, and community. The creators’ passion for baking found a perfect match in the audience’s appetite for feel-good, relatable programming.
Lessons from the Trenches
The reality of the media industry is littered with failed pitches that were Chasing the Next Big Thing and that ignored this principle. For years, producers chased their personal visions, crafting shows they loved but that no one wanted to buy. The turning point came when they stopped focusing on what they wanted to make and started focusing on what broadcasters and platforms desperately needed.
One such example is Sam Barcroft’s pivot to creating demand-led programming. By analyzing market gaps and listening to audience behavior on social media, his team built shows tailored to specific needs. This strategy resulted in massive success, including landing one of the first UK-produced Netflix Original series.
The Takeaway
To thrive in a market-driven economy, creators must shift their perspective: stop thinking about what you want to create and start thinking about what the audience wants to consume. Look at what problems your content can solve. Whether that’s filling a genre gap, catering to underserved audiences, or delivering content in a way that’s more accessible, the key is to let the demand guide your supply.
As Sam Barcroft aptly put it: “Nobody cares about your pitch. They just want their most important problem solved.”
In the next section, we’ll explore how to identify the emerging markets and platforms where your ideas can thrive. Let’s build not for the next big thing, but for the next big trend.
Marketplaces of the Future: Where Will Audiences Flock Next?
The media landscape is shifting rapidly, with audiences dispersing across an ever-expanding variety of platforms. Gone are the days when traditional broadcasters held a monopoly over eyeballs. Today, the content marketplace is splintered, and the winners are those who can predict where their audience will land next.
The Rise of FAST Channels
Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels are one of the most significant growth areas in today’s media world. These platforms—such as Pluto TV, Tubi, and Samsung TV Plus—offer free, linear-style programming with minimal barriers to entry for audiences.
Why FAST Channels Matter:
Ad Revenue Model: Unlike subscription-based services, FAST channels thrive on advertising dollars, making them accessible to wider audiences who are subscription-fatigued.
Curated Niche Offerings: Many FAST channels cater to hyper-specific interests, such as true crime, retro sitcoms, or even single-show marathons. This specificity appeals to audiences who feel overwhelmed by choice on larger platforms.
Expanding Reach: FAST platforms are rapidly gaining traction in key markets like the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with global FAST revenue projected to exceed billions by the end of the decade.
For production companies, this presents an incredible opportunity. By understanding the niches within the FAST ecosystem, you can tailor content to these channels, creating lower-budget, high-volume programming that thrives in these curated spaces.
Niche-Driven Markets: Fewer Choices, More Focus
The abundance of content on streaming platforms has created a paradox: too much choice often leads to decision paralysis. As a result, audiences are gravitating toward niche-focused markets, where content feels tailored to their specific tastes.
Examples of Niche Markets Thriving Today:
• True Crime: This genre continues to dominate with loyal viewership across platforms, from Netflix to FAST channels like Crime+Investigation.
• Royal Documentaries: Audiences with an insatiable curiosity for royal families are flocking to shows like The Crown or dedicated docuseries on streaming platforms.
• Wellness and Mindfulness Content: As audiences prioritize mental health, platforms like YouTube and niche apps such as Gaia cater to this growing demand.
Why Niche Markets Work:
Loyal Audiences: When viewers find content that aligns with their interests, they tend to stick around longer, leading to higher engagement and retention.
Lower Competition: Hyper-focused content faces less direct competition compared to broadly targeted shows.
Brand Authority: Producing in a niche allows you to become the go-to authority in that space, creating trust and loyalty.
Understanding Audience Behavior
Predicting where audiences will flock next starts with understanding their behavioral patterns:
Data-Driven Insights: Platforms like Netflix and YouTube have perfected the art of using data to understand what audiences want and when they want it. Production companies must also embrace analytics to shape content strategies.
Engaging Social Media Trends: Social platforms often act as early indicators of what’s capturing attention. Monitoring TikTok trends, Instagram engagement, or even Reddit communities can reveal untapped opportunities.
Globalization of Audiences: As international platforms expand, it’s important to recognize how diverse cultural preferences shape content consumption. What works in the UK may not work in Southeast Asia—and vice versa.
Future-Proofing Your Production Company
To survive and thrive in the marketplace of the future, production companies must focus on adaptability. Here’s how:
• Develop Multiple Revenue Streams: Diversify your portfolio by creating content that works across platforms—streamers, FAST channels, and even YouTube.
• Tailor for Emerging Platforms: Identify up-and-coming platforms and customize content for their unique needs. For example, short, snappy formats work well for TikTok, while serialized storytelling thrives on streaming platforms.
• Monitor Shifts in Engagement: Audiences evolve. A platform that’s booming today might stagnate tomorrow (RIP Quibi). Stay ahead by continuously evaluating platform growth and decline.
The Takeaway
Audiences today are looking for more than just “the next big thing.” They’re seeking content that speaks to them, in spaces where they feel understood and valued. Whether it’s a FAST channel offering nostalgia-driven marathons or a niche YouTube channel that dives deep into wellness, understanding where your audience is—and where they’ll be—can help you stay ahead of the curve.
In the next section, we’ll explore how to intelligently capitalize on trends without becoming a clone factory. Let’s talk about “Trends, Not Clones: How to Capitalize on Audience Demand.”
Trends, Not Clones: How to Capitalize on Audience Demand
The success of Traitors proved a seismic moment for television. With its blend of psychological gameplay and dramatic storytelling, the show captured imaginations worldwide. In the wake of its popularity, every network and producer wanted their version of the same concept: a game of deception where trust is tested. And while imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it rarely guarantees long-term success.
Instead of producing clones, smart content creators use these moments to intelligently follow trends—adapting what’s resonating with audiences to their own unique niches, genres, and platforms. This isn’t about creating a carbon copy but understanding the underlying demand and evolving it into something new and engaging.
Why Clones Fall Short
When something as successful as Traitors emerges, the immediate temptation is to recreate it—same mechanics, same premise, same tone. The problem? Clones often suffer from the following issues:
Market Saturation: When everyone rushes to create similar content, audiences quickly tire of the repetitive format.
Lack of Originality: A copied idea lacks the spark that made the original unique, leaving it as a pale imitation.
Missed Opportunity: Clones often fail to dig deeper into what truly captivated audiences, missing the chance to build on the trend in a meaningful way.
Adapting the Traitors Effect
Instead of cloning Traitors, successful production companies analyzed its core appeal:
• The “Hidden in Plain Sight” Gameplay: Audiences loved watching contestants try to outwit each other, often playing on themes of trust and betrayal.
• The Psychological Tension: The emotional stakes—watching alliances crumble and lies unravel—kept viewers hooked.
• Universal Human Dynamics: The show resonated because it tapped into timeless human behaviors like deception, loyalty, and survival.
These elements can be adapted and innovated into countless other formats. For instance, a production company might create:
• A scripted drama series exploring betrayal and deception in a corporate environment.
• A reality competition with the same “hidden traitor” concept but set in a survivalist setting.
• A family-friendly version focused on teamwork and trust-building, tapping into a younger audience.
By identifying why audiences connected with the original, you can create something fresh and compelling that evolves the trend rather than copying it.
Niches That Thrive by Adapting Trends
Some genres, like true crime and royal access, are particularly adept at capitalizing on trends without falling into the trap of cloning.
True Crime
• True crime has remained a powerhouse genre because it evolves with audience preferences. Early iterations focused on investigative documentaries (America’s Most Wanted), while newer adaptations incorporate dramatizations (Mindhunter), podcasts (Serial), or docuseries (Making a Murderer).
• Example of Adapting Trends: A producer might notice the rising popularity of AI and tech crimes and create a series examining the impact of hacking, deepfakes, or cyber deception.
Royal Access
• The fascination with royalty is perennial, but its presentation changes with the times. Shows like The Crown blend dramatized storytelling with historical accuracy, while documentaries like Harry & Meghan bring modern relevance and controversy to the genre.
• Example of Adapting Trends: A royal-focused series could tap into the global popularity of sustainability by exploring the role of modern royal families in combating climate change or addressing social justice issues.
The Key to Longevity: Innovate Within the Trend
Niches and genres that thrive don’t abandon what works; they innovate within their framework:
• True Crime: Adding elements like immersive VR storytelling, exploring underrepresented voices, or focusing on crimes in unexpected settings.
• Royal Access: Experimenting with unique formats, such as a limited docuseries told from the perspective of palace staff, or scripted shows that fictionalize alternate royal histories.
Don’t Zigzag Erratically—Build Methodically
Jumping from trend to trend without understanding the audience’s deeper needs is like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks. Instead, successful producers stay focused on:
Audience Behavior: What are they drawn to? Why do they stay engaged?
Genre Evolution: How can the format grow while staying familiar?
Platform Fit: Where is this content most likely to thrive?
For instance, a traditional true crime documentary might work well on Netflix or BBC, while a shorter, edgier version could thrive on a FAST channel with a dedicated crime audience.
The Takeaway
Success isn’t about zigging while others zag; it’s about following trends intelligently. By understanding what made a show like Traitors resonate and applying those insights to your own creative endeavors, you can capitalize on audience demand without falling into the trap of imitation.
In the next newsletter, we’ll delve into how genres innovate by evolving their presentation rather than overhauling their core. Let’s explore “Innovation Through Iteration: Reinventing Presentation, Not Content.”
I have been driven into the online course market creating my “online TV course” as a creator rather than a consumer. It is a covid thing, no international travel is an issue if you work as an international consultant. It is also something i have been thinking about for a while now. But It’s a process full of decisions all of which seem quite daunting, so it is easy to procrastinate and spend all your time reading reviews and using free trials. Do I go it alone, I can build Websites programme HTML and CSS? Do I use one of the big two ready made builders Kajabi and Thinkific? I am very clear about what I am going to offer, developing formats for audiences, now note my use of words, I didn’t say developing TV Formats. What do I call it has stopped my in my tracks and i need help? Is the noun television relevant any more?
Is the word “Television” relevant
Here is my fundamental dilemma, no one under 26 watches TV. I taught and University this year and I can confirm that between the students and my own teenage daughters, no one watches TV, or at least realises they are when they watch Love Island. They of course watch endless tictoks, youtube and stream Netfilx or any number of online sources. This is all done on mobile phones, laptops, gaming PC’s or perhaps the smartTV. At university we had a robust conversation about what to call the TV production course moving forward. “Television” sounds like a Jules Verne vision of the future from 1897. “Content Creator” sounds like a person in an averagely lit bedroom in-audiabily rating on about minecrafts lack of updates. “Digital Media” well what is that?
When we are trying to attract the crews, producers, writers and directors if we ask, in our excited dinosaur voices “DO you want to work in TV?” I suspect the answer would range from. what’s TV, through, Never watch it to a flat out NO. Its all I ever dreamt of but the last two projects I developed were “digital first” (online only) I used all the same skills and techniques as developing for TV, even in overcoming the unique non linear element of online media. What was I doing, how do I describe it. The market understands TV Format, but search but “TV” as an adjective seems to need expanding. Look, I am a TV director, then we have theatre directors, company directors etc. But what now describes a director working, asking people to point cameras at things for TV, or streaming or online events. Search media director and you will get a myriad of different sectors. I need to know what sector I work in in a single punchy everyone gets it way.
What is my online course?
This I can obviously answer, my “online TV course” is… I want to help people format their ideas for content into a recognisable pitch for a buyer. I want to help people format those ideas into what we now call stories, be that a story of a person winning a talent show, gameshow, or selling a thing or culture. I want to help people who want to direct – “ask people to point cameras things creating shots” and then to “string those shots into something that tells the story” I want to let people know what a fantastic industry camera pointing and show stringing is with opportunities for many skills and jobs, super technical to arts and design. I want to help people fill up blank sheets of paper with great new ideas that will entertain, educate and inform.
But I don’t want to put off a new excited cohort of talent by calling by a name of a device no one watches.
Help me out
There we have it, I need help. What do we call this fantastic industry that takes a wildly talent group of people from every socio economic background, using every pronoun in the dictionary from a thankfully ever more diverse group of cultures and abilities, and as always from every educational mark on the scale. The common purpose, the capture, events, stories, concepts performances for anyone to experience through a screen, anywhere. Just writing that excites as much as the first day I walked into the industry on the Muppet Show and Digital/New Media doesn’t hack it. Wjhat do I call my “online TV course”
Part 3 of Jonathan Glazier’s 12 week creative development plan
Revision
In true TV style programme construction, lets start with a recap. Start with a life changing personal vision that motivates you to execute.
Set 3 Goals, what do you want to achieve at the end of 12 weeks? Keep in mind you won’t get a commission in that time, so adding that as a goal will be setting yourself up to fail. The Goal given our frame of reference should be in the form of pitch ready ideas. If you have been at this a while one goal could be a new idea, a second to get the last 12 week idea pitched and commissioned, and a third goal could be to write your novel’s first chapter or to get the VAT done.
These basic goals are the corner stone of the idea, the VAT is a serious notion, you simply cannot create with the boring and mundane hanging over you, the system is designed to get things done and dusted and keep a clear mind.
Each goal will have tasks attached more on that later, but let’s deal with the biggest challenge first…
Ideas
I believe there are two types of idea, a professional idea and a non professional idea, let me clarify. We all have ideas and flashes of inspiration about all kinds of stuff, the ideas generated by these are non professional. I don’t mean they are not good ideas, on the contrary, perhaps my description of professional ideas will get the concept over. In a creative environment where people are paid for ideas they are locked in a room and given a task, to come upon with something creative. This is a professional idea. So when I say to my development team at the BBC we need a new stripped game show on BBC2, and the team gets to work to fulfil that brief, that’s professional creativity. When two people are at a dinner party and get talking, and one thing leads to another and they chat and come up with a great title for a game show, they wonder about how hard can it be? They spend the next 12 weeks refining the idea and send it to the BBC, it sits in a pile of other 3rd party (non BBC) ideas for a few months. Someone notices it because the title is good, the team get behind it and a deal is done and Fintan and Cathy become millionaires because they have devised “The Weakest Link.” That’s a non professional idea!
Having a non professional idea is Day one of the 12 week plan, sitting around to come up with an idea is day one of the professional 12 week plan.
good ideas
Clearly you want good ideas but what is a good idea? In the hard world of tv or most any other sector a good idea is one that sells. Yes I know I’d like to live in a world where a good idea is just that and we all celebrate a good idea with an improved life that costs nothing and makes the creator feel warm and fuzzy, doesn’t pay the mortgage though does it?
So we have to sign up to the fact that a good idea is worth money and also some times a good idea is just a good idea and nothing more, it won’t make a great TV show or any money. The other thing professional idea smiths do is research what ideas will have the best chance of being good, aka “selling”.
So development teams will look at the opportunity, competition and reward. Identifying a slot worth developing for. This can be depressing, what are the opportunities on Saturday night? We have Got Talent, X factor that’s almost 6 months of slots that will be very hard to get into, and actually it’s a waste of time to develop for any similar slot. The non professional ideas are not researched, but given these are “hobby” projects the need for reward is not so pressing and therefore these ideas may seem impracticable but they can at least sit in a file for years waiting for the right moment. Professionals have these ideas too but the only keep them as sparks of ideas and don’t waste valuable time developing until the opportunity becomes more likely.
where do ideas come from?
It’s not rocket science we all know ideas happen all the time and at any time, these are non professional ideas. The trick is capturing them and then executing or actioning those flashes of inspiration, most of us just instantly forget the idea or simply jump to the too hard, no time or not my thing frame of mind. If your vision means you are looking for ideas there’s also another down side, the moment you start looking your mind blanks! All of this is normal, just relax, people used to say carry a note book and pen, have one next to your bed etc. As it happens I actually do, I find pen and paper, with scribbles and crossing out, very creative, but you also have a phone, and if you are normal it’s never more than arms length away. Use that to record a spoken note or get a note app and writing it down, Evernote is great for this and I also use a OS/iOS app called things 3 for my todo note tracking.
Professional ideas come from brainstorming, or in plain English throwing a few ideas around. There are many techniques and academics dispute there effectiveness. My view is that blue-sky brainstorming lacks focus, I prefer set parameters and goals. I also believe that brainstorms are full of individual ideas that have been simmering in the minds of the participants,all generated when they were having non professional ideas. So brainstorming tends to really be about, “what do you think of this?” sessions. Many say no idea is a bad idea, so create a non critical session where no one is worried about speaking up. Well guess what, there are bad ideas and if you are so sensitive that being told so sends you over the edge, TV may not be your thing! (I think that’s an HR issue but hey that’s entertainment.)
But here’s the thing, you need to feed creativity you need to read, to watch, and to just move around. Do stuff counter to your actual task, go to art galleries, museums, to the pub, have a bath, this is where creatives get there eccentric status or even their time waster label. But all these things feed creativity and increase the chances of that flash of inspiration. And here’s an example of the issues creatives face. I was asked to mediate a session at IPC who publish many of the lifestyle magazines we read. I asked them to come up with an idea for a new magazine for 18 to 24 year olds, the room fell silent, I then asked them to do the same but for a new TV show, the room became alive with chat, arguments and what ifs. Ideas are the biggest challenge, feed creativity to maximise the chance of having and idea, and we are still only on day one of our 12 weeks!
There is nothing wrong with your idea being similar to an existing show too. Commissioners will always say they want new they want fresh. What they commission is the next iteration of a show or one in the same area, look at hole in the wall, total wipe out, ninja warrior and cannon ball. Each bettering the previous is somenway (cannon ball being the exception to that observation.
So part of the ideas process is to watch TV and know you slots and schedules. Follow trends and yes go for a drink, like me now, next….
I’ve been using 12 week techniques for a while now. Anyone who has signed up to “Best Self” or the “12 week year” will know how powerful these techniques are in helping reach your goals. In fact I’ve lost just shy of 50lbs in weight using the 12 week technique, if you know me you will understand the magnitude of that statement.
It’s no coincidence that in all my development seminars and my practical work in development and production I have always worked and advocated a 12 week cycle. 12 weeks pre 12 weeks production 12 weeks post. That changes depending on budget, some times 12 weeks start to delivery some times each stage is 12 weeks. In development 12 weeks from blank paper to finished pitch is always my goal.
So with that in mind I have decided to share my techniques online. So keep an eye out for details. I leave you with two thoughts. BAFTAS are not won by great programme makers. BAFTAS are one by people who decided to work at making great programmes. And Those people all dreamt of making that acceptance speech and they had a vision of the end goal and envision every step of the way, probably before even entering the industry. So if you are interested sign up and like my Facebook page where I will post details of this valuable technique.
First the background.
The 12 week technique is quite well known. Until you use it it seems like another promise all cure for changing your life, but it can. People have trebled their income, saved relationships and lost weight using the system. I lost 47lbs myself over 3 months. It’s remarkable and really simple to master but like everything hard to stick at. But do stick at it and it will change the way you think. And that’s the key, change, because we all do what we’ve always done and are surprised that we get the same results. So change. I don’t want to get into the detail of the actual 12 week thing, if you follow these posts you will get a good idea. But all I want to say is that the basic principle was about killing off annual targets. Basically because you can put off trying to achieve them because it’s all to easy to think you have bass of time and then come year end you chase leads run around and have to hit a years worth of KPIs in March. Imagine hitting those targets every 12 weeks? You now have a grasp of this powerful philosophy.
So why use the same system in the creative industries? Surely you can’t plan to have an idea, it’s all just open ended isn’t it, blue sky no rules?
Well sure you can operate that system if you want to spend a lot of money with few results. But it’s the same as not knowing what you want to do when you leave school, there’s no vision, no goal and you end up study a mis match of subjects you find easy and ultimately never fulfil your potential. No one starts a journey with out some idea of where they are going. Sure you can go with the flow, but ultimately you are probably heading for a destination of some sort. If you are a parent you will no the end result of an unplanned weekend, moaning children or fighting siblings. A well planned weekend with trips out, a game on the field, a dog walk dominoes pizza followed by strictly bath and bed means happy tired and most importantly happy occupied children. My point is that in every way a plan is better than none. So why not make it a structured 12 week plan full of goals, checks and ultimately a vision of an end product. Apple are creative and they have a road map, admittedly it’s annual, the iPhone comes out with very September but apple are creative and they have a plan.
Next step basics.
Jonathan Glazier Cambridge UK
Creative Consultant
Lecturer
TV Format Developer
Executive Producer
TV Director
I’ve been using the 12 week techniques for a while now. Anyone who has signed up to Best Self or the 12 week year will know how powerful these techniques are in helping reach your goals. In fact I’ve lost just shy of 50lbs in weight using the 12 week technique, if you know me you will understand the magnitude of that statement.
It’s no coincidence that in all my development seminars and my practical work in development and production I have always worked and advocated a 12 week cycle. 12 weeks pre 12 weeks production 12 weeks post. That changes depending on budget, some times 12 weeks start to delivery some times each stage is 12 weeks. In development 12 weeks from blank paper to finished pitch is always my goal.
So with that in mind I have decided to share my techniques online. So keep an eye out for details. I leave you with two thoughts. BAFTAS are not won by great programme makers. BAFTAS are one by people who decided to work at making great programmes. And Those people all dreamt of making that acceptance speech and they had a vision of the end goal and envision every step of the way, probably before even entering the industry. So if you are interested sign up and like my Facebook page where I will post details of this valuable technique.
