Back to Copenhagen after a week in London. I spent it catching up with production companies, distributors, and going to a day at the Televisual Factual Festival. Well moderated panels on Specialist Factual, Popular Factual, and how to make docs in danger zones, an interview with Ralph Lee of Channel 4, and a room full… Continue reading on indie production and public service media
Author: Krishan Arora
I'm an experienced television executive and producer. I started out at the BBC in London, working as assistant producer and director on a variety of documentary and magazine programmes. I then went to France to be one of the first programmers at Arte in Strasbourg when the channel launched in 1992. Returning to London after three years in France, I became Producer and Head of Development for documentary company Antelope. There I produced docs for all British broadcasters, with many co-productions on international subjects including the award-winning feature documentary Srebrenica - A Cry from the Grave, produced for BBC, NPS, PBS, and WDR.
After a year developing and producing through my own company Electrify, I rejoined the BBC in 2001 as Commissioning Executive in Factual, commissioning Science, History and Arts documentaries and series from independent producers for all four BBC channels. In 2005 I became the BBC’s Independents Executive, responsible for the BBC’s strategic relationship with the UK independent television production sector across all genres – factual, drama, comedy and entertainment. In mid-2011, I went back to the world of production and consulting, for clients including NHK, Steps International, the Sunny Side markets, French production company Gedeon, and now the Australian broadcaster SBS. Of Indian and German parentage, I'm based between Copenhagen and my native London.
Korea – a new factual force?
There’s a national drive in Korea to make documentaries the next Korean international content success. Korea made a national project out of becoming the world’s biggest music producer through K-Pop. Pretty ambitious project for a country of 50 million people. But they’re now the fastest growing music industry in Asia, with a massive presence in Japan and inroads… Continue reading Korea – a new factual force?
Don’t mention the E-word
There was a packed auditorium for the main debate at Wildscreen on Wednesday. It covered themes familiar to previous festivals, but no less important for that, according to Wildscreen veterans. How television wildlife films misrepresented the world and its environmental problems. How cute and fluffy animals don’t tell the whole story. How the word ‘Environment’ is a turn-off for… Continue reading Don’t mention the E-word
Wildscreen…I think I love you
Wildscreen is a conference and gathering held in Bristol for nature and wildlife filmmakers, distributors, and broadcasters. It happens once every two years, alternating with the Jackson Hole festival in Wyoming. Everybody clusters around Bristol’s lovely harbourside, like animals around a waterhole, wandering between the Arnolfini Gallery, Bordeaux Quay, and the Watershed centre. It’s relaxed, chatty,… Continue reading Wildscreen…I think I love you
Chasing content and dodging cloudbursts in Cannes
Three and a bit days in Cannes for MIPCOM have just come to an end. The Indian summer gave way to dramatic cloudbursts, making the Croisette look like somebody had gone overboard on the CGI budget. Drama subplots were everywhere. Warner International’s semi-open stand on the beach got flooded out; All3Media laid on Tuk-Tuks to their lunch for… Continue reading Chasing content and dodging cloudbursts in Cannes
Being Buster Keaton
I’ve mostly been at the writing/producing/commissioning end of the documentary-making business, (though I did start out as a photographer). Last week I did some real actual filming for the doc I’ve written called YARN. It was in Barcelona at the SWAB art fair. Helgi Felixsson is the director (and has also shot a lot of it)… Continue reading Being Buster Keaton
Keeping it in the Nordic documentary family
A few days at the Nordisk Forum in Malmo have given me time to reflect on the documentary business in the Nordic countries. I live part of the time in Copenhagen, and I’m half-German, so I’m part-Nordic I guess. I was there for most (not all) of the doc pitches over the two days, pitched… Continue reading Keeping it in the Nordic documentary family
Finding stories for SBS Australia
As of earlier this week, I’m the International Content Consultant for the channel SBS in Australia. I’m still based in Copenhagen and London, but spending part of my week working to the team in Sydney to scout for programmes to acquire for the channel – factual/documentary, but also other genres too. Really looking forward to… Continue reading Finding stories for SBS Australia
Pitching YARN at the Nordisk Forum
The other reason for going to Malmo was the pitch the documentary project YARN at the Nordisk Forum. I’m the writer and exec producer, which is directed by Helgi Felixsson, and produced by Heather Millard of Compass Films in Reykjavik. We’ve been developing it for a while, and have our characters, but this was its… Continue reading Pitching YARN at the Nordisk Forum
Nordisk Panorama Hackathon
Fresh off the plane from Rome, I went to the Nordisk Panorama in Malmo, Southern Sweden. It started with the Nordic Transmedia meetup – an unconference of different sessions, held at a club/music venue called Inkonst. Friday was the opening night of the Fest, and also the start of the two day Hackathon expertly organised by… Continue reading Nordisk Panorama Hackathon