Flying Bird, I am all for honest reporting. My step father was a newspaper editor in the days when you only printed once you knew the facts, I wish that we had more of that! You said,
I can only say I really feel responsible for produciong an honest and balance account of the story and avoid hollywood style as much as possible. I believe this is going to be a different film than the usual 'disaster stories' and that it will provide viewers with the appropriate information in an objective way.
We've done our homework, we've done the background research, the appropriate tests and we've talked to the right people in the right places.
I hope that you are able to get the programme screened. A friend of mine that makes documentaries had this reaction from different Ch 4 Commissioning Editors within the past two years:
Pitch "We want to show an area of work that was previously considered man's work and now has an ever increasing number of women." Ch4, "OK, so we will have the conflict of the young [note the word young] woman who wants to do into [stated] profession and how her parents object to it."
My friend replies, "Eerr, no, actually, our research has found that the women are all supported by their parents." At this Ch4 lost interest in the idea.
There are other examples of Television only wanting conflict and young people. The days when Horizon or Man Alive could take 50 minutes to set out a subject and put forward a balanced view are gone. I can only hope that they will return in my life time.
So, good luck with getting commissioned
and then not having them chew it to peices so as to 'sex it up' as Mr Gilligan so aptly put it. Seriously - I want you to win!