DD introduces policy to promote new talent

B B Nagpal

In an attempt to promote new talent, young graduates from various film and television institutes, recognised by the University Grants Commission, will be permitted by Doordarshan Television Network to make programmes as part its new commissioning guidelines.

Part of the commissioning budget will be identified and allocated for those who have otherwise produced good quality programmes for Doordarshan or other satellite channels, according to the policy announced in New Delhi.

Daily soaps, sit-coms, mythological, and mega-serials are among genres to be excluded from the list of commissioned programmes, as they would be available in the sponsored category. Programmes will be considered for commissioning to supplement and complement in-house production efforts and to bring variety in programming.

According to the new policy, Doordarshan will assess its requirements of commissioned programmes for the ensuing year in the last quarter of the financial year, and prepare a list upon the basis of specific slots and requirements of programmes of different genres and formats, on the different channels and regional kendras.

The Central Commissioning Unit (CCU) will consolidate the annual budget requirements for earmarking the available budget to different channels or kendras.

Proposals are to be accepted from eminent film directors of proven credentials who have won National or International Awards and filmmakers with considerable experience as directors, technicians, writers and researchers.

The producers/directors will be invited to give proposals, which will initially be examined by an evaluation committee and sent to a costing committee if approved. While the costing committee will only have officials, the evaluation committees at Delhi and regional kendras will have outside experts of repute from the fields of production, performing arts, broadcasting, journalism and literature.

The final approval will be given after preview by a committee approved by the Head of the concerned section/channel and Director of the kendra for regional kendras.

The proposals should essentially include details about the subject, title, language and theme/category (fiction, documentary, chat show or quiz), detailed story line in case of serials and break-up of the story and broad outline of treatment for single episode programmes.

Synopsis of each episode, with detailed script of at least one episode of concept and treatment will have to be submitted in case of serials. The proposal will be accompanied by a non-refundable bank draft of the value of Rs 10,000 in case of eminent filmmakers and Rs 5000 in case of young and upcoming filmmakers as processing fee.

20 per cent will be paid to the producer at the time of signing of the agreement and script approval, 30 per cent on approval of rough cuts, and 50 per cent on approval of the final product.

An executive producer of Doordarshan may be assigned to the producer by the channel, if the costing committee deems it fit.

Any deviation from the time frame given to the producer to complete the production with the stipulated time will attract a penalty at 18 per cent penal interest on the money advanced to them.

Any delay beyond three months of the agreed time frame, will result in the encashment of the 100 per cent irrevocable bank guarantee by Doordarshan.

UNI