AFTRS

 

 

A free networking event for the TV industry: First Tuesday of Every Month

 

The TV department at AFTRS has a monthly event for TV people: TV Talks - an opportunity to watch, listen and laugh with a panel of engaging TV Industry people talking about TV 'stuff' complemented with some good old fashioned networking afterwards!

 

"Making it OS"

 

Doing business overseas is a necessity for most TV Producers in Australia. At this month's TV Talks you'll hear from four Australians who've spent a significant amount of time working "OS". They'll be discussing how different it is doing business - and being employed in - the TV Industries in the US, UK, Canada (and beyond) and share some insights into what NOT to do if you are pitching your programs - or yourself!

 

This months panelists are

• Rod Parker (Head of Factual, ITV Studios Australia)

• Hannah Barnes (Head of Programming and Commissions, The Lifestyle Group - Foxtel)

• Greg Quail (EP - Quail TV)

• Event MC Denise Eriksen

 

June 4, 6pm
AFTRS Theatre 1
rsvp essential: tvtalks@aftrs.edu.au

Get directions to AFTRS Sydney>

 

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June 4, TV TALKS: "Making it OS" guest bios:

 

 

Greg Quail

EP - Quail TV

Greg Quail is the Founder and Executive Producer of independent production company Quail TV, which has offices in Sydney and Los Angeles and affiliations in London and Auckland.

 

Quail TV's latest Australian show, comedy sketch series Wednesday Night Fever, is in production for the ABC.  Quail TV USA is currently producing a prime time entertainment pilot for a major US network while also delivering a documentary series pilot to National Geographic Channel USA, another to the Scripps Network and is developing a cooking gameshow format for Food Network.

 

Greg spent the first ten years of his media career as a reporter in News and Current Affairs, before moving into the freelance world as a writer, director and producer of documentary and reality TV.  Greg's company is a prolific producer of factual and more recently, scripted content.  Major TV series credits include Real Tops Guns (SBS), Saving Babies and Saving Kids (Network Ten), Find My Family (44 x 1/2 hours for Seven Network), Send In The Dogs (Channel Nine), Dinner Date (Seven Network) and At Home With Julia (ABC 1) as well as the feature documentary Crossing The Ice, which recently won the Grand Prize at Banff, Kendal and Vancouver festivals.

 

Greg has some very useful (and amusing) insights into how to establish yourself in the US.

 

Hannah Barnes

Head of Programming and Commissions, The Lifestyle Network

Hannah Barnes is an Australian, who spent the first thirteen years of her media career working in the UK. Her first role there was as a Promotions Assistant with UK Gold.  Roles as Presentation and Program Scheduler, Senior Acquisitions and Programming Exec for LIVING and Programming Manager for Flextech Television, the largest provider of pay television channels to the U.K. multi-channel marketplace  (now part of Virgin Media).

 

Hannah was then Deputy Channel Controller, LIVINGtv, LIVINGtv2 and FTN  , before moving to BSKYB Broadcasting as Managing Editor, Sky One, Sky Two and Sky Three.  She then moved to Channel Five Broadcasting as Director of Programs, FIVER and Five US, which are the youngest free to air terrestrial channel.

 

Hannah returned to Australia in 2009 to work for XYZ NETWORKS  as Director of Programming and Acquisitions, and is now Head of Programming and Commissions for  The LifeStyle Group. She is in a unique position to make some fascinating observations on the differences between the Australian and UK TV Industries having worked in high level roles for broadcasters in both countries.

 

 

Rod Parker

Head of Factual, ITV Studios Australia

Rod Parker has nearly 30 years experience in television production and has made, managed and devised programs across a wide range of genres including Documentary, Music, Comedy, Reality, Factual and Entertainment for Broadcasters throughout the world including: BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, ITV, Channel Four, Channel Five, BSkyB, QVC and Discovery Channel in the UK, Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, Animal Planet and TLC in the United States, History Channel, CBC, City TV and Rogers in Canada, Networks Ten, Nine, Seven and the ABC in Australia, and TNT in Russia.

 

Rod's media career began in the '80s, kicking off in radio and feature film. He earned his TV producer stripes making 900 episodes of a kids magazine series for Channel 9 called C'mon and then worked as Senior Producer on Tonight Live With Steve Vizard (220 episodes)  and as Executive Producer, Arts & Entertainment, ABC  before heading to the UK in 1993 to work  for the BBC.

 

Before returning to Australia in 2012 to join ITV Australia, Rod's most recent role was Senior Executive Producer at Cineflix Productions, Canada for four years, responsible for projects including William Shatner's Weird Or What?, Mayday/Air Crash Investigation, Conviction Kitchen, Cold Blood/True CSI, Urban Legends and Stop Shouting At Me. Prior to this North American experience Rod was VP Reality Programming: TNT, Russia and Executive Producer: Wall To Wall Television, UK.  This broad range of experiences in production across several continents means that Rod has many interesting tales to tell about working overseas.

 

 

Denise Eriksen

TV Talks MC

Denise Eriksen is a New Zealander, who began her TV career as a journalist at NZBC. From NZ Denise moved to the UK where she worked for Visnews, WTN Television news Agency and TVS. Then after a ten year stint in Melbourne working as an EP for ABC News and Current Affairs, Chanel Seven and Beyond Productions.  Her work with Beyond Productions involved producing series for overseas broadcasters, TVNZ, RTE and Sky.  Denise returned to the UK to work first as an EP for Granada Media and then as Deputy Channel Controller for the Community Channel in London.

 

Returning to Australia in 2004 Denise rejoined the ABC as Head, Factual Entertainment. This was followed by a stint at SBS as Head, Development and Production, before returning once more to the ABC as Head of Current Affairs.

 

Denise has always played a hands-on role in all her managerial positions -  involved in setting up productions, creating visions for series and ensuring their delivery.   Series under her auspices included "Choir of Hard Knocks", "Cook and the Chef",  "Outback House", "Operatunity Oz" "Peking to Paris", "First Australians", "The David Hicks Story" - and a string of weekly series. She also has extensive experience in Producing series -, "Hot Summer DownUnder", for Sky UK,  "Top Gear Australia" and "The Games" (with John Clarke).

 

Denise is now co-running a Film and Television Production Catering business - Set Piece, and running several courses for AFTRS Open!

 

 

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