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Interview with Ben Gale

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by Sarah Brownrigg
Ben Gale is Senior Commissioning Executive of documentaries and contemporary factual programming at BBC Three. He talks to us about his job and the importance of new talent.

Q: What's the big news around current BBC commissioning?
Since I arrived, the BBC has announced that the factual commissioning team is being re-structured to create a simpler, fairer system for independent and in-house ideas. Richard Klein is going to be the commissioner for documentaries across all four of the BBC's channels... From the beginning of April you should send your ideas to him. And the BBC is also talking about creating an on-line submission system, so keep an eye out for that...

Q: What's happening at BBC Three this year - strands, trends, objectives etc?
We're looking for new ideas that reflect a younger perspective of contemporary Britain. One-offs don't really work in the digital world, we need more programmes to build up a 'presence' and really find an audience. With docs what we really like is 3 x 60. They can be gritty subjects but the characters need to have some redeeming qualities!

Q: How important is 'new talent' at BBC Three, and are there specific opportunities for new talent (e.g. the 'Fresh' strand)?
New talent is really important to us. At the moment we're working on the brief for the next series of Fresh, which we'll be announcing in April.

Q: Many emerging filmmakers get frustrated at having a great idea, and then not being able to hold on to it - often being told that they're not experienced enough. What suggestions would you have so that these filmmakers can somehow keep hold of their idea and play an active role in the making of that film?
I think the key thing is to get your idea commissioned, even if you don't get to direct it. Aim to get a job as a researcher or Assistant Producer first time, with the objective of learning as much as possible from the director. You'll be able to put it into action very soon!

Q: How does the commissioning process work?
Individuals and companies send in ideas and then I take the best ones to my weekly routines with Stuart Murphy and we decide which ones we want to commission. We take those ideas forward to a commissioning round, which happen three times a year. Smaller projects can be commissioned between rounds.

Q: What proportion of documentary/ factual programmes come from the independent sector?
It varies from genre to genre, but I'd say more than half the factual output on
BBC THREE comes from the independent sector.

Q: What are some of the most common mistakes young/new filmmakers make in their proposals?
First, if you've never made a film before you're much more likely to make progress if you team up with a company who have an established track-record. Next, please don't assume that all young people are interested in is sex and drugs! At the risk of sounding a bit square, my request would be 'no more sex and drugs proposals, please.'

Q: What one piece of advice would you pass on to someone wanting to put a proposal in to BBC Three?
Re-read it before you send it. Ask yourself, was it fun and engaging to read? Would you commission if it arrived on your desk? And would you cancel a night out to stay in and watch it if you read about it in a listings magazine? If it's yes to all three, then send it in!

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