Bell Media announced today the creation of an immersive and innovative new apprenticeship program to help develop the next generation of small-screen producers in Canada. With a yearly commitment of up to $1 million, the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab is a catalyst to fast-track the advancement and skills of qualified television producers. The latest program supported by the Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative, one of Canada’s most extensive broadcaster-supported training funds, the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab provides emerging producers from across Canada with the opportunity to gain unique hands-on experience – at both Bell Media and at leading production companies – to assist them advancing their careers within Canada’s TV industry. Bell Media will announce application details later this spring, with the program expected to launch by the end of the year.
The long-term objective of the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab is to ensure the next generation of producers are ready to meet the ever-changing demands of producing Canadian television and, as demand for Canadian programming continues to grow, enlarge the pool of talented, experienced producers from which Canadian broadcasters can partner.
The Producer Accelerator Lab joins current national training programs that the Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative supports in association with leading TV and film organizations, with overall funding of up to $1.8 million each year. The programs include the Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program (Writers Guild of Canada), the Bell Media National Fellowship Program (Banff World Media Festival), the Bell Media Primetime TV Program (Canadian Film Centre), the Bell Media Showrunner Bootcamp (Canadian Film Centre), the Business Management for Media Professionals Program (Women in Film and Television – Toronto), the Media Leadership Program (Women in Film and Television – Toronto), and Totally Television (National Screen Institute)*.Together, the programs ensure a comprehensive range of training across disciplines, and at different career states, for Canada’s up-and-coming production talent.
“Canadian television production is burning more brightly than ever. With our stated goal to feature prestige Canadian programming in primetime on CTV on every night of the week, and as we continue to commission more and more original content on our specialty channels, there is an increasing need to fuel the fire with even more accomplished producers,” said Kevin Crull, President, Bell Media. “Today’s announcement is an investment in the future of Canadian production.”
“There is momentum in Canadian development and production right now, and the Accelerator Lab will help propel it further forward,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. “We hope to help set the stage for next period of growth in our industry.”
Experiential and experimental, the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab has two innovative components:
A) Broadcaster Internship
· Up to 10 participants each year will partake in a group-based curriculum during a multi-week internship at the Bell Media’s Toronto headquarters.
· Participants will be exposed to the fundamental operations of a Canadian broadcaster, including learning about the business model and economics of Canadian broadcasting.
· Participants will participate in rotations with the various Bell Media departments involved in Canadian production, such as Development, Programming, Business Affairs, Regulatory, Marketing and Communications, Research, News, In-House Production, Sales, and Brand Partnerships.
· Travel and accommodation are provided for each participant. Additionally, participants would attend one festival/conference relating to television/digital production as guests of Bell Media.
B) Production Mentorship
· Then, top producers from the Broadcaster Internship each year will advance to a specialized 8-10 month mentorship experience at a production company or Bell Media In-House Productions.
· Bell Media will leverage its relationships with its independent production partners and in-house productions to tailor each mentorship placement. The mentorships could include independent producers creating comedy, drama, or reality/factual programming, as well as in-house news, sports, or entertainment production at Bell Media.
· The successful participant(s) will receive up to $50,000 each payable over the duration of their mentorship.
Applicants for the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must hold a degree or diploma with an emphasis on television or film studies, or have an equivalent four years of production experience. Full details will be announced in the coming months.