Climate Spring’s Lucy Stone, centre, speaking at Content London yesterday
CONTENT LONDON: Shows that deal with the impact of the climate crisis can be exciting rather than depressing, but packaging the projects in a way that doesn’t scare off commissioners is key, delegates at Content London heard yesterday.
Lucy Stone, founder and executive director at funding organisation Climate Spring, discussed her key tips for getting climate-themed stories funded and on screen in an effective way on the opening day of Content London on Tuesday.
Stone said Climate Spring is supporting about 90 projects now across the scripted and unscripted space, many of which are not necessarily being pitched to buyers as climate-themed stories.
“Climate storytelling can be a really creatively exciting space for writers and producers. Climate fiction would probably be bottom of your reading pile let’s be honest, because you think it’s going to be depressing,” said Stone.
“We’re very comfortable with the fact that very often they are not pitching it as a climate story. Not just because that’s the way to get it commissioned, but because ultimately we think the best climate stories will be pitched as great stories. I know that sounds obvious, but it’s worth saying.
“We are hearing from commissioners all the time that they are looking for good, commercial climate stories, and they’re not getting enough pitches. So, they’re looking for them. They want them,” added Stone.
“There’s a huge perception that climate makes things boring or uncommercial, but audiences are already there. It’s where the culture is.”
Stone said some of the most successful commissions fall into three buckets: accountability thrillers, personal journey stories and hopeful, future-facing shows.
“An accountability story could be the true-crime story of the climate crisis. Who is responsible? So courtroom dramas, the little person against the system. These can be great for scripted or unscripted.
“Journey stories can be very personal. That is the change that we are all experiencing in this crazy transition period.
“The third is, dare I say it, a bit hopeful, a bit feel-good. Not necessarily entertainment that ignores the realities, but acknowledging that people are looking for where the escape route is. We know that commissioners are looking for that content,” Stone said.
Stone was speaking to moderator Cyle Zezo on the panel titled ‘The Big Picture: How to get your climate idea past a commissioner’ alongside Sam Sutaria, CEO, WaterBear; Andri Ómarsson, CEO, producer, co-owner at Glassriver; and Nina Hernandez, head of content at Portocabo.
