A phone call and two emails shattered the tranquillity here at the GFG-Batesville Shard late last week. The gist was: we are currently developing a new project for Channel 4, which will be an observational documentary series set in a funeral parlour. We envisage the series being warm and informative, recognising and celebrating the crucial role they play in the lives of families and the wider community.
The proposed format is similar to that of One Born Every Minute. Interested? Here’s more:
We would like to get in contact with family-run funeral parlours and, if possible, businesses where several members of the same family work alongside each other. We’re also really interested in finding a place that also specialise in repatriations, perhaps they ever have an office overseas, and exhumations. I’ve included a bit more information about Dragonfly and the types of programmes we make below.
Dragonfly Film and Television is a BAFTA award-winning, independent television production company, specialising in factual programmes. We work across all the major UK and international broadcasters, such as the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery and National Geographic.
We have a proven track record of delivering thoughtful and sensitive single documentaries and series.
Dragonfly have worked with many people, places and institutions – including maternity wards, hotels, schools and families in their homes, to create celebrated access-based series like The Hotel, The Family and Extreme A&E for Channel 4. We’ve also made subject-led programmes like the highly acclaimed Channel 5 documentary series My Secret Past featuring well known celebrities revealing the painful experiences they have dealt with and the BBC One documentary June Brown: Respect Your Elders examined the way we treat older people in society.
Dragonfly’s programmes have a reputation for dealing with important and often sensitive subject matters, with warmth and integrity. From giving birth in One Born Every Minute to crashing a plane in Plane Crash, we always tell stories in an honest, thought-provoking and sensitively handled way.
We have a team of experienced producers who are excellent at working with the people they film with to create a mutually beneficial environment that everyone is comfortable with. They know how to minimise disruption and work with small crews and unobtrusive cameras. They excel at maintaining a good working relationship from the beginning of filming, until the programmes have aired. They develop transparent and trusting relationship with everyone they work with.
Dragonfly’s Managing Director Simon Dickson was previously deputy head of documentaries at Channel 4 where he was responsible for re-inventing the popularity of documentaries with a whole raft of award-winning programmes such The Hospital, One Born Every Minute, Coppersand 24 Hours in A&E. Dragonfly’s Creative Director, Mark Raphael, during his time at Channel 4 commissioned a range of sensitive projects, including The Murder Trial, Bedlam, Educating Yorkshire and 999: What’s Your Emergency?
Contact Sarah Rubin at: Sarah.Rubin@dragonfly.tv
In my outsider’s eyes John Nodes, Gillmans and Albins all came across very well when each was the subject of a behind the scenes series. Just a pity that the first two are now corporately owned.