UK TV Production Boom
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All investors (As of March 2021) who have sought EIS relief on their investment in Corestar Media PLC have received EIS 3 forms granting their reliefs.
I feel privileged to be a founder investor in Corestar. From the outset I believed in their vision and purpose. Their collaborative, focused approach from everyone in the team is just palpable. I have every confidence that they will continue to deliver on their ambitious and exciting agenda
C Kinsey
Thanks to all 3 of you for looking after me so well amongst your fellow guests on Wednesday night, at the Broadcast Awards. I don’t do so many black tie nights, and certainly not in London, and most certainly not in such high fallutin’ company as Sir David Attenborough and Jonathan Ross... so thank you very much
F Laing
I have known Mark Foligno for many years and he, Richard Hart and Paul Andrew Williams are all very experienced and talented people. As a result of the upheaval in the UK film industry, caused by the entry of the major US tech companies into the original content sphere, Corestar have adopted a radically different business model which seems to me to be very sound and likely to succeed and the early progress that they are making supports this view. This is why I decided to invest a reasonable sum of money with them"
N Jennings
Since our very first interaction as potential investors with Corestar Media, we were made to feel part of the Corestar Family. The team are approachable, friendly and take the time to provide you with the information you need and updates on productions in progress. Especially important for me, as an investor, is the build up of IP with a strong moral compass. The stories told by Corestar Media productions are thought provoking, sometimes challenging, and very relevant in today’s world and need to be in the public domain
V Simpson
Following the success of shooting a proof of concept for Phoenix, now in paid development with Channel 4, we are planning to do the same for an upcoming project.
This will be an opportunity to join us on set, meet the team, see the talent up close and gain first-hand insight into the fascinating world of TV production.
Please contact Rowan (rowan@corestarmedia.com) to secure your place.
Off the back of receiving funding from Sky Studios to develop a treatment for The Stopped Heart, we received further finding to write the pilot episode. We are shortly due to deliver the second draft of this script, having received a very positive response and minor notes on draft 1.
Next steps will most likely be that Sky will commission a script for episode 2 and if they are happy with that they will then move to a full green light commission. One of the many positive aspects of Sky is that they tend to commission a very large percentage of the projects they put into development. The executive from Sky is incredibly passionate about the book, which is the source material for the show, as well as how we are handling the adaption.
If we can achieve a full green light commission on this it will be an incredibly high-profile show for us. Destined for Sky Atlantic, it will be billed and marketed in a similar way to Chernobyl and Patrick Melrose. Budgets can be anywhere between £2m and £4m plus per episode, depending on talent (Sky are keen to attach A list talent to this). This will be a significant milestone for the company, in terms of credibility and landing Corestar as a production force to be reckoned with.
We are developing an international show based on the true story of the most successful encrypted phone network, which enabled criminals around the world to deal in drugs, guns and all manner of illegal activity without fear of their communications being intercepted by police.
That was until police in France managed to obtain photographs of the companies servers, and from those photos alone, an international crime unit was able to develop and upload a trojan horse to the network, giving the police the ability to see every single message between every single criminal on the network.
This led to one of the largest, co-ordinated crime agency operations across Europe, culminating in the highly synchronised arrest of 100s of criminals, leading to the seizure of millions of pounds worth of drugs, guns and currency.
We have done a deal with someone who was very close to the creator of the network and are very excited to have attached two incredibly accomplished writers to the project; Chris Lunt and Mike Walker, whose credits include Devils and Young Wallander.
We are very proud to be working with WiiP on Phoenix, one of the companies behind the critically acclaimed Mare of Easttown.
Kate Winslet's performance has been spellbinding, and the show is undoubtedly set to do very well on the awards front. You can see the show on Sky Atlantic, which is coincidentally where Sky Studios are aiming for with Stopped Heart.
CHANNEL 4 MOVES FORWARD WITH PHOENIX
As you will be aware, we shot a proof of concept in October for PHOENIX, starring Siobhan Finneran as Donna Chamberlain. Off the back of this, we landed a development deal with Channel 4 in March and subsequently delivered a pilot script (funded by C4). We have now met with Caroline Hollick, Head of Drama for Channel 4, and we are very pleased to announce that we are moving to the next stage of development. Channel 4 will be funding a comprehensive treatment for the entire series, which will give us a chance to map out series 1 and
Donna's ongoing journey in subsequent series. This is a significant move towards a full commission. Further to this, WiiP (Producer of Apple TV+’s DICKINSON), a US sales, distribution and production company, has committed to funding half of the production budget alongside Channel 4's money, if the show is greenlit by the broadcaster. This makes the project all the more attractive to Channel 4.
Dominic Cooper is attached to play Simon, the lead character in our new comedy-drama, BRAINS. Based on a book adaption from the novel ARTIST IN RESIDENCE. Dominic has a wealth of credits to his name, including the hit MAMMA MIA films as well as playing the lead in the multi-million dollar budget TV super show PREACHER for AMC & Amazon Prime.
This is game-changing news for the project, making it an incredibly attractive package for a number of broadcasters.
Simon is a selfish, narcissistic, self-sabotaging, 42-year-old alcoholic artist, who gets a job as Artist in Residence at a neurological institute. The drama takes place within the cavernous, near-empty institute, but also within the confines of Simon's brain. Just like the patients, there are huge (and worrying) discrepancies between his perception of reality and what is, in fact, occurring.
Through Simon, the show will reveal the fascinating world of neurology, giving an insight into many rare conditions displayed by a cast of weird and wonderful characters.
A Confession was a massive hit for ITV, pulling in 4.6 million viewers in the first week.
Paul Andrew Williams directed the series penned by Bafta-winning Philomena writer Jeff Pope. The series tells the real-life story of Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, who deliberately breached police procedure and protocol to catch a killer in a move that ended up costing him his career and reputation.
A Confession sees Fulcher delve into the disappearance of 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan in 2011, who never arrived back at her boyfriend’s house where she was due to stay after a night out clubbing. The investigation soon involves Karen Edwards, a mother whose daughter Becky also disappeared years before, and the two cases become connected, leading police to local taxi driver Christopher Halliwell. However, in trying to rescue both girls, Fulcher breaks numerous protocols when interviewing the suspect.
A Confession was produced by Urban Myth Films and ITV Studios.
Corestar will be holding an event in December at an exclusive screening venue in the West End of London. This is an opportunity for potential investors to meet those who have already invested in the business as well as a chance to meet the team behind Corestar and see an example of Paul Andrew Williams’ award-winning work. Also attending will be some of the creative talent who are working with Corestar and some of the people who have inspired the stories the company is developing.
These evenings have always been very friendly and relaxed, providing a great opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who have, or are interested in, getting more involved in the creative media industry and enjoying all that comes with it.
In October Corestar shot the opening 10 minutes of Paul Andrew Williams' new drama-thriller, Phoenix. Starring Siobhan Finneran (A Confession & Downton Abbey). The show is pitched as a bold returnable series exploring the world of British crime in a fresh and dramatic way. Siobhan's Character; Donna Chamberlain, had it all: a beautiful family, stunning house and enviable lifestyle. But in the blink of an eye, her world is turned upside down. During an early morning police raid, she suddenly discovers that her husband led a criminal secret double life.
Filmed in one continuous shot, the opening 10 minutes will form a proof of concept, showing Paul's creative vision for the show as part of packaging up the project to take into the likes of Netflix, Amazon, BBC, ITV & Channel 4.
We have recently added to our creative development team, with the appointment of Ross Murray. Ross has extensive experience in both development and production, including storylining and script-editing drama series for Channel 4, BBC and ITV.
He has strong relationships with broadcasters and is already starting discussions with them in regards to a number of Corestar projects. Ross not only brings with him a wealth of experience and contacts but also a real passion for storytelling, having been drawn to Corestar by the strength of our projects and Paul's talent for writing and directing award-winning work.
Ross was originally taken on as a freelancer working part time, but joins the team on a full time basis in November.
Paul Andrew Williams (Corestar’s Creative Director) is an established and highly respected TV director. He has proved his abilities time and time again, delivering hard hitting, thought provoking drama that benefits from incredibly layered, three-dimensional characters. Paul is very much an actor’s director, having originally trained as an actor himself. He remembers only too well, how difficult it can be to get a foot up in the business and is very proud of his track record in working with, and nurturing, new and up and coming talent. Georgina Campbell, who won best actress for Murder by my Boyfriend, being a prime example.
Our investors enjoy the opportunity for both themselves and members of their families, to get involved, both behind and in front of the camera. Whilst a role can never be guaranteed, as Paul will only ever cast on talent and suitability, there will be opportunity to audition for future shows. Further to this, Corestar offers the opportunity to get involved behind the scenes, working on set and getting a first-hand experience of the production process.
Corestar has secured the life rights of Dan Biddle, the most severely injured survivor of the 7/7 London bombings.
Dan’s story is one of grit, determination, love and bravery. Whilst reflecting on the events of 7/7, much of the focus will be on Dan's battle with Civilian Complex PTSD and his struggle to return to a sense of normality.
Further to developing Dan’s life into a TV drama, Corestar has also commissioned the award-winning, best-selling author, Douglas Thompson to work with Dan to produce a book of his life story. This will work in tandem with the TV drama and will help cross publicise both ventures. Dan wants to start a charity focusing on helping people who suffer from Civilian PTSD and we are going to work with him to help highlight the condition in both the TV drama and the book.
Murdered for Being Different, directed by Paul Andrew Williams, won Best Single Drama at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards 2018. Huge congratulations to Paul and the very talented cast and crew who were part of creating this incredibly powerful, must see drama. You can see a list of all the winners on the BAFTA website.
Corestar Media sponsored the Best International Sales Programme at the Broadcast Awards. The management team were very pleased to host a table and champagne reception for a group of select investors. The evening was an opportunity to mingle with the stars who attended the gala dinner, hosted by Jonathan Ross at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London. A particular highlight of the evening was seeing Sir David Attenborough receiving his Special Recognition Award.
