THE SUBMISSION

Written by

Motifersen Pictursen

INT. DIMLY LIT ROOM - NIGHT

Motifersen is at his desk, typing on his computer and simultaneously reading aloud what he writes. It’s raining outside.


If you take a look at our TV & Film page, we're active across scripted and unscripted commissioning. That means we want your amazing documentary, factual and fact-ent concepts, as well as your ideas for comedy and drama series.

MOTIFERSEN

Motifersen looks away from the Macintosh computer screen and gazes at the raindrops running down the window. An hour goes by before he types anything else.


If it's unscripted, it's important that it's a great story or great access. Could be sport, could be true crime, could be some expedition, or whatever.

MOTIFERSEN

Motifersen pours himself a glass of red wine. A mischievous drop of wine runs down the bottle and onto the desk, making a little splash. He smiles, gently places the bottle on the desk, opens a drawer filled with cleaning products, and then proceeds to clean every nook and cranny of the desk. A couple of hours go by before Motifersen types anything else.

If it's comedy, it's MASSIVELY important that it makes you laugh. Seems obvious, but you wouldn't believe how often they don't. We’re looking for pure comedy at the moment, rather than comedy-drama or other genre blends. Also, we do love stuff that's set regionally - ideally in the North East, but we're happy to look at anything outside the M25 that's got a strong sense of place.

MOTIFERSEN

Thunder rumbles in the distance, distracting Motifersen. He gets up and walks to the window to investigate where this obvious sound is coming from. A plastic bag dangling in the wind catches his eye. Motifersen observes it tumbling and turning above the rainy streets of Bensham. Out of his back pocket, he takes out a notepad and writes something down, which he then reads out loud:

Drama...well, got to be dramatic really. At the moment, we’re looking for drama ideas aimed at Channel 5, which means they’d need to be grounded limited series with relatable protagonists, who find themselves in a thrilling, mysterious, and potentially dangerous situation. Watching existing Channel 5 dramas will help with understanding their niche.

MOTIFERSEN

The phone rings. It’s Rosie Costello. Motifersen sighs deeply before answering.


Hold on though! We can't take full scripts or 30-page documents, no no no. The best place to start is with a treatment or series synopsis. We’d like anything you send to us to be a maximum of two pages please - don't be sneaking in with a tiny font either - or no more than four slides if it’s a pitch deck. Part of the game is to meet the brief! Email it to submissions@motifpictures.co.uk and if you've got a video, trailer, or a sizzle reel, or whatever you want to call it, we'll take those too. Bye.

ROSIE COSTELLO (V.O)

Motifersen hangs up. Rosie’s ‘bye’ echoes in the dimly lit room. He sits down at the Macintosh computer again and stares at his screenplay. A realisation hits him - he just introduced a new character in the final act of his feature film, which is something you don’t do. A single tear runs down his cheek and falls on the table, making a tiny splash. He smiles and looks at the screen.


What if it’s not a feature film, but a six-part TV series with 60-minute-long episodes?

MOTIFERSEN

Motifersen’s manic laugh fills the room as thunder rumbles somewhere in the distance.

THE END