zoom or in-person
“Thanks for a brilliant session. Defining the theme gave me a much clearer direction for developing the film. Game changer.”
At Handling Story, I help producers, directors, and writers move beyond the surface of plot and character to distill the thematic "soul" of their work, within a single session.
Thematic focus is development de-risking. Locking in your story’s ‘Why’ early provides the strategic language for your Statement of Intent—the pivot point of any funding proposal on which many projects either thrive or fail. I ensure your artistic vision survives the brutal evolution of development and the scrutiny of funders.
In the competitive landscape of global storytelling, the distance between a "good idea" and a "financed project" is often a matter of clarity. Financing—whether from a national fund in London, a co-production jury in Paris, or a streamer in Los Angeles—follows coherence. To secure your vision, you must be able to articulate not just what happens, but the artistic necessity of why it must be told now, and why by you.
In development circles, we often hear themes reduced to single-word clichés: Hope, Betrayal, Forgiveness. But these are labels, not engines for drama. A single term contains no friction; there is no tension between a thing and itself.
True theme lives in the irresolvable friction between two competing universal values. It is the quiet struggle between Love and Honesty, or the violent collision of Faith and Certainty. These are the tensions that define the human condition. Unlike a dog, who is simply hungry, tired, or happy, we are endlessly complex—tossed between inconsistencies and paradoxes.
When you identify this Universal Tension early, you move from a "message movie" toward a rigorous interrogation of life. This is the antidote to the formulaic. It protects the writer from "on-the-nose" didacticism and ensures the project possesses the thematic coherence required to score highly with expert juries who are weary of the predictable.
If the THEME is your inquiry, the STORY is your laboratory. Your narrative is a series of scenarios designed to explore different strategies for surviving that central tension:
The STORY of a woman navigating her roles as head of state and as wife and mother to a dysfunctional family, against the backdrop of significant historical events, explores the THEME - ‘can one retain their sense of self while expected to devote themselves entirely to something else?’ - THE CROWN.
The STORY of a surgeon having to choose the unthinkable, to kill a member of their family to save those remaining, explores the THEME - ‘how do we hold onto logic when faith seems to offer certainty?’ - THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER.
A 13-year-old’s arrest for the fatal stabbing of a classmate, kickstarts a STORY - the minutiae of the arrest, a flailing school investigation, a tense psychological reckoning, and a family shattered by the unimaginable, that explores how teachers, police officers, psychologists and parents struggle with the THEME - ‘can you protect someone when you don’t know what you’re protecting them from?’ - ADOLESENCE.
I’ve been told that theme is for critics, not creators—that it should only be "discovered" in the edit suite. I believe the opposite. Discovering your theme too late is the most expensive mistake a producer can make. Without a thematic North Star, scripts succumb to "structural bloat."
Whether you have a one-page synopsis or a full script, I align your intent with the high-level scrutiny of a borderless industry. This method has a proven track record across film, TV, and immersive media.
“Our session with Paul Tyler, provided the most insight and clarity I’ve had about my feature since I conceived it.”
“The session with Daan [writer] & you is one of my favorite moments in my career”
“For me, the thematic backbone is essential, otherwise what are you really hanging your story and plot on? Without that clarity, it risks drifting… a bit like season 2 of Dead to Me. The same applies to documentary filmmaking. Without theme as the investigative engine, how do you decide what to film and how to frame it?”
“Paul’s technique of mapping was a turning point in the development of my project. It helped me to clearly see the unconscious hesitations I was holding towards my subject.”
“I think throughout my entire career I have never enjoyed something so amazing like this!! It was so real for me and even magical. Like my own characters came to life.”
“A scary and exciting process that I truly recommend to anyone who wants to know what their idea is, and more importantly why they want to give it life.”
The theme in David Lean’s 1962 classic is to be found in the sideways movement of the protagonist and not in their overall arc. A short article on finding Lawrence of Arabia’s ‘rock and hard place’.
How paradox can be the route to your theme. A short piece on most powerful tool that helps writers shape their stories.
18Frames (DK), 73 Eyes Film (NO), Adomeit Film (DK), Aesthetica Film Festival (UK), Alternative Wave (GE), Anagram Sweden (SE), Anhui TV (CN), ANIDOX (DK), Animation Sans Frontières (DK), The Animation Workshop (DK), Animationsinstitut (DE), Antitalent (HR), Ape&Bjørn (NO), BardoLA (USA), Berlinale Talents (DE), Budapest Debut FIlm Forum (HU), BOOST (SE), Le Boost Camp (BE), The Bureau (UK), Caligari Film (DE), CPH DOX (DK), Crazy Pictures (SE), Creative Europe (IRL & DE), Cross Border Film (IT), DADIU (DK), Danish Film Institute (DK), The Danish Film School (DK), DMJX (DK), Documentary Campus (DE), Dutch Film Fund (NL), EAVE (LU), Entertainment Master Class (DE), European Creators Lab (DE), Eyeworks TV (DK), Film I Skåne (SE), Film+ (RO), Filmiapaja Saariselkä (FI), Filmlance (SE), Filmværkstedet (DK), FORMATE AUS THÜRINGEN (DE), Freihändler Filmproduktion (CH), Göteborg Film Festival (SE), Heldal Film (NO), Hot Potato (BG), Hélicotronc (BE), Hunan TV (CN), Indie Film (NO), Internationale Filmschule Köln (DE), iPPP (EU), JAN HINRIK DREVS (DE), Klassefilm (DK), Lake Martin Films (AU), Lübek Film Festival (DE), Magic Hour Films (DK), Nationalmuseum (DK), Nederlands Film Festival (NL), Nordic Talents (DK), Norwegian Film School (NO), Power to the Pixel (UK), Pupkin Film (NL), Rat Pack Film (DE), Red Sea Lodge (SA), R/O Institute (BE), SADA (SE), Satore Studio (UK), Save our Scripts (UK),Shipsboy (PL), Silver Films (SE), Smarthouse Films (NL), SOURCES 2 (DE), STHLM Debut (SE), Submarine (NL), Super16 (D), SuperRTL (DE), TIFF Writers Studio (CA), Torino Film Lab - Red Sea Lodge (SA), TRANSMIXR I EU Horizon (EU), Turn East Media (CN), VAF - Flanders Audiovisual Fund TV/web series development program (BE), Venice Biennale College Cinema (IT), Volya Films (NL), Warner Bros. (DK), Way Creative Films (SE) & Zhejiang TV (CN).
Sessions over zoom or Copenhagen office - 150 € per hour.
All other sessions, hourly rate depends on setup.
Prices do not include 25% VAT.
More about set-up FAQ.
“Paul helped our head writers dive deep into the background story of our main character. The workshop made us grasp what makes the series work and which elements of story-telling are the most important for developing new stories and characters.”
“Paul Tyler`s approach has amazing impact for the writer. Paul just puts the story out of the writer`s head and maps it with objects on the table.”
“It was the equivalent of doing three weeks of creative work into one three hour session.”
Identify the essence of your concept to pitch anywhere from an auditorium, a client’s office to a noisy pub. I’ll help you pinpoint the elements that make or break your presentation. My focus is on logic and story to transform the people in the room to get your concept financed. Experienced across film, TV series, fiction, documentaries, entertainment formats, XR, interactive media, products and services.
Alma Education (SE), Animation Sans Frontières (DK), The Animation Workshop (DK), Arsenalet - Viborg (DK), BOOST (SE), The Danish Film Institute (DK), The Danish Film School (DK), Event Republic (DK), Fantoche International Animation Film Festival (CH), Film Stockholm (SE), Filmværkstedet (DK), Filmlance (SE), The Finnish Producers Association (FI), LEGO System AS (DK), Göteborg Film Festival (SE), Millenium Docs Against Gravity Festival (PL), The Ministry or Foreign Affairs of Denmark (DE), New Danish Screen (DK), Nordic Talents (DK), Nordisk Film and TV Fund (NO), Norwegian Film School (NO), Flanders Audiovisual Fund TV/web series development program (BE), Power to the Pixel (UK), STHLM Debut (SE), Stockholm University of Arts (SE), VAF - Flanders Audiovisual Fund TV/web series development program (BE).
Test run your pitch - I’ll give you immediate feedback on what works, what doesn’t and how to fix it in a 1 hour session. Sessions over zoom or Copenhagen office - 150 € per hour. All other sessions, hourly rate depends on setup.
Group workshops including 2 - 3 hour ‘Tips and Tricks’ talk and ‘Pitch try-outs’ with feedback – duration dependent group size. Price to be determined based on scope of work.
Mock TV and radio interview.
Price to be determined based on scope of work.
Prices do not include 25% VAT.
“I must say, that was probably the best pitch session we had in Viborg ever.”
When developing a new strategy, policy or best practice, you will struggle if your team is not on the same page regarding the challenges and opportunities that make up the systems in which you operate. If you don’t agree on such system complexity, you run the risk of failure.
I help teams clarify, coordinate and capture a shared understanding of a concept by using a fast and proven mapping technique. The value for you is getting everybody onto that same page, unbelievably fast.
Teams map-out the way their organisations create, deliver and capture value. Pressing issues are exposed so that any generated concept can be tested and validated.
“Companies need tools to translate strategy into something meaningful - your tool does exactly that.”
“It gave us really useful tools for strategic and critical thinking, generating common understanding of the complexity of urban development work. Very useful and enjoyable. You definitely hit the right nerve.”
“The workshop landed up in an excellent place and sets us up nicely for next steps.”
Adobe (UK), Coding Pirates (DK), Akademie für Kindermedien (DE), Arsenalet (DK), City of Oslo Agency for Cultural Affairs (NO), Copenhagen Municipality (DK), Danish Refugee Council (DK), The Department of Anthropology and Human Security (DK), DOXBIO (DK), EUC Sjælland (DK), Eurimages (LU), European Children's Film Association (DE), European Environment Agency (DK), European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ES), European Training Foundation (IT), goAgile (DK), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (DK), HBO Nordic (DK), Hello Group (DK). ITK LAB City of Aarhus (DK), Kelloggs (IR), Lund University (SE), Mocial Trading (DK), Nordisk Film & TV Fond (NO), Reload (DK), Royal Academy of Arts (UK), Team Danmark (DK), Teknopol Nordic Startrack (SE), TRANSMIXR I EU Horizon (EU), UNOPS (DK), Warner Bros. (DK) & Wonderful Copenhagen (DK),
2, 3 hour or whole day sessions for team members, project partners, customers, boards of directors, management teams, project groups or whole departments.
Sessions over zoom or at Copenhagen office - 150 € per hour.
All other sessions, hourly rate depends on the setup.
Prices do not include 25% VAT.
More about set-up FAQ
“Systemic intervention, as opposed to linear intervention, helps clients to help themselves. It’s a powerful instrument and the benefits cannot be described by words. They have to be experienced. Paul is able to get everyone around the table to the same point, no one is left behind.”
“The workshop was very valuable for us. It increased our common understanding and glued us together for a joint effort towards a common result.”
“Have been working with Paul through a webcam since 2016 - he’s helped make abstract thoughts, ideas and visions concrete in a remarkable and intelligent way while still being so receptive to my views.”
“What you did in the session, conveying the essence of the project, others struggle to do with a 300 page strategy report.”
By seeing your event as one whole system, rather than simply a series of talks, I’ll generate more value for your audience, for your speakers and therefore you.
Twelve years in BBC television production and four years in theatre has equipped me with a sharp, highly analytical editorial and pragmatic approach to engage and hold an audience’s attention. My British sense of humor allows me dig hard whilst seeming polite.
I'll work with your team during preparations to design the journey for the audience, connect with all speakers in advance, and then on the big day I’ll seek out and illuminate the red thread; making you think and laugh at the same time across:
introductory talks
speaker intros/outros
interviews with live/virtual guests
panel and audience debates
sum-ups.
IN-PERSON / VIRTUAL
“Thanks for one of the best moderations I have seen in an event for a long time.”
“Paul mixes the insight of a writer with the wit of a stand-up comedian.”
“He was smart, charming, funny, well-prepared and overly professional. The audience loved him and he was wonderful to work with!”
Read a piece on finding the fool’s place between the audience and the stage.
Select Handling Audience in videos to see Paul moderate.
Creative Tastebuds (DK) 2017 & 2021, Crowd Predictions Conference (DK) 2018, 2019 & 2020, Crowd 15 (DK) 2015, Danish Foreign Ministry (DK) - Tech BBQ 2019 & 2021, Danish Sound Day (DK) 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 & 2023, Design Matters ‘20 (DK) 2020, Digital Kids Today (DK) 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022, Financing Forum for Kids Content (SE) 2015, M:Brance (SE) 2021, Power to the Pixel Think Tank (UK) 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, SMART FIPA (FR) 2015, 2016, SOUND Pitch & Buzz (DK) 2023, SPOT Interactive (DK) 2013, 2014 & 2015, Story Conference - Flanders Audiovisual Fund (BE) 2019, 2022 & 2024, Wonderful Copenhagen Tech BBQ event (DK) 2019, Wonderful Copenhagen - India Day (DK) 2018, Wonderful Copenhagen's Tomorrow's Urban Travel (DK) 2017 & Wonderful Copenhagen INSPIRE x Copenhagen Travel Lab (DK) 2021
Price to be determined based on scope of work.
“Paul lifted StoryCon to a higher level by being a sharp and constructive collaborator while shaping the conference and being an intelligent and witty moderator during the conference.”
“You did an excellent job of hosting Crowd15 and I loved your touch of sarcastic British humor, kept people happy.”
“Paul challenged me and my team on the big ’why’ and key messages of the programme. In his positive, yet sharp thought-encouraging way, Paul made sure we had all the necessary discussions to ensure a successful day, where the red thread and intention of the day was clear to everyone, guided by Paul’s strong focus and critical questioning.”
“Paul Tyler did an outstanding job chairing our conference activities engaging the audience with catchy remarks and questions to essential aspects of the contents … the intermediation of an professional facilitator clearly helped the participants gain more value out of the conference sessions and we all looked more professional as a result of his intervention.”
“An exceptional ability to engage the audience and an extraordinary knack for picking out and highlighting key insights.”
Challenging stories to strategies, pitching to policies, Paul works with writers and innovators, producers and CEO’s, turning thinking into things.
12 years BBC television production and 4 years of theatre management and touring, has shaped a highly analytical, creative & often humorous approach to decode the complex ecosystems in which we work, rest and play.
Nominated for a BAFTA (2005), BBC Creativity Award (2004) and Association of Online Publishers award (2005), Paul went on to win the Prix Jeunesse (2006) web award for the BBC’s flagship cross-media show, BAMZOOKi, the interactive media gameshow he originated, studio directed and produced.
2006 he moved from London to Copenhagen to work with international companies that develop films, TV series, campaigns and digital media, taking him to over twenty countries.
Paul co-setup the Copenhagen School of Design & Technology’s Digital Concept Development graduate programme in 2010. He holds a BSc. (Hons) Physiology with the History and Theory of Art & Design.
Contact
Reach out so that I can understand where you are and how I can help.
+45 30 33 22 36
hello@paultyler.dk
Store Kongensgade 108, 2th
Copenhagen, Denmark, 1264
PAULTYLER.DK APS
CVR/SE-NUMBER 29 52 25 02
