Digital or Betacam, all termed as 'broadcast formats' and all relatively expensive formats although film is generally more expensive than video. You may think Union rates of pay are high but bear in mind that those who survive in the industry through freelancing are unlikely to find work 5 days a week, every week. Even calculating low budget productions will need the expert help of an experienced producer. The next page contains a list of possible funders all these funders operate their own agendas and different criteria, which is fast changing. Hopefully they will send you their guidelines and any application forms.
Broadcasters offer many commissioning strands.
If you think your idea may be of interest to television companies you need to find out first which department and which commissioning editor you should be pitching the idea towards. However remember that you may need to go through an established production company to even get a look-in. Some television companies operate award schemes but competition for these is fierce. If you live in Northern Ireland unfortunately you are at a disadvantage when it comes to television film production. The Community Arts movement is gaining strength and is increasingly on funders' agendas so this is an excellent time for those working in a community media environment to avail themselves of some unique funding opportunities.