Serial Eyes

An intensive European 9-month postgraduate course on scriptwriting for serials, based in Berlin and taught in English. Internationally-focused and project-based, the course will be will be structured around three pillars: excellence in serial TV writing courses, experiencing the Writer's Room, and development of an individual project. The excellence in serial TV writing and producing courses focuses first on serialised TV writing and secondly on the business of making TV drama. It equips the participants with the most advanced writing techniques and they can master the serialised storytelling. They develop a deep understanding of the needs of producers and broadcasters and will be more in sync with the market. The individual project development will enable them to develop their own project with different assignments and regular feedback from a mentor. As they work on their project, they will learn better techniques to pitch it and will have many opportunities to present it to high-level TV professionals. EXPERIENCING THE WRITER'S ROOM (SEPTEMBER-JANUARY)

The key backbone of the program is the Writers' Room in order to equip participants to work as a group and invent a European model of showrunning. Delivering European sophisticated returning TV series requires multiple writers instead of one. It is essential that Serial Eyes train the participants with new working habits and learn to develop a new collaborative mentality. Participants will learn how to cooperate effectively in a group with participants from across Europe, deal with criticism and practice skills e.g. working on someone else’s storyline). Frank Spotnitz will oversee the Writers' Room workshop with writer Ben Harris and producer Jo Strevens. After a introductory week session, in which Frank will explain the writers room process, participants will decide on their own individual project. Participants will gain experience working directly as a team with experienced colleagues, dealing with the authority of a showrunner in the creative process. THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECT: DEVELOP AND PITCH

This course provides a context for each participant to develop their own serial project and complete a pilot. Whatever learning the course stimulates will be immeasurably enhanced by its constant application to each participant’s own project. Each participant needs to have something of their own to show for nine months’ work. The development proposals in the application are therefore significant, and their viability will be a factor in the decision to accept the applicant (or alternatively, to suggest they find another subject to develop). Once the participants have acquired advanced TV writing techniques and have started to experience the working group, they can develop a project of their own. A mentor will follow one project on a one-to-one basis so that each participant gets personalised feedback. The participants will start working on a pitch and a treatment and work closely with their mentor. They will be coached to pitch and will have multiple opportunities to present their project to high-level TV professionals.