An international writers' room simulation with unique talents.
MIDPOINT Writers' Room 2023
Series
Previous Edition
Participants
Observing producers
Tutors
Inspirational professionals with passion for sharing their experience
Tutors
Gabor Krigler
Hungary
Gabor’s career began on the writing staff of a daily serial at the Australian-German firm Grundy UFA in 1999. He became a Creative Executive at the Budapest office of HBO Europe in 2010. In 2019, ...
Complete bio
Maggie Murphy
United States
Maggie Murphy is an independent Executive Producer. She worked 8 years for Shaftesbury U.S. and founded the company’s Los Angeles-based division focused on development for the U.S., Canadian, and ...
Complete bio
Guest Tutor
Structure
Writers' Room simulation from different perspectives
Selected participants are offered lectures tackling the organization of a writers' room as well as addressing the structure of a pilot episode and season. Majority of the workshop time is dedicated to a writers’ room simulation led by experienced professionals.
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All participantsWorkshopOctober 9 - 14, 2023 | Prague, Czech Republic
Writers
The workshop offers the possibility of enhancing the craft and writing skills, plotting and writing exercises, knowledge and skills connected to the processes occurring during scripted series writing, such as creative teamwork, joint brainstorming, and creating or following one unified narrative voice and vision as well as the structure of a series episode itself.Observing producers
The workshop offers an observant role with a unique opportunity to explore a professional writers’ room led by experienced mentors.Lectures
Pilots - The Alpha and the OmegaMaggie Murphy
Monday, October 9, 16:00 - 17:30 CET | Prague, Czech RepublicMs. Murphy will discuss the highlights of the most powerful and critical parts of your script… The beginning and the end. In this market of television where there are hundreds of shows to watch - how can you break out of the clutter. It is critical to hook the audience in the first 10 or 15 pages. This is the heart of your show… the make it or break it. Maggie will screen an assortment of iconic pilot openings and analyze why they keep the audience mesmerized. There will also be discussion on the ending of your pilot and how it must also be equally strong to bring the audience back for more.
Series Development in the US Writers’ Room – IntroductionKatrin Merkel
Monday, October 9, 17:30 - 18:30 CET | Prague, Czech RepublicThe US Writers’ Room is undeniably an extremely successful and efficient working model. Even though narrative cultures and prerequisites across Europe are very diverse, it still serves as a model and forms the starting point for various forms of collaborative writing. In a concise lecture, Katrin explains the market conditions under which this system has developed and explains how the US Writers’ Room works: mindset, working methods, positions and the central development tools.
The Room Built on StoriesGabor Krigler
Monday, October 9, 18:45 - 19:45 CET | Prague, Czech RepublicAs the creator of a drama series project, you may be tasked with setting up and running a writers' room. As a freelancer, you may be asked to enter a writers' room as a hired writer to follow the creator’s voice. Either way, you become part of a team. In this lecture, we’ll be looking at the foundations and practicalities of this team work. In the process, we’ll be demystifying the notion of the writers' room, and explore how it is viable within the European industry, especially in countries with nascent drama series markets and tight development budgets.
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Selected ParticipantsTalent ShowcaseFebruary, 2024 | Berlinale Series Market, Berlin, Germany
Selected alumni of the Writers´ Room 2023 program will have a unique opportunity to present themselves to industry professionals as promising European writers committed to developing their careers in the TV series industry. Writers will be trained under the mentorship of an experienced pitching tutor.
The specially designed event is hosted by Berlinale Series Market and is happening in collaboration with Torino Film Lab.
MIDPOINT will provide full accreditation coverage to participants who will be selected to present themselves at the Berlinale Series Market. Participants are responsible for arranging and covering their own accommodation and travel expenses.
Methodology
The individual participants, entering the program as talents looking into enhancing their craft and writing skills, will get acquainted with the structure, hierarchy and processes running in a writers’ room from two different perspectives: of a procedural and a serialized show. Theoretical lectures and plotting exercises will be offered alongside the simulation.
The program’s graduates will acquire knowledge and skills connected to the processes occurring during scripted series writing, such as creative teamwork, joint brainstorming, and creating or following one unified narrative voice and vision as well as the structure of a series episode itself.
Benefits
An exquisite experience
Working in an international and diverse writers' room under the supervision of established and successful European/US showrunners and writers.
For writers and writing producers
- offers the possibility of enhancing the craft and writing skills, plotting and writing exercises,
- you will acquire knowledge and skills connected to the processes occurring during scripted series writing, such as creative teamwork, joint brainstorming, and creating or following one unified narrative voice and vision as well as the structure of a series episode itself
- selected alumni of the Writers´ Room 2023 program will have a unique opportunity to present themselves to industry professionals as promising European writers committed to developing their careers in the TV series industry
For observing producers
- offers an observant role with a unique opportunity to explore a professional writers’ room led by experienced mentors
Fee and how to apply
Fee
800 EUR
per participant for the whole training
The fee covers the tuition, board and accommodation. Travel costs should be covered by the participants themselves.
OPEN CALL
May 10 - June 30
EXTENDED DEADLINE
Who can apply?
- writers or writing producers (active role in the program)
- observing producers (passive role in the program)
Application requirements
To apply to the program, please create an account on the MIDPOINT Visitor Page and follow the instructions within the submission form. A detailed description of the required materials is to be found in the submission form.
References
An exclusive opportunity to experience writers' room's unique creative atmosphere
MIDPOINT writers' room simulation helped me understand the workflow between showrunners and writers. Besides understanding all the technicalities of the writer's room, I was able to learn more from the exercises and the experiences that the mentors shared. This program paves the way for writers to work professionally and it gives deep insights about where the series industry in Europe will be in the future.
Farah Abou Kharroub
Writer, Writers' Room 2022, Alumna
The Writers’ Room 2022 simulation helped me put all my prior knowledge in perspective within a writers’ room mentality and environment. That was exactly what I was looking for and therefor this has been a very satisfactory experience for me. All the beautiful people I have met made this experience a very enjoyable one.
Elif Ayan
Writer, Writers' Room 2022, Alumna
I learned an enormous amount about TV writing and met some really great people. For anyone who wants to take their TV writing career to the next level, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Jared Fryer
Writer, Writers' Room 2021 alumnus
The MIDPOINT Writer’s Room Workshop was an eye-opener for me and an enormous help for my own work in the future. An extremely intense collaborative workshop that’s focussed on providing the skills required in the writer’s room process and that leaves you inspired about what the future of European series may hold.
Stefan Gieren
Writer, Writers' Room 2019 alumnus
To be part of a real-life simulation of writers' rooms and training is priceless in an industry where gaining work and access to such experiences is notoriously difficult. A great opportunity that is both invaluable and inspiring in equal measure.
Christos Kardana
Writer, Writers' Room 2020 alumnus
The MIDPOINT Writer's Room is a rare professional experience not easily acquired. It is run on a very high level, led by leading professionals in the business. Essential for anyone looking to write a TV series.
Sarit Zadok
Writer, Writers' Room 2020 alumna
An intense training on how writers’ rooms on international series work, that gave me immense practical knowledge in a very short amount of time. It also offered an insight in the international industry of television and functioned as an inspiring environment with networking and collaboration opportunities.
Anna Skordi
Writer, Writers' Room 2019 alumna
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FAQs
You may ask...
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I have an idea for a project. Is Writers' Room a program for me?
Not really. Writers' Room is a program designed to work on your skills, as opposed to a particular project. However, if you do have a project you'd like to develop within MIDPOINT, we strongly suggest that you apply for MIDPOINT Series Launch or MIDPOINT Smash Cut.
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I'm a writer and producer – how do I choose in which capacity am I to apply for the program?
This really depends on your ambitions: if you'd like to participate in writing and be trained in actual writing skills, we'd suggest applying as a writer. As a writer, we will be asking you to participate in writing exercises during the training. If your profile is more of a producer and you feel more comfortable in a semi-observing position, we suggest you apply as an observing producer.
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My English no good. Me can apply?
Sadly, no. As the entire training runs in English, and during the working days you'll be asked to write directly in English, we require an intermediate level of these language skills. This simply means: your grammar doesn't have to be perfect, but you need to talk/write fluently and have the vocabulary to do so.
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What background should the writing applicants have?
We don't like to narrow the profile of the applicants down too much, as we believe talent comes from all places, however, Writers' Room is designed for writers wanting to train their skills in series writing, in particular. Writers that have written features, documentaries, shorts or series before are welcome. But so are script editors or directors or any other actively writing talents.
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What sample of a script/writing should I submit in my application? Should the sample already be produced?
No, it doesn't have to be produced already, and you're most welcome to submit any fiction script you feel reflects your style the best: feature, short or series episode. Of course, the sent material has to be submitted in English.
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What is the function of an observing producer in the training?
While the selected writers will be actively participating in all the writing and plotting exercises, and actively work throughout the training, the producers will rather take on an observing position. But don't get us wrong, it will be no holiday. They will be still asked to participate and be a part of the discussion.
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I'm not European, can I apply?
The Writers' Room is specifically designed for European writers, as we'd like to address the demand for training coming particularly from this territory.
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Does MIDPOINT Institute offer scholarships?
Sadly, not for this particular program. We HIGHLY recommend to submit an application to a national organization (fund, institute, ministry) at the same time you're applying to MIDPOINT Institute. You can always withdraw your application if not selected, but as the processing time of this support can be rather long, it might be quite late to do this once we confirm.
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