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MIDPOINT Cold Open 2022

Series
Archive

Enter the exciting world of series producing!

Dive into series production with renowned experts and network with guests of the When East Meets West Co-Production Forum.

Účastníci Lektori Structure References Fee and how to apply FAQs Contact Partners Archiv

Účastníci

Serena Alfieri
Anaelle Beglet
Maya Fischer
Nino Chichua
Kalin Kalinov
Zala Opara
Gabor Osvath
Ziad Touma
Angelo Troiano

Lektori

Inspirational professionals with a passion for sharing their experience

To ensure the most sophisticated approaches to training, Cold Open works with established and respected veterans from the European industry.

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, ...
Kompletní bio
Marike Muselaers
Sweden  
With almost 20 years of experience in the international film and TV industry, Marike recently joined the Nordisk Film Production management team (Denmark/Sweden/Norway) as Head of International ...
Kompletní bio

Guest Tutor

Petri Kemppinen
Finland  
Kompletní bio

"Even in a short time of three days, the amount of information I could get out of the lectures and one-on-one meetings was huge and extremely helpful for me in this stage of concept. I feel I understand the TV market way better than I did so far and feel ready to develop my series now."

Juraj Krasnohorsky
Producer, Cold Open 2021 alumnus

Structure

This diverse one-off event is embedded within the diverse industry program of When East Meets West.

Participants are offered a variety of lectures, group sessions and individual consultations.

  • Workshop
    January 23–28, 2022 | Online

    MIDPOINT Cold Open is designed to build skills among independent producers interested in moving from feature films to fiction series content.

    Offering practical knowledge connected to the developing, producing and financing of drama series content in Europe, the program will familiarize its participants with the overall landscape and priorities of the industry, compare narrative and concept structures between features and scripted series, and provide hands-on skills in the financing and distribution of scripted series content.

    The program targets independent producers who have a background in feature-film production and aspire to move into high-end series content. The program’s graduates will acquire knowledge and skills in producing and financing series, and will become acquainted with the European series landscape.

    The program is participant-based, so only one producer per company will be accepted.

    The program is conducted in English.

    Lectures
    The idea to spawn a thousand stories (and how to run with it)
    Gabor Krigler
    January 23, 2022, 15:30 - 17:00 CET | Online

    When you embark on a feature film project, you need to have one great story. When you want to set up a TV series, what you must have is one great premise. If you and the writers you work with play your cards right, this premise will give birth to several great stories over multiple episodes and, hopefully, seasons. It needs careful planning, organization and management to run with your premise. We will take a look at how to begin this process.

    How to find the right partners in this fast-paced, ever changing TV market?
    Marike Muselaers
    January 24, 2022, 15:10 - 16:30 CET | Online

    Marike discusses financing TV series in the rapidly changing TV industry and the opportunities for producers in this new paradigm. How is the value chain changing and how can players from different language territories navigate this jungle and benefit from smart collaborations? She will provide examples of coproductions, deals with global streaming platforms, territory-by-territory deals with broadcasters, and discuss how different co-productions and deal structures can impact elements like the creative process, long-tail revenue, control, ownership, marketing, distribution or a 2nd season commission.

    Financing opportunities for series
    Petri Kemppinen, Marike Muselaers
    January 24, 2022, 17:00 - 18:30 CET | Online

    Where to start when financing a TV series?
    Join us for a conversation between Marike Muselaers, co-CEO at Lumière Benelux, keynote speaker, moderator and MIDPOINT Institute tutor and Petri Kemppinen, an expert on evaluation and funding of film and TV drama content, Nordic and European audiovisual policy and training of film and TV professionals, and CEO at Aurora Studios.

    Marike and Petri will discuss the current business models and share their own experiences when it comes to TV series production and financing in this fast changing market. Furthermore, the conversation will touch on all stages of financing, from finding the first development money and funding to getting commissioned and engaging co-producers and private investors.

Alumni program

Next Season

Expert lectures based on the needs and knowledge gaps of MIDPOINT series programs alumni will be organized in 2022. More info coming soon.

References

Starting point on the bridge from features to series

The diversity of background and experience of the tutors created the right balance for the students – it enriched them with practical knowledge of various areas of high-end scripted TV drama creation.
Natalia Libet
Producer, Cold Open 2020 alumna
Some truly inspiring days that gave me the enthusiasm and trust that the sky is the limit!
Irina Malcea-Candea
Producer, Cold Open 2021 alumna
Great tools to start your journey towards creative series production.
Radu Stancu
Producer, Cold Open 2020 alumnus
Thanks to the quality of the workshop and the expertise of everyone involved, I’m sure that MIDPOINT Cold Open will be an important step in my professional growth as an international producer.
Luigi Chimienti
Producer, Cold Open 2020 alumnus
The program is a great opportunity to get some very fresh and inspiring insights into the field of European TV series production!
Claudia Schroeter
Producer, Cold Open 2020 alumna

Fee and how to apply

Take the first steps towards becoming part of the network

Fee

200 EUR
per participant for the entire session
The fee covers accreditation for When East Meets West, tuition and lunches.

Application Deadline

closed

Who can apply

  • producers with a background in feature-film production who aspire to move into high-end series
  • eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA

Application requirements

To apply to the program, please create an account on the When East Meets West Visitor Page and follow the instructions on the submission form.

Required materials:

  • personal and company profile
  • motivation letter
  • series pitch - optional

Please note that a detailed description of the requested materials can be found on the submission form.

All applicants will be informed about the selection results in December 2021.

FAQs

You may ask...

  • How many participants does the Cold Open program expect to select?

    Approx. 6 - 8.

  • What background should the applicants have?

    The program is targeted toward feature-film producers who aspire to move into scripted series.

  • What should I include in my motivation letter?

    It will be closely described within the actual application form, but since you're asking: you should explain your professional background, reasons for applying to Cold Open, your company's plans regarding moving into series production and references of the kinds of shows you'd be interested in making.

  • What is meant by “series pitch”?

    The series pitch is simply an overview of your idea, and should include a general description of the premise, the setting, the main storylines and the narrative style. Usually about 1 - 5 pages, a first glance of the project.

  • Is the series pitch required?

    Not at all. If you don't yet have a particular project in mind, let us know, in your motivation letter, which kinds of projects interest you most.

  • Can I get a scholarship for Cold Open?

    Unfortunately not. However, we encourage you to contact your national or regional film funds, associations or ministries of culture, who may support participation in programs such as this or at least partially support training activities, even if they don't support television development in general.

Contact

Did we forget something? Don't hesitate to ask

Kristyna Plhonova
Program Coordinator
kristyna.plhonova@midpoint-institute.eu

Funders

Partner