Admissions
Serial Eyes is a full-time course based in Berlin at the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB) from September through May. Participants will have at least one study trip to another European city as well as visitingthe Séries Mania Festival in Lille. Participants must be available and present full-time throughout the programme.
Requirements
Applicants must be from the European Union, Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, or Tunisia. Applicants from other countries may apply for a very limited number of places on the programme.
Applicants should have at least 1–3 years of professional experience as a screenwriter and should have written at least one episode for a serialized format for a TV channel or a platform.
Applicants should enter the programme with multiple ideas for original TV or web series that could be further developed over the course of the programme.
A high standard of spoken and written English is essential.
Applications are open until 22h on the 8th May 2023.
Required Application Material
- CV with detailed work, training experience and filmography (if applicable)
- Personal letter of motivation outlining why you would like to participate in the Serial Eyes programme, your expectations and your professional goals (max. numbers of characters 3800)
- Analysis of a scripted TV drama series. The analysis must discuss the main character’s emotional arc, the arena (time and setting), the main conflict(s) and the structure of the series (max. numbers of characters 3800)
- Proposals for two potential TV series concepts you would like to develop at Serial Eyes ( max. number of characters 2200–2500 each)
- A full-length screenplay (feature film, TV drama or comedy) in English. If no English-language script is available, you can submit a full-length script in its original language plus an excerpt of 10 pages from that script translated into English. Scripts should be formatted in standard industry format.
- For applicants requesting a tuition fee waver: Scholarship application letter that specifies your financial reasons for the scholarship request
- A letter of recommendation in English by a producer or broadcaster
- All application materials must be in English and submitted online via the Serial Eyes website
Selection Process
Based on the application material, the selection committee – comprised of the Head of Programme and three instructors – will make a first selection considering the author’s voice, skills, style and overall artistic talent. In the second round, we will ask the shortlisted applicants to write a short treatment for a drama episode based on a creative brief and invite them to an online interview with the Head of Programme.
In selecting the twelve participants, we shall also take account of the overall composition of the group (gender/country mix) and the contribution the applicant will make to his/her peers.
Costs
The program fee is €4,500 and includes tuition, travel expenses and accommodation during the study trips and necessary accreditations. A monthly ticket for public transport in Berlin will be provided for all participants for the duration of the programme
Scholarships
Serial Eyes offers up to three MEDIA – Creative Europe scholarships for applicants. Alongside each applicant’s country of residence and citizenship, we shall consider the following criteria in our allocation policy: the participant’s potential in the European audiovisual industry, the participant’s financial situation, their background and the situation of their local film industry. The scholarship covers the full tuition fee of 4.500€.