In the best Serial Eyes tradition, the current cohort visited London from the 11th to 15h of November to network and gain valuable insights into the TV industry. Core tutors and guest speakers offered their knowledge in talks and discussions.
Amongst the speakers, we were lucky to have the agents Nich Panchal & Jethro Thompson from Curtis Brown, who offered a glimpse into the workings of talent agencies, and writers like Sarah-Louise Hawkins, Richie Mehta and Sara Collins. Adrian Banyard, development producer at Big Light Productions, Charles Harrison, international scripted format producer at BBC Studios, and Anna Symon, who works as a screenwriter and showrunner at Spanner Productions, shared their experiences in the field. They were joined by Steve Matthews, the Joint Head of Scripted at Banijay, Lucy Rawlinson, Head of Development for Monumental Television, and Jenny Robins, the Head of TV and Film at Wells Street Films.
The trip climaxed at the networking event organized by the Serial Eyes team: the participants, their core tutors Frank Spotniz, Sarah Linton, Ben Harris, and Selina Ukwuoma as well as several Serial Eyes alumni, met in a traditional London pub to chat about the industry while sipping a pint.
The trip to London reflects Serial Eyes’ goal of building connections and exchanging knowledge, and has given the participants new ideas and approaches to be used in their careers.