PRESS RELEASE

Pan-European TV training programme Serial Eyes announces a new partnership with French media giant and a new apprenticeship programme with Big Light Productions Ltd. in London

Berlin, 12.09.2016

SERIAL EYES, ’s premier postgraduate training programme for TV writers and producers, welcomes the new class of 2016/2017. The 12 TV writers and producers hailing from Italy, , the United States, Hungary, Colombia and arrived in Berlin today to start their training in the programme’s unique writers’ room workshop. Joining them is an international team of instructors: veteran U.S. showrunners Frank Spotnitz ( "The -Files", "The Man in the High Castle") and Jeff Bell (“Marvel's Agents of SHIELD”) as well as commissioning editors from broadcast powerhouses RTL, SKY Germany and SKY Italia, Canal + and HBO Europe.

The Deutsche Film- und Fersehakademie Berlin (DFFB), which organizes Serial Eyes, is delighted to welcome Vivendi (Canal+, Studiocanal, ) as a new partner for the Serial Eyes programme. Vivendi’s ambition is to become a leading global content and media group and is keen to devise new ways to feed the Group’s future audiovisual projects. By supporting Serial Eyes, Vivendi enables European TV writers to access a new level in storytelling and reach new audiences in Europe and beyond.

DFFB and Serial Eyes are also excited to announce a new initiative by Big Light Production Ltd in London. Big Light Productions, headed by writer and producer Frank Spotnitz, partners with Serial Eyes by offering a Big Light Prize at the conclusion of the programme. The prize will consist of a three-month TV writing apprenticeship for one selected Serial Eyes participant at the Big Light Productions London office. Big Light productions will provide a €9000 bursary to the recipient of the apprenticeship.

Founded by Spotnitz in 2013, Big Light Productions has become one of the fastest-growing independent production companies in Europe. Under the Big Light banner, Spotnitz has produced: Amazon’s most popular series “The Man in the High Castle”; the upcoming “Medici: Masters of Florence”, starring Richard Madden and Dustin Hoffman; forthcoming suspense drama series “Ransom” for CBS, TF1 and Corus; and upcoming comedy-drama “The Indian Detective”, starring internationally famous comedian Russell Peters, for CTV.

About the Serial Eyes programme:

SERIAL EYES prepares the next generation of European TV writers, producers and showrunners to bring first-class serialized storytelling to the television screens. Unique in postgraduate education, SERIAL EYES is the first full-time programme specifically designed to train writers in working in a writers’ room setting. In this way, the 8-month SERIAL EYES programme incubates not only new talent, but also new programming, and encourages participants to create new, original TV series concepts that expand the medium and will contribute to a more competitive, exciting European television landscape. Classes are taught at the DFFB in Berlin with additional workshops offered at the London Film School and The National Film School of Denmark. By creating a centre of excellence that brings together the top talents and professionals working in the field, SERIAL EYES enables European TV writers and producers to access a new level in storytelling and reach new audiences in Europe and beyond – creating the future of European television.

Alumni of past cycles include Alexandre Manneville (SERIAL EYES 2013/2014), head writer of the animated television series “Teen Crumpets” (Canal+), Alexander Lindh, head writer of the second season of “Arman’s Secret” (ARD), Jana Burbach (SE 2014/2015), who worked in the writers’ room for “Credo” (ZDF/arte) and is the creator and head writer of a new legal show for public broadcaster ARD.

SERIAL EYES is funded by the Creative Europe / MEDIA Programme of the EU with additional support from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, RTL, Real Film and Atlantique Productions.

For more information about the participants, the lecturers, this year’s programme as well as the alumni network, please visit: www.serial-eyes.com. For press inquiries, please contact the agency LimeLight PR.

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