MIDPOINT TV Launch

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About

This "idea-to-market" series project development program is the only existing residential, project-based training targeting and tailoring its content for emerging professionals – both creative teams and development executives – coming from the Central and Eastern European region and the only program of this kind accepting both limited and ongoing, and both long or short form series.

The program focuses on participants primarily coming from Central-Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Baltic countries and the wider Mediterranean area, with a possible background in filmmaking or with previous experience in TV writing, wanting to shift to quality production of series.

MIDPOINT TV Launch is realized with the support of Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

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Note: In case of an interest to enhance your craft and television writing skills, as well as to get acquintaned with the structure and workflow of a writers' room, explore our sidebar training program MIDPOINT Writers' Room.

Independent producers interested in shifting from feature films to television content, feel free to learn more about our yet another TV dedicated program MIDPOINT Cold Open.

Who is it for?

*project team members
/ writer/s
/ producer
The maximum number of team member per project is three participants. Short form series projects can also apply without a producer on board, however, a second team member (a producer or a writer) is strongly recommended.

*junior (or aspiring) development executives
Individual participants who may, but not necessarily have to, be connected to a broadcaster.

Eligible countries

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

In case you're not sure about your eligibility, please contact us!

Deadline

February 10, 2020

Fee

* 1.800 EUR per participant (optionally paid in installments)

The tuition, full board and accommodation is offered within the participation fee. Travel costs are covered by the participants themselves.

Contact person

Katarina Tomkova
Program Coordinator
katarina.tomkova@midpoint-institute.eu

"An excellent program with excellent talent."

Steve Matthews, HBO Europe

General project methodology

MIDPOINT TV Launch spans over 8 months and focuses on the development of the 9 participating projects.

The projects go through a thorough and effective development process, and are built from the “bottom-up”: from a very early development stage, the creative teams are led to defining their series concept and theme and outlining their pilot scripts at Workshop 1, to completing their pilots and creating their season arc and season outlines, as well as pitching documents and a financing strategy at Workshop 2, to marketing and pitching their project and expanding their network at Workshop 3. The projects will be showcased and pitched within the Season Finale platform in Tallinn, Estonia.

The participants are divided into 3 groups per 3 projects, to ensure that all projects receive a significant amount of the group leader’s attention and guidance, but they will also have the option of receiving cultural exchange and feedback from their fellow participants.

Read more about the training in an interview about the new elements of the 2019-2021 editions.

Further information

The workshop uses group work, individual consultations, tutorial analysis, lectures and pitching as its methodological tools. The participants will also be actively writing during the workshop working days, under the supervision of the tutors. Thus, participants leave the workshop with actual results and progressed materials.

The working language of all MIDPOINT meetings and events is English, which is why a good knowledge of English is essential for participation.

Learning the "bedside manners" of television scriptwriting

General development executive methodology

The entire development process is used as a platform to train the attending development executive participants, who will be trained for their future role of broadcasters on real, existing series projects, acquiring skills needed for developing a diverse range of projects.

The development executives will be trained by both their own tutor, who will supervise their entire learning process and will be present at all workshops, but will be exposed and working with a number of other TV Launch's tutors to understand the different approaches and strategies that can be used while developing scripted television series. They will be assigned to groups and will work closely with the projects in their group, following all sessions of the program.

Read more about the training in an article introducing the new methodology.

Further information

The working language of all MIDPOINT meetings and events is English, which is why a good knowledge of English is essential for participation.

To apply for the workshop, please create an account on the MIDPOINT Visitor Page and follow the instructions within the submission form.

Please note that the detailed description on the requested materials is to be found within the submission form. You can save your form anytime and come back to it later without submitting it.

Required materials

For Projects
/ basic info on the project
/ logline
/ short and long synopsis of the series
/ series pitch
/ description of 3 - 4 main characters
/ statement of purpose
/ moodbook - optional
/ writing sample of the writer/s on the team
/ bios of the attending team

For Development Executives
/ biography and filmography
/ motivation letter
/ brief analysis of the television industry in the applicant’s respective country

Feature Launch 2020

Check out the selected projects & participants!

Learn more...

Editing Room 2020

Lost in Paradise

Learn more...

I have an idea of a series but it's still early development. Can I apply anyway?

Absolutely! The sooner in the development process you apply, the better. TV Launch is designed as a "bottom-up" training program, and will help you create your show from scratch.

I'd like to apply with a limited series. Am I eligible?

Sure! But before you apply, take a moment and first think about why is a series format the one you're thinking of as opposed to a feature film. Is there an engine moving your story? Are you working with a more complex world? (...) Took that moment? Okay, so now apply.

What exactly is a "series pitch" or "statement of purpose"?

You can find a detailed description on all the requested submission materials on the first page of your submission form. You can access the form once you've created a profile at the MIDPOINT Visitor Page (see intructions in the "Application" folder). No worries! You can save the form anytime you like and come back to it later, and you can also save or submit any number of applications you like!

I'm a writer. Can I apply myself?

Apply yes. But please note that to be able to enter the training, you'll have to partner up with an independent producer. This is important as the creative collaboration between the writers and producers represents the core of MIDPOINT in general and moreover, it is an essential part of the development process. The only exception are series submitted as short form series. We'd still however strongly recommend applying in a team of writers.

What is a short and long form series?

In the olden golden world, you might've known these formats under "television series" and "webseries". The world is changing, though, and one feels rather uneasy calling Stranger Things or House of Cards a "webseries". Hence, we're opting toward short form and long form.

I'm developing a 90-minute 3-part mini-series. Am I eligible?

Sadly, no. Based on our experience, the series rules do not quite apply to formats running over an hour and tend to behave more like feature films. It certainly is a format finding its place on television, we've however opted to focus our training to projects that are series in their core.

Once selected, how much time should I allocate to the training?

Quite honestly - a lot. TV Launch is an intensive training, and apart from the assignments and work done during the residential workshops themselves, it operates with a system of tasks and deadlines in between the three workshops. So clear that calendar out a bit.

What the fudge is a development executive?

In our region, you might know the profession under the term "television dramaturg" or "commissioning editor". It basically is the script consultant and person who oversees the creative development of series. He/she stands on the broadcaster's side mostly, but could also easily be a development producer at a production company. Read more in the "Development Executive" folder of this page, or simply ask us!

I'm developing a 10-minute per episode online show. Am I eligible?

Certainly! TV Launch is accepting both long and short form series, both television and web/digital. As a matter of fact, it created a specialized training for short form series. So hurry up with that application.

Can I apply with an animation or documentary series project?

Sadly, TV Launch does not work with animation or documentary projects, as these require a different set of skills and address a different market.

Does MIDPOINT offer scholarships?

It does. However, these cannot be allocated to all participants, and their granting therefore considers various criteria and factors. We HIGHLY recommend to submit an application to a local supporting organization at the same time you're applying to MIDPOINT. 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 you're in. These supporting organizations usually are the national or local funds, ministries of culture or education, professional associations, etc.