Working in partnership with the IFP, the oldest and largest non-profit in the United States dedicated to storytelling in all its forms.
The Series Lab is a collaborative, one week intensive boot-camp for directors, writers and producers working in serialized content in Qatar and other MENA countries. The Lab is dedicated to teams developing both scripted and non-fiction series projects created for distribution on all platforms (including television, digital or app based work).
This intensive, week-long Lab in Doha will provide participants with the knowledge, resources and mentor support necessary for developing strong series. Focusing on taking a project from script to screen, customized attention will be paid to preparing pitches, developing your work, securing financing, understanding the global marketplace, creating marketing strategies and finding unique avenues for the distribution. Individualized attention for each project will also be paid to developing pilots and show bibles, insider tips on the “writers’ room,” as well as long-term strategy to sustain their ongoing careers.
The goal is to support the teams of creators by brainstorming development and execution strategies that can bring their projects out into the world and to the viewers who seek independent and diverse voices in storytelling.
This lab is based on the IFP Screen Forward Labs, whose third edition was held in New York in April, 2017.
Dates: January 29 to February 2, 2018
Application Deadline: 6 January 2018
Hours: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Language: English
Lab Fee: 2,000 QAR
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Group Size: 8 – 10 projects will be selected with a maximum of two attendees per project
Programme
Daily Schedule
Day 1 – Development and Goals: dedicated to understanding the main goals of the projects and the independent filmmakers and content creators. The goal of the day is to define the next steps for each project according to te stage of development and needs.
Day 2 – Funding: all the possibilities available for funding a serialised scripted project. Includes case studies of successful crowdfunding series, workshops on how to work with production companies and platforms, and how to work with agencies and managers. The goal of the day is to generate production strategies tailored to each project.
Day 3 – Audience Engagement and Marketing: how to build a community and reach audiences, via social media, digital channels and other platforms. The goal of the day is to explore the audience potential of each project via one-to-one sessions, and to understand how to brand attendees as filmmakers and content creators for long-term career sustainability.
Day 4 – Festivals & Distribution: gaining familiarity with the episodic festivals in the USA and around world where a series might be premiered, and the benefits of participating in festivals and their markets. On the distribution side, the goal of the day is to study in-depth the different kinds of distribution platforms, from digital to traditional networks in order to develop awareness not limited to the projects participating in the programme.
Day 5 – Pitching: learning the ABCs of the pitch, and how to pitch a series project in different scenarios, including the elevator pitch. The goal is to create the best possible presentation for each project, learning how best to present it in formal meetings and during networking events. This includes how to define the nature of a project and how to use proper language. Another goal of the day is to learn how to use the pitch as a tool to confirm goals and define next steps and strategies.
This intensive, week-long Lab in Doha will provide participants with the knowledge, resources and mentor support necessary for developing strong series. Focusing on taking a project from script to screen, customized attention will be paid to preparing pitches, developing your work, securing financing, understanding the global marketplace, creating marketing strategies and finding unique avenues for the distribution. Individualized attention for each project will also be paid to developing pilots and show bibles, insider tips on the “writers’ room,” as well as long-term strategy to sustain their ongoing careers.
The goal is to support the teams of creators by brainstorming development and execution strategies that can bring their projects out into the world and to the viewers who seek independent and diverse voices in storytelling.
This lab is based on the IFP Screen Forward Labs, whose third edition was held in New York in April, 2017.
Dates: January 29 to February 2, 2018
Application Deadline: 6 January 2018
Hours: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Language: English
Lab Fee: 2,000 QAR
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Group Size: 8 – 10 projects will be selected with a maximum of two attendees per project
Programme
- Introduction to the main aspects of the television, digital and serialised content landscape
- How to develop and fund a serialised project, including crowdfunding, and working with production companies and platforms
- Developing tools to build a community and engage with audiences, including the use of social media
- Understanding of the distribution possibilities in the marketplace, from digital platforms to networks
- Knowing the episodic festivals where content can premiere
- Pitch training, consisting of in-depth, tailored strategies on how to pitch at markets and how to pitch to specific industry players
Daily Schedule
Day 1 – Development and Goals: dedicated to understanding the main goals of the projects and the independent filmmakers and content creators. The goal of the day is to define the next steps for each project according to te stage of development and needs.
Day 2 – Funding: all the possibilities available for funding a serialised scripted project. Includes case studies of successful crowdfunding series, workshops on how to work with production companies and platforms, and how to work with agencies and managers. The goal of the day is to generate production strategies tailored to each project.
Day 3 – Audience Engagement and Marketing: how to build a community and reach audiences, via social media, digital channels and other platforms. The goal of the day is to explore the audience potential of each project via one-to-one sessions, and to understand how to brand attendees as filmmakers and content creators for long-term career sustainability.
Day 4 – Festivals & Distribution: gaining familiarity with the episodic festivals in the USA and around world where a series might be premiered, and the benefits of participating in festivals and their markets. On the distribution side, the goal of the day is to study in-depth the different kinds of distribution platforms, from digital to traditional networks in order to develop awareness not limited to the projects participating in the programme.
Day 5 – Pitching: learning the ABCs of the pitch, and how to pitch a series project in different scenarios, including the elevator pitch. The goal is to create the best possible presentation for each project, learning how best to present it in formal meetings and during networking events. This includes how to define the nature of a project and how to use proper language. Another goal of the day is to learn how to use the pitch as a tool to confirm goals and define next steps and strategies.
