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Thursday 7 January, 2021
Screen Queensland has partnered with esteemed US showrunner, Bradford Winters (The Sinner, Berlin Station, The Americans), to offer an exclusive development experience for Queensland's next generation of lead writers and showrunners.
New York-based Bradford Winters said he was thrilled to be working with the up-and-coming generation of Queensland showrunners.
"I'm excited to partner with Screen Queensland and help tap the rich pool of new Queensland talent in the increasingly global TV market," Mr Winters said.
Screen Queensland Chief Creative Officer, Jo Dillon, explained how the experience of being immersed in the showrunner model with Winters, who has written and produced several highly acclaimed TV series in recent years, has the potential to create the skills and experience to drive premium drama series that excite the market and audiences globally.
"Under the expert guidance of one of the world's leading showrunners, the selected screenwriters will gain invaluable insights into what it takes to create a fully-formed series ready for pitching to broadcasters and streamers.
"Writers will need to be brave and prepared to see their work radically transformed through the collaborative process," Ms Dillon said.
As part of the program, five Queensland creatives will participate in an intensive writers' room structured on the US showrunner model, which involves "breaking" their series concepts, creating a "mini-bible" and honing their pitch.
Next, the writers will pitch their series to a panel of Australian broadcasters and streamers, and at least one participant will be selected to run a writers' room for their project and to write the pilot episode of their series, with support from Winters.
This series will then be pitched to market with a guarantee from Screen Queensland to co-finance development of the project, should it secure matched funding from a broadcaster or streamer.
Applications for this prestigious program open 28 January 2021, on the same day as an exclusive in-conversation event with Bradford Winters, 2pm - 4pm at BEMAC. Tickets are available now at screenqueensland.com.au
