A new strategic partnership to promote the TV series sector development

On 1st December 2017, the FIEST - International training for TV series writing - project started officially. A partnership composed of COPEAM, the international university Uninettuno (Italy), France Télévisions and 5 cinema and audiovisual schools - ALBA (Lebanon), ESAV (Morocco), INSAS (Belgium), ESAV Toulouse (France) and ESAC (Tunisia) - submitted a proposal in the framework of the EU Erasmus+ programme (“Strategic partnerships for higher education” chapter) aimed at setting up a pilot training in the field of TV series writing.

Context:

 In the recent years, the TV series genre has been rapidly expanding. The global success of the American ones has shown the potential of this sector in terms of economic worth, employment (both at the intellectual and technical levels), international export, quality and cultural value of the product, promotion of creativity and innovation (of editorial formats and of distribution means). As for the Mediterranean region, it is experiencing a new momentum with the increase in the realisation and broadcasting of successful series.

In order to exploit this strategic potential, it is necessary to train the creative talents and the professionals able to work with specific and cross-cutting skills required in the sector on an international scale. However, training programmes explicitly focused on the script-writing and creation of TV series are still lacking in Europe and in the South-Mediterranean countries.

“FIEST – International training on TV series writing” project:

 In order to satisfy these needs, a transnational and cross-sector partnership – covering 6 countries (Italy, France, Belgium, Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco) – has been set up. Based on the consolidated experience gained by the 6 partner educational institutions in the film and audiovisual fields, the definition and development of an innovating training programme specifically devoted to the TV series domain were considered as an efficient and appropriate primary response to the professionalization demand.

This pilot training will target, within the 6 partner countries, students and/or young professionals with experience in the audiovisual field.

To achieve these objectives, all the partners together will:

  • carry out a survey on the TV series market needs, in terms of training and skills, in the Euro-Mediterranean region
  • Design and develop an innovative, transnational and intercultural training course (with 3 European countries and 3 South-Med ones involved) on TV series script-writing, able to meet the labour market’s needs
  • Set up a pilot edition of the training programme (face-to-face workshops, distance learning tools - e-learning training modules and MOOC - and individual work), involving 30 students and/or young professionals for 1 year
  • Assess the training and its results, so as to improve the training programme and its relevance to the current market, as well as to work on its sustainability
  • Develop and structure a network made of beneficiaries (students) and trainers, which will allow the creation of future initiatives and synergies at an international level.

This strategic action will also consent to widen the film schools’ training programme in a context of pedagogic innovation, while enabling a pool of talented youngsters likely to fuel this dynamic sector in terms of employment and know-how.

Additionally, the transnational nature of the partnership will allow to: share and maximise the excellences and expertises of the involved institutions; exchange diversified methods and experiences; conduct a shared reflection on the assessment of competences; include the international and intercultural dimension in the whole project – from the design and selection of both trainers and students to the implementation and assessment of the pilot training.

COORDINATOR:

COPEAM (Conférence Permanente de l’Audiovisuel Méditerranéen)

 PARTNERS:

Università Telematica Internazionale – UNINETTUNO (Italy)

France Télévisions (France)

Ecole Supérieure d'Audiovisuel – Université Toulouse II (France)

Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle et des Techniques de Diffusion - INSAS (Belgium)

Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts - Université de Balamand (Lebanon)

Ecole Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech (Morocco)

ESAC - Ecole Supérieure de l’Audiovisuel et du Cinéma (Tunisia)

 DURATION:

24 months (from December 1st, 2017)

 

 

Project funded by the European Union