Entertainment Master Class (EMC), established in 2005 as a new platform for peer-to-peer TV industry education, has launched the Showrunner Society, a hybrid online/in-person community for showrunners and media executives. The first face-to-face masterclass is planned for this summer, hosted in Germany with supported from film funding agency Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.
Described by EMD as “a new way for experienced writers and writing producers to learn the craft of Showrunning,” the platform was designed as a transmedia experience offering users the opportunity to meet and interact with established showrunners from their own regions and from around the world.
In addition to a wide-reaching range of online offerings, the jewel in the Showrunner Society’s crown will be its annual four-day, in-person Showrunning Masterclass where a small group of experienced writers, directors, producers and executives will be joined by showrunners from around the world for a series of mentoring sessions and potential shadowing opportunities. The Society will also produce a podcast and video interviews in which some of the world’s most experienced showrunners will talk shop.
The Showrunner Society’s launch-day advisory board features an impressive quartet of industry talent including Emmy-winning writer-producer Tom Fontana (“Oz,” “Borgia”), writer-director Richie Mehta (“Delhi Crime”), producer and former HBO executive Anne Thomopoulos (“Rome,” “Plan Coeur”) and Big Window Productions EP and managing director Jörg Winger (“Deutschland 83”).
“There are more opportunities than ever before to make series and tell the stories that haven’t been told,” said Thomopoulos. “I’m excited to be a part of this program and work with the world’s most talented new creators to help get those stories to the screen.”
“With the amazing amount of television that’s being created these days, having a place where showrunners from everywhere can meet to share ideas and experiences is essential. We also need a venue to nurture the next generation of showrunning talent,” added Fontana.
“Showrunning requires a unique skill set that goes beyond treatments and scripts. It’s about knowing how to turn a creative vision into production reality,” explained Christoph Fey, EMC co-founder and Showrunner Society CEO. “The Showrunner Society aims to empower new talent in the industry to have the experience to ensure their voices and stories are heard.”
“The Showrunner Society offers a chance for the next generation of writing and producing talent to work with and learn from the world’s top showrunners. As the demand for quality content increases across the globe, the program is a way of building a new model for creating successful long-running series,” added Paris-based showrunner and Showrunner Society director Steven Bawol (“Borgia”).
EMC launched its first Format Masterclass in 2005 and a Comedy Masterclass the following year. In 2010 it held the first Management Masterclass and 2014 its first Showrunner Masterclass. The itinerant Masterclass program has continued to evolve over the years, with EMC regularly updating its curriculum and pedagogy, always fostering a mentor-style experience rather than pushing a teacher-student dynamic.
More information can be found at https://www.showrunner-society.com/