Test

We talked to Berlin native and The Circus Hotel’s manager Katrin Schönig. She is for the second time part of the jury team of the Berlin Writing Prize. We talked to her about Berlin, her interest in Literature, and why The Circus Hotel is involved in the writing competition.

I cannot be here because I am lying in the middle of a tiny road in rural France. It is dusk. My bicycle lies beside me. I’ve a broken collarbone, cracked ribs, shock, a phone that can’t tell me where I am and a fine view of the Alps as the sun sinks and the temperature drops and absolutely no cars go past.

So, you have an idea for a TV series. Or, you’ve already written a TV pilot. What comes next?

In this 8-week course, students will write and workshop original TV pilots and learn how to take the next steps toward getting them off the page and onto the screen. They can expect to leave the course with a first or new pilot draft, and an understanding of how to pitch their series to producers in the real world.

Email hello@thereaderberlin.com to sign up!


Students will be guided into the world of professional TV writing by a working screenwriter, learning how to identify their series’ story engine, tell a never-ending story, and structure the pilot. Next, they will jump headfirst into writing (or rewriting) the pilot, workshopping their progress every week in class until they’ve completed a full draft. Toward the end of the course, we’ll discuss what to do with the pilot next, and how to develop industry standard pitch materials that producers want to read, such as the logline, 1-pager, and series bible.

Please be prepared to submit 1-2 series ideas before the course begins. All fiction genres and formats are welcome. If you’ve already written a whole pilot or more, even better! This course is designed for aspiring screenwriters looking to take the next steps toward a professional career.

Will Buckingham has worked in the international entertainment industry for over 10 years. He has written made-for-TV movies that have aired around the world on Lifetime Channel, Hallmark, SkyTV, Prime, TF1, M6, Antena3, and more. He has developed series with DARK co-creator Jantje Friese, and optioned original TV & film projects to Germany’s Network-Movie and 2Pilots Filmproduction. He was a participant in the 2023 CANNESERIES Talent Unlimited Residency, sponsored by Canal+. He also worked as a Hollywood script analyst for clients including CAA, Miramax, and Indian Paintbrush (HENRY SUGAR, ASTEROID CITY). Will graduated from NYU-Tisch School of the Arts Asia with an MFA in Dramatic Writing, and participated in Serial Eyes, Europe’s premier postgraduate training program for television writers. His experience and insight will help prepare students to write and pitch their series in the real world.

Email hello@thereaderberlin.com to sign up!