SERIAL EYES is an 8-month full-time postgraduate European programme on screenwriting and production for TV serial formats, which began in 2013 and is organised by the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB). Partners include the London Film School, the Danish Film School, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, RTL Television, RealFilm and Atlantique Productions.It is the first programme of its kind worldwide, and its conception, design and implementation is directly tied to industry input and involvement.Hit US serials have triggered a revolution in TV story-telling. For Europe’s amazing cultural content to hold its own in this market, European professionals need targeted training. SERIAL EYES enables participants to acquire fluency in the complex narrative skills and unprecedented teamwork involved, and focuses on fostering original European voices and cultures. SERIAL EYES is designed for participants with professional experience in screenwriting/producing and equips them to take their career to the next level. In-depth taught modules (e.g. case studies, overview of European serial market, budgeting issues) combined with extensive hands-on mentored practice trains participants to create strong ideas, manage intricate storylines and handle criticism constructively in high-pressure, multi-cultural teams. The Writer’s Room format, headed by Frank Spotnitz (The Man in the High Castle, The Medici), focuses on the creative and professional skills needed to develop complex narrative arcs in a real-world setting and pitch these effectively. During SERIAL EYES participants produce and pitch serial and episode ideas, as well as individual and group screenplay work.Key players from broadcasters across Europe meet at our annual Serials Summit to debate burning issues in the serials production market, and respond directly to participants’ work in the Final Pitch Session. Direct industry access to this pool of talent is hugely important to industry, and is complemented by SERIAL EYES active alumni network. Networking continues in study visits to Europe’s most innovative serials markets (Copenhagen, London) and the top TV industry fair (MipTV, Cannes), and through our cooperation with the Berlinale/EFM with the new “Serials Days” format. SERIAL EYES extremely high-calibre teaching team, includes world-class trainers and guests such as Frank Spotnitz, Nicola Lusardi, Jimmy Desmarais, Jörg Winger and many more.The continued commitment of so many top professionals, and the high calibre of applications received (from nine countries this year) reflects SERIAL EYES’ excellent reputation of meeting our ambitious teaching aims year after year.SERIAL EYES’ trans-European approach sparks highly productive exchanges between TV cultures and writing strategies. Participants acquire the creative, cultural and professional skills and contacts to work effectively on serial co-productions in Europe and beyond. Thanks also to the outstanding work pitched during SERIAL EYES, alumni have notched up impressive success stories in their subsequent careers.SERIAL EYES’ multiplier role fosters industry awareness of the enormous creative potential of serial formats and sows the seeds to develop exciting new serial formats with well-trained European serialwriters and producers.