The MIDPOINT Institute is once again organising the MIDPOINT Smash Cut workshop, marking its third consecutive year. The workshop serves as an initial learning opportunity for aspiring filmmakers interested in mastering the art of episodic storytelling. Participants will be equipped with the essential tools needed to create captivating narratives for episodes ranging from 1-20 minutes in length.

The workshop's curriculum is carefully designed to guide participants in developing a series concept and to highlight the distinctive elements of short-form series, emphasising the differences compared to long-form shows in terms of storytelling techniques. By participating in the programme, selected filmmakers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the creative aspects involved in their work, along with valuable insights into financing and distribution strategies. The Smash Cut workshop offers a range of valuable resources, including expert lectures, intensive group work and personalised consultations with esteemed guest tutors. Moreover, participants will actively engage in the writing process during the workshop, receiving continuous guidance and supervision from the tutors.

Programme coordinator Alexandra Gabrižová explains: “The call is open for short-form series projects in the early-development phase, and we are ready to welcome on board independent indie projects by solo creators as well as projects by creative teams. Three or four selected projects will be working in a group, and each project development process will be overseen by experienced tutor and series creator Sullivan Le Postec. Additionally, we will dive into topics such as the financing of short-form series, their distribution possibilities, and strategies on how to engage the audience and find the right platforms for their series.

“The upcoming edition of Smash Cut will bring on board great professionals from the industry, such as the director of the SerienCamp Festival, Gerhard Maier, who will discuss the current trends in short-form series and their distribution possibilities. Hyppe Salmi, a YLE Drama department executive producer specialising in content for young adults, will share strategies on how to engage the audience in the development phase. In collaboration with the Serial Killer International Series Festival, their lectures will be open not only to participants of Smash Cut, but also to the industry professionals visiting TV Days.”

Vivian Sade, an alumna of the Smash Cut 2022 workshop, has recently received the green light for her project Sloppy, which will be developed as a mini web-series for YLE's @areena.stories. Shooting for the series is scheduled to begin in August, and it is set to be released in October 2023, now under the title Kalamaja Blues. This success story exemplifies one of the key strengths of short-form series: they can be developed and produced within a more efficient timeframe and with limited financial resources. Short-form series often serve as a platform to showcase emerging talents to industry professionals, opening doors for their future careers as series creators. Sade, who participated in the programme as a solo writer-creator, stated: “I absolutely loved the Smash Cut programme. It was the bite-sized push I needed to get more of a handle on how my project should flow. It was nicely personalised for each team as well.”

The programme accepts both solo creators and creative teams consisting of a writer (or writers) and a producer with a project, and it is open to projects from all over the world, with a focus on the CEE region. The incubator starts off with an online pre-training session at the beginning of September, and the workshop itself will run from 18-24 September in Brno, Czech Republic, thanks to a new partnership with the Serial Killer International Series Festival.

The call for MIDPOINT Smash Cut is now open, and the deadline for applications is 6 July. All of the necessary details can be found here.