On 9 July, the discussion “Redefining Creative Control in Series Development and Production” was hosted at Karlovy Vary, as part of the KVIFF Industry Days. The panel, moderated by Alexander Michailidis, featured Marianne Wendt, a Berlin-based creator and showrunner; US screenwriter and producer Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith; French writer-director Sullivan Le Postec; and Dylan Holmes Williams, a writer-director from the UK.

Le Postec stated, “In France, 20 years ago, showrunners were basically not a thing. That figure didn't exist at all. There was a very traditional model of a non-writing producer commissioning a script from a writer, who would then deliver the script. The non-writing producer would hand the script to a director, and the director and the writer might never even meet. Under this system, we produced mostly TV movies or limited series, and we were still working in the 90-minute format in the majority of cases. It all changed 20 years ago, when there was a push to move towards more serialisation, which led to a need for stronger involvement from the writer. If you have a returning series and some serialisation, which involves different directors, it's actually very helpful to have a writer – a creator who can remain involved in the project as the voice of continuity.”

Smith then discussed the role of a showrunner in series creation: "They're the auteurs of television. As a screenwriter, you run the writers’ room, while the showrunner oversees the production and all of the editorial process. The showrunner is the ‘adult’ in the room, so it's a very coveted role for television writers. You have to go through many years of training, working your way slowly up the ladder to get that authority, and you're really treated like the queen of the castle when you make it.” She explained that showrunners carry significant responsibility and are accountable to many people, which has led her to develop greater empathy and respect over time. This is an aspect that first-time writers often overlook, but it’s important not to forget.

Holmes Williams, who has worked, among other projects, on Doctor Who under showrunner Russell T Davis, also discussed the importance of the figure: “The showrunner takes on all of the responsibility, and the success or failure of the show falls on them as well. As a director, I try my best to do a good job, but I'm aware that the series really is their brand, and their name is on it.”

Wendt explained how, in Germany, the Internationale Filmschule Köln offers the European Showrunner Programme, the first of its kind, which tries to attract experienced, talented series creators and writers who may have already written some shows but don't have sufficient knowledge concerning production, or leadership itself. “I've been teaching there for three years now, and there are talents from all over Europe. The model needs time to be fully understood, and for people to grasp how they can fill this huge role, but I'm convinced it's just a matter of one generation of series production, and then the model will be used everywhere. It's very effective for long-running shows, and it's easier for production companies – and people are finally starting to understand it. But you need the people who can do it, and at the moment, we don't have them. We have a lot of people who claim to be showrunners, but only a small number of them really have the knowledge, or a deep understanding of editing, producing, financing, and even writing.”

In this sense, Smith encouraged writers to approach their work more publicly, emphasising that being a screenwriter isn't just about writing in isolation; it also involves stepping out to promote and pitch your project, much like a salesperson. “A lot of what we have to do is pitching, presenting and performing. If that scares them, I encourage writers to take an acting class and to try to spend a lot of time practising their pitches with friends.”