The showrunner is the key figure responsible for a television series, involved in all stages of production from the development of the idea to the final realization. Inside Showrunner is organized by Good Girls Planet and the ITTV International TV Forum in Los Angeles. Inside Showrunner aims to be an intensive course consisting of meetings with the top international professionals in the field.
The goal of the course is to deepen the essential skills required to create and manage a successful television series. Through meetings, theoretical and practical exercises, and case studies, participants will gain a solid understanding of all key aspects of the television production process and develop and enhance the skills necessary to lead a production team. Inside Showrunner also aims to provide in-depth knowledge of the entertainment industry, from production mechanisms (especially executive production) to distribution and promotion. The course will also examine current trends and market dynamics, including new financing frontiers.
Inside Showrunner will provide a comprehensive overview of the television industry, both national and international, with concrete examples of various genres of seriality: from medical to drama, through documentaries, teen series, sit-coms, TV shows, etc. Participants will learn to navigate the current television landscape and understand the dynamics and challenges of the industry.
Inside Showrunner is aimed at industry professionals and all those who have an interest in the profession of the showrunner and want to deepen and expand their skills through international experts.
In Italy, the role of the showrunner is still evolving, which is why starting from 2022, in collaboration with the Toscana Film Commission of Fondazione Sistema Toscana, Good Girls Planet, and the ITTV International TV Forum in Los Angeles, have developed and curated specialized courses focusing on the showrunner role, drawing from American expertise and involving top Italian and European representatives.
The goal of the the Showrunner Projects (see pictures below from the Lab in 2022 and the Immersive in 2023) is to deepen essential skills for creating and managing a successful TV series. Through meetings, theoretical and practical exercises, and case studies, participants will gain a solid understanding of all key aspects of the television production process and develop the skills needed to lead a production team. The program also aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the entertainment industry, from production mechanisms (especially executive) to distribution and promotion.
Experts in TV Series Development and Production
Chad Kennedy - Executive Vice President of Production and Development of Magic Quill Productions.
David Warren - Director of successful TV series like Why Women Kill, Desperate Housewives, Grace and Frankie.
Gary Marenzi - Veteran TV executive and CEO of Marenzi & Associates.
Giannandrea Pecorelli - Producer, screenwriter, CEO of Aurora Film and Aurora TV Banijay.
Giovanni Pedde - Entertainment law attorney in New York and Rome, part of the international division of Marenzi & Associates.
Jeremy Spiegel - Executive Producer, Showrunner, executive producer of the American newsmagazine Extra!
Maria Grazia Saccà - CEO Titanus Production
Marco Chimenz - Producer and CEO of Cattleya.
Nancy Cotton - EVP Television, Skydance Sports, former Executive Vice President, Head of Scripted Programming for MGM+, known for launching original content like The Godfather of Harlem, Pennyworth, Perpetual Grace, Belgravia, Chapelwaite.
Neal Baer - Executive producer and showrunner for Netflix, CBS, HBO, previously a producer and story editor for ER.
Nicola De Angelis - CEO, Head of Development and International Co-productions of Fabula Pictures.
Sean Furst - CEO of GPS Studios.
Vaun Wilmott - Showrunner, screenwriter, and producer
Vittorio Testa - Screenwriter, writer, and expert trainer.
The Showrunner Lab aims at:
Creating a new professional figure and skillset which legitimately qualifies as one of the key;
Roles contributing to modern audiovisual production;
Train young students as they learn the fundamentals of the audiovisual market and the processes surrounding and affecting this industry;
Offer participants an opportunity to meet and learn from Italian and International producers;
Authors, showrunners and from all other key professional figures in the audiovisual industry;
Offer the most effective tools to organize and propose creative ideas when “pitching” a project;
Organize writers’ room with the students;
Allow each participant to engage in stages and internships at national and international companies;
Courses, Meetings and Laboratories are supplemented with Workshops that expose students to figures of excellence in the international audiovisual industry.
Headquarters of the Showrunner Lab shall be at Manifatture Digitali Cinema in Prato.