Big Light Productions Selects New Apprenticeship Recipient

Big Light Productions, led by writer/producer Frank Spotnitz, has tapped Anna-Lena Theobald for a three-month apprenticeship placement.

Big Light’s apprenticeship program provides emerging writers with hands-on experience in a writers’ room, where they collaborate on local and international projects and new series development. Theobald was selected for the program following completion of the Serial Eyes postgraduate TV training program for writers and producers in Berlin.

During the placement, Theobald will have the opportunity to learn from Spotnitz (The Man in the High Castle, Leonardo, Medici, The X-Files), Creative Director Emily Feller (Leonardo, Medici, Trust Me, Ordinary Lies) and the wider Big Light team across a range of scripted television and podcast developments.

Prior to joining the program, Theobald completed an M.A. in philosophy at the Munich School of Philosophy and a diploma in producing from DFFB, the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. She has worked on feature films and TV series from Germany, China, Canada and the U.S., and her credits include HBO’s The Tale (postproduction supervisor), Chinese film To Live To Sing (second assistant director), German TV movie Ein Leben Lang (production coordinator) and German reality TV show Berlin Tag Und Nacht (casting editor). She has also co-written and produced several award-winning short films, including Deus Ex Machina (2016), P (2017) and Q (2019). Currently, Theobald is developing her first TV show, titled TAMIM, as lead writer and showrunner, produced by Jana Lotze and Achtung Panda! and co-produced by SWR.

“I’m very excited to join Big Light,” Theobald said. “I’ve always wanted to work internationally, to tell stories for a global audience. Big Light is an internationally renowned company, which creates world-class drama series. They are known for putting the writers’ vision first. Through the mentorship, I have the chance to learn from prestigious TV writers and producers and to enhance my own vision as a screenwriter.”

Big Light’s Spotnitz and Feller said, “We’ve long held the belief that we should support emerging writers coming into this industry, and to be in our sixth year of supporting and nurturing new writers is a pleasure. The last few years have seen an enormous uptick in productions coming from all corners of the world, and it is exciting to welcome new voices who will continue to contribute to the growth of the film and television industry. Our apprenticeship program is a chance for emerging writers to learn directly from experienced peers and hopefully put them on track to becoming a successful and integral part of the industry for years to come. Anna-Lena is enormously talented, and we look forward to welcoming her into the Big Light team and working with her for the next few months.”

Katrin Merkel, head of studies at Serial Eyes, added, “Anna-Lena was an incredible addition to Serial Eyes, and we are very happy to learn that she has been offered an internship at Big Light Productions, an opportunity that will no doubt allow her to develop and hone her skills as a writer. The partnership between Serial Eyes and Big Light has, over the past ten years, fostered Europe’s premier screenwriting talent and we are certain that this will continue. We wish Anna-Lena the very best for her time in London.”