VR Writers’ Room Opens for Applications

Words Across Europe, a new initiative from Wide Eye Films, has opened for applications to take part in the first-ever VR writers’ room, supported by co-funding from the European Union.

Words Across Europe sessions run over a nine-week period from May and will take place in an augmented reality writers’ room using the latest Meta technology to give participants the immediacy of being side by side in the same space.

The English-speaking course has a limited number of nine places available, with all participants provided with the technology, training and support to complete the program. A payment of €1,000 will also be paid to participants who complete the nine-week program.

Industry experts confirmed to participate in the program include Laura Andrews (commercial director of U.K. drama at ITV Studios), Brian Tannenbaum (head of originals at Roku Media), Robert Franke (VP Drama at ZDF Studios), Steve Matthews (content partnership executive at Banijay), Morad Koufane (head of international scripted series for France Télévisions), Andre Bormanis (writer and producer on Star Trek, Cosmos and The Orville), Alexandra Finlay (A+E’s VP of scripted international co-productions), Malin Nevander (head of development for SVT Drama), Frank Tönsmann (commissioning editor for WDR), Cosima von Spreti (head of co-finance and co-production at LEONINE), Eilish Kent (story consultant and lecturer at the National Film School, IADT), Joachim Friedman (writer and professor for serial storytelling at ifs internationale filmschule köln) and Jonathan Young (executive producer at May One). Nathalie Lichtenthaeler producer at Wide Eye Films and founder of Words Across Europe) will curate and produce the sessions.

Lichtenthaeler said: Words Across Europe is a hugely ambitious project that aims to foster collaboration, creativity, and cultural exchange among writers from across the EU. Through this new initiative we will harness the rich tapestry of storytelling traditions that make up the European landscape, creating a platform for the cross-pollination of ideas and narratives with the goal of creating new EU-centric TV series that can have mass global appeal.”