AGENDA:

HELSINKI SCRIPT – SEPT 1ST, SAVOY THEATER

 

08.45    DOORS OPEN

 

 

09.00    WELCOME + FINNISH KICK-OFF + FAKE FICTION

British, Norwegian and other international themes. Excerpts from: Bordertown, Downshifters, Living with my Ex, Morbid Stories, Hooked, Lola Upside Down, Love & Order, Mental, Black Widows, Nurses, Wingman.  True or False: Fiction has never been easier to mix with real life than in the age of social media and online drama. Get your phones ready, Hasbeen has a question for you!

 

09.10    REMAKING ISRAELI AND FINNISH SERIES FOR BBC, FOX, HBO…

The Israeli series Hatufim was commissioned by Ran Tellem, who then got an Emmy for its US remake Homeland. He also saw through how the touching Israeli series Yellow Peppers turned into the BBC series The A Word. HBO’s Gabor Krigler is working on the third season of FInnish series Easy Living for Hungarian audiences. How is the international drama traffic changing?

 

09.45     METTE M. BØLSTAD – WINNER OF THE NORDIC SCRIPT PRIZE 2017

Heavy Water War was a global success and so was Mette’s recent miniseries Nobel, which won both Prix Europe in 2016 and the Nordic Script Prize in 2017. Mette’s Norwegian stories move in present time, in war zones or near history. They are both popular and make an impact. Her writing might start with plot and end with creating emotional movements.  What is her working process of engaging and challenging us?

 

10.30    MENTAL – META LEVELS OF ONLINE STORYTELLING

The script of the funny and serious web series Mental (Sekaisin) is based on actual experiences by young ones with severe mental problems. The combination of a fiction series and an online aid service proved very important in Finland. What was the play between real and unreal and how did the young create create their fictional characters? Speakers: writer-producer Jani Pösö, Yle executive producer Hyppe Salmi and actor Elias Westerberg.

 

11.00    SKAM – HOW NOORA AND OTHER YOUNG CHARACTERS TOUCHED ALL

NRK web series Shame/Skam was created for a young Norwegian target group, but turned into an emotional Nordic sensation for all ages. How did the long research build up the famous feeling of authenticity? How did the young cast learn to handle intensive shootings and the international buzz? Josefine Petterson has 1.4 million followers on her private instagram account. How does she maintain her personal integrity when viewers are so touched by the authenticity of her character Noora? Speakers: producer Marianne Furevold and actor Josefine Petterson.

 

12.00      LUNCH AT VENUE

 

13.00      TOWARDS 2020: SCANDINAVIAN SERIES STRATEGIES 

Scandinavian series strategies of today are discussed by Katrina Vogelsong, TV2 Head of Drama, Anna Croneman, SVT Head of Drama, Tone Rønning, NRK International drama commissioner and  Lars Blomgren, CEO of Filmlance, main producer of The Bridge and its remakes. Everybody is talking about post Nordic Noir. But the Nordic drama has always been so much more than dark crime stories. What is bubbling now and why?

 

 

13.50    WORKSHOPS ON FINNISH COMMISSIONING AND VR STORYTELLING

Four workshops were arranged in connection to Helsinki Script. Some share their best ideas on stage. Writer Sami Keski-Vähälä summoned Finnish writers, producers and commissioners to a dialogue on the future of Finnish drama. Series commissioners from Yle, MTV3, Nelonen, Elisa have met with producers and writers. Let’s hear there constructive ideas!

City of Helsinki Senior Advisor Taina Seitsara invited big companies and audiovisual media experts to a workshop on the theme of future virtual reality narration. Filmmaker and Researcher Synes Elischka dispels some of the VR myths.

 

14.10    FICTIONALIZING PERSONAL AND POLITICAL EXPERIENCES

Greetings from the scriptwriting workshop: Norwegian brothers created Mammon, a success series about two brothers and domestic corruption, politics and media, which HBO remade. How were personal experiences and real life politics fictionalized? In Finland a journalist turned to fiction to find new truths. Her fresh MTV3 series Welcome to Texas is based on interviews with criminals. Speakers: writer Gjermund Eriksen, producer Vegard Eriksen Stenberg and journalist/writer Miira Karhula.

 

14.40       COFFEE / SMOOTHIE BREAK

 

15.00     THE EUROPEAN SCRIPT AWARD CEREMONY

The winner(s) of the EATC European Script Award will be announced, awarded and presented. On stage key speakers and Louis Heinsman, Chair of EATC and Head of NPO International Relations, Holland.

 

15.30    JED MERCURIO – SHOWRUNNING IN UK

Jed Mercurio is one the few American type showrunners in UK. In May 2017 the 4th season of his cop corruption saga Line of Duty glued 10 million viewers to BBC and was praised for its “canny genius” by The Telegraph. New characters and ethical dilemmas are introduced every season. How does Jed create, cast and finish off his characters and keep the quality season after season? What lies and truths in today’s world make his pen fly and what is the UK version of showrunning really about?

 

 

16.15      JED, JOSEFINE, RAN, MINNA ON FUTURE OF SERIES 

Adventure and philosophy shake hands in US series Westworld, American Gods, Game of Thrones and Twin Peaks – the Return. Young audiences are fast, active, global online and not afraid of any genres. European series are still mostly realistic. Is it time to give concept world building series a new chance? New speaker joining the panel: scriptwriter Minna Panjanen, who writes both fantasy and scifi.

 

16.50    ANDREA REUTER SUMS UP

Andrea is the long time moderator of Helsinki Script’s partner festival GIFF in Gothenburg. What happened today in Savoy Theatre and what thoughts might travel on?

 

17.00     THANK YOU AND SEE YOU TONIGHT AT THE NETWORKING EVENT!

 

 

18.00-19.30 NETWORKING EVENT

City Hall Restaurant, Sofiankatu 3 A