Helsinki Script 2016

Background and Financing
The Helsinki Script initiative was taken within a small Yle working group in 2015. Its members Erkki Astala, Esko Salervo, J.P. Pulkkinen, Juha-Pekka Hotinen and chair Liselott Forsman contacted The Finnish Film Foundation (Petri Rossi, Head of Production and Development) and AVEK (Juha Samola, General Secretary). When both stepped in as partners the planning started. Other financing partners were soon found within Koura, Aalto University, MTV3, Nelonen and Elisa Viihde. Before summer 15 other branch organizations, companies and schools joined in as creative partners. Three persons from Yle organized the day: Liselott Forsman (content),  Suvi Mansnerus (logistics) and Suvi Turunen (coordination).

The first Helsinki Script:  August 29th 2016
The Savoy Theatre was packed with close to 600 professionals of all ages when ten domestic and ten international guests entered the stage. The opening session TV-Shows with No Expiration Date was held by Serbian-Swedish drama expert Tatjana Andersson. She analyzed the structure of long running series, which is not linear like in novels, but fractal advancing in spiral movements, constantly repeating dramatic patterns but in new formations and thus drilling deeper. American creator-writer-producer James Manos Jr (Dexter, Sopranos, The Shield) described his process of making anti-heroes likeable. He was awarded an Emmy for his Sopranos episode, but has left co-writing. He wants to be the one to deliver the answer to the most important writer’s question: “Why tell this story?” Successful Icelandic creator-producer Sigurjón Kjartansson (Trapped) enjoyed co-working with his British colleague, but also had to correct some misunderstandings: “Umbrellas are useless on Iceland” and “A whiskey after work is a sign of alcoholism”. At the hot series market, there is a constant fight for the best writers. Many of them come from Denmark, where DR Drama and the Film Academy together have created a system for series education. Head of DR Drama Piv Bernth and professor Lars Detlefsen shared their best practices. This session continued the next day in a workshop for Finnish film and media students.
”I’ll be back anytime”,  said Manos Jr when leaving. This good feeling was shared by many in the audience and on stage. Irish RTE Head of Drama Jane Gogan, was especially happy about the organic structure of the day and about thoughts presented in earlier sessions developed along the day. The international guests also appreciated the session with Finnish dramas being remade into Scandinavian versions.

Program 29.8.2016

 Agenda for the sessions on August 29th.

08.45
Doors open! Take your seat. Savoy Theatre opens at 8am.

09.00
Welcome words by Yle’s CEO Lauri Kivinen.

09.15
TV Shows with No Expiry Date: Breaking Bad, Borgen, Walking Dead and Nashville. Tatjana Andersson (SVT Script Consultant, Master of Arts and expert of long running TV series).

10.15
Creating Long Running Anti-Heroes, whom Millions Identify with. Making a murderer likable, running a writers room and transferring the work onto the set for production. Emmy awarded James Manos Jr. is a writer of The Sopranos and The Shield and the creator of the legendary series Dexter, which hooked global audiences during eight seasons.

11.00 Short break

11.10
What is The Finnish Special? Mirroring the remake processes of the Finnish series Click Me, Nurses and Black Widows. A Nordic dialogue with Swedish, Danish and Finnish creators and producers Maria Nordenberg, Kati Royle, Jan Blomgren, Petja Peltomaa, Lars Feilberg, Roope Lehtinen & Mikko Pöllä.

12.15 Networking Lunch in Savoy: Everyone is invited!

13.00
The Icelandic Wonder Case: How a nation of 300.000 inhabitants produce series that travel. How does one run an international writers room? Sigurjon Kjartansson is the producer and main writer of the 2016 international success series Trapped.

13.30
The Danish Way: Keeping Top Quality and Nourishing New Talent. The Danish drama series education and infrastructure that makes it all possible. Some to thank are on stage. Piv Bernth, Head of DR Drama, producer of Emmy winning and success series (Nikolai & Julie, The Killing,The Bridge etc.) together with Lars Detlefsen, script consultant, writer, teacher and creator of the brilliant guidebook The TV-series Concept Cookbook.

14.15
Nordic Series Writing in 2017. Ten years ago the Norwegian TV branch decided to raise their TV drama quality together. Head of NRK Drama Ivar Køhn reveals how they succeeded. Nordic Film & TV Fund CEO Petri Kemppinen evalutates scripts from all Nordic countries at an early stage. Where are the Nordic stories going today?

15.00 Coffee break

15.15
Panel: Combining Substance, Charm and Volume. Irish Head of Drama Jane Gogan (Rebellion and others) and writer, producer, professor Aleksi Bardy join James Manos, Sigurjón Kjartansson, Piv Bernth and Tatjana Andersson on stage.

16.15
The Bright Future of TV Drama. How fresh ideas survive the tough TV and VOD business. Main writers Laura Suhonen (Black Widows, Hooked) writer / producer Miikko Oikkonen (Nymphs, Bordertown) and writers Jenny Dahlström (Secret Lives, Hooked) and Kim Haldin (online role-playing game Velvet Sundown). Meet the new generation of professionals!

16.55 End Speech by project manager and nordic TV drama expert Andrea Reuter.

17.00 Cheers! Bar is open.

2016 Guest Speakers

Miikko Oikkonen (Finland)
Andrea Reuter (Sweden, Finland)
Laura Suhonen (Finland)
Kim Haldin (Finland)
Sigurjón Kjartansson (Iceland)
Jane Gogan (Ireland)
Ivar Køhn (Norway)
Petri Kemppinen (Nordic)
Lars Christian Detlefsen (Denmark)
Tatjana Andersson (Serbia, Sweden)
James Manos (US)
Piv Bernth (Denmark)

2016 Gallery

 

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