“Write your own series!” Better than a reference, it’s an interesting challenge CNC (National Center of Cinema and Moving Image), launched this year by the Ministry of Culture and National Education. From October 2021 to May 2022, all high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 could participate in this competition. In groups of 3 to 8 young people, they write down on paper the words and images that come to mind.
The goal of this initiative? Encourage calls. Develop a taste for writing and creativity. And start producing the next generation of French screenwriters. For participants, the approach also includes discovering what any professional in the world of the series should take when he wants to sell his project: compile a file with a synopsis, a presentation of the characters, a brief bible. They also used video to open their series.
The rules of the game were clear: write together, let your imagination run free, without restrictions on the number of episodes, format and chosen genre. To implement their project, the young people were supervised by professionals who gave them the keys to make the file as successful as possible.
The operation was financed by the actress Audrey Fleuro, and the director and screenwriter Francois Descac. Results: Done 2300 students Take part in this first edition! 330 files Submitted and selected for careful reading and evaluation by a jury of 13 professionals.
“We were amazed at the maturity of every project in substance or form. Also to view emerging issues. We have many projects on ecology, the future of the planet, the evolution of society in relation to new technologies.Francois Descarque. The screenwriter and director, who made a name for himself with Guest from the Future, was part of the final jury.
“What I liked most was seeing young people mastering their youthful worlds and seeing how they organized themselves. Even if there were occasional mistakes, there was a lot of authenticity– He tells us about very diverse files in genres.
“What’s quite amusing is that they deal with serious issues without taking themselves too seriously, so there’s a lot of humor, irony and a little detachment. This is not a comedy. We feel that they are affected by how the world is going wrong, but on the other hand, they have enough maturity and intelligence to keep some distance from their words.In turn, Caroline Banjo, producer and director of Haut et Court, tells us.
This initiative is also a form of raising awareness of the screenwriting profession. A profession that often seems inaccessible and that is not necessarily present in all French territories. Full of hope, Caroline Benjo wishes participants:
The idea, above all, is to make them want to write, to embrace the stories that are their stories. And that if they have relatives, it can become a common practice at home and that they become professional as their school and perhaps university course progresses and become tomorrow’s screenwriters.
Thus, the “Write Your Series” project is the first step for these young people to discover their potential there. To encourage them to continue their writing and show more interest in creating the series, CNC offers them very popular prizes, among other things, visits to the filming of the series and animation films.
It is a true message of openness sent to all participants who come from the four corners of France, including the DOM-TOMs, and whose geographical or social origin is not considered. Their advantage in this competition is that they are driven by imaginations related to their personal context. Hence the variety of files presented by the jury.
The approach also includes a decentralized search for tomorrow’s screenwriters, going to meet them. “It is a bet on the future, with the idea of stopping thinking about the top of the pyramid. It is not from the top of the pyramid that we succeed in renewing French fiction” explains Caroline Benzeau. François Descrac expresses the same hope that he has about the possible results in the coming years:
There is a variety of profiles and themes that are not present in the series we see on TV. I really hope it inspires people and producers.
Based on success, the Write Your Series challenge will be renewed for a second edition for the 2022-2023 academic year and will be open to students from 4 years.e and 3e.
Prize for the best project: A stranger like you
Students of LPO Boissy d’Anglas d’Annonay secondary school (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region)
The project is led by MJC Annonay.
Authors : Lila A., Candice B., Thévie B., Charlotte C., Aude D., Camille G., Noah L., Naël L., Jade S., Nathan S., Estéban S., Buncelia S., Tim T.
Supervising teacher : Pascal Muschinovsky
It was accompanied by a written work : Bryce Sodin and Romain Evrard
Special Jury Prize: Eudaimonia
Pupils outside school hours under the supervision of the association La Nouvelle Dimension in Florac (Occitanie region)
Anonymous authors : Camille A., Ella B., Tévi B., Noam P.
Framed: Pierre-Audbert
Best Pitch Award: Roll and Rock
Students of Henri Poincare High School in Nancy (Grand Est region)
A project supervised by the FDMJC 54 structure (MJC Federation Meurthe-et-Moselle)
Authors: Marie B., Lea B., Marco J., Baptiste R., Emma R., Ivan S., Ninon V.
Supervising teachers: Marie-Hélène Testa and Severin Vicar
accompanied by : Thomas Dessen
Special Mention on the Field: The Sky Crew
Students of Arènes de Toulouse High School (Occitanie Region)
The project is managed by the association La Trame.
Authors: Mickaël F., Virgile M., Fantin P.
Framed: Christian Doyle
Teacher: Philip Teissier
Prize for the best dialogues, ex aequo:
Sypestision
Students of Bellevue High School in Fort-de-France (Martinique).
The project is led by Cadice Ciné Woulé.
Authors: Ishmael R., Abigail B. Lohan M.
Supervising teacher : Marion Dubreuil
Viandard.es
Pupils of Pierre Mendès France General Secondary School Vic en Bigorre (Occitanie Region)
The project is managed by the association La Trame.
Authors: Irina S., Manon B., Maureen S.
framed by Their teacher Isabelle Vaillon and Baptiste Martin-Bohner, spokesperson for La Trame
Favorite prize for the young finalists of the challenge Write your series : Crew of Heaven
Students of Arènes de Toulouse High School (Occitanie Region)
The project is managed by the association La Trame.
Authors: Mickaël F., Virgile M., Fantin P.
Framed: Christian Doyle
Teacher: Philip Teissier
Composition of the jury:
Axel Auriant (actor), Caroline Benjo (Producer and co-manager of Haut et Court), Simon Buisson (director, screenwriter), Francois Descarque (director, screenwriter), Reno Ferreira de Oliveira (General Inspector of Education, Sports and Research), Timothy Hochette (director, screenwriter), Chloe Juanette (actor), Carol Leber (Fiction Program Advisor, France Télévisions), Julien Neutres (CNC Director of Creation, Territories and Audiences), Vera Feltekian (VP Originals Production | HBO Max France), Eric Rostand (Cinema/Audiovisual, Media Advisor – Artistic and Cultural Education Mission), Charlotte Servell (film lecturer, author of the tools for the Write Your Challenge series), Lorraine Sullivan (Manager, Talent Investment and Development EMEA, Netflix)
Source: allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
