Why did you decide to join NEM Zagreb’s TV Writing Contest as a member of the preselection’s independent jury?
As a creative producer from the region, I am constantly on the lookout for new talents and fresh ideas. I see it as my duty to keep an eye out for the next big project from the region, and reading through the contest submission helped me with this goal.
What did you think about the submitted scenarios – did any idea stand out from the others?
There were a few really good ones, though, quite honestly, the majority felt stale – either imitating existing shows or clearly repurposed from discarded feature film ideas. Here in the region we still have a long way to go to gain a sure hand at coming up with and presenting cool series ideas.
What would be your general advice for all NEM Zagreb’s TV Writing Contest applicants?
Write – a lot. Write on spec, churn out TV drama scripts to get the hang of it and by all means practice and perfect your presentation skills. Even the best ideas can be left undiscovered if presented poorly.
Is there a recipe for writing a successful TV project?
Someone once said that you need to write 9 very bad scripts before your first great one. Get that 9 bad ones out of the way fast, write, write and write more. Throw away your first ideas, never go with the obvious or the seen-before, always think outside the box.
