TikTok and Sundance Institute hope to encourage more creators to write and produce microdramas and other short-form scripted series.
They are launching a microseries writing program through Sundance Collaborative, the Sundance Institute’s digital learning and community platform, to support “the next generation of creator-driven short-form storytelling for digital audiences.”
The four-week live online course, which will be offered later this year, will focus on microseries scriptwriting. This course is designed to provide creators with the tools, framework, and “industry guidance” to develop serialized, story-driven content. The companies say a limited number of participants will be selected for the workshops, which will reflect the “broad influence of TikTok’s creator community.”
Applications are currently being accepted worldwide on the Sundance Collab website. Participants can apply through this link until Wednesday, July 1st.
The two companies announced the new partnership Wednesday at the Vertical Media Summit, hosted by Oulu & Company, a media research and consulting firm led by Hernan López.
TikTok entered the microseries content business earlier this year. Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media has signed a deal to premiere the original micro-drama “Screen Time” exclusively on TikTok and the PineDrama app. TikTok said its partnership with Sundance reflects “its continued investment in microseries storytelling,” while aligning with Sundance Collaborative’s mission to help discover and cultivate independent artists and audiences.
“TikTok has become the home of serial storytelling, allowing original microseries to find a faster and more authentic audience than ever before,” said Dawn Yang, head of entertainment partnerships at TikTok. “Following the success of ‘Screen Time,’ produced by Hoorae Digital, we’ve seen how powerful community-driven discovery can be in helping breakthrough stories, and we’re excited to partner with Sundance Collaboration to continue championing original audio.”
“The microseries format is really exciting for us because its constraints create the creative pressure to produce the most original work,” said Sundance Collaboration Director Patti West. “We can offer it completely free to writers around the world, removing the barrier between curiosity and action. We want creators to see this format not as a microcosm of film or television, but as their own unique craft, with plenty of room for new voices to define it.”
