From Script to Screens: Writing Your Micro-Series (On Demand)
Session: On Demand
About this On Demand Course
Originally recorded from an existing live online course, this On Demand course allows you to watch video lectures at your own pace, with curated resources and other materials to support your work. You can begin taking this course at any time.
A burgeoning new viewing experience taking over mobile screens: the micro-series. Designed to be produced quickly and watched vertically, these 60 to 120-second episodes are character and emotion forward stories with ultra-compelling season arcs. But, what makes a great idea for this medium, and what is different about writing in this format?
In collaboration with TikTok, this on-demand course will unpack the current landscape of the micro-series and the writing craft that keeps viewers engaged. Through lessons from a micro-series producer and input from three micro-series writers, you will learn how to develop your unique concept, craft your logline, write your first episodes, and map out your whole series. Walk away with refined character and season arcs, polished sample episodes, and a market-ready concept to launch your series out into the world.
In this course, you will:
- decode the micro-series landscape, common storytelling conventions, and emerging industry opportunities.
- hear about the current micro-series market from various producers and executives.
- experiment with genre while bringing your distinct creative voice to the format.
- learn how to adapt traditional film and television screenwriting skills for short-form, mobile-first storytelling.
- discover how to create high-stakes character profiles that audiences bond with instantly.
- develop, write, and refine a high-impact first episode designed to capture immediate attention.
- craft your logline, season breakdown, and character map.
Who this course is for:
- Emerging writers who have written at least one screenplay in any format (e.g. short, feature, or episodic), and want to expand their portfolio.
- Mid-career writers looking to pivot, experiment, or master the commercial and creative nuances of this viral new medium.
View the Outline tab for more details on the course.
On Demand CourseAccessibility
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Outline
Topics covered include:
- Why this format matters
- What this course is and what this course is not
- Traditional vs. micro-series
- The viewing experience and the writer’s mindset
- Success metrics
- What writers need to unlearn
- How do you open a show?
- Can you cut a feature into episodes?
- Vertical conflict has to be immediate
- Show AND tell
- Structure: from build/payoff to loop/payoff
- Emotion is the unit of vertical storytelling
- Building the micro-drama engine
- Character comes after plot, but it still matters
- Keeping the cast focused
Topics covered include:
- The state of micro-drama
- Different structures
- Keeping the story moving forward
- Episode 1 rules
- Crafting episodes 1–3
- Every episode is a mini-engine
- Breaking down episode 8
- Every episode counts
- Writing description
- Why visual detail matters
- Making dialogue short, direct, and charged
Topics covered include:
- The art of vertical storytelling
- Case studies
- Q&A
Topics covered include:
- How to adapt a successful IP
- Books to vertical hits
- Challenges of adaptation
Topics covered include:
- Core loops
- The difference between premise/story arc and core loop
- Building the emotional staircase
Topics covered include:
- Transition scenes
- Writing for CPI moments
- Marketing through clips
Topics covered include:
- The reality of production
- Writing for the budget
- Locations and set pieces
- Don’t write what you can’t shoot
- Filming for vertical
- Vertical vs. horizontal framing
- Vertical can help budget
Topics covered include:
- Vertical and horizontal will coexist
- Every choice must earn its place
- Flashbacks must have a function
- Using the room
- Episodes 18–20
- Common mistakes
- Fast pacing, but not always rushed
- “Save the cat”
Topics covered include:
- Horror series
- Comedy as an underrated growth engine
- Before the breakouts come the experiments
Topics covered include:
- The micro-series landscape on TikTok
Topics covered include:
- The rulebook
Instructor
Xian Li
Instructor
Xian Li is the founder and principal of Ideali Projects, a Los Angeles based independent studio working across film, television, digital content, and live entertainment. Under her leadership, Ideali Projects has become a leading force in the micro-series space, offering end-to-end production from development through delivery. The company has produced more than twenty micro-series, including multiple #1 all-time titles across leading platforms, with a hit rate well above the industry norm.
Prior to founding Ideali Projects, Xian served as EVP of Film & Television at SK Global, Head of Asia Productions at Twentieth Century Fox International, and held executive roles at Searchlight Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Throughout her career, she has contributed to acclaimed global titles including the Crazy Rich Asians franchise, Birdman, The Wailing, and Dragon Ball Z. She also served as a producer on The Season, which just premiered on Hulu.
Drawing on decades of experience in development and production, Xian founded Ideali Projects to bridge premium storytelling with digital-native entertainment. Her work is driven by the belief that the next generation of global stories can be wildly accessible, emotionally resonant, and deeply authentic to the human experience.
FAQ
Sundance Collab’s On Demand courses provide flexibility to learn on your own time, whenever you’re ready. On Demand courses do not provide you with feedback on your work, but they do provide suggested activities and curated resources.
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion for all of the On Demand courses and the certificate will include the name associated with your Collab account.
You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Collab account under “Courses.”
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs.