Submissions close on Friday, January 9th 2026 at 11:59pm China Standard Time/GMT+8.

Summary 

This program will create a unique opportunity for up to 5 creative teams to have their projects developed and potentially produced as a Chinese-language series. It will provide a 6-month structured curriculum of in-person workshops in Beijing, a one-week virtual curriculum, followed by weekly online discussions led by internationally renowned mentors. The program will offer the opportunity for the teams to work with Warner Bros. Discovery and Youku execs to elevate their stories for an international market. 

Program Format and Content

The program format will be a hybrid of in-person workshops (Beijing, China) and virtual mentorship over the course of the 6-months, to focus on building in-depth knowledge around developing series for television.

Each team will have dedicated mentors working with them on their concepts to develop them further into a comprehensive bible, 1 episode of script and a 5-minute short film (the proof of concept), which will be used for the Pitch Day.  

The program will be split into two phases, with oversight from WBD and Youku execs: 

Phase 1

· An intensive 2-week in-person workshop in Beijing China and 1-week online workshop with industry professionals on how to develop a story, characters, breaking down episodic structures, blocking for camera and so forth.

Phase 2

· A series of online workshops taking place over the following 5 months, whereby weekly virtual sessions will be held between each industry professional mentor and their teams. During this period, the mentors will be working closely with the teams one on one to develop their concept bible, plus the 1-episode script with at least 2 rounds of feedback. 

· Teams will also be expected to complete a 5-minute proof of concept that will be presented to WBD and Youku on the Pitch Day as part of the final assessment together with their development materials. Please note that each team will be allocated a budget for this. Any filming conducted locally must obtain all necessary permits and approvals in compliance with applicable local laws and regulations. 

The program will culminate in a final Pitch Day, during which the projects will be presented by the teams and reviewed by WBD and Youku. One project will be selected to potentially move into formal development with the aim of it being produced into a television series. Where a script is commissioned into development, the team will receive additional payment set by WBD and Youku and is subject to a separate agreement. 

Target participants 

The programme is targeted at emerging creatives with some creative track record, who are looking to take the next step in their career. 

We are looking for teams of 3: 1 producer, 1 director and 1 writer each. The goal is to foster a cohesive working relationship within the three key creative roles that are instrumental in producing a successful TV series.

This is a unique opportunity for individuals who: 

· Have a distinctive voice and a drive to tell ambitious stories that will connect with a wide audience internationally.  

· Have experienced a barrier in development and would tangibly benefit from the opportunity of structured support, and a bespoke developmental journey.  

· Are keen to produce premium elevated 8-12 episode series aimed at an international market. 

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply, you must -   

• Be aged 21 or older at the time of application 
• In each team: Producers will need to have at least 1 relevant credit in scripted long-form series that has been broadcast or streamed, and Directors will need to submit at least 2 previous scripted work samples that can be of any format. Writers do not need to have any prior broadcast or streaming credits, but do need to demonstrate at least 3 years of professional experience as a screenwriter. No member of the team should have more than three credits in prior broadcast or streaming content.
• Be bilingual in written and spoken English and Mandarin language. The workshop program will be held in Beijing, China and delivered in the English language.
• Be able to travel and commit to attending the virtual programme and the two-week intensive in Beijing in March 2026. In addition, individuals must be able to commit to attending weekly virtual meetings and to the production of a short, 5 minute proof of concept film in the 5 months following the in-person program in Beijing, in the lead-up to the pitch day. Key dates are as follows:

· Virtual Programme : 6th - 9th March 2026

· In-person programme: 16th - 26th March 2026 

· Weekly mentor workshop (virtual) and production of proof of concept film (remotely): April-September 2026. 

· Pitch Day: September 2026 (Date TBC)

How to apply

The application process will take place in two stages. 

Teams must apply through the application portal and complete all relevant sections for Stage 1. The producer should make the application on behalf of the team, ensuring that relevant permissions are received.

Please note that all written submission materials will be required to be in both Mandarin and English; however previous samples of work can be submitted in whichever language they were made.

Applicants will be required to submit the following as part of the Stage 1 application process:

 1- A three-page pitch for an original 8-12 episode drama series based on the genre brief, including short character bios of 1 paragraph each.

2- A deck comprising of the team’s bios and a short statement on the concept that is being pitched.

3-One self-introduction video (3 minutes) of all 3 team members giving a brief introduction of themselves and why they would like to be part of this program (recorded in English).

4- List of previous credits for all team members

5- CVs for all team members 

6- Producers to submit a one-episode produced content made for broadcast or streaming. 

7- Directors to submit at least 2 pre-existing scripted works of any format that they have directed.  

8- Writers to submit one sample of a narrative film or television script completed in the past 3 years.

This stage will be evaluated by WBD and Youku. 

From the applications, a longlisting process will take place, where a maximum of 10 teams will be identified. For those that are longlisted, they will be interviewed as a team, from which the 5 successful teams will be selected. 

For those that are ultimately selected for the program, this idea will be developed over 6 months, with the support of the WBD & Youku execs and industry professionals as mentors. 

Submission Genres & Format

The 3-page pitch should be aimed at 8-12 episode formats with compact storytelling and the potential to run as a franchise returnable series and/or spin-offs.

The priority is contemporary stories that work for current streaming audiences both locally and internationally. We are looking for stories that are compelling, thematically rich and with strong distinctive characters: a drama series with big dramatic stakes. 

Don’t limit your creativity, we love fresh genre mixes!

We are not looking for the following genres/formats:

• Period dramas
• Sitcoms
• Historical dramas
• Straight workplace procedural dramas
• Anthology format dramas
• Animation

All pitches must adhere to WBD's and Youku's respective content guidelines.  If you require more information regarding these guidelines please email access.international@wbd.com

Application Timeline (please note that all dates and times are China Standard Time (CST/GMT +8)

· Submissions open: 22nd December 2025

· Submissions close: 9th January 2026, 11:59pm CST (GMT+8)

· Shortlisted applicants notification: 19th January 2026

· Interviews take place: Week of 19th January 2026

· Final 5 teams notification: 27th January 2026

· Program start: 6th March 2026

· Final Pitch Day: September 2026 (Date TBD)

Click here for more information (English) 

Click here for more information (Mandarin) 项目资讯