Workshop | Production-Aware Writing: Crafting Ambitious Stories That Are Actually Financeable

What makes a series ambitious, distinctive, yet still producible? This practical workshop explores how writing decisions shape budget, production feasibility, financing and international co-production potential, without compromising creative vision. Through a diagnostic look at the common cost drivers (locations, cast size, VFX) we will examine how writers and producers can work together to find smarter ways to deliver the same dramatic impact. The session will consider techniques ranging from production incentives and choosing the right territory or co-production structure to selective use of action, off-screen storytelling, location reuse, etc. It will also address how to establish an appropriate budget range from the outset and protect the brand-defining elements audiences and commissioners expect. Developed and moderated by international co-production expert and EP Kateryna Vyshnevska, the workshop will include an in-depth conversation and audience Q&A with Bianca Gavin, Head of Production at Vice Studios (Gangs of London) and Chair of the UK’s Production Guild.