Create the Next European Animated Series
Writers, animation directors, character designers, storyboarders and voice actors across Europe are invited to participate in AVENUE PRIME TIME LAB to create an animated series for primetime audiences that can resonate with audiences across Europe.
Please note: AVENUE covers travel, accommodation, breakfast and lunch.
What is AVENUE Prime Time Lab?
The Lab
Prime Time Lab brings together multidisciplinary teams to develop original animated series concepts designed for the prime-time audience. Participants will collaborate in the writers’ room–style environment to create bold, character-driven stories as an animated European self-contained series or sitcom for a prime-time audience.
From the selected applicants, two creative teams will be formed. Each team will develop a new animated series concept from initial idea to pitch.
Head Writers Are invited to apply with an original project Idea.
We are looking for bold, authored concepts with strong narrative voice - projects that are ambitious, distinctive, and grounded in scripted material.
Your idea can be provocative, daring, radical, inspiring, or disruptive. It can be serious drama or comedy. But it must resonate. It should reflect life in contemporary Europe, engage with the world around us, and carry cultural and social relevance.
All projects must be rooted in a sustainability theme. This can range from climate and ecology to social cohesion, equality, technology, community, culture, personal sustainability, and the future of human life on Earth.
Selected Head Writers will develop their project in close collaboration with a Showrunner and Chief Editor, while leading and inspiring a multidisciplinary team of emerging creative talents to bring the concept to life
Author-driven writers’ room
Prime Time Lab introduces participants to the Writers’ Room, a creative collaboration that is combining efficiency and scalability with directorial voice and artistic authorship. It enables the creation of animated series capable of reaching broad European audiences while maintaining a distinctive creative identity.
What will you experience?
The Prime Time Lab is composed of two labs, taking place in August and September 2026.
MODULE 1: Writers’ Room
Two teams, each consisting of three writers, are formed. Based on a given theme, the Head Writer proposes, develops, and brings a selected project into the room. The two additional writers serve as Staff Writers. The teams meet physically for two intensive weeks of work in the PRIME TIME LAB (Module 1).
Each team’s assignment is to produce: 6 storylines, 3 treatments, 1 teaser script, 1 series bible, including character descriptions and world-building
As part of the preparation, all rights agreements must be settled before Module 1 begins.
In parallel, the Head Designer and two Staff Designers/Animators develop the visual look of the project.
During the second week, selected voice actors join the process. Together with the Head Writer they develop character voices, dialects, and signature expressions. By the end of the week, the team records and produces the voice acting and, if possible, foley elements for the teaser. Throughout this process, the Head Writer adjusts dialogue and story based on actor improvisation and performance insights.
MODULE 2: Teaser Board, Animatic, Style and Presentation
The two teams advance to the next stage. The Head Writer, Animation Director and two Storyboard Artists create a 1.30-minute animatic for the teaser.
Animators further explore animation style, technology, and production techniques. The art team continues developing situational sketches, illustrations, and animation demos, compiling all visual material into a comprehensive workbook, including a refined Design Bible and Vertical Slices.
The Staff Composers produce the original music for the animatic teaser.
Final Presentation
At the end of the lab, both teams will present their projects in a pitch session to invited producers, studios, and industry professionals. Projects demonstrating strong potential will move forward to selected international industry events.
Who should apply
We invite applications from creative professionals including:
- Head Writers (with project idea)
- Staff Writers
- Animation Directors
- Voice actors
- 2D-Character designers
- 2D Animators
- Storyboard artists
Experienced professionals, young professionals, and students from across Europe are encouraged to apply.
How to apply
If you want to shape the future of European animated storytelling, we invite you to join us.
- Do you want, as an author, to apply with a concept, you apply as a “Head Writer”
Head Writer:
Concept and Format (upload max 3 written pages PDF)
Intention (max 1 page)
Describe the target audience
Why is your concept “European”?
What sustainability topic is the foundation of your concept?
Motivation Letter – Why do you want to participate?
Level of Experience (CV)
Selected Works (max 3)
- II) Do you want to take part in the Prime Time Lab, collaborating to realize an animated tv-series, you apply as a “Staff Creative”:
Staff Creatives:
Level of Experience (CV)
Motivation Letter – Why do you want to participate?
Selected Works.
What happens after application deadline.
A group will be shortlisted and invited to participate in interviews. Based on the interviews the producer and the showrunner will select projects, participants and set up the two teams that will be invited to take part in the project.
Avenue
This course is part of the AVENUE - Audiovisual Education and Training Network for European Vocational Excellence.
AVENUE is a European network of Centres of Vocational Excellence that collaborates across five ecosystems to address the need for professional training and educational development in the creative visual industry.
Please see avenuecove.eu for more information about the many other AVENUE courses and excellent project partners.
AVENUE is funded by the European Union’s ERASMUS+ programme.
