“The recipe for series success ” – anyone who writes a university thesis with this title should know what they are talking about. And indeed, Eike Adler has always been interested in series and proves to have a sure hand in this field. “The title of my final thesis may sound pretentious, but I wanted people to read my work and benefit from it themselves,” says the pioneer, who is completing the first producer trainee program at UFA SERIAL DRAMA.
Eike was already able to gain some experience in the media sector before studying film and television production: “I started earning money in the documentary and reportage sector during my A-levels. After graduating from high school, I got deeper into it and worked on the content of several productions.”
This was followed in 2009 by studies at the Film University Babelsberg and the University of California, Los Angeles. There, Eike acquired a basic knowledge of media law, media technology, dramaturgy, business administration, accounting, technical language and management. But it was his practical experience from this time that rounded off Eike’s profile: “The film producer Stefan Arndt greeted us with clear words during our introduction at the university. He doesn’t think much of a university education, you have to work practically. Anyone who only learns stupidly here and doesn’t take advantage of the environment and the professors is doing something wrong. And he was right. At the end of my studies, I worked more practically than theoretically with a fellow student, produced over 16 short films and graduated with a feature film as a producer.”
When UFA SERIAL DRAMA advertised a producer traineeship in cooperation with the HFF, Eike applied and was promptly hired. From the shooting set to post-production to the director-producer and story department – as a trainee, Eike is given the opportunity to gain insights into a wide variety of departments within the company over a period of twelve months.
It starts with development, a training station that he particularly enjoys: “It’s exciting to see how new series formats are created. I was directly involved in all work processes and asked for my opinion on concepts and projects. The colleagues are also super nice!”
Eike’s colleagues also include producer Guido Reinhart, who gave him useful advice on his trainee path: “Guido gave me a lively and authentic insight into the tasks and hurdles of a company as established as UFA.” To work as a producer, Eike knows: “you need experience, creativity, a healthy dose of assertiveness and a talent for convincing others and yourself of an idea.”
At the end of his trainee program, the film management graduate’s goal is not only to gain an overview of UFA, but also to work on the development of new series ideas and the production of current formats and to continue working as a producer after the trainee.
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