TikTok Teams With Sundance Institute for Four-Week Microseries Writing Workshop

TikTok and Sundance Institute want to see more creators writing and producing microdramas and other short-form scripted series.

They’re launching a microseries writing program through Sundance Collab, Sundance Institute’s digital learning and community platform, to support “the next generation of creator-led short-form storytelling for digital audiences.”

The four-week live online course, to run later this year, will focus on scriptwriting for microseries. The course is being designed to equip creators with the tools, frameworks and “industry guidance” to develop serialized, story-driven content. There will be a limited number of participants selected for the workshop, who will reflect “the broad reach of TikTok’s creator community,” per the companies.

Applications are now open globally on the Sundance Collab website. Participants can apply on the site at this link through Wednesday, July 1.

The companies announced the new partnership Wednesday at the Vertical Media Summit, produced by Owl & Co., the media research and consulting company led by Hernan Lopez.

TikTok got into the microseries content business earlier this year: Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media inked a deal for the exclusive premiere of original microdrama “Screen Time” on TikTok and the PineDrama app. TikTok said the Sundance partnership reflects its “continued investment in microseries storytelling,” while aligning with Sundance Collab’s mission to support the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences.

“TikTok has become a home for serialized storytelling, where original microseries find audiences faster and more authentically than ever before,” said Dawn Yang, head of entertainment partnerships at TikTok. “Following the success of ‘Screen Time,’ produced by Hoorae Digital, we’ve seen how powerful community-driven discovery can be in helping stories break through, and we’re excited to partner with Sundance Collab in continuing to champion original voices.”

Patty West, director of Sundance Collab, added, “The microseries format is genuinely exciting to us because its constraints produce exactly the kind of creative pressure that generates the most original work. Partnering with TikTok allows us to bring this opportunity to writers around the world entirely for free, removing the barrier between curiosity and action. We want creators to see this format not as a lesser version of film or television, but as its own distinct craft that is wide open for new voices to define.”