Article by Daniel Ravner: Cross Media Consultant (Former Head of Content for THE BOX and Creative Director of Screenz).

During 2010 I had the opportunity of attending the full programme of the Entertainment Master Class taking place in Berlin, Cape Town, Banff and Lucerne. This experience has upgraded my career in a very substantial way: It brought in new business opportunities; it opened up new professional venues and it turned mandatory conferences into anticipated reunions.

The benefits of the EMC start with the knowledge – the sheer volume of practical insights you get into the actual mechanism of television is unfathomable. It makes you reflect and improve your current area of expertise. It also opens you up to a broader understanding of the global TV ecosystem: from format creation to genres to brainstorming techniques to programming considerations, cross media, legal side of copyrighting and more.

In our IP-driven industry knowledge is indeed power, yet in the different EMC modules the speakers provided it generously with what felt like no holding back.

The EMC is not only about the training programme but also a new form of social club. People you desire to meet at conferences are your fellow students. Industry legends are your teachers. The condensed week and insulated social atmosphere turns networking into bonding. Spending five days at a time with a small group of people becomes about friendships to no less extent than business opportunities.

Lastly, my own professional path led me to believe that the difference between a $50000 local deal to $500000 international deal has more to do with mentality than actual proceedings; it a question of being comfortable with what you’re offering. The EMC changes you for the better in that aspect. The global format industry becomes smaller and manageable. The only problem is once there, you can never go back.

If you are interested, please contact Clara Brockmann:brockmann@entertainment-masterclass.tv