Netflix launches talent cultivation program in Taiwan

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Video streaming giant Netflix is launching a talent cultivation program in Taiwan aimed at producing high-quality Mandarin content, the company announced in a press release on Thursday.

Netflix's head of Chinese language content Maya Huang (黃怡玫) said in the statement that Netflix has long invested in the Taiwanese market, for example, through the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity which was launched last year.

The fund will continue to dedicate resources to discovering content with the potential to be developed into Mandarin Chinese projects, she added.

The financing for the new talent projects seeks to create an ecosystem for content creators and professional development programs, she said.

The talent projects feature a training program focused on practical script development, according to Huang.

The five-month intensive scriptwriting program will be co-developed with local production company Yiyi Pictures with the intention of cultivating scriptwriter-assistants.

Trainees will be taught to work in the writers' room environment common in the television industry in the West and in addition to scriptwriting and pitches also learn about the content production industry.

Prospective scriptwriters can sign up on the Netflix website from now until midnight July 24.

Those accepted onto the program will attend the course from Sept. 15 until Feb. 13 next year.

Another part of the Netflix program will see the company work with Taiwan's Film and Television Production Association to launch a course to train future film and television production trainees.

In addition to learning how to work within the confines of Netflix culture, production trainees will also get a chance to apprentice in actual productions to gain practical experience.

Those interested can sign up to attend the program from now until midnight July 13.

Although the course only lasts for two days from July 24-25, the duration of practical internships with film crews will depend on the availability of partnering crews and their projects, according to Netflix.