How do you turn ”niche” subject matter into a broadly appealing and award-winning drama series? In this masterclass with Steven Canals, creator of the hit show Pose, we examine the process and challenges of creating a compelling period drama set in a subculture - and getting it out to a wide audience.

The three seasons of Pose revolve around New York City's drag ball culture scene, an LGBTQ subculture in the African-American and Latino communities, throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Featured characters are dancers and models, who compete for trophies and recognition in this underground culture and who support one another in a network of chosen families known as Houses. The show balances the celebration of minorities in the glamorous balls with serious themes such as HIV, race and trans discrimination.

Steven Canals developed the pilot script for Pose while still in film school and ended up co-creating the show for FX. In this masterclass, we will explore in depth the creative process as well as the productional aspects of making the show. We will go into details about each step of the way from the initial inspiration and development of the idea to getting a network on board, and Steven will take us through subjects such as the writing process, casting, shooting and launch of the show.

This masterclass is organized by Copenhagen TV Festival/Producentforeningen in cooperation with Vision Denmark and The National Film School of Denmark

Fotocredit: HBOMax