During the Atelier programme, a maximum of 18 participants from an average of eight different countries complete different stages. From Filmkademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in Ludwigsburg the film school La Fémis in Paris and the National Film and Television School in London.

The training year is divided into theoretical teaching stages and practical programme stages. The theoretical lessons are geared towards current topics and are characterized by a high degree of practical relevance. They are held by active experts of the industry, which contributes to strong networking. The practical stages include excursions to television stations, visits to film festivals (e.g. Berlinale, Cannes) and a one-month internship in distribution or world sales. The training year concludes with the production of a short film in co-production with broadcasters SWR/ARTE, the planning of which begins at the start of the training.

The Atelier-Network alumni association also creates a strong international network, which contributes to an employment rate of almost 100% following the programme.