Screen Australia will provide $1.35 million in funding for ten emerging screen professionals as part of a $10 million suite of enterprise programs.
The industry placement scheme will allow the selected candidates to work alongside the best and brightest in the sector.
Screen Australia’s Enterprise People provides individuals with a wage of up to $70,000 a year for full-time employment for one to two years.
The program, Enterprise People, gives on-the-job training and a critical bridge to long-term and sustainable employment for a new generation of screen practitioners.
Enterprise People is part of Screen Australia’s three-year, $10 million suite of Enterprise programs that aim to facilitate screen businesses to invest in development, talent and innovation for the benefit of the sector.
The 2015 program attracted applicants with a diverse range of talent.
While all were looking for hands-on opportunities in the screen sector, they had a variety of objectives, including: seeking to move from established online success to television drama and feature films; engaging with the international market; and advancing their creative producing skills when returning to work after maternity leave or a career break.
Placements include an attachment as a staff-writer for Alastair Newton Brown with John Collee (Tanna and Master and Commander) and producer Andrew Mason (The Water Diviner and The Matrix); Courtney Wise (Fragments of Friday) will work with leading television drama producers Helen Bowden and Jason Stephens to develop her creative producing skills across a domestic and international television slate; and the RackaRacka partnership will build on their enormous online success (including 210 million views on their YouTube channel) and work with Triptych Pictures on their feature film and television slate, with the goal of achieving their first credits at this level.
These 10 successful placements join the 12 writers, producers and writer/directors who came through the Enterprise People program in 2014. Alex White worked with industry powerhouse Jan Chapman in intensive script workshops and ongoing script and production-related discussions to get the screenplay for her feature film Babyteeth market-ready.
The project attracted a casting agent and interest from local distributors and international sales agents at the MIFF 37º South Financing Market. Alex will be producing Babyteeth alongside Katherine Slattery, and Richard Roxburgh will direct.
Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said White's placement last year was a great example of the benefits of Enterprise People.
"Screen Australia has always had a strong commitment to backing new talent and Enterprise People gives us the ongoing opportunity to do so," he said.
"The currency of this industry is our ideas and our people. There are 7,000 screen graduates from our educational institutions every year, innumerable creators for online platforms, and countless others in the early stages of their career.
"This is a competitive industry and its success is based on great creative talent and fresh ideas. These programs work to back new talent by giving them the practical skills, support and experience necessary to have a sustainable career.”
According to Screen Australia, the objectives of this suite are to regenerate storytelling; nurture new and emerging talent through industry experience and targeted networking; and provide festival attendance, professional development and autonomous creative opportunities for emerging practitioners.
The 2015 Enterprise People placements are:
Alastair Newton Brown (Writer placement) with John Collee and Andrew Mason at DeWinter Snow
Jessica Carrera (Creative producer placement) with Robyn Kershaw at Robyn Kershaw Productions
Michael Drake (Writer placement) with Stuart Connolly at Sticky Pictures
Katherine Fry (Creative producer placement) with Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox at Every Cloud Productions
Fiona Lanyon (Creative producer placement) with Julie Ryan at Cyan Films
Helen ‘Nel’ Minchin (Creative producer placement) with Ivan O’Mahoney, Nial Fulton and Lucinda Barlow at In Films
Nick Musgrove (Writer-director placement) with Laura Waters and Natalie Bailey at Princess Pictures
Danny and Michael Philippou, RackaRacka (Writer-director placement) with Julie Byrne, Jennifer Jones and Kristian Moliere at Triptych Pictures
Keir Wilkins (Writer placement) with Anthony Ellis at FremantleMedia Australia
Courtney Wise (Creative producer placement) with Helen Bowden and Jason Stephens at Lingo Pictures Pty Ltd