An animated series about inanimate relationships has triumphed in Screen Producers Australia (SPA) and TikTok’s inaugural ‘Got a Minute’ pitching competition.
Sam Cotton’s Ani-Mates was crowned the winner at today’s Screen Forever after receiving a score of 27 out of a possible 30 from the judges.
‘Got a Minute?’ challenged creators to capture audiences with 60-second stories.
Ani-Mates was one of three finalists, together with Katia Mancuso’s choose-your-own-adventure POV horror story Beneath the Darkness, and Hannah-Rae Meegan and Monique Terry’s high school comedy The Formal.
Cotton, who is based in Hobart, will receive $15,000 to develop 10 one-minute episodes of his concept, with the runner ups receiving $5,000.
The creative said the cash prize will go a long way to expanding his entry.
“This means the world to me.
“At the moment, I’m drawing with my finger on an old-school iPad through a $2 app, so there is a lot of upgrades that can happen.”
TikTok AUNZ director of content partnerships Felicity McVay, who judged the competition with 10 ViacomCBS head of development Yeesum Lo and Screen Australia online senior investment manager Lee Naimo, said it was great to see stories specifically designed for the platform.
“We’re very conscious of the fact that TikTok is a mobile-first platform,” she said.
“In all of the framing, it’s tight and close up and there is no long sweeping shots.
“The acting in all of the finalist entries has been amazing and definitely added another layer.”
SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said it was “fantastic” to see storytellers hone their skills and establish new pathways to audiences.
“We are excited to work with TikTok to provide tangible support for these creators as they grow their careers in the screen industry.”