Endemol Shine Australia (ESA) has put the call out for media practitioners who want to make the switch to post-production to apply for its Accelerated Broadcast Post-Production Training Program.
Individuals with relevant skill sets, including editors and journalists, are encouraged to take part in the initiative, which comprises eight weeks of intensive training in a mock environment and 12 weeks on a live ESA set with a designated mentor.
The company launched a pilot version of the program 18 months ago as a way to build workforce capacity, training 40 students in post-production, 80 per cent of which found employment upon completion.
Successful graduates will now have the opportunity to take up one of 30 new full time roles within ESA’s post-production department, created via a $1.7 million contribution from the NSW Government’s Jobs Plus Program, an amount that will be matched by ESA.
More than 20 students have already been welcomed into the inaugural intake, with applications open for subsequent courses in November this year and February/March 2024. Both of the upcoming courses will take between 8-12 students each.
ESA post-production consultant Nadia Diggins said the program was designed for industry members who wanted to pivot or cross-skill into the areas of post-production and offline editing.
“We’ve had quite a lot of editors who know Avid and know how to edit but they wouldn’t have the specialised skills to come into making an unscripted drama like Married at First Sight without this course as a way of bridging their training,” she said.
“Ideally, we are looking for people who would have at least a few years of media experience.”
She did not rule out continuing the course beyond next year, noting there was “constant evaluation” of the skilled labor needed against the freelance talent pool available.
“At the moment, Endemol Shine Australia’s slate is looking to grow again next year and the freelance pool of post-producers and offline editors, particularly in NSW where there are a lot of production companies, hasn’t grown at the rate needed to keep up with demand for content,” she said.
“Somebody needs to address it.”
Prospective applicants should send their CV and links of previous work to ESAU Mentor Program via mentorprogram@endemolshine.com.au.