Screen Australia has backed the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) to run a second round of the Credit Maker scheme, which helps women and gender diverse screen practitioners secure a credit on a scripted TV production.
The initiative pairs mid career DOPs and composers with established industry mentors, and ultimately aims to increase representation in head of department roles.
Participating cinematographers will experience pre-production and observe the supervising DOP in action as they shoot the series. They will then shoot an episode of the series themselves.
For participating composers, they may be brought on to observe only, work with the supervising composers on the score, or be given specific work on the production.
While some of Australia’s most celebrated cinematographers are women, such as Mandy Walker and Ari Wegner, women made up only 9 per cent of DOPs credited in TV and 10 per cent in film from 2011-19, according to data from ACS’s 2022 landmark study A Wider Lens. The report also found male DOPs consistently progress faster into technically demanding and creatively prestigious roles, have substantially longer careers and get paid more than women for the same types of projects. Some 80 per cent of the entire camera workforce are men.
Composing is similarly male dominated, with only 12-15 per cent of screen composers in Australia women, according to the AGSC.
Credit Maker 2.0, as the second iteration has been named, will support four DOPs and four composers.
Past participants in the Credit Maker program include composer Luna Pan, who was mentored by Mitch Stewart from the DA’s Office while working on the animated series LEGO Monkie Kid.
“This experience not only gave me a high-profile credit to add to my portfolio, but also helped me grow creatively and professionally. It gave me the confidence and momentum to take the next big steps in my career,” said Pan.
Other composers who participated included Mirasia (Swift Street), Rose Mackenzie-Peterson (Wolf Like Me) and Petra Salsjo (Love Me), while cinematographers included Alice Stephens (Surviving Summer S2), Kate Cornish (Erotic Stories), Sarah Hadley (Bay of Fires S2) and Justine Kerrigan (Bump S5).
ACS national president Erika Addis described Credit Maker as a “world leading” scheme that “addresses the stark reality of the difficulties faced by women and other minority groups in gaining access to opportunities where they can prove their capabilities and progress their careers.”
“The feedback from producers on the first ACS Credit Maker was incredibly encouraging as they were really impressed by the results delivered and they were excited to be part of making history. Hence, we are expecting even more positive results from ACS Credit Maker 2.0,” she said.
Similarly, AGSC executive director Kingston Anderson said the first round of Credit Maker was a “great success”, enabling four women to move forward with their careers.
For details on how to apply and guidelines, visit the AGSC or ASC websites.