Screen Australia has announced more than $900,000 in industry development funding which will help bridge skill shortages and boost the capabilities of the Australian screen workforce.
It forms part of Screen Australia’s Industry Development initiatives, which have injected more then $5 million into training and skills development for more than 500 industry professionals.
The most recent round of funding has been made through Screen Australia’s Skills Development Fund (which supports production companies, game development studios and screen businesses to provide work-based learning) and the BTL: Next Step program (which supports mid-career practitioners to upskill from their current areas of expertise).
The latest BTL: Next Step recipients are:
- Boom Tracks Pty Ltd – Sound Designer placement (VIC): Andrew Richards (Water for Birds, 112 Days) from VIC
- Cosmic Dino Studio – Line Producer placement (QLD): Michael Olive (Teletubbies – Let’s Go!, In Limbo) from QLD
- Cutting Edge Post Pty Ltd – Post Supervisor / Post Producer placement (QLD): Ashlee Smale (My Kitchen Rules, Dream Homes season 1) from NSW
- Jungle Entertainment – Production Manager placement (NSW): Belinda Dean (Cloudy River, The Way, My Way) from NSW
- Lingo Pictures Pty Ltd – Location Manager placement (NSW): Estee Chang (Play Dirty, Prosper) from NSW
- Princess Bento Pty Ltd – Special Effects Supervisor placement (VIC): Lily Ford (Young Woman and the Sea, Class of ‘07) from NSW
- SAM Content – Line Producer placement (NSW): Penny Jope (Memory Lane season 4 and 5, Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles) from NSW
- Sweet Shop Green Pty Ltd – Post Production Supervisor placement (VIC): Nick Venn (VFX & Post Producer) from VIC
- Walking Fish Productions Pty Ltd – Post Production Supervisor placement (VIC): Amy Browne (Welcome to Yiddishland, A Will for the Woods) from VIC
The latest Skills Development Fund recipients are:
- Kangaroo Beach Digital Team – Cheeky Little Media Pty Ltd: This funding will support Cheeky Little, an Australian producer of kids’ animated content, to develop an in-house digital arm dedicated to producing and distributing content for YouTube. The skills development plan will focus on skills and capacity in digital distribution and channel building with support from experienced mentors and specialised industry training. In doing so, Cheeky Little aims to establish a team of digital specialists in the children’s entertainment space to address a notable gap in the industry.
- Pasture Skills Development Plan – Salty Games Pty Ltd: Salty Games is a games development studio looking to establish a lasting gaming industry in the Northern Territory, through harnessing local talent and creating an environment that reflects the rich cultural tapestry of the NT. With this funding, Salty Games aims to enhance the abilities of the team by providing targeted training and mentorship in key areas of game production, management and technical expertise – addressing skills shortages across the territory.
- PROCLIVITAS Skills Development – LMF Production No1 Pty Ltd: PROCLIVITAS is the debut feature film from writer/director Miley Tunnecliffe and producer Kate Separovich filming in Western Australia. Through this funding, production company Lake Martin Films will train a costume supervisor and special effects technician, and work on the skills growth of a 1st AD, DOP and production manager through a combination of structured mentorship and on-the-job training to help accommodate the production growth in Western Australia.
- Screen Warriors below-the-line on-the-job training – Veterans Film Foundation Limited: Screen Warriors is a training and careers development initiative, creating film and TV industry pathways for Australian Defence Force (ADF) Veterans. This below-the-line on-the-job training project will provide opportunities for three Screen Warrior Program graduates to work as assistant accounting staff for production accounting platform, Moneypenny. Here, the participants will receive considerable mentorship and training on real productions in addition to a credit-enhancing careers.
- Bump Season 5 Career Acceleration Plan – RPRD #10 Pty Ltd: Bump is a popular drama series for Stan produced by Roadshow Rough Diamond, one of Australia’s esteemed production companies. For season 5 of Bump, Roadshow Rough Diamond will use this funding to facilitate three roles over the course of the production that provide career accelerating opportunities: a line producer, assistant locations manager and assistant editor.
- Spreadsheet Champions Skills Development Plan – GoodThing Productions Company Pty Ltd: Through feature documentary Spreadsheet Champions, GoodThing Productions looks to use this funding to roll out a comprehensive and holistic set of skills developments for multiple stages of post-production and delivery through three key roles: VFX artist, post production deliverables editor and access coordinator. With this Skills Development Plan, the company hopes to foster strong and ongoing relationships with emerging creatives, provide career elevation opportunities and continue to collaborate on future projects.