
22 03 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces $1 million to boost screen industry skills around the country
On the set of Rosehaven (Photo: Scott Bradshaw)
Screen Australia has announced $1 million of funding will be shared among the state screen agencies to support their vital training and skills development programs for the screen industry, including placements for below-the-line roles.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said, Supporting Australia's screen sector is vital to ensuring our nation's stories are seen and heard at home and around the world. This funding will help ensure creative talent is nurtured, and artist and arts workers have career structures that are long-term and sustainable among the key priorities of Revive, the Australian Government's National Cultural Policy.
Screen Australia's Head of Industry Development, Ken Crouch said, With such a wealth of production taking place around the country, it's a priority for us to improve the industry's capability and set the sector up for a consistent pipeline of work and opportunities for filmmakers to advance their skills in below-the-line roles. Screen Australia is proud to be working with the state screen agencies to address areas of immediate need. By partnering with each of the states we can support the work they are doing and help them to build crew capacity with a tailored approach.
It's important that we all work together to ensure we are in the best position to keep up the pace, and this is an important first step. In order for Australia to capitalise and enable a booming local screen industry, attractive globally, it will be critical to have further skills development investment in industry-ready training, Crouch continued.
In 2021/22 there was an unprecedented spend of $2.29 billion in Australia on producing scripted drama alone, including $1.51 billion on local titles. In response to the sector's immediate issues and to build resilience for the Australian screen industry, Ausfilm, on the back of the production infrastructure and capacity audit it commissioned, convened a national Workforce Capacity Working Group in December 2021 to bring together government, industry and education to collaboratively work together. The working group is made up of the Office for the Arts (as Chair), Screen Australia, Australian Film Television and Radio School, Ausfilm, NIDA and the state screen agencies.
Crouch joined Screen Australia last month in a newly created role to drive coordination across all industry stakeholders and levels of government, and to develop and implement national programs that support capacity building and skills development for the Australian screen sector.
Immediate actions to address identified skills shortages include the following funded programs:
Screen Canberra: Training and placements in crew positions including locations and unit management on local productions.
Screen NSW: On-the-job training and upskilling opportunities for practitioners through placements on productions across film, television including post-production. Screen NSW will work in partnership with industry and training bodies.
Screen Queensland: Placements for key crew roles on domestic and international productions such as in Accounts, Location Management, Art Department, PDV and Script Supervision.
Screen Tasmania: Crew placements on productions in key crew roles, including increasing the number and length of attachments already being facilitated. Screen Tasmania will increase opportunities and financial support for Tasmanian practitioners to undertake training and attachments in interstate productions as well.
Screen Territory: Providing five paid attachments for Northern Territory creatives to work in the Art, Locations, Sound, Camera or Makeup Departments on local productions.
Screenwest: Supporting a 12-month program to provide targeted skills development and placement opportunities for below-the-line roles. The funding will be used to train Western Australian practitioners in roles including Production Accounting, Location Management, Production Management, Script Supervision, Grips and LX, Camera.
South Australian Film Corporation: Expanding the agency's existing attachment scheme to double the length of roles from six to 12 weeks, allowing the attached creatives to gain a deeper learning experience.
VicScreen: Supporting on the job training for key roles of acute screen industry need, across Digital Games, Film and TV, Post-production and VFX companies, including an expansion of the Specialist Placement Program. The Specialist Placement Program fast-tracks the development of early to mid-career Victorian crew in technical roles. To find out more click here.
The funding announced today is in addition to a range of initiatives Screen Australia is running to support above-the-line practitioners including:
Screen Australia's newly launched Enterprise program
NCIS: SYDNEY S1 Script Department Program in collaboration with Paramount Australia and New Zealand, CBS Studios and Endemol Shine Australia (A Banijay Company)
Emerging Writers' Incubator in partnership with SBS and the state agencies
The Creators in partnership with the Australian Writers' Guild and Australians in Film, with Writers' Guild of America
Imagine Impact in partnership with Impact, VicScreen and other state agencies
The Writer's Journey in partnership with Netflix and Australians in Film
Credit Maker in partnership with the Australian Cinematographers' Society, Australian Directors' Guild and Australian Guild of Screen Composers
Talent Gateway and Global Producers' Exchange in partnership with Australians in Film
Untapped in partnership with Australians in Film
Skip Ahead in partnership with YouTube Australia
Digital Originals in partnership with SBS and
More from Screen Aus
01/05/2025
01 05 2025 - Media release Screen Australia empowers 100 distinctive Australian narratives
All The Boys Are Here writer/director Goran Stolevski and It s All...
09/04/2025
09 04 2025 - Media release Screen Australia and ACTF Kids IP Incubator Initiative enters next phase
Kids IP Incubator recipients in Melbourne for the workshop...
01/04/2025
01 04 2025 - Media release Bus Stop Films' first feature Boss Cat to begin production in June
Boss Cat cast (L-R): Olivia Hargroder, Penny Downie and Juli...
06/03/2025
06 03 2025 - Media release Powerhouse Speakers named for Untapped 2025
Top (L-R): Jet Wilkinson, Michael Shanks. Bottom (L-R): Ryan O Connell, Megan Park.
Au...
20/02/2025
18 02 2025 - Media release Feisty Feminist Murder Mystery He Had It Coming Announced
Stars of He Had It Coming, Lydia West, Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Liv Hewso...
20/02/2025
18 02 2025 - Media release Screen Australia and Stan Announce New Comedy-Horror Series Gnomes
Gnomes writers Tegan Higginbotham and Paul Verhoeven, and creato...
05/02/2025
04 02 2025 - Media release Sanctuary Pictures Unveils Punk-Horror Feature Penny Lane Is Dead
Writer/Director of Penny Lane Is Dead, Mia'Kate Russell
Sanc...
12/12/2024
12 12 2024 - Media release Screen Australia, ABC and NITV announce Proper Loved Up Short Film Initiative
Short Film Last Drinks at Fridas from Pitch Short Bla...
21/11/2024
21 11 2024 - Media release Much-loved series Austin returns for a second season
Austin season 2: Ingrid (Sally Phillips), Julian (Ben Miller), Austin (Michael...
21/11/2024
21 11 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce new documentary series Eat The Invaders
Eat The Invaders: Tony Armstrong, Kirsha Kaechele and Vin...
21/11/2024
21 11 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce drama series The Family Next Door
Teresa Palmer as Isabelle in The Family Next Door. Photo credit...
20/11/2024
20 11 2024 - Media release Screen Australia, SBS and NITV unveil Digital Originals shortlist for 2024
Digital Originals recipients with Screen Australia, SBS ...
31/10/2024
30 10 2024 - Media release SBS, NITV and Screen Australia announce documentary series 2.6 Seconds
2.6 Seconds. Photo credit: Jesse Marlow.
SBS, NITV and Scr...
10/10/2024
10 10 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces $8.1 million of production funding for 15 projects
L-R: Love Adjacent director Louise Alston, Watching Y...
17/09/2024
16 09 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Paramount Announce New Murder M...
11/09/2024
10 09 2024 - Media release Endemol Shine Australia and Screen Australia announce...
04/09/2024
04 09 2024 - Media release Screen Australia invests over $2 million in Australian Games Industry
Zodiac Mountain
Screen Australia has announced over $2 milli...
28/08/2024
28 08 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce four new children's programs
Andy Lee at Richmond Primary School with his nephews Freddy Mile...
22/08/2024
22 08 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces $3 million for 13 documentaries
We Are Jeni
Screen Australia has announced 11 documentaries through the...
19/08/2024
19 08 2024 - Media release Production starts on RFDS season three
RFDS cast. Photo Credit John Platt.
Pre-production on the third season of the Seven Network...
15/08/2024
15 08 2024 - Media release Maggie and Arthur return to the ABC for a second season of Mother and Son
Denise Scott and Matt Okine in Mother and Son
Fans of t...
06/08/2024
06 08 2024 - Media release Bruce Beresford's Film Overture starts production in Western Australia
Overture cast (L-R) Susie Porter, Luke Bracey and Bryan ...
17/07/2024
17 07 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and YouTube Australia announce Onlin...
12/07/2024
12 07 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce new comedy series Optics
Optics. Photo credit: Joel Pratley
ABC and Screen Australia have annou...
10/07/2024
10 07 2024 - Media release Shipwreck Hunters Australia back on the water for Season 2
Shipwreck Hunters Australia
Screen Australia and The Walt Disney Compan...
09/07/2024
09 07 2024 - Media release Applications Open for Digital Originals, and three new dramas coming to screens
(L-R) Moonbird director, co-creator and co-writer N...
30/05/2024
30 05 2024 - Media release Screen Australia, Australians in Film and VicScreen announce FUTURE VISION
Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo
Australians in Film, Scree...
08/05/2024
08 05 2024 - Media release Olivia Colman and John Lithgow Star in Sophie Hyde's New Project JIMPA
Olivia Colman and John Lithgow in JIMPA. Photo credit: M...
29/04/2024
29 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces James J. Robinson's debut feature First Light
First Light
Principal Photography is underway on Firs...
24/04/2024
24 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia celebrates Australian projects bound...
18/04/2024
18 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Dynamic Television announce new Scripted Initiative
Savage River
Screen Australia and Los Angeles-based telev...
11/04/2024
11 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Meta launch fourth year of First...
10/04/2024
10 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $2.3 million for nine documentaries
Guardians of the River
Screen Australia has announced nine doc...
21/03/2024
21 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $1.6 million in support of the games industry
Which Way Up: Galaxy Games
Screen Australia has anno...
18/03/2024
18 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative
LTR Denise Eriksen, Esther Coleman Hawkins, Caroline Pitcher, K...
15/03/2024
15 03 2024 - Media release The Creators 2024 Participants Announced
The Creators program recipients. L-R Thomas Duncan-Watt, Vanessa Gazy, Sarah Lambert, Lea...
13/03/2024
13 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces dramas Critical Incident and Sunny Nights for Stan
Critical Incident: Akshay Khanna and Zoe Boe. Photo c...
28/02/2024
28 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $810,000 in development funding for 29 projects
Willy
Screen Australia has announced 23 feature fi...
27/02/2024
27 02 2024 - Media release Michael Ebeid AM appointed as new Screen Australia Chair
Michael Ebeid AM and Megan Brownlow
The Hon. Minister for the Arts, Tony...
21/02/2024
21 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and Australians in Film Announce App...
15/02/2024
15 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $560,000 for crew and gamemaker skills programs
Liz Keogh Palmer (Australian Production Design Guil...
13/02/2024
22 01 2024 - Media release Six Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US
Audrey, Birdeater, The Moogai
Six Australian screen projec...
12/02/2024
12 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and YouTube Australia Launch Skip Ahead 9
Uncovering Street Dance: Australia from Skip Ahead 8. Photographed by Ry...
08/02/2024
08 02 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce Bay of Fires is back for season two
Marta Dusseldorp as Stella in Bay of Fires
ABC, Screen Austr...
22/01/2024
22 01 2024 - Media release Five Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US
Audrey, Birdeater, The Moogai
Five Australian screen proj...
17/01/2024
17 01 2024 - Media release Brendan Cowell and Asher Keddie star in Screen Austra...
14/12/2023
14 12 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $6.9 million of produ...
12/12/2023
22 04 2025 - Media release Applications Open for the Creators Program
The Creators program
Screen Australia and the Australian Writers Guild (AWG) have annou...
11/12/2023
11 12 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces Talent USA: New York recipients 2023
Enoch Mailangi, Noora Niasari, Hannah Carroll Chapman
Screen Austr...
30/11/2023
30 11 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces 14 placements through BTL: Next Step Stage 2
Image courtesy: Screen Warriors
Screen Australia has annou...