1. 1
EMERGING VISIONS
CAREER PATHWAYS IN THE AUSTRALIAN SCREEN PRODUCTION INDUSTRY
KEY FINDINGS
‘Showboy’ Writer/Director: Samuel Leighton-Dore, Producer: Diana Burnett

2. 2
THE FUTURE WON’T WAIT
This is a long-term game. But the stakes are high.
Emerging Visions has been commissioned by
Metro Screen to inform an appropriate strategic
response by the industry to the changing
landscape in which emerging screen practitioners
must compete for jobs and other opportunities.
The raw materials of the screen industry are its people,
their CREATIVITY,
their SKILLS,
their RESOURCEFULNESS,
and unlocking their potential is an industry-wide responsibility.
The screen industry is now built on established and mid-career practitioners who
have had the benefit of substantial investment in both the industry and in them
over the past 40 years. Over the past six to eight years, changes in policy settings
such as greater investment in companies and in teams with proven track records
suggest that those who have benefitted most from past programs continue to
benefit. But this has been at the expense of new talent.
Federal government support to the screen industry, including the Producer Offset,
has increased by 90% since 2006/07, but targeted funds for emerging screen
practitioners will have shrunk by around 80% by 2016/17.
The future relevance and sustainability of screen culture relies on successful talent
regeneration, fresh ideas, new perspectives, new voices and new audiences. And
a diversity of voices given opportunities to show what they can do.
It is critically important to understand and plan how best to support this process in
today’s environment, particularly the space between learning and earning, so that
the talent of tomorrow is given the time and opportunity to prove itself equitably
and sustainably.

3. 3
This is where you need to prove yourself
Success factors: see pages 5 - 12
EMERGING...FROM LEARNING TO EARNING
The ‘emerging’ stage is the least structured, where practitioners have the most difficulty accessing
opportunities to demonstrate what they can do.
EMERGING
MID CAREER
ESTABLISHED
THE CAREER ‘WILDERNESS’
ENTRY
(Loosely connected)
Have produced work but not in a
professional format.
Some professional industry or production
experience.
Not yet endorsed by the marketplace.
Some reputation and industry networks.
Demonstrated commitment to a career
over the long term.
Unstructured pathways
Difficulty accessing opportunities to
demonstrate capability
(Getting connected)
1-2 production credits on professional
formats with some reputation amongst
the public or peers in the local industry.
Endorsed by the marketplace.
Eligible for funding or jobs
More structured pathway through
better networks and access to
resources
(Highly connected)
More than 3 relevant credits on professional
formats. Endorsed by the marketplace.
Significant reputation and international networks.
Professional status
Clear career structure
(Unconnected)
Students and non-graduates with little-to-
no production or industry experience.
No reputation within the industry.
Not endorsed by the marketplace.
Little-to-no industry networks.
Structure and resources accessible
through training
Graphic is indicative representation only, based on personal network analysis of writer, director and producer
credits on ‘non-professional’ titles (low-budget features films, short dramas and short documentaries) combined
with analysis of ‘professional’ titles (feature films, TV drama), 2003/04 to 2013/14

4. 4
THE EMERGING SECTOR IN AUSTRALIA
Committed, passionate, productive, blazing trails through the wilderness.
“
“
“
“
I think an emerging person is
someone who has a passion, a
dedication – someone who is in it for
the long haul.
Emerging is the next breed, the next
generation, the next cultural change
in storytellers.
Shayne Armstrong, screenwriter
Lisa Gray, digital producer
ANNUAL OUTPUT
The following screen content is produced each year*, largely
outside the ‘professional’ industry.
64,000 unpaid workers engaged in screen production over a
12 month period
700-800
shorts
24
features
100
web series
$6.3M $2.9M
$2.3M
(low budget)
(low budget)

5. 5
They need mentoring, but it needs
to be formal mentoring. They need
education, history. They need
experimentation, and they need
environments where they can fail and
pick themselves up and learn from
that failure and then make something
really fucking brave and be rewarded
for that.
SUCCESS FACTORS
Career progress depends on the interaction of six key factors.
PRACTICAL
PRODUCTION
EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
+
TRAINING
ACCESS
TO
RESOURCES
PERSONAL
QUALITIES,
INCLUDING TALENT
NETWORKS
REPUTATION
“
“
Cate Shortland, director

6. 6
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
A screen qualification is an advantage but not essential.
SUCCESS FACTOR 1
More than 7,000 students graduated from universities in screen studies
in 2013 at a cost of around $250 million to the Commonwealth. That’s
not counting VET courses.
More screen practitioners now have a formal qualification.
In 1991 just had a bachelor degree.
In 2011 it was
It is now seen as the norm, rather than a point of differentiation.
Access to networks and resources
Credits on student productions
Opportunities for experimentation as well as discipline
Limitations
Cost (around $20,000 for a three-year degree)
Inequity of access (only 13% of students enrolled in tertiary
media courses came from low socio-economic backgrounds)
Lack of practical experience and industry connection
Potential to create unrealistic career expectations
17%
43%
“ I think there’s an issue with isolating yourself in an
academic environment, and then coming out the end
and standing there going ‘what am I going to do?’…
I’m just concerned about what types of people are
coming out and whether they are prepared for it.”
- Rosemary Blight, producer
Benefits
Limitations

7. 7
OVER-QUALIFIED BUT UNDER-SKILLED
Are graduates job ready?
One in three (36%) producers surveyed believed that emerging
screen practitioners were ‘over-qualified and under-skilled’;
24% disagreed.
“On-the-job cadetships with ABC and Film Australia from the
1950s to late 1970s were the training ground of documentary
filmmakers now reaching the latter stages of their careers. Also
important were schemes such as Creative Development Fund and
Women’s Film Fund in the 1980s.
As entry to broadcasting via on-the-job training schemes dried up,
there was a rapid proliferation in tertiary screen education.
However, the evolution from on-the-job to university-based
training has been incomplete because the pathways from
academy to industry have never been clear.
In the absence of specific emerging filmmaker schemes, and with
the aging of the documentary sector as a whole, this gap has
become more obvious.”
- Trish FitzSimons, Griffith University (2012)

8. 8
Keep making them until one of them lands – and
you know it when a short film lands. I had made
about five shorts before I made Crossbow and the
difference in reception was profound and palpable.
Education is great; it doesn’t do any harm. But
this is also the kind of industry where you have to
just do it, to be honest.
PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE
The currency of a screen career.
SUCCESS FACTOR 2
For career development, production experience provides
Access to on-set resources and real-life problem solving
The chance to find mentors, and build networks and peer-based reputation
Production credits with the potential for outcomes such as awards, festival
screenings, box office, and eligibility for future funding, depending on the
product and role played
Increasingly self-funded.
Limited access to traditional sources.
Don’t yet have the credits to be
eligible for most government funding
programs.
Digital technology creates
opportunities but may not translate to
professional employment.
Internships and attachments harder to
get than ever before.
Only 14% of opportunities advertised.
Lack of financial resources most
significant barrier for almost 60%
of companies - 90% would offer
more opportunities if they had the
resources.
Merit-based opportunities limited –
screen agencies, guilds, SROs.
NEEDS FUNDS NEEDS OPPORTUNITIES
SHORT
FILMS
ATTACHMENT
INTERNSHIPS
MENTORS
PAID CREW
ROLES ON
PROFESSIONAL
PRODUCTION OTHER
RELATED
PRODUCTIONS
-TVCS, MUSIC
VIDEOS
LOW
BUDGET
FEATURES
WEB SERIES
AND
PILOTS
“
“
“
“
David Michôd, director
Kristina Ceyton, producer
on the merits of practical experience versus education

9. 9
SUCCESS FACTOR 3
ACCESS TO RESOURCES
Equitable and accessible.
Money to live on as well as fund projects
Equipment and facilities
Advice and expertise
Eligibility for programs targeting emerging practitioners usually depends on some indication
of potential ‘talent’, and the bar has been raised over the years as the application process
has become more competitive.
Filmmakers are increasingly self-funding projects, which is beyond the means of most.
Sources like crowd-funding remain limited, often require personal ‘top-up’ contributions,
and are extremely hard work.
Accessible infrastructure and support provided by the screen resource organisations
are at risk.
2008/092006/07 2008/09 2013/14 2016/17 2013/14
$3M$8M$11M $5M $3.5M $2M
FEDERAL STATE
By 2016/17, targeted federal funding
for emerging screen practitioners will
have fallen by 80% since 2006/07,
while overall federal support* for the
industry has risen by 90%.
* Screen Australia, Producer Offset,
Location/PDV Offsets, AFTRS, NFSA.
Funding from traditional sources is tight
Projected

10. 10
SUCCESS FACTOR 4
NETWORKS
The most commonly cited requirement for success in the sceen industry.
I think it’s 90% the
relationships you have.
Network building is very important, but trust is what this industry is
about. Faith, trust, maintaining relationships with people, is actually
what it’s about.
“ “
“ “
Jason Hargreaves, DOP Rosemary Blight, producer
Relationships with the ‘right people’ can
provide:
access to resources (equipment,
finance, labour)
career opportunities
solutions to production problems
emotional support
champions
goodwill (unpaid work and in-kind).
Networks are also the source of new
ideas and often teams are formed from
those within a person’s network.
Mentors can come from networks or
may help create networks.
Networks are built on:
trust
reputation for quality outputs
personal qualities such as reliability,
honesty, and ability to collaborate.
They can be formed and accessed
through communities of practice such as
screen resource organisations, working on
productions, and industry network events.
Networks can cluster around roles
(guilds and associations), genres and
formats (festivals and markets).
Networks are a long term investment.
‘Summer Nights’ Writer/Director: Gregoire Liere
Producer: Chloe Lawrence-Hartcher

11. 11
SUCCESS FACTOR 5
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Do you have what it takes?
COURAGE
BRAVERY
ADAPTABILITY
(WILLINGNESS TO
CHANGE)
PASSION
CHARISMA
ENTHUSIASM
CONFIDENCE
(SELF TRUST)
EASY GOING
COLLABRATIVENESS
ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH
OTHERS
POINT OF VIEW
VISION
SINGULAR VOICE
INITIATIVE
DETERMINATION
PERSISTENCE
PATIENCE
FOCUS
COMMITMENT
HONESTY
RELIABILITY
TRUSTWORTHY
TALENT
(EXCELLENCE)
There has to be something
behind it besides ‘I want a
career in film’…
If you’re not honest about that
need, I don’t think you’re sort
of pushing yourself to do the
best you can do.
“
Cate Shortland, director
“

12. 12
SUCCESS FACTOR 6
REPUTATION
A driving factor in success.
THE VALUE OF A REPUTATION CAN BE CREATED OR DESTROYED BASED ON
CAN BE ENHANCED BY A GOOD REPUTATION WILL PROVIDE
Decreases over time if not constantly maintained
Is relative to the size, quality and proximity of the
employment market the screen practitioner is in
and the network they have (e.g. Queensland versus
Sydney versus Los Angeles)
Previous decisions
Previous outcomes
What is fashionable in the industry
(e.g. particular formats or genres)
Awards and festival selections
Mentors and industry champions
An agent
An audience or fan base
Size and quality of network
Quality of production experience
Quality of education
Access to resources (the better the reputation, the
better the resources including finance and A-list
cast and crew)
Access to production opportunities
Goodwill (goods in-kind, support)
Confidence
A practitioner’s reputation in their professional
networks is ultimately the key factor driving their career.
You have to start to
brand yourself.“
Kristina Ceyton, producer
“
‘Stray’ Directors Craig Boreham and Dead Francis

13. 13
IT’S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE
It’s not for everyone.
At each stage, people who don’t go on to make a next feature will find other roles on other
formats in the industry, embed themselves in roles in other sectors, or drop out of the
industry permanently.
It’s also likely that, to get 80 emerging practitioners making their first film, it would take many
more people making short films and other ‘non-professional’ content to demonstrate their
talent and capability.
Understanding this kind of pattern is not just important for establishing
realistic career expectations and career benchmarking, but also for
managing supporting programs for emerging practitioners.
It’s not for everyone. It’s a
tough industry. You’ve got
to put one foot in front of the
other and go ‘I’ll be okay’…
There’s a lot of darkness
ahead of you at times.
“
Rosemary Blight, producer
“
If 80 emerging practitioners
have the chance to make a
first feature...
14 of them will
get the chance to
make a second
5 of those will
make a third film
2 will end up
making a fourth
Only 1 of those will
go on to make five
or more films

14. 14
SUPPORT STRUCTURES
The right support structures can make all the difference.
Emerging practitioners need particular kinds of support
to build effectively on their education and training.
They need the time and opportunity to prove themselves, supported by
structures focused on the key success factors identified, that facilitate
network-building and production experience, and ensure equitable
access to professional-level resources.
The importance of these structures is currently not acknowledged in the
policy and funding framework.
Spent by the federal government on screen education
annually (including $24 million for AFTRS).
Overall federal support for screen production in
2014/15 across Screen Australia, the Producer Offset,
the Location and PDV Offsets.
Projected federal support for emerging practitioners
in 2016/17 after funding for screen resource
organisations ceases.
$250
$368
$2
MILLION
MILLION
MILLION
Mobile Unit Film Produced in Western Sydney

15. 15
SUPPORT STRUCTURES
Screen resource organisations.
Screen resource organisations (SROs) are unique in their focus on support for emerging practitioners, providing:
• targeted production funding
• training and education
• equipment and facilities hire
• networking opportunities
• internships and mentoring
• promotion and exhibition.
Outcomes 2013:
• 316 productions; 90 films selected for festivals
• skills development for 3,300 participants.
Total combined income 2013 - $5.99M
• $1.47 million from Screen Australia
• $1.25 million from state agencies
• the rest from service fees and project funding from other sources.
Screen Australia’s contribution will not continue beyond 2015/16. Metro Screen (receiving $240k annually) announced on
10 September that it would close in December 2015, Wide Angle (Tas) will close in June 2016 and QPIX closed last year.
I think the SROs are keeping the industry alive. They’re
feeding more people and ideas into it.
“ Megan Wedge, sound editor
“
‘The Rose Tattoo’ Writer/Director: Alanna Rose Producer: Isabel Parez

16. 16
WHAT’S NEXT?
Who will take the lead?
The space between learning and earning does not have to be a trackless wilderness.
Emerging practitioners are willing to take on many challenges on the understanding that they will be judged on their merit. However,
opportunities are increasingly sparse, often based on who you know or who knows you, and are temporary. For people from
diverse backgrounds it is often more challenging to build the confidence and the resources that it takes to break through.
As competition for opportunities intensifies it is critical that the filters that operate at different stages of a screen career are equitable
and merit-based, so that individuals with diverse stories can ‘emerge’ to realise their full potential as industry professionals.
As an industry we must be capable of working together to create equitable structures and pathways that keep talented
practitioners moving forward.
An industry-wide strategy encompassing the education sector, production sector and funding bodies is required, including a focus
on the interface between formal study and professional practice.
How can we make this happen? What structures could be utilised or established?
If Screen Australia isn’t responsible for taking the lead, who is?
The full report Emerging Visions: Career Pathways in the Australian Screen
Production Industry sets out research across the career success factors, the
education sector and development opportunities for emerging practitioners,
highlighting challenges in each area.
It features extensive interviews with practitioners, both emerging and
established.
Available at www.metroscreen.org.au
‘Milk and Honey’ Writer/Director: Louisa Mignone and Andrea Demetriades Producer: J Bell

17. 1717
The three greatest challenges for an emerging screen
practitioner are:
• Weathering prolonged periods of poverty and self-doubt,
• Ensuring your dreams are realistic while simultaneously
ignoring those who would tell you they aren’t,
• Finding ways of staying busy and practising the craft when
the craft is an onerously expensive one.
1981-2015
“
“
David Michôd, director
‘Summer Nights’ Writer/Director: Gregoire Liere
Producer: Chloe Lawrence-Hartcher