Wrap-up of 2005-2006 financial year
Marketing of the office, locations and local industry was a major focus for ScreenACT in 2005-06, with an important part of that being the official office launch at the end of August 2005 with new branding and a new website. The change of name to ScreenACT was considered important because of confusion in the local and wider screen industries about exactly who was the ACT Government’s screen industry office.
Marketing in industry publications such as Inside Film and Filmink magazines, registration in online and hard copy industry directories, and strategic sponsorships and partnerships seemed to have a significant impact on awareness across the wider Australian industry of what the ACT has to offer and where to find information.
Location enquiries increased significantly, including referrals from Ausfilm (as a result of our membership and involvement with the organisation) and direct enquiries from filmmakers and production companies in the ACT, other states and overseas. Not all enquiries lead to shoots in the ACT and region, but the growing level of interest is promising.
We also noticed an increase in the number of enquiries about production and support services available in the ACT, which prompted investigation of a searchable online industry database. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, the searchable database has been put on hold and in the interim, a short-form version of the industry directory previously put together has been edited and published online. Delays in getting the information online unfortunately occurred as a result of difficulties with the web software provider, resourcing issues in late 2005/early 2006 and errors and omissions in the original hard copy directory.
ScreenACT wrapped up the year with a sponsorship partnership with local training provider, AIE, to provide 4 places in its mid-year intensive training course in games and film. This was the first training initiative ScreenACT has been involved in and ScreenACT was also looking into internship programs for later this year. For those whom ScreenACT had already consulted with regarding digital media and film/television internship programs, we advise that we are looking at whether such programs may be suitable for consideration by the new ACT Skills Council and will endeavour to keep you informed.
Below is a list of the sponsorships and other financial assistance provided by ScreenACT to support and promote the local industry and region in the 2005-06 financial year. This information is also available on the ScreenACT website at: http://www.screenact.act.gov.au/funding/index.html.
Film & Television Sector Development Funding
· AFTRS Course, Travel & Accommodation - Stavros Georgiadis (Popular Culture)
· NSW Capital Region Film Tour Networking Event
· Sponsorship of the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) 2006
· AIDC Registration - Adrian Herring (Journocam Productions)
· AIDC Registration - Paul Hoad (Plum Media)
· AIDC Registration - Belinda Morgan Pratten (Freeswimmers)
· AIDC Registration - Harriet Pike (Ronin Films)
· Sponsorship of the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards 2006 launch event in Canberra
· Sponsorship of prize for Best Script, Canberra Institute of Technology Film & Television Awards 2006
· Coordination of registration support via the BusinessACT Export Growth Program and Austrade, and provision of delegation booklet for ACT delegation to On Screen In Singapore at the Asia Television Forum 2005:
o AfterParty Productions (Gareth Benson, Producer)
o Alcam Film and Video (Alex Bonazzi, Director/Cinematographer)
o Bearcage Productions (Michael Tear, Managing Director)
o Nova Multimedia (David Springan-O'Rourke, Technical Director)
o NRS Group (Graham Patrick, Managing Director)
o Plum Media (Paul Hoad, Director)
o Ronin Films (Andrew Pike, Managing Director)
Digital Media Sector Development Funding
· Sponsorship of Canberra Games Festival 2005
· Sponsorship of 15 ACT teachers to attend Schools & Computer Games Summit at the Australian Game Developers Conference 2005
· Sponsorship of Australia pavillion at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2006
· E3 Registration - Andrew Smith (Prophecy Games)
· Co-sponsorship with the Academy of Interactive Entertainment of 4 places in mid-year intensive training course in games and film
Cross-Sector Development Funding
· Sponsorship of SWITCH 2005 as part of the Canberra Games Festival
As most members of the local industry would be aware of, ScreenACT was not established with the role of providing funding for production or project development, including funding for productions visiting the region, and ScreenACT does not generally provide funding in relation to audience development activities.
However, members of the industry should also be aware of the significant level of funding provided to the screen industries in 2005-06 via other areas of ACT Government, including the ACT Arts Fund administered by artsACT, the ACT Festival Fund, the Chief Minister’s Department Communications & Events Unit and BusinessACT’s Knowledge Fund and Export Growth program. Funding provided through these units and programs exceeded ScreenACT’s total discretionary budget for the year and were directed towards project development, commercialisation, travel and registration at markets and other events, and festivals/audience development.
Marketing in industry publications such as Inside Film and Filmink magazines, registration in online and hard copy industry directories, and strategic sponsorships and partnerships seemed to have a significant impact on awareness across the wider Australian industry of what the ACT has to offer and where to find information.
Location enquiries increased significantly, including referrals from Ausfilm (as a result of our membership and involvement with the organisation) and direct enquiries from filmmakers and production companies in the ACT, other states and overseas. Not all enquiries lead to shoots in the ACT and region, but the growing level of interest is promising.
We also noticed an increase in the number of enquiries about production and support services available in the ACT, which prompted investigation of a searchable online industry database. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, the searchable database has been put on hold and in the interim, a short-form version of the industry directory previously put together has been edited and published online. Delays in getting the information online unfortunately occurred as a result of difficulties with the web software provider, resourcing issues in late 2005/early 2006 and errors and omissions in the original hard copy directory.
ScreenACT wrapped up the year with a sponsorship partnership with local training provider, AIE, to provide 4 places in its mid-year intensive training course in games and film. This was the first training initiative ScreenACT has been involved in and ScreenACT was also looking into internship programs for later this year. For those whom ScreenACT had already consulted with regarding digital media and film/television internship programs, we advise that we are looking at whether such programs may be suitable for consideration by the new ACT Skills Council and will endeavour to keep you informed.
Below is a list of the sponsorships and other financial assistance provided by ScreenACT to support and promote the local industry and region in the 2005-06 financial year. This information is also available on the ScreenACT website at: http://www.screenact.act.gov.au/funding/index.html.
Film & Television Sector Development Funding
· AFTRS Course, Travel & Accommodation - Stavros Georgiadis (Popular Culture)
· NSW Capital Region Film Tour Networking Event
· Sponsorship of the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) 2006
· AIDC Registration - Adrian Herring (Journocam Productions)
· AIDC Registration - Paul Hoad (Plum Media)
· AIDC Registration - Belinda Morgan Pratten (Freeswimmers)
· AIDC Registration - Harriet Pike (Ronin Films)
· Sponsorship of the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards 2006 launch event in Canberra
· Sponsorship of prize for Best Script, Canberra Institute of Technology Film & Television Awards 2006
· Coordination of registration support via the BusinessACT Export Growth Program and Austrade, and provision of delegation booklet for ACT delegation to On Screen In Singapore at the Asia Television Forum 2005:
o AfterParty Productions (Gareth Benson, Producer)
o Alcam Film and Video (Alex Bonazzi, Director/Cinematographer)
o Bearcage Productions (Michael Tear, Managing Director)
o Nova Multimedia (David Springan-O'Rourke, Technical Director)
o NRS Group (Graham Patrick, Managing Director)
o Plum Media (Paul Hoad, Director)
o Ronin Films (Andrew Pike, Managing Director)
Digital Media Sector Development Funding
· Sponsorship of Canberra Games Festival 2005
· Sponsorship of 15 ACT teachers to attend Schools & Computer Games Summit at the Australian Game Developers Conference 2005
· Sponsorship of Australia pavillion at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2006
· E3 Registration - Andrew Smith (Prophecy Games)
· Co-sponsorship with the Academy of Interactive Entertainment of 4 places in mid-year intensive training course in games and film
Cross-Sector Development Funding
· Sponsorship of SWITCH 2005 as part of the Canberra Games Festival
As most members of the local industry would be aware of, ScreenACT was not established with the role of providing funding for production or project development, including funding for productions visiting the region, and ScreenACT does not generally provide funding in relation to audience development activities.
However, members of the industry should also be aware of the significant level of funding provided to the screen industries in 2005-06 via other areas of ACT Government, including the ACT Arts Fund administered by artsACT, the ACT Festival Fund, the Chief Minister’s Department Communications & Events Unit and BusinessACT’s Knowledge Fund and Export Growth program. Funding provided through these units and programs exceeded ScreenACT’s total discretionary budget for the year and were directed towards project development, commercialisation, travel and registration at markets and other events, and festivals/audience development.