Screen Australia

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4. Find out about the industry

This guide aims to provide useful industry insights, resources and advice that can help you get started in the screen industry.

To get ahead in the screen industry it’s helpful to know who’s who and how the industry works. It will make your conversations more informed and constructive, and help you ask more useful questions when you meet with industry professionals.  

Here’s how to get started:

  • Templates: The screen industry uses a certain style for writing documents like story treatments, scripts, budgets, production forms and resumes. There are specific protocols for areas like working with First Nations content. Our Tools and Insights provide helpful templates and guides on these in the following areas:
  • Australian content: Our Showcases make it easy to see what has recently been released on screens and our Upcoming Productions Report lists what is currently being made. It’s a big advantage if you know what is being made, who is making it and then, when it screens, what the end product looks like. Make sure you watch any Australian content comparable to what you are trying to make.
  • Screen Australia platforms: Subscribe to our fortnightly Newsletter, our social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, and our YouTube channel to know about industry news, trends and events. Browse our free industry publication Screen News for how-to resources related to your field including first-hand accounts from practitioners in the Advice from Isolation series. The Screen Australia Podcast breaks down everything from distribution, to budgets, while also profiling leading industry professionals and has a specific episode with Advice before you apply.
  • State screen agencies: Subscribe to the newsletter of your local state screen agency and make contact with the relevant staff member when opportunities come up:
  • Industry guilds and trade associations: Most of these organisations offer ways for emerging screen creatives to get connected with professionals (at a reduced rate), and create free newsletters you can subscribe to in order to stay across opportunities. The most active guilds or trade associations are:

Listen to episodes from the Screen Australia podcast with representatives from the AWG here, ADG here, and SPA here

  • Industry events: Industry events happen all year round and are increasingly being held online, free of charge or at very affordable rates. These events offer a great way to learn more about the industry, to hear directly from professionals and to meet new people. Federal and state screen agency, film festival and guild newsletters will keep you up to date on events and opportunities that are planned both online and in your local area. Some key annual events and opportunities include Screen Forever, Screen Makers Conference, Melbourne WebFest, and the Natalie Miller Fellowship. You can also stay across current events and opportunities on the Screen News page here
  • Industry publications: Screenhub is a useful online source for Australian screen industry news, with other sources including Inside Film, FilmInk and TV Tonight. Deadline is useful for international screen news, or try Screen Daily, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Most of these trade publications have free e-newsletters. Also keep up with reviews and profiles through the weekly Screen Show and Download This Show on ABC’s Radio National.
  • Legals: No matter how great your working relationship with your creative peers, your cast and crew or a distributor, you need to have some standard documents in place to protect you and your project, especially when it comes to copyright and licensing. A Chain of Title document is particularly important to establish ownership over creative ideas, especially when dealing with creative collaborations. The Arts Law Centre provides some free sample legal agreements online and others for a fee. Getting some early advice can help you avoid future disagreements and costly mistakes.

What to read next

5. Find opportunities

This guide aims to provide useful industry insights, resources and advice that can help you get started in the screen industry.

14 Apr 2021
Screen Australia