11 11 2016 - Media release

YouTube creatives Skip Ahead

Screen Australia and Google today announced the four recipients of this year’s Skip Ahead initiative, a partnership which has supported the next generation of Australian creatives over the past three years.

The videos made from this program have amassed more than 5.5 million views on YouTube and catapulted the likes of Aunty Donna and Mighty Car Mods to bigger audiences and global notoriety.

Now in its third year, Skip Ahead offers Australian YouTube creators the opportunity to make longer, more narratively ambitious content to better demonstrate their storytelling abilities and take a bold step towards a professional career.

The funding is for successful applicants to make a longer narrative-driven film of at least 30 minutes in length, which may be a one-off film, or could act as a pilot for a series or proof of concept for a feature, provided it can be viewed as a standalone piece of entertainment.

Adelaide brothers Danny and Michael Philippou – better known as ‘famechangers’ Racka Racka, whose Marvel VS DC video last year racked up more than 37 million views on YouTube – will deliver RackaRacka: LIVE (working title), a one-off 30-minute comedy presented as a live stream vlog featuring the filmmakers on a rampage in a haunted, abandoned theatre. Triptych (The Babadook) will produce.

“Skip Ahead has provided us with the perfect next step in our careers,” said Danny and Michael Philippou. “We were so psyched once we heard we got the funding. LET’S DO THIS!!”

Brothers Theo and Nathan Saidden, AKA Superwog, present the story of Superwog and his best mate as navigate life as adults and Superwog’s dysfunctional family, in the half-hour comedy The Superwog Show (working title). The show will be produced by Princess Pictures (Summer Heights High, Jonah from Tonga, It’s a Date).

Kitchen princesses Charli and Ashlee Kelly – a sister duo who present one of YouTube’s most popular kids-only baking shows Charli’s Crafty Kitchen – will invite viewers along on delicious adventures in the animated series Crafty Kingdom. The show will be made in partnership with up-and-coming Brisbane animation studio Like A Photon.

And proving you don’t have to be siblings to skip ahead, science educator and communicator Vanessa Hill will serve up the 45-minute documentary Mutant Menu exploring how genetic manipulation can create superheroes, on YouTube channel BrainCraft. The project will be produced by veteran Margie Bryant (Who Do You Think You Are?).

The four recipients will be awarded funding from a total pool of $725,000 to realise their projects.

Mike Cowap, Investment Manager at Screen Australia, said: “Skip Ahead has grown year on year, and we’re thrilled to continue to partner with YouTube who are such a powerful force in online video and the advancement of technology and storytelling generally.”

“These successful creators have great instincts for filmmaking and engaging with large audiences. They have earned this opportunity to make longer, more challenging narrative work, and we’re excited to see the result. We’re sure their audiences are going to love it.”

Kristen Bowen, Head of Top Creators, YouTube Asia Pacific, said: “We’re proud to work with Screen Australia for the third Skip Ahead to help turbocharge the next generation of Australian online storytellers.”

“We’ve been consistently impressed by the projects from the talented alumni of Skip Ahead and we’re sure that this year’s crop of creators will continue to make projects that delight and inspire. We hope this next wave of funding will allow these Aussie creators’ voices to be heard at home and abroad on YouTube.”

2016 SKIP AHEAD RECIPIENTS:

RackaRacka: LIVE (working title)
A live stream vlog from wannabe filmmakers on a rampage in a haunted, abandoned theatre… What could possibly go wrong?
YouTube channel: RackaRacka *(3,250,931 subscribers • 412,875,755 views)
Creators: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Producer: Triptych Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Horror

THE SUPERWOG SHOW (working title)
A half-hour comedy following the dysfunctional Superwog family. While the parents deal with a marital breakdown, Superwog and best friend Johnny must learn to deal with adulthood and independent life.
YouTube channel: Superwog *(613,312 subscribers • 114,543,283 views)
Creators: Nathan Saidden, Theo Saidden
Co-Producers: Princess Pictures, Century Entertainment
Genre: Comedy

CRAFTY KINGDOM
An energetic animation series that follows the adventures of princesses Charli and Ashlee in their candy kingdom as they bake together fun, imagination and deliciousness, based on their hit YouTube show Charli’s Crafty Kitchen.
YouTube channel: Charli's Crafty Kitchen *(675,401 subscribers • 697,218,868 views)
Creators: Charli Kelly, Ashlee Kelly
Producer:Like A Photon
Genre: Animation

MUTANT MENU
There are individuals walking among us with something very close to superpowers: immunity from disease, extreme longevity, speed, stamina. Now brand new science may let us harvest their unique genetic gifts and make them our own – grab a booth and together let's choose the next generation of humanity from the MUTANT MENU.
YouTube channel: BrainCraft *(321,257 subscribers • 15,646,928 views)
Creative team: Vanessa Hill, James Hutson
Producers: Serendipity Productions
Genre: Documentary

* YouTube channel views and subscribers at 10 November 2016

SKIP AHEAD ALUMNI

* YouTube channel subscribers and title views at 10 November 2016

Media enquiries

Maddie Walsh | Publicist

+ 61 2 8113 5915  | [email protected]

Ted Rose | Senior Publicist

+ 61 2 8113 1091  | + 61 456 558 679 | ted.rose@screenaustralia.gov.au

All other general/non-media enquiries

Sydney + 61 2 8113 5800  |  Melbourne + 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]