SQ News

SQ Business – Industry Placements: Registrations have closed


SQ Business is a targeted initiative that creates opportunities for early and mid career
practitioners to build their knowledge of screen business while developing a slate of commercially viable projects.

Screen Queensland (SQ) understands the benefit in placing early to mid career creatives (particularly writers and producers) within a production company to develop their projects with the input of high-level creative mentors, to develop a slate with access to mentors with strong international and domestic market intelligence and relationships, and to develop careers and businesses with guidance from experienced business leaders, executive producers, and experts in legal and business affairs. Additionally, the initiative is designed to create and strengthen creative and business partnerships and grow a collaborative industry and screen community in Queensland.

SQ Business – Industry Placements will give six early to mid career practitioners, working across various genres and platforms, the opportunity to build their screen business skills while developing a slate of projects, with a particular focus on those that can be pitched to the international market. The six chosen participants and matched production companies will be split into the following areas:

  • 4 x International Broadcast Drama
  • 1 x Feature Film
  • 1 x Reality TV / Factual Entertainment

The six chosen creatives (writers or producers) will receive placement within a chosen production company’s offices with access to the company’s creative and business team for a period of six months. The creatives will be mentored in developing and financing for the market as well as navigating deal terms, with a particular focus on international.

This will allow the attachment’s slate to develop with strong market and financing knowledge and gives the best chance of reaching an international audience while also building the screen business skills of the creatives involved. 

Screen Queensland will also support each of the six chosen creatives with $7,500 in concept
development funding.

Production companies will receive a payment towards the housing and mentoring of the placement.

Who can apply? – Individual Applicants

Eligible applicants are:

  • Queensland creatives (primarily producers and writers) or a creative team of no more than two, at any stage of their career with a clear career path towards developing and producing in either International Broadcast Drama, Feature Film or Reality TV / Factual Entertainment.
  • Applicants must have a strong, long form concept they wish to develop in either of the areas mentioned above.
  • Applicants must actively working Queensland

 Who can apply? – Production Companies

Eligible companies are those that:

  • Have an active office in Queensland with Queensland staff
  • Have premises with desk space available for housing or be able to expand to take on the placement(s)
  • A demonstrable and clear track record of working with and in the international marketplace in the past twelve months
  • Have a track record in the chosen fields (Feature / International Broadcast Drama /
  • Reality-Factual Entertainment) in the past twelve months
  • Have an active development slate

What dates should I be aware of?

Applications for placements (individuals) and Expressions of Interest (production companies) close 5pm 11 January 2015. Late applications or EOIs will not be accepted and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Placements would need to commence by late February 2016.

What documents are required?

For individual applicants:

  • A CV and Bio
  • An outline of what areas you hope to build on during your placement (eg. Financing and Deals or Creative Feedback etc)
  • A statement outlining where you see your creative business in five years
  • At least a one-page outline of the project (or projects) you wish to develop

For production company EOI:

  • A company Bio
  • CVs and Bios of the key personnel the attachment will have access to
  • A statement outlining what knowledge-building opportunities the company can offer to a placement
  • A statement outlining how the company taking a placement will contribute to building a strong screen community and industry in Queensland
  • Confirmation of office capable of housing applicants

How will the program be assessed?

Applications for placement will be assessed on the following criteria:

  • The current track record of the applicant and their potential given their previous work and experience.
  • The strength of their slate; including creatively and market and audience potential.
  • Their understanding of building a creative business through their business aspirations.
  • Production companies will be primarily determined based on the best opportunities for the attachments but also on the level of international experience and willingness to deliver mentorship to the chosen attachments.

To apply online – 

For individual applicants:
http://screenqueensland.smartygrants.com.au/sqbusinessindividuals

For production companies:
http://screenqueensland.smartygrants.com.au/sqbusinessproductioncompany

For more information regarding the initiative or the application process, please contact the Development and Production team on 07 3248 0500 or developmentandproduction@screenqld.com.au