Queensland talent to work with producers FremantleMedia in the UK and Europe
Brisbane-based screenwriter and director Lucas Taylor has been named as the 2017 recipient for the annual Greg Coote Scholarship, Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira announced today.
“Lucas is an award-winning talent with an extremely promising future,” Ms Vieira said. “He has worked across television drama, comedy, factual and interactive genres in Australia and the US.”
“As part of the Greg Coote Scholarship (supported by Screen Queensland, Australians in Film, the Queensland Writers Centre and FremantleMedia), Lucas will travel overseas later in the year to work with top UK and European producers across the FremantleMedia family to experience first-hand the writing and development process of bringing high end English and European stories from script to screen,” Ms Vieira said.
Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk congratulated Lucas on his selection to represent the state overseas as an experienced Queensland industry creative.
“The judging team was unanimous in its praise and assessment of Lucas’ potential career options in the international screen industry,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The Greg Coote Scholarship is an important step in furthering the careers of Queensland industry professionals and helping to build a strong international network that will benefit the state’s screen industry,” she said.
The judging team comprised distinguished industry executives along with representatives from Australians in Film, Queensland Writers Centre, FremantleMedia, the Greg Coote family and Screen Queensland.
Sarah Doole, Director of Global Drama at FremantleMedia said: “We believe passionately in supporting the new generation of writers and are pleased to offer Lucas this opportunity. Lucas have access to our family of award-winning producer across the UK and Europe which will help him to not only further develop his already impressive skills, but also to gain first-hand knowledge of the international industry.”
Lucas Taylor was Creative Director at Emmy and BAFTA award-winning production company Hoodlum from 2011-2016, where he worked on projects for film and television franchises including; The Bourne Legacy (Universal), SALT (Sony), Dance Academy (ABC), Primeval (ITV) and Divergent (eOne). His recent credits include Vikings: Athelstan’s Journal for History Channel (co-writer/director).
Lucas has also created award-winning digital and interactive content for some of the world’s most recognised factual brands including Discovery (Voyage to the Planets), ABC (Australia: A Time Traveller’s Guide) and the BBC (BBC Knowledge).
Megan Doneman, inaugural recipient of the award in 2016, travelled to Los Angeles where she joined the eighth season of NCIS: Los Angeles.
“The Greg Coote Scholarship was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to enter a world I wouldn’t ordinarily have access to,” Ms Doneman said.
“I got to observe a well-oiled machine up close. I sat in on story meetings, shadowed writers and directors and made invaluable industry contacts.”
“Even though the original scholarship offer was for eight weeks, I stayed for almost the entire season and learnt so much which I can apply to my own career,” she said.
The FremantleMedia family includes UFA in Germany (Deutschland 83), Wildside in Italy (The Young Pope), Miso Film in Denmark, Sweden and Norway (Modus), Kwai in France (Baron Noir), and Euston Films in the UK (Hard Sun).
The Greg Coote Scholarship, now in its second year, is a competitive award valued at $25,000. It was named for one of Australia’s most prolific industry figures. Greg Coote ran LA-based Larrikin Entertainment with David Calvert-Jones; he was a producer and financier of theatrical movies, television programs and digital entertainment content.
