Tuesday 1 March 2016: Screen Queensland (SQ) today unveiled a new initiative and its entry into the Virtual Reality (VR) space partnering with SBS in Untold Australia Season 2.

Untold Australia Season 2 will commission up to four talented Queensland filmmakers, or teams, to develop, produce and market VR short-form documentaries exploring the diversity of Australia’s people, their cultures and lifestyles.

‘We are excited to be working with SBS on this new VR initiative,’ said Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira.

‘Screen Queensland remains committed to growing our state’s industry base and unearthing new voices and stories, and creating opportunities for our industry to learn new skills.

‘Millions of people in the world are already enjoying Virtual Reality, experiencing scenes and stories with a 360 view as if they were there, in person.

‘We want to ensure Queensland practitioners are ahead of the game in producing great experiences on the VR platform and learning the technical skills needed to forge ahead into a future in content creation that is happening now,’ said Ms Vieira.

Untold Australia is calling out for Queensland filmmakers and teams to create stories and experiences that explore hidden worlds of Australian cultural diversity. These can be hidden subcultures, unexplored areas of cultural diversity, or an unexpected way of tackling social cohesion and culturally diverse issues. All submissions must exploit the full potential of immersive VR.

‘SBS is thrilled to partner with Screen Queensland to bring Australians this cutting edge step in how we view and interact with documentaries,” SBS Director of Television Marshall Heald said.

‘Virtual Reality documentaries utilise 360° video and/or computer-generated interactive media to create an immersive story that brings the viewer closer to the subject matter.

‘The Untold Australia series focuses on Australian communities that are often overlooked or unheard from, and this remarkable technology gives our audiences an opportunity to gain a greater understanding and insight into their world in season two.’

Submissions for Untold Australia open Tuesday 1 March 2016 and will close on Monday 11 April 2016. The successful finalists will be notified by Monday 25 April 2016. Up to four projects will be commissioned, and the total budget will be up to $400,000 for the entire series. There is no fixed budget for any single VR project. Each will be assessed on their own  merit and cost.

 

Queensland filmmakers are to submit their applications here.

To read the guidelines, please click here.

For further information, please read the FAQs document for Virtual Reality.

Submissions will be produced in (but not limited to) Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift with suggested length 3 – 15 minutes.

To speak with a member of the SQ team about Untold Australia please contact:
+61 7 3248 0500 | developmentandproduction@screenqld.com.au

 

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For further information about Screen Queensland’s funding programs and other incentives, visit www.screenqld.com.au