The Screen Well initiative, in collaboration with job sharing advocate and consultant Racheal Rauch, aims to create a new pathway for screen workers to return to the industry, as well as create opportunities to up-skill emerging practitioners, and/or enhance the work-life balance of existing practitioners.
Rauch, whose initial experience with job-sharing created a pathway to return to the industry in a part-time capacity, says: “Job-sharing can improve accessibility and inclusivity in the industry, as well as sustainability.”
“Screen workers regularly work more than 50 hours per week on average in Australia; job sharing will allow workers who are unable to sustain those hours to continue working within the industry to maintain a healthier work/life balance,” says Ben Steel, founder of Screen Well. “Job-shares can be beneficial for a range of practitioners such as carers and parents, those with illness and disabilities, as well as remote/regional practitioners.”
Additionally, the initiative seeks to pair mentor and mentee job sharers to not only bring workers back into the industry, but to upskill workers, particularly in roles where there are known crew and skills shortages as identified by SPA and AUSFILM.
Rauch adds, “There is a wealth of industry research, reports and studies, domestically and internationally, which recommend job-sharing as a way to address a variety of problems, including the long hours; work/life balance; as well as crew attraction and retention. In the UK, they have built infrastructure to support job-sharing through organizations and schemes and we see this as an opportunity to address this need in Australia.”
The initiative represents an important opportunity to overcome the barriers impacting job-sharing within the Australian industry.
Pilot Program:
The program will pair and place 6 – 10 job-share partners in 3 – 5 roles on an upcoming Matchbox Pictures production, with Screen Well providing coaching and ongoing support.
We are looking at the below roles for potential placements for the pilot.
Roles and Employment Dates:
- Accounts Assistant: Oct or early Nov 2023 – Feb 2024
- Art Department: Oct 2023 – Feb 2024
- Assistant Editor: Block 1 (Nov 2023 – March 2024) + Block 2 (Jan 2024 – April 2024)
- Camera Operator: Nov 2023 – Feb 2024
- Costume Department: Nov 2023 – Feb 2024
- Lighting Department: Nov 2023 – Feb 2024
- Grips Department: Nov 2023 – Feb 2024
- Production Secretary: 25th Sept 2023 – Feb 2024
- Unit Department: Nov 2023 – Feb 2024
If your role isn’t listed for this pilot program but you’re interested in job sharing then please register your interest here.
To Apply: Candidates interested in the pilot program can fill out an Expression of Interest.
We encourage all potential participants to get in their application as soon as possible.
Matchbox Pictures, is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studios group.
