Australian Production House (APH) is one of those industry players busy preparing the next generation of talent for what it anticipates to be a new golden age of Australian television and cinema.
Louise Schultze, Senior Executive at APH says the need for more crew, especially below the line, has been evident since Covid.
‘Employment in the screen industry grew 37% from 2015/2016 to 2020/2021,’ says Schultze. ‘In 2020-21, the total volume of international film and television projects filmed in Australia increased by 114% to $1.04 billion. The previous five-year average of foreign location filming was $273 million.
‘Arts Minister Tony Burke’s announcement in November 2022 that the government intends to introduce screen quotas means those opportunities will significantly ramp up.
‘Already Australian film and screen shows like Fisk, Heartbreak High, and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart demonstrate an enormous and growing appetite for Australian film and television. Just as Korean and Scandinavian Noir genres have taken off globally, we expect Australian shows will continue to be eagerly consumed by a global audience,’ says Schultze.
To ensure the industry is up to the task, APH has partnered with screen-centred university, SAE Australia, in a student project called the Capstone Project which introduces students to established industry professionals in an attempt to build pathways into the sector.
In the pilot program 20 students were given access to the best minds of the industry in all aspects of film making.
The pilot program awards a small financial grant of up to $2,000 with mentoring from industry greats professionals, such as Director Kriv Stenders (Red Dog), Production Designer Ben Bangay (Warnie), Script Editor Chris Anastassiades (Wog Boy, High Ground), Lighting Production Ryan Fish (Offspring), Hair & Makeup Daphne Goulter (Skit This) and Sound Designer Jack McCulloch (Cerulean Blue).
The program also includes Tier 1 Film Festival distribution from Australian Media House. In the program students learn what it means to move beyond producing for themselves to producing for the industry and a global audience.
Program participant Lochlan Graham had already shown immense talent as an emerging writer and director. With a 10 year career as a professional actor working on shows like Neighbours he received a scholarship at SAE in 2022 and was nominated for a special AACTA award earlier this year for his documentary Ruth & John.
Expanding on his SAE educational journey he created ‘Breaking Point’, a moving film about men’s mental health through the lens of grief and Australia’s answer to The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).
‘I was inspired by the personal journeys of men around me and some of my own experiences, that fueled a desire to explore the relationships between men and their mental health, through grief and loss,’ says Lochie.
‘Being able to have these connections and opportunities to work with people like Kriv and Chris means the whole SAE student team working on ‘Breaking Point’ have a solid booster to their degree, something they couldn’t get anywhere else.
‘It has been an honour to work with them and APH who have taught us to be resilient, as navigating filmmaking in the industry is hard, but with a little guidance we can achieve something truly beautiful. I’m very proud of the entire cast and crew of Breaking Point.’
