The initiative was announced this morning by Victoria’s Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos, as part of a screen skills package at Docklands Studios in Melbourne.
Kicking off with two, low-cost, in-person events held in both Geelong and Melbourne, Set Educated will provide an effective introduction to the screen industry, showcasing what kind of crewing jobs are available and how to get them.
Participants will learn how screen content is made, the make-up of the Victorian screen ecosystem, role responsibilities, as well as receiving hands-on experience with camera, lighting and sound equipment, and everything you need to land work, from CV writing to working with crewing agencies.
On top of developing the skills of early-career screen practitioners, the initiative is designed to attract participants from a wide variety of industries. From accountants to designers, many careers have highly transferable skills for roles that are sought-after in the screen industry.
The program will also offer tailored in-person and online workshops delivered by industry experts for specific roles which are in high demand, including Location Managers, Grips and Gaffers.
The comprehensive program was designed by Media Mentors Australia’s Co-Founders Denise Eriksen and Esther Coleman-Hawkins and will be delivered with support from a leading Victorian crewing agency, Freelancer Promotions. After premiering in Victoria, the program will then tour around the country.
Media Mentors Co-Founders Denise Eriksen and Esther Coleman Hawkins said: “We recognise that there’s a huge pool of people who would love to work in the screen industries but have little or no idea about jobs beyond producers, directors and writers.
“The jobs are out there, working in allied industries, with highly sought after skills. We’ll be introducing participants to a world of possibilities and providing them the knowledge they need to take their places on productions.”
VicScreen CEO, Caroline Pitcher, said: “With our local screen industry continuing to expand, we are always looking at effective methods of growing our highly skilled workforce. Along with our comprehensive attachments and placements programs, this initiative will foster the next generation of screen practitioners, which will in turn grow our local talent pool and our ability to take on more premium productions.”
Martine Broderick, Freelancers Promotions said: “The Team at Freelancers Promotions are thrilled to support Media Mentors in this pilot initiative. It will be very helpful to us and the industry to have a pool of new people that we can provide pathways into the industry whether they be attachment programs, more training or on set roles.”
The first Set Educated session will be held at ACMI Melbourne on 20 May 2023 and a second in Geelong on Sunday, 21 May.
Registrations are $25 and more information can be found at https://www.mediamentors.com.au/set-educated