In addition to the South Auckland Short Film Workshop, Script to Screen is proud to reintroduce the South Shorts Mentoring Programme.
Six participants of the South Auckland Short Film Workshop will be chosen to participate in a 6 month programme, which offers up to 30 hours of mentoring on a short film project.
The programme will guide emerging writers and producers through the process of developing a short film, whether the filmmakers aim to make the film on their own, or getting a script ready to apply for the New Zealand Film Commission Fresh Shorts scheme. We are looking for distinctive new voices with a passion for storytelling. Participants may have some, little or no prior knowledge of filmmaking.
How do I apply?
The participants will be chosen based on a combination of their pitch during the 2016 South Auckland Short Film Workshop, and a written statement submitted to Script to Screen after the workshop outlining why the mentoring programme is for them.
Programme Outline
The South Shorts Mentoring Programme will start in early 2017, and participants will need to be available to attend the following days. Dates have not yet been set and will be discussed with the 6 participants in December 2016.
Kick-off Lab (7 hours) – All mentors and participants attend a one day intensive lab to launch the programme.
Hubs (6 hours) – The participants come together for two 3 hour hub meetings during the six month period. This is a chance for the writers to discuss their experiences, what they are learning and hear from a guest speaker about a particular topic.
Ongoing Mentoring (10 hours over a 6 month period) – Participants are each offered 10 hours of one-on-one sessions with their mentor over the course of 6 months. The content of these sessions will be tailored to suit the needs of each team, but centre around developing the story and script, ready for either shooting the film or applying for funding.
Wrap-up Lab (7 hours) – A day together again completes the six-month journey. Teams will chart progress, discuss challenges they encountered and plan the way forward for their film.
This initiative is made possible with assistance from Foundation North.
Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts are now calling for applications for the 2015 Short Film Lab. Successful applicants will be offered a place in a one-day workshop and an opportunity for individual follow-up sessions. Participants in the 2015 Short Film Lab will be mentored by experienced industry practitioners who have excelled in short filmmaking. Previous mentors have included Jackie van Beek (The Inland Road, Uphill, Go the Dogs), Jake Mahaffy (Free in Deed, Wellness,A.D. 1363, The End of Chivalry) and Shuchi Kothari (Firaaq, Apron Strings, Coffee and Allah). A full list of 2015 mentors will be announced soon. Watch this space!
Six writers (or writer/directors) will be selected to workshop their short film ideas (or short film scripts) during the full-day lab hosted by the University of Auckland on Saturday 7th November 2015. Those selected can come on their own or bring up to two key creative collaborators with them. Thanks to the support of the New Zealand Film Commission and the Screen Production programme at the University of Auckland, participation in the Short Film Lab is free for all selected applicants (including lunch) and travel grants are available for successful applicants who reside out of Auckland.
Established by Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts in 2010, the Short Film Lab has been a resounding success. Previous Short Film Lab participants have described the interactive workshop as “fantastic” and “invaluable”, and many have gone on to make the shortlist for NZFC Fresh Shorts funding. In 2013, the first film developed with the assistance of the Short Film Lab – Lauren Jackson’s I’m Going to Mum’s – premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won Best Short Film Script at the SWANZ Awards.
To apply to the 2015 Short Film Lab complete the online application form. This will ask you to provide:
The application deadline is Midnight, Thursday 24th September 2015.
Successful applicants will be announced at Show Me Shorts Film Festival’s programme launch on Tuesday 20th November. If you have any questions or are having technical difficulties with the application process, contact Mark Prebble, Festival Coordinator for Show Me Shorts on 09 360 6718 or info@showmeshorts.co.nz.
Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts are now calling for applications for the 2014 Short Film Lab.
Successful applicants will be offered a place in a one-day workshop as well as an opportunity for individual follow-up sessions. Participants in the 2014 Short Film Lab will be mentored by experienced industry practitioners who have excelled in short filmmaking, including: Jackie van Beek (Go the Dogs), Jake Mahaffy (Miracle Boy) and Shuchi Kothari (Coffee and Allah). A fourth mentor will be announced soon.
Six writers (or writer/directors) will be selected to workshop their short film ideas (or short film scripts) during the full-day lab hosted by the University of Auckland on Saturday 8th November 2014. Those selected can come on their own or bring up to two key creative collaborators with them. Thanks to the support of the New Zealand Film Commission and the Screen Production Programme at the University of Auckland, participation in the Short Film Lab is free for all selected applicants. Travel grants are available for successful applicants who reside out of Auckland.
Established by Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts in 2013, the Short Film Lab has been a resounding success. Previous Short Film Lab participants have described the interactive workshop as “fantastic” and “invaluable” and many have gone on to make the shortlist for NZFC Fresh Shorts funding. In 2013, the first film developed with the assistance of the Short Film Lab – Lauren Jackson’s I’m Going to Mum’s – premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won Best Short Film Script at the SWANZ Awards.
To apply for the 2014 Short Film Lab please provide the following:
– An application form complete with two or three short film concepts, a brief biography or CV and an explanation of why you want to attend the lab.
– An example of your creative work, this can be 5 pages of a screenplay or 2 pages of an alternative form of creative writing. If you have completed a draft of the screenplay for any of your submitted concepts, you are encouraged to attach this as your writing sample.
– A $15 Application Fee.
Applications close Thursday 4th September at 5pm.
All applications must be submitted as a single .pdf file.
Please email your applications to ben@script-to-screen.co.nz.
The recent confirmation of legendary producer Jan Chapman (THE PIANO, LANTANA, BRIGHT STAR) finalises the exciting group of mentors that are working with our talented FilmUp 2015 participants. Other mentors include LANTANA writer/director Ray Lawrence, and director Garth Davis, who directed TOP OF THE LAKE alongside Jane Campion. The complete line-up is:
Producer Jan Chapman (THE PIANO) mentors producer Desray Armstrong
Acting/directing coach and story consultant Brita McVeigh mentors writer/director Dustin Feneley
Director Ray Lawrence (LANTANA) mentors writer/director Nic Gorman
Writer/director and actor Jackie van Beek (THE INLAND ROAD) mentors writer/director Asuka Sylvie
Director Garth Davis (TOP OF THE LAKE) mentors director Curtis Vowell
Producer Helen Bowden (THE SLAP) mentors producer Karin Williams.
The generosity and spirit of our distinguished mentors is a huge part of what makes Script to Screen’s FilmUp programme so successful, and a heartfelt thank you goes to each of them for joining us. We are excited about the year ahead for these filmmakers and look forward to seeing what each mentorship brings.
Short biographies of both mentors and mentees are available on our here, alongside those of Fraser Brown and Julia Parnell who are well underway in the FilmUp Script Development Programme.
Script to Screen is proud to announce that eight talented filmmakers have been awarded places on our prestigious FilmUp programme in 2015.
Recipients now enter a rigorous eight-month programme of mentoring, group work, and wrap-around support tailored to their individual needs.
Six filmmakers have been selected for FilmUp Mentorship, and we are in the process of securing esteemed local and international mentors who will support them to take the next step up in their careers and creative practice. They are:
Producer Desray Armstrong
Writer/director Dustin Feneley
Writer/director Nic Gorman
Writer/director Asuka Sylvie
Director Curtis Vowell
Producer Karin Williams
FilmUp Script Development will run alongside FilmUp Mentorship and in 2015 producers Julia Parnell and Fraser Brown have been awarded places. Fraser and Julia will work with writer/directors Brendan Donovan and Aidee Walker respectively, honing their development craft and philosophy under the tutelage of story consultant and acting/directing coach Brita McVeigh.
The programme opened officially with our first Hub last Thursday, which was a fantastic day and has left us super excited about the year ahead with these talented filmmakers.
This year saw the most difficult selection process since the inception of the programme, as selectors were faced with a large pool of high-calibre applicants. We would like to thank all those filmmakers who applied.
FilmUp is made possible with financial assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission.
Last month saw the kick-off of our first South Shorts Mentorship Programme, where the talented up-and-coming writers came together to workshop their short film ideas under the guidance of Michael Bennett (MATARIKI), Oscar Kightley (SIONE’S WEDDING), Zia Mandviwalla (NIGHT SHIFT) and Jake Mahaffy (FREE IN DEED).
We are now able to announce the exciting mentorship pairings that will nourish the creativity of these writers for the next six months and hopefully see some great short films get made!
Lene Aiono with writer/director Michael Bennett (MATARIKI)
Vela Manusaute with writer/director Zia Mandviwalla (NIGHT SHIFT)
Levi Matautia-Morgan with writer/director Oscar Kightley (SIONE’S WEDDING)
Louise Tu’u with producer Ainsley Gardiner (BOY)
Writing team Mary Campbell and Maria Walker with writer/director Zia Mandviwalla (NIGHT SHIFT)
Isaac Weeks with writer/director Jake Mahaffy (FREE IN DEED)
This exciting new programme is made possible with the continued support of the ASB Community Trust.
A similar mentorship will be made available to Northland filmmakers this year, where up to 6 filmmaking teams will have guidance on progressing a film project. To be considered for this mentorship, filmmakers should attend our May workshop in the Hokianga, Storytelling for the Screen.
Application Deadline: 5pm, Monday 9th March 2015
Following on from a successful inaugural year, we are delighted to call for applications for FilmUp Script Development, a dynamic multi-faceted programme that significantly up-skills producers and script editors who want to hone their skills in story development.
We warmly welcome back renowned story consultant and acting/directing coach Brita McVeigh who will helm the programme, providing engaged one-on-one coaching.
She’s a genuine collaborator. Every project is different and Brita’s skill is that she knows how to find the weak spots and strengthen them. She knows how to work closely on the script with the writer/director, or in rehearsal with the cast, to enhance the vision – that’s how she worked with Taika on BOY. – Ainsley Gardiner
The programme is built on the understanding that story knowledge in itself is simply not enough. Practitioners who excel in script development possess skills that are harder to come across, and it is these skills that enable a robust development process that strengthens the project.
For this reason, we deliver an exciting practice-based programme that will support New Zealand producers and script developers, help identify and strengthen their individual process, and at the same time ensure that this process yields results.
One-on-one coaching that supports the development of a feature project will sit at the heart of programme and be supplemented with facilitated group work, round tables with esteemed filmmakers, and a one-day intensive with a renowned Australian script editor.
It’s a rare and precious thing to have someone to discuss my work with as I’m doing it and I feel like the mentorship has not only accelerated my learning but also profoundly deepened it. – Julie Alp, 2014 Script Development participant.
Application Deadline: 5pm, Monday 9th March 2015
Click here for full information and apply now.
FilmUp 2015 is made possible with financial assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission.
Application Deadline: 5pm, Monday 9th March 2015
Applicants may also apply for FilmUp Mentorship – please let us know when you apply which is your preference.
You can pretend to be a good collaborator, but that won’t deepen or strengthen a screenplay. What will strengthen the projects you work on is finding your own true voice as a developer. Collaboration is as much about breaking the rules together as it is about observing them, especially with storytelling.
– Brita McVeigh
FilmUp Script Development enables those working with writers developing feature projects to take a big step up in their development craft.
Our programme is the very opposite of a quick-fix workshop. We believe that a good story developer needs to embrace the confidence of their own working methodology, and therefore the strand is designed to extend and accelerate the abilities of individual participants.
One-on-one coaching that supports the development of a feature project will sit at the heart of the programme, and be supplemented with facilitated group work, round tables with esteemed filmmakers, and a one-day intensive with a renowned Australian script editor.
The FilmUp Programme has been an incredibly valuable experience for me in terms of my creative thinking, and my approach to script editing under the guidance of mentor Brita McVeigh. Brita opened up new ways of thinking about script for me that benefits the project I took into the mentorship and my future practice. Thank you Script to Screen! – Tui Ruwhiu, 2014 Script Development participant.
Who is the programme for?
Two participants will be selected each year and applicants can be producers or script editors. The programme is for those with prior filmmaking and/or development experience and an already sound knowledge of story who want to hone their script development skills and discover a method that works.
Applicants must have a writer attached with a feature film project at a treatment or draft stage. It is crucial that the applicant and the writer they are working with are in a position to move the project forward significantly over the year. (Treatment to draft/draft to fully revised draft.)
What will you get out of the programme?
– An opening half-day intensive with Brita McVeigh, your writer and the other participants;
– A one-on-one session with Brita, tailoring your programme plan in alignment with where you are at in your development practice;
– Observed sessions with you and your writer, and subsequent private one-on-one reflective sessions with Brita;
– Feedback on notes you provide your writer;
– An introduction day and 3 x hub days in conjunction with the FilmUp Mentorship Programme including round tables, group work and a day long intensive with a renowned Australian script editor;
– A closing half-day intensive with Brita, your writer and the other participants.
The strand has also been designed to develop the core skills required to be outstanding in development. The ability to:
– Employ empathy in order to enable the writer’s vision;
– Genuinely listen to a collaborator;
– Determine clear boundaries, or terms, for your collaboration;
– Recognise story issues;
– Identify on a case-by-case, meeting-by-meeting basis how any story issues are best addressed, i.e. through character, theme, structure, premise or an issue within the writer’s process;
– Recognise when the fundamental questions underneath the material need to be readdressed for the work to progress;
– Express oneself with dexterity, either intimately or in a more functional manner depending on what is constructive for the writer at the time;
– Reflect on one’s own process.
What is required from the writer of the project?
– To enter into a contract with you and Script to Screen that provides a clear framework and protects the writers’ intellectual property;
– To attend both an opening and closing half-day intensive with you, Brita McVeigh and the other participants;
– To attend three intensive script sessions with you and Brita McVeigh;
– To commit to the deliverables agreed to by you, the writer and Brita McVeigh at the outset of the programme;
– To commit to taking their project from treatment to draft or draft to fully revised draft over the course of the programme.
Being a part of the FilmUp Script development strand was such a great experience for me. Writing can often feel like such a lonely process and the colossus of a feature film can seem incredibly daunting. Having the support of this program and someone to go on this journey with..proved invaluable. I didn’t have a first draft this time last year. Now I do. – Zia Mandviwalla, 2014 Script Development writer
Key Dates
Applications open 10th February and close on Monday 9th March 2015 at 5pm.
An industry selection panel will choose the successful applicants mid-March and all applicants will be advised of the results.
Shortlisted applicants may be required to participate in a 30-minute Skype interview;
Successful applicants must be available to attend an a full-day intensive with FilmUp Mentorship on Thursday 16th April and a half-day on Friday 17th April 2015.
Application Requirements
Applicants must be able to come to the programme with a writer and a feature film project to develop. The film can be at treatment or draft stage. You must be able to progress with the project significantly over the course of the programme.
Applicants must submit:
– A 1-paragraph biography;
– A up to one-page statement about where you are currently at in your development practice and what you hope to achieve from the programme;
– A 1-2 page synopsis of the feature film project you plan to bring into the programme;
– Confirmation and commitment from a writer to take part in the programme;
– A short project history from the writer including information about where the project is currently at and its journey so far;
– A short biography of the writer.
Download the application form here.
Please email or post your application to Ben:
Email: In a single .pdf file only to ben@script-to-screen.co.nz
Post: Script to Screen, PO Box 147263, Ponsonby, Auckland, 1144
Courier: 195 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland, 1011
Applications close at 5pm on Monday 9th March, 2015.
Any questions can be directed to ben@script-to-screen.co.nz, or you can call the office on 09 360 5400.
FilmUp 2015 is made possible with financial assistance from the NZ Film Commission.
Story Camp evolves from our 2014 and 2015 writing labs, which have seen talented local writers workshop their feature film scripts with exceptional international and local mentors.
This year each selected writer or writing team will have a rigorous five-day residential experience tailored specifically to meet the development needs of their feature film project. At the heart of the programme remains exceptional and experienced practitioners working with NZ’s exciting writers and filmmakers to foster voice and vision.
The process for each participant will be made up of some or all of the following development techniques: one-on-one script sessions, project-based group workshops, read-throughs, and workshopping with actors. The writers’ key collaborators will be invited in to parts of the process in instances where that will be of additional benefit to the process and project.
Story Camp Aotearoa is brought to you with financial assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission.
In addition to the 2014 South Auckland Short Film Workshop, Script to Screen is proud to introduce the South Shorts Mentoring Programme.
Six participants of the South Auckland Short Film Workshop will be chosen to participate in a 6 month programme, which offers 30 hours of mentoring on a short film project. The programme will be guide the teams through the process of developing a short film, with the view of either making the film on a low budget, or getting a script ready for a funding application to the New Zealand Film Commission Fresh Shorts funding round in June 2015.
The South Shorts Mentoring Programme aims to identify new talent and push them further on the path to making a short film. We are looking for distinctive new voices with a passion for storytelling. Participants may have some, little or no prior knowledge of filmmaking.
The participants will be chosen based on a combination of a written short film idea and their pitch during the South Auckland Short Film Workshop 2014.
How do I apply?
To be chosen you must attend the 2014 South Auckland Short Film Workshop on 29/30 November 2014. The six participants will be chosen by the panel during the pitching session on Sunday 30 November. You may submit an optional written synopsis of your short film idea to accompany your pitch. You can submit your short film synopsis to Script to Screen (eloise@script-to-screen.co.nz) prior to the workshop, or during the workshop. For more details on the written synopsis see here.
Programme Outline
The South Shorts Mentoring Programme will run into 2015 and participants will need to be available to attend the following days. Dates have not yet been set and will be discussed with the 6 participants in December 2014.
Kick-off Lab (7 hours) – All mentors and participants attend a one day intensive lab to launch the programme.
Ongoing Mentoring (10 hours over a 6 month period) – Participants are each offered 10 hours of one-on-one sessions with their mentor over the course of 6 months. The content of these sessions will be tailored to suit the needs of each team, but centre around developing the story and script, ready for either shooting the film or applying for funding.
Hubs (6 hours) – The participants come together for two 3 hour hub meetings during the six month period. This is a chance for the writers to discuss their experiences, what they are learning and hear from a guest speaker about a particular topic.
Wrap-up Lab (7 hours) – A day together again completes the six-month journey. Teams will chart progress, discuss challenges they encountered and plan the way forward for their film.
This initiative is made possible with assistance from the ASB Community Trust.