Kotahi kapua ki te rangi he marangai ki te whenua *
one cloud from the heavens brings rain and nourishment to the parched land
nā tauira o Te Ataarangi
Script to Screen, in collaboration with Compton School, is excited to announce the participants for our new innovative mentorship programme, Rainmakers Aotearoa.
We received 100 applications for Rainmakers Aotearoa, it is clear this is a programme that the industry wants.
Thank you to everyone who applied. Due to the quantity and high quality of applicants, the selectors struggled to narrow down the shortlist.
The second part of the selection process involved brief interviews with the 12 shortlisted applicants. This was an opportunity to further clarify what they wanted to get out of the programme, the type of person or qualities and skills they were looking for in a potential mentor, and where they saw this mentorship taking them on their own personal and professional journey.
The final six chosen to be a part of this first year of Rainmakers Aotearoa are now ready to begin this journey with Script to Screen and Compton School in designing their mentorship for the year ahead.
Candidates come from across the landscape of screen storytelling.
The participants selected for Rainmakers Aotearoa:
(pictured left to right)
Once mentors have been selected and matched, Script to Screen will publish them alongside the mentees.
Rainmakers Aotearoa will harness the knowledge of a generation of exceptional individuals, and through a co-designed approach, support the transfer of knowledge.
Script to Screen is committed to continuing to develop and deliver development programmes that meet the needs of the screen sector of Aotearoa.
* This whakatauī is from a waiata composed by early members of Te Ataarangi in honour of Dame Kāterina Mataira and the kaupapa of Te Ataarangi in Te Reo language revitalisation – which continues today. It describes how a single person or kaupapa (kotahi kapua) can have great impact, just like one lifegiving rain shower on the parched land.
Rainmakers Aotearoa is a Script to Screen initiative run in partnership with Compton School.
Rainmakers Aotearoa is possible thanks to generous support from Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission.
Q. Can you give some examples of who mentors might be?
Lined up for the podcast we currently have Rainmakers such as Helen Bowden (Producer), Chloe Rickard (Jungle Entertainment), Sue Maslin (Producer).
We’re aiming big! Looking for Rainmakers as far up the tree we can get.
Q. Reading the brief it sounds pretty open ended.
Yes. Deliberately so. We’re not wanting to be too determinative about who is an appropriate mentee; this goes for your goals and ambitions and what you would want from your mentorship as well. I think anyone who kind of finds themselves needing answers to questions. We don’t really mind where you come from. It’s about your needs. And you know, whether you fit this and whether we can answer questions for you.
The same with the mentors: we’re interested in the people who are highly productive, highly successful practitioners as mentors. They can be in any role whatsoever. They might be an entertainment lawyer. They might be working at a funding agency, they might be a casting agent. Anyone who is contributing to the productivity of the industry is from our perspective, eligible to be a mentor, and the same in terms of mentees and same in terms of you as applicants.
Q. What does a co-designed approach look like?
Each mentoring program will be co-designed between us and you, and you (the mentee) and the mentor, depending on your needs and goals. The outcomes and milestone of the mentorship will not be specified in advance by us, we will negotiate these between all parties prior to commencement.
Q. Is the mentee able to choose their mentor?
You may suggest someone you think would be the right mentor, whether that person is available or interested is another question. We may take your suggestion into account when choosing your mentor.
Mentors are given the option of accepting or not accepting a proposed mentee. We can’t guarantee that even if a person were one of the one of the mentors, that they would be available to you.
You need to be open to the possibility that we might have a different idea of who would be the right mentor for you and obviously would discuss that with you too.
Q. What do you most want to hear in the one paragraph biography about us as screen practitioners, considering it’s only up to 150 words, you’re asking about goals, work history separately.
We understand 150 words is short, but you may attach supplementary information to support your application.
We want to get a sense of who you are.
The application is broken into 4 parts.
Q. Is Rainmakers similar to the FilmUp programme?
Both programmes have mentorship at their heart. Rainmakers runs for a longer period, and may be career based, personal creative development, or project based, this programme is led by David Court, and the seminars will cover different topics, you may also be from any part of the industry. Please refer to the eligibility criteria.
FilmUp is project based and only open to writers, directors and producers.
Q. Given that Rainmakers is open to screen-affiliated applicants (e.g. entertainment lawyers, regional film officers, etc.), how does this affect the main focus around building innovative and new content systems? These people might want to create a different sort of screen-related business or system…
We are all a part of the screen industry, yes we may use different systems but all parts of the wheel can work together and learn from each other. We’re interested in the question what does the screen content business of the future look like? The answers may come from anyone, not necessarily from producers or from writers. That’s why we’re throwing the thing open to reflect and recognise that, the sort of thinking we require to find innovative, workable new solutions to the changing environment we live in – might come from anyone.
If you look at any knowledge industry, but this is particularly true for the film industry, what you’ll see is there’s a relatively small number of people who are highly productive, who produce and generate much of the work. We’re interested in those people, and we don’t really care what role they’re in.
E.g. an entertainment lawyer, someone who’s, you know, advised on 100 projects. What’s relevant to you is that all of those people contribute to the success of the business, contribute to its output, continue to contribute to its productivity. So there’s no reason in my mind to distinguish between them.
At the heart of this is a matching process. Sometimes those matches might be with someone within your normal worldview and your normal way of doing things. But actually, there might be a suggestion that someone outside of that might really unlock something for you.
Q. How many people will you take into the Rainmakers Aotearoa program?
6
Q. Aside from the mentoring, it seems one of the key benefits of the programme will be the network that is built across the cohort here and in Australia. Is there any collaborative element within the programme (between the mentees) to further foster this network building?
Yes, this will happen during the seminars, in person and online. When you come together with the other mentees and with some of the mentors from time to time in the program, there will be the opportunity to really connect with those people.
Script to Screen also have a number of different programs, anyone that’s involved in our programs become part of the alumni community where there are other opportunities for support and connection with others.
Q. I have a number of different roles in the film industry – actor, writer, director, producer. Do I have to focus on one of these areas for my application or can I reference all of them?
Mention them all
Q. What do you mean by Connection in reference the characteristics of an ideal applicant?
A part of the programme is centred around building your connections in the industry with likeminded individuals, with the small number of people generating volumes of work. We want to see that you are either already connected or willing to make connections with others. **** Expanded From Webinar
Q. Can you apply as a creative partnership?
You are welcome to apply as a creative partnership. If you can write a compelling case your application will still be considered for this programme. We cannot guarantee a mentor will accept as it could change the dynamic of the mentorship.
Q. What’s an example of a goal an applicant wants to work towards?
The more specific you are, the easier it is for us to identify a mentor who can help you and for the mentor to engage with you. We understand that these goals might change and develop over time.
Goals might be:
Q. Is there a possibility that you would suggest someone apply for Rainmakers or Strength in Numbers based on their application if they applied for one and weren’t suitable but was suitable for the other?
Apply for both. Please be mindful both programmes have the same deadline. The applications will be going through separate selection processes with different selectors.
Q. Can you be matched with a mentor in either New Zealand or Australia?
Yes
Q. As someone who is interested in both Strength In Numbers and Rainmakers Aotearoa is it possible to be chosen for both programmes?
It is it is possible to be chosen for both. If we genuinely think there’s a compelling reason being accepted for both programmes would be considered.
Q. Is the focus on changing the way screen content is made? Or is it about developing the careers of the mentees? Or both?
The focus fundamentally is about developing the careers of the mentees. Alongside that the podcast series will focus on the current climate and question “if you were starting again now what would you do?” **** Answer clarified from webinar.
Q. Is there funding to support travel for the in-person seminars?
There is funding available to support travel to the seminars in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland and Australia.
Kotahi kapua ki te rangi he marangai ki te whenua *
one cloud from the heavens brings rain to the land nā tauira o Te Ataarangi
Script to Screen, in collaboration with Compton School, is excited to offer a new innovative mentorship programme that will continue to nourish the screen sector in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Rainmakers Aotearoa will harness the knowledge of a generation of exceptional individuals and through a co-designed approach, enable the transferring of this knowledge to the next generation of screen sector changemakers. This knowledge and experience is critical information that is not typically written down or taught at universities.
Research shows that mentoring delivers highly effective learning and outcomes. The best mentors ‘raise all boats’, increasing the output and creativity of everyone around them. Which is why we are proud to offer this opportunity to screen industry professionals in Aotearoa.
Mentee candidates can be from above or below the line or from across the value chain of content production, for example but not limited to producers, filmmakers, actors, heads of department, post-production supervisors, agents, lawyers, insurers, accountants and film agency executives and many others.
Key dates:
Please read the programme overview and application requirements before you apply.
Rainmaker Aotearoa is run by Script to Screen in partnership with Compton School.
Rainmaker Aotearoa is possible thanks to generous support from the Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission.
* This sentence is from a waiata composed by early members if Te Ataarangi in honour of Kāterina Mataira and the kaupapa of Te Ataarangi. It describes how a single person or kaupapa (kotahi kapua) can have great impact, just like one lifegiving rain shower on the parched land.
Rainmakers Aotearoa is a brand new mentorship programme from Script to Screen. It will harness the knowledge of a generation of exceptional individuals and enable the transfer of this knowledge to the next generation of screen sector changemakers.
Mentee candidates can be from above or below the line or from across the value chain of content production, for example but not limited to producers, filmmakers, actors, heads of department, post-production supervisors, agents, lawyers, insurers, accountants and film agency executives and many others.
Key dates:
Eligibility:
Mentee candidates can be from above or below the line or from across the value chain of content production, for example but not limited to:
What you’ll need to submit:
Shortlisted individuals will then have a 20-minute interview before the final selection is made.
What/who we’re looking for:
Ideal candidates will display the below characteristics