Strength In Numbers Applications Open


Script to Screen, in partnership with Compton School, is proud to be once again delivering Strength in Numbers. Through this programme, practitioners will develop the tools they need to build a sustainable and profitable business in the screen industry. 

Led by Australian screen business expert David Court the programme is delivered through a series of workshops held in Auckland, and online over 7 months. During this time, participants will delve into key aspects of their business, which include decision processes, finance, strategy, and business structures.  

Ideal applicants will have a screen industry business (at least three years old) with a slate of projects, be emerging to mid-career, and possess a proven track record demonstrating considerable talent and tenacity in their field. This opportunity is equivalent to a $10,000 investment in your business, and we anticipate up to 8 businesses will be supported.  

Past participants of Strength in Numbers have helped shape the screen industry and have become a part of New Zealand’s most loved and successful screen projects, from commercials to feature films.   


2024 Application Dates: 

  • Applications open: Tuesday 6th August 2024 
  • Information Webinar: 5 PM, Monday 19th August
  • Applications close: 1 PM, Monday 16th September

Overview

The programme will be delivered in two, two-day intensive workshops and three half-day online sessions from November 2024 to May 2025. The programme comprises of a mix of instruction, interactive discussion, case studies, guest speakers, peer feedback and a personal one-on-one session with David Court. 

Curriculum

  1. COMING TOGETHER IN A CREATIVE ENTERPRISE: In a creative enterprise a group of people must come together and, trusting in each other, spend months or even years working on a project – a project that is also a business. Finding the right structure is essential, one that binds the team and rewards them for the work they do and the risks they take. Strength in Numbers participants will explore some of the innovative business structures creative people have used to work together successfully.
  2. STRATEGIC CHOICES IN CREATIVE LIFE: In creative life we are defined, for better or worse, by what we make. The right project can propel a career forward; the wrong project can slow or stop it. Choosing what to make is therefore strategic. In this topic participants will study the elements of project choice. We will look at the movie greenlight process, the writers’ room and other methods of harnessing the ‘wise crowd’ in project selection.
  3. UNPACKING THE CONTENT ‘BLACK BOX’: Content is a ‘black box’, a puzzle with many parts. Creators must unpack the box and find a way to distribute the risks and rewards, the property rights and the creative possibilities. In this topic we work at solving the puzzle.
  4. GROWTH STRATEGIES: Growth is about focus, not doing more of the same. We explore four proven strategies using the flywheels of brand, talent, money and information to grow your business past its current limits. And discover how they compare and why they are mutually exclusive.
  5. THE WAY AHEAD: Few businesses stick to the plans they make. Yet a plan is a narrative – the story a business tells to attract and engage with customers, partners, employees and investors. It’s also a way of thinking things through – what matters, where the opportunities lie, where the focus of the business should be. In this topic, participants will learn the elements of business planning.
  6. ELEMENTS OF THE PITCH: Pitching is a core skill in creative industries. It’s necessary to attract the resources – time, money and effort – required for the work. And it’s necessary too when it comes time to build an audience for the work. In this topic, we teach the elements of the pitch – narrative, clarity, confidence, and engagement.

 


Dates of delivery: 

  • November 22 & 23 – all day workshops in Auckland 
  • January 31 – 1/2 day online session 
  • February 28 – 1/2 day online session 
  • March 31 – 1/2 day online session 
  • June 6 & 7 – all day workshop in Auckland 
  • One-on-one meetings will be held between the last two workshops. 

Applicants need to be available for all dates of the programme. 

Travel and accommodation costs for participants who live outside Auckland will be covered as part of the programme. 


Please read the application requirements before you apply. 


Strength in Numbers is run by Script to Screen in partnership with Compton School.  

Strength in Numbers is possible thanks to generous support from Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga the New Zealand Film Commission. 

Apply Here

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