FRAMED #05 – Get Smart! Getting Agent-Ready / Getting into the Screen

Come along and hear 2008 Cannes Jury Prize winner producer Stuart Parkyn and industry icon Sound Designer Gary Wilkins impart wisdom about the screen industry's do's and dont's in OPEN CHANNEL's free upcoming seminar FRAMED #05 - Get Smart! Getting Agent-Ready / Getting into the Screen Industry.

What's the relationship between the agent and the screen practitioner? Common feedback from previous Framed sessions has indicated that this is a topic that filmmakers are keen to know more about...

So, you've just graduated from film school - where to next? Getting on an agent's books, whether as a crew member, technician, writer, DOP or director requires certain experience. At what stage can you approach an agent for representation? What level of experience is expected for different practitioners? What are some of the common career pathways? Finally, we'll ask the panel about ways in which collaborations between the crew and the creative team can be strengthened. Speakers to include Stuart Parkyn, producer of Jerrycan which was recently awarded the Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.


Speakers:
Stuart Parkyn, Producer
Gary Wilkins, Sound Designer
Kristian Connelly, General Manager, Cinema Nova
Bridget Callow, Producer/ Production Manager
Kylie Smith, Marketing Manager, AT2
Sue Marriott, Facilitator

When: Thursday 3 July 2008, 12.30 - 2pm
Where: Digital Harbour Theatrette, Innovation Building, 1010 Latrobe St, Docklands


RESOURCES

FilmCrew Victoria: Getting Agent-Ready (PDF)
www.openchannel.org.au/framed/2008/05_filmcrew_victoria.pdf

The two main film technician/ crew agencies are:
Freelancers Promotions www.freelancers.com.au
Film Crew Victoria www.fcvic.com.au

Stacey Testro International represents writers, directors, producers, composers, directors of photography, and actors www.sti.com.au


AT2
Cast your own independent film using AT2's innovate new online casting tool iCast. The service is free to independent and student film productions. AT2 is an online tool, listing around 20,000 artists, that is used by professional casting directors to broadcast casting auditions to talent agents and freelance artists, specifying production dates, rates and role information. Agents and artists can submit to these roles by attaching their online portfolio and sending it back through the site. This means that casting directors aren't bombarded by emails with resume and photo attachments, rather AT2 sorts and organises the submissions by role and by agency, including contact details. AT2 provides a service to emerging filmmakers and have cast lots of work - the Matrix, Star Wars, Ghost Rider, Knowing, The Lion King, Priscilla, pretty much every TVC made in Oz, plus corporate work, student films, Tropfest entries, and more.

To find out more go to www.at2.com.au and click JOIN NOW


STUART PARKYN, PRODUCER
Stuart Parkyn completed a Masters degree in Producing at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in 2005. The six films he produced at AFTRS have won more than 40 awards and screened at 70 film festivals in 16 countries. In 2007, Stuart was nominated at the 79th Academy Awards in the category of Live Action Short Film for The Saviour. Festival highlights include winning the Slamdance Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short in both 2005 (for Splintered) and 2006 (for The Saviour); winning Best Film and Best Documentary at the 2005 St Kilda Film Festival (for Splintered and Blandville); and screening at the 2005 Annecy Animation Festival (for The Instructional Guide to Dating). Since AFTRS Stuart has produced television commercials, worked as a script assessor and has recently completed the Australian Film Commission funded short film Piranha. Prior to AFTRS Stuart worked in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Dublin and London in the areas of business management, marketing and internet development. Stuart currently developing two feature film projects and a television series. Stuart is the producer of Jerrycan which was recently awarded the Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

GARY WILKINS
A 40 year veteran and industry icon, Gary is an award winning Sound Designer on a global scale. Gary started at Crawford Productions in the sound dept in 1964, and worked as the sound technician / recordist until 1975 on Homicide, Matlock Police, Ryan, The Box and a wide range of projects. As a testament to the quality and breadth of Gary's work, he has received Four MPSE Hollywood Golden Reels, Five A.F.I. Awards, 2 Variety Club "Sammy" Statues and Two Pan Pacific Sound Awards. In early 2006 Gary was admitted to the Cinema Audio Society (CAS) in the US which is a group limited to sound professionals of high experience and recognized ability. Membership to the CAS is currently restricted and Gary is one of but a few Australians who have been honoured with acceptance into the society. Gary has worked alongside directors such as Bruce Beresford, Peter Weir, Brian De Palma and John Boorman, with a staggering 800 TVCs, countless documentaries, TV Mini Series, and 67 Australian & International Feature Films to his credit, including Romulus, my Father, Ghost Rider, Mad Max, Breaker Morant, Crocadile Dundee, Evil Angels, to name just a few!

Gary has been a guest lecturer on sound at the VCA for more than eight years. He has also served as a State and Federal Councilor for the MEAA and is currently a committee member and spokesman for the Screen Technicians Association.

BRIDGET CALLOW
With over seven years experience as a producer and production manager for film and television in Australia, Bridget has worked on long and short form drama including international feature films, television series and documentaries for the ABC and Fox 8. Her debut feature as a producer is currently screening as a World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, New York, and she is in development of her second feature film, funded by the Australian Film Commission. As well as developing an independent producing slate she continues to freelance as a producer, production manager and documentary researcher. Most recently she production managed a feature for Cascade Films, working along side veteran producer, David Parker, followed by working with Melanie Coombs and Adam Elliot, on the $8 million animated feature Mary & Max.

KRISTIAN CONNELLY
Having worked in the Cinema Industry since 2002, Kristian Connelly has built a reputation for being integral to the success of limited release film in the Melbourne marketplace. After shepherding Village Cinemas’ upscale Cinema Europa/Rivoli Cinemas circuit from the fringe to the forefront of fine film exhibition, Kristian is now the General Manager/Marketing of Cinema Nova, which is now recognised internationally as Australia’s most influential and successful arthouse. Kristian has overseen the implementation of the Europa Movie Club (loyalty program), the creation of the world-first VTV on-line celebrity interview series, major events involving international and local talent, countless print and online campaigns as well as having guided both major and independent distributors to distribution success. Kristian has also participated in industry workshops and champions the importance of Australian Film wherever possible.

KYLIE SMITH, MARKETING MANAGER, AT2
AT2 is an online tool, listing around 20,000 artists, that is used by professional casting directors to broadcast casting auditions to talent agents and freelance artists, specifying production dates, rates and role information. Agents and artists can submit to these roles by attaching their online portfolio and sending it back through the site. This means that casting directors aren't bombarded by emails with resume and photo attachments, rather AT2 sorts and organises the submissions by role and by agency, including contact details. Artists pay an annual fee of around $100 to be on the site. It's free for casting professionals - and also for I-cast producers. AT2 provides a service to emerging filmmakers and have cast lots of work - the Matrix, Star Wars, Ghost Rider, Knowing, The Lion King, Priscilla, pretty much every TVC made in Oz, plus corporate work, student films, Tropfest entries, and more. Find out more at www.at2.com.au

SUE MARRIOTT, PRESIDENT, WIFT (Vic) & VICE PRESIDENT, MEAA (Vic), (FACILITATOR)
Sue Marriott currently works as a freelance film production and events management consultant and lecturer in arts management. She was an Industrial Organiser for 16 years with the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) and a recent Film Victoria Board Member until 2004. Sue is currently President of Women in Film & Television (WIFT) Victoria and a Vice-President of the MEAA, Victorian Branch. As a lecturer at Melbourne University for the last two years, Sue taught Industrial Relations and Arts Management for Post-Graduate Diploma students. She has a recent broadcast screen credit as Production/Location Management Consultant for the documentary Endangered. Sue knows and has worked or consulted with, nearly every established producer/production company in Victoria and many interstate.