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A2.5 Bill Warnock New Feature Writers Award
| Type: Grant |
| Funding Available: Up to $6,000 |
| Assessed: By Panel |
Background:
A powerful West Australian voice, Bill Warnock's work was instrumental to the local screen industry. Bill attracted acknowledgment from Lotterywest throughout his career, in the form of prizes rewarding commitment to screen culture and excellence in screenwriting. He devoted much of his life to the arts as a patron, novelist and playwright and served on the Board of the Festival of Perth and as Chair of the Film and Television Institute. Following his death in 2001, his wife Diana proposed a ScreenWest writing prize that would recognize and continue Bill's legacy of powerful and imaginative storytelling.
Purpose and Scope:
ScreenWest's Bill Warnock New Feature Writers Award aims to provide development assistance to less established writers who display the potential to develop long form drama. The round is aimed specifically at the development of low budget features (ie. less than $2 million dollars).
This scheme is intended for less established writers with imaginative ideas and who demonstrate substantial writing skills.
Eligibility:
Writers who have previously been funded by ScreenWest are generally not eligible to apply, however ScreenWest may relax this condition to include writers who have been funded on one previous occasion.
As with all Creative Development schemes, Bill Warnock New Feature Writers Award is only open to filmmakers resident in Western Australia. Please refer to the General Guidelines for a definition of WA residency.
Long form drama applicants must have completed at least a full first draft script of a low budget feature project before applying.
Assessment Process:
Specially convened Panels, comprising of ScreenWest staff and industry representatives with relevant expertise, will consider applications. The Panels make recommendations that are then referred to the Chief Executive for approval. Applications for the Bill Warnock New Feature Writers Award will be considered in two stages.
Applicants are required to submit a 3-page story outline plus ten pages of a completed first draft script of their low budget feature project for initial assessment. Short listed applicants will then be asked to provide their first draft plus notes regarding the intended development of the script for further consideration.
Criteria:
Applications will be assessed at each stage on the basis of:
- The quality and originality of the script idea;
- The potential of the applicant, and their commitment to work professionally within the Western Australian film and television industry;
- The capacity of the applicant to complete a sustained piece of work;
- The market potential and audience appeal of the project;
- The proposed level of involvement in production of Western Australian principals, cast, crew, facilities and locations.
It is important to note that applications are assessed competitively against other applications. Therefore an applicant cannot be guaranteed of success even if the application substantially meets the criteria.
Financial Assistance and Conditions:
ScreenWest will provide a support package of up to $6,000 for one successful applicant. This sum will include a minimal writer's fee plus professional feedback from a script editor/mentor. This sustained support on a one-on-one basis over a period of up to 12 weeks will be provided from an established screenwriter or script editor to help the successful applicants complete a further draft of their script.
This assistance will be subject to the entry into a Development Investment Agreement with ScreenWest. Offers of support are based on ScreenWest's standard agreements and legal fees are not generally charged (although applicants are liable for their own costs in reviewing documentation or seeking advice). Successful applicants will need to provide evidence of copyright ownership if the script is based on a work other than the applicant's.
Application Procedures:
Stage One: Long form drama applicants will need to submit:
- A completed Application form;
- A three page outline of the script;
- Ten pages of the script;
- A CV.
Stage Two: Long form drama applicants will be invited to submit:
- A first draft script;
- Notes regarding the intended development of the script.
These guidelines must be read in conjunction with the General Guidelines.
Apply for this Program
It is easy and fast to apply online to ScreenWest funding programs. Login with your ScreenXtra subscriber details. ScreenWest prefers applicants to submit online.
- 9 February 2009
If you are unable to apply online, please download this PDF and follow the delivery instructions.
Click to download PDF application form.
