C1.1 Screen Culture

What is screen culture?

Screen Culture has been defined as the environment in which screen productions are developed, made, viewed, analysed and appreciated by all sectors of the screen industry and wider community. It is an umbrella term that describes a great diversity of activities that are grounded in film, yet reverberate throughout the broader cultural landscape.

ScreenWest takes a focussed view on screen culture in order to remain consistent with its purpose. For ScreenWest, screen culture must have some identifiable direct or indirect impact on, or relevance to, the production industry.

Purpose and Scope:

The expansion of the screen industry requires, to underpin it, the broader engagement of the Western Australian community, and a talented and professional community of practitioners to build it.

Screen Culture plays a vital role in enriching and underpinning creative production practices, encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations and providing critical community and industry platforms. ScreenWest is committed to the continued development of the sector and its practitioners.

Accordingly, ScreenWest's support of screen culture aims to achieve three key outcomes:

• A dynamic local screen culture community that encourages critical analysis of the practices of the screen industry as well as innovation for the long term benefit of the broader community of Western Australia;
• The critical, creative and strategic development of the community of Western Australian filmmakers and screen practitioners to aid the production industry's success;
• The assistance and encouragement of the development of a diverse, yet relevant, informed screen culture sector and its practitioners.

Eligibility:

The following types of activity are eligible for funding under ScreenWest's Screen Culture fund:

• Courses/Workshops/Seminars/Networks and Alliances that enhance the above three outcomes (short courses and training activities only);
• Projects that are designed to impart advanced level film making skills or knowledge to local practitioners;
• Industry Events, including visits by interstate and international guests, talks, seminars, or conferences which address screen policy issues or other trends and developments relevant to the film industry;
• Launches, award ceremonies and other key industry functions that promote screen practitioners and screen culture;
• Screen Activities such as festivals, screenings and events that promote screen product and issues in a critical context, and enhance community participation.

Please note that this grant is not intended to fund applicants to travel to courses and events, please see Practitioner Development Travel Grants for travel support.

Funding Options:

ScreenWest is committed to developing and sustaining screen culture in Western Australia and offers three grant pools for applicants to apply to. Triennial, Annual and Development grants are designed to assist practitioners with different skill levels and project development ability to build an innovative and dynamic screen culture environment.

Triennial Grants:

Western Australian applicants who have secured funding from the 'Special Events/Screen Culture' grant over the past three years (increasing annually) are eligible to apply for a triennial grant which will commit funding to a Screen Culture project over a three year period. Triennial grants are designed to stabilise projects - not offer growth funding. CPI indexing will be considered over the triennial period and should be detailed in the project budget. Eligible applicants must demonstrate that their project's core activity significantly contributes to screen culture in Western Australia. Projects will need to demonstrate strategic planning over three years and demonstrate how they will execute each of the selection criteria annually over the triennial period. Annual reporting will be required. If there are key development opportunities that cannot be accommodated within the triennial budget, applicants are invited to apply for an annual grant to supplement their triennial grant. Applicants are encouraged to contact ScreenWest before applying.

Annual Grants:

Western Australian and Interstate applicants that operate projects on a regular basis and, on some occasions, a one-off basis (e.g. conferences) are eligible to apply for an annual grant. Applicants must demonstrate that their project meets objectives and selection criteria of the screen culture fund.

Criteria:

When applying to the Screen Culture Fund, it is essential to respond to the following selection criteria in order to demonstrate your project's ability to strategically deliver the objectives of this program.

Successful applications will be those which address the following requirements convincingly. Please note that a single project need not, and is not expected to, address all of these points. The success of the application will depend on how well it addresses the points that are relevant to it.

• How the project will encourage critical debate and analysis of the screen and broader issues associated with film, television and new media production?
• How the project may build and encourage knowledge and creative skills in story telling, image making, future trends and opportunities within the industry and screen culture?
• Ways the project will encourage, inform or inspire participation and screen access for local practitioners and the broader Western Australian community.
• How the project may provide cultural and strategic development opportunities for Western Australian screen practitioners? Although not essential, where appropriate, applicants should outline how they intend to embrace and showcase Western Australian talent as part of their project.
• Where appropriate, how the project works strategically with other local and national screen resource networks and organisations?
• If appropriate, ways in which broadcast partners, distributors and exhibitors, internet streaming programmers and service providers, general media and/or screen culture decision makers are involved in the proposal and how these relationships can be leveraged to benefit the Western Australian screen community? ScreenWest acknowledges these relationships are long term growth strategies and won't prejudice projects that have limited relationships in place.
• How the proposal presents creative and innovative concepts and avoids duplication of other projects? Consistent with Western Australian Government policy, the extent to which the project may create opportunities for regional communities, and may support and celebrate multicultural and minority groups, Indigenous people and people with disabilities will be considered in the overall mix of projects and organisations supported.

How to Apply:

The application must include a project rationale including:

• Aims and objectives;
• Expected outcomes including anticipated audience figures;
• Developmental strategy and comparative figures (where appropriate);
• Dates, locations and/or delivery date;
• Detailed marketing strategies and alternative income options;
• Project timeline;
• Budget (for on-going projects) including contingency and income projections;
• ScreenWest General Application Form.

Applicants are encouraged to research ScreenWest industry strategic objectives and existing screen culture events and programs.

All applicants must complete a post-project report within three months of the completion of their project. Further applications will not be considered until the post-project reports have been received.

Assessment:

An assessment panel consisting of three assessors will consider the applications. This panel will consist of two screen professionals and one ScreenWest representative. Screen Culture Development grants managed by FTI will be assessed by an FTI Representative.

The Assessment Panel will consider:

• The extent to which the applicant meets the eligibility and relevant selection criteria set out above;
• The proposed outcomes of the project and the likelihood of the project meeting those outcomes;
• Evidence that the project is well planned and achievable with consideration to financial management, marketing and promotion, distribution and target audience;
• Whether the project maximizes opportunities for private sponsorship, in-kind support and revenue generation.

Recommendations and/or deliberations of the Assessment Panel and, where applicable, the ScreenWest Board will remain confidential throughout the assessment and decision making processes.

Special Instructions:

Applicants are strongly advised to contact ScreenWest Communications Manager Neta Gill  (Ph: 08 9224 7424) for a detailed discussion of their project before making a formal application.

These guidelines must be read in conjunction with the General Guidelines.