Storyworks Victoria 2019

Supported by Film Victoria, Storyworks will assist participants to become fundraising and partnership ready and connect them with industry peers and professionals.

Documentary Australia Foundation (DAF) will be working with Victorian early-career filmmakers across an 8-month period from April to October. DAF will provide tailored support and assist filmmakers in gaining the knowledge and creating the materials they need to be ready to approach potential funders and impact-partners.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

1. Have a solid idea or developing social impact film project; and

2. be seeking philanthropic funding and impact partners to collaborate; and

3. aim to use their film to contribute to social change for: The Arts; Environment; Health & Wellbeing; Human Rights & Social Justice; Indigenous; Youth & Education; or Women and Girls; and

4. be located in Victoria, Australia; and

5. be considered to be early-career: an early career screen practitioner is defined as someone who has graduated from a tertiary, or other media course, with generalist screen production knowledge, or has demonstrated a commitment to the screen industry through prior production experience, including student films, games development or through unpaid work experience on professional productions.

Course Requirements

StoryWorks 2019 is an intensive mentorship requiring attendance and full participation in the activities detailed below.

Participants must:

• Meet the eligibility requirements.

• Pay the required course fee by the specified dates.

• Be able to attend all activities including a 2-hour introductory session in Melbourne, 4x 1-hour online webinars, 12-80 hours of online self-paced learning, 3x 30-minute phone check-ins and 3x full-day events in Melbourne.

• Complete all the coursework and submit key materials.

See below for detailed activities.

Course Objectives

• Strengthen professional connections and networks with established industry practitioners and businesses, which may lead to future employment opportunities

• Increase knowledge and understanding of the business practices which underpin the screen industry

• Encourage strategic thinking and planning about career pathways

• Encourage early career practitioners to be innovative and entrepreneurial

• Encourage the cross pollination of ideas which can lead to new partnerships and opportunities.

The course will:

1. Demonstrate and guide documentary filmmakers in the approach, language and focus of their work to attract philanthropic, social and corporate sector partnerships.

2. Assist filmmakers to understand how the DAF impact model, in particular impact partnerships and philanthropic funding fits with the traditional screen industry model of finance and distribution, and how to build collaborative partnerships and impact strategies. Participants will have the opportunity to present their projects to and connect with professionals from the screen industry, and the philanthropic and social sectors.

3. By the end of the course participants will have developed key materials to enable them to apply for philanthropic grants, donations, and develop impact partnerships for their specified film project. Including:

• A 1-2 page case for support
• A verbal elevator pitch
• An overview of the issue they are addressing including relevant key players and organisations working on the issue
• Impact vision statement
• Theory of change
• Strategic plan
• Fundraising plan
• Evaluation plan

Program Activities

INTRODUCTORY SESSION

When:      5.30pm-8.30pm, weekday evening in 2nd or 3rd week of April. Date TBA in February.
Where:    Melbourne, venue TBA

Kicking off the course in April, the 2-hour introductory session, will connect participants with DAF’s impact team and their peers to understand anticipated outcomes, course expectations & process. Introduce templates, assign peer relationships and present film case studies.

GROUP WEBINARS

When:       4x monthly weekday evenings 6-7pm in April, May, June and July. Dates TBA.
Where:     Online

Occurring monthly the 1-hour webinars introduce participants to impact and fundraising planning and the tools needed to be successful. The webinars will lead into deeper online self-paced learning.

ONLINE SELF-PACED LEARNING

When:        April-August. Estimated effort may be from 12-80 hours
Where:      Online

Building on the webinars, participants can take a deeper look at why and how to plan and craft their key materials to prepare their projects for fundraising. Participants will be expected to produce key materials to be eligible for consideration to pitch on presentation day.

INDIVIDUAL PHONE CHECK-INS

When:       3x 30-minutes calls in May, June and July to be scheduled at convenience.
Where:     Melbourne, venue TBA

These scheduled check-ins with DAF’s impact team will allow participants to gain direct feedback on their materials from DAF’s impact team, further readying them for their pitch.

2-DAY MASTERCLASS – PANELS & TEAMWORK

When:      10am-5pm, 2x consecutive weekdays in September. Date TBA in February
Where:     Melbourne, venue TBA

In September, participants will come together for a 2-day masterclass consisting of teamwork activities that will help them test and refine their project materials, and panels featuring industry experts that will broaden their ideas and creative thinking in how to contribute to social impact.

PITCH FORUM AND INDUSTRY NETWORKING

When:        9.30am-7.30pm, weekday in October. Date TBA in February
Where:      Melbourne, venue TBA

In October, selected projects will be invited to pitch their project in front of professionals from the screen industry, and the philanthropic and social sectors. The 1- day program will also feature case studies of successful impact campaigns, and finish with networking drinks.

Important Dates

Fri 15th Mar        Earlybird EOI closes
Mon 25th Mar    Earlybird applicants notified on or before this date
Mon 1st Apr        Earlybird payment due on or before this date

Sun 31st Mar      Last Chance EOI closes
Thu 4th Apr        Last Chance applicants notified on or before this date
Mon 8th Apr       Last Chance payment due on or before this date

April 2019
Introductory Session 2-hours
Webinar #1 6-7pm weekday evening
Online Coursework

May 2019
Webinar #2 1 6-7pm weekday evening
Online Coursework
Individual phone check-in 30-minutes

June 2019
Webinar #3 1 6-7pm weekday evening
Online Coursework
Individual phone check-in 30-minutes

July 2019
Webinar #4 1 6-7pm weekday evening
Online Coursework

August 2019
Submit all impact plan and pitch documents
Individual phone check-in 30-minutes

September 2019
Masterclass – Panels & Teamwork 2-days
Refine and submit final impact plan & pitch documents
DAF will notify projects selected for pitch event

October
Pitch Forum & Industry Networking Event

How to Apply

Documentary Australia Foundation are welcoming Expressions of Interest from eligible filmmakers. The Expression of Interest form can be accessed by clicking here.

Submission deadlines and course fees are as follows:

• Earlybird EOI closes Friday 15th March (to access Earlybird rate below if selected)

• Last Chance EOI closes Sunday 31st March (to access Last Chance Payment below if selected)

Payment
If you are selected into the program, we will require payment by credit card or bank transfer by the following dates:

• Earlybird payment $250 due by 1st April

• Last Chance payment $300 due by 8th April