filmmaking production support

Production Placements

About Production Placements

Production Placements are an invaluable way to embed learning through practice, and to network with other industry practitioners or future collaborators.

Open Channel students and graduates have been placed on local and international feature films The Killer Elite, Surviving Georgia, Eliminated and The Cup; and on TV productions including Santo Sam & Ed's Cup Fever (SBS), Killing Time (Fremantle), and Lowdown (ABC).

How do placements work?

Placements are available to people enrolled in an Accreditation option for one or more skills (Units of Competency) under our Certificate III in Media (Film Making) program. The placement should relate to one or more learning areas for which the student is seeking assessment.

You can apply even if you have completed informal training elsewhere for which you have not been formally recognised.

In an industry Production Placement on a professional production, the student works as an unpaid attachment to another crew member. For a production to be deemed professional, it must be compliant with Award conditions. Refer to the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance for more information. While attached, you should be learning and under supervision – not replacing a paid crew role.

While on a placement you will either work as a volunteer observational attachment (covered by the Production's insurance) or will be engaged under a State Training Agreement and be paid $5 per day (and covered by the State Government's Workcover insurance).

How to find placements?

Keep an eye on screen agency (Screen Australia and Film Victoria) production reports.

If approaching a production or technician yourself about a placement, be sure you have a clear idea of what you want to do and why you are approaching that company or production. Try not to "spam" people (contacting everyone about doing anything). Building up relationships with people in the industry is the best way to open up an opportunity for yourself to be attached to a production – have a good reason for why you want to work with someone, or try to meet industry workers through friends, at film festivals etc. This means research and time, but is more likely to lead to results.

Applicants may apply for placements advertised in our weekly e-NewsOpenLine, or through our Facebook interest groups, or may approach Open Channel with their own pre-arranged industry placement for consideration.

How do I apply?

We do not accept applications for industry placements unless you have your own placement opportunity arranged (which must be approved), or if you are responding to an advertised placement.

You must be enrolled in Open Channel'sCertificate III in Media (Filmmaking) part time program in order to undertake a Placement which leads to formal accreditation.

Download and complete the application form available from the course page, even if you only wish to apply for Accreditation in one Unit of Competency.

Accreditation costs [$200 per Unit of Competency] (italics) under a pay-as-you-go option. Placement costs are included in total course fees for students enrolled in the whole qualification.

Not Seeking Accreditation?

Throughout the year, Open Channel receives requests from production companies for volunteers to fill support roles or attachments on a range of productions. You should subscribe to our eNewsletter Openline to find out about these opportunities.

More Information

Simply print an Enrolment Form and return to us with payment to secure a place in the Short Course. See the Enrolment Form for details on how to pay. Fee is all inclusive and covers placement support, administration, assessment guide and one hour final assessment session (per subject).
Short Courses Application Form (pdf)

A student information kit with more information on placements is also available for download
Student Information Kit (pdf)

Host Employer or Production Company

Employers or Production Companies can contact Open Channel on 03 86109300 or email training@openchannel.org.au to offer a student placement opportunity, to which we match appropriate students. A host employer information kit is also available for download.
Placement Kit (pdf)