film, video & TV training | professional development

Discipline/s:	production
Level:	Intermediate
Course code Date/s & times:	PPM1301: Thursdays 2 May, 9, 16, 23, 30 (6.15pm - 9.15pm) Saturdays 4 May, 11, 18, 25, 1 June (10am - 5pm)
Contact hours:	45
Places:	14w
Fee:	$748 Open Channel Members / $902 (non-members) (Prices are Inclusive of GST) (Membership: $55 / $44 concession - join Open Channel here) SPECIAL OFFER: Graduates or students enrolled in Open Channel Screen Producing - The Dark Art short course are entitled to an additional $50 discount off the member price for this short course ($698).
Prerequisites:	Basic English literacy necessary

 

This course is designed for those seeking to production manage or produce independent productions. It provides a comprehensive overview of the entire production process and includes practical applications, field trips, and guest speakers.

Learn about:

• Breaking down a script
• Budgeting according to the Screen Australia A-Z template
• Scheduling a production
• Contracting cast and crew
• Fulfilling cast and crew obligations
• Working with locations
• Understand basic industrial issues, accounting, taxation, insurance and delivery requirements of the production
• The differences between film and television
• Standard post-production pathways
• Building a career in this field
• Set safety
• How to run a production and production paperwork

This course is a heady and information filled introduction to the business side of the screen industry. Includes a half-day film law workshop with leading entertainment lawyer Shaun Miller (Mary and Max, Gettin' Square, Suburban Mayhem, John Safran's Music Jamboree).

Who should do this course?
Ideal for beginners or experienced filmmakers wanting an in-depth insight into production management, as well as a broad understanding of the entire production process. Also useful for emerging Producers.

Where can I go after this course?
Apply for work in the Production Office, or for emerging Producers, you can go on to study the Professional Producing Advanced Diploma course at Open Channel.

Are you interested in being Accredited for this course?
Read about Accreditation Options on Short Courses

How do I Enrol?
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.
Short Courses Application Form (pdf)

If you wish to enrol in this course as part of a full Certificate III in Media / Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media, with up-front payment, click here.

Tutors

NAOMI CLEAVER
Naomi Cleaver is one of Melbourne's well respected and busy Production Managers and Line Producers in the Film and Television Scene. Her credits include Mrs Biggs, Hawke, The Bank Job, Charlotte's Web, The Secret Life of Us, Stingers, One Perfect Day, Japanese Story. After completing a Bachelor in Arts Management from the prestigious West Australian Academy of Performing Arts Naomi has gone on to an extremely successful 17 Year career in film and television production working on all levels of production including childrens' television, fast turn around prime time drama, large scale US features, low budget AUS features, music videos, short films and commercials. She has an extensive and detailed understanding of the production process and is often called upon to mentor and guide younger people through the process of "getting a story up." Starting her career early in her working life she quickly found herself taking on responsibilities in Production and soon rose to Production Manager on several successful productions in film and television. In her time as Production manager she has worked for major United States production companies such as Paramount Pictures and Fox Studios and gained much experience in international co-production funding arrangements.Later in her career she has been called on to be Producer and Line Producer on films such as Hawke (awarded AFI Best Telemovie 2010) for major local television networks. Although Naomi has concentrated her efforts in drama production she has also worked as a Producer in commercial advertising, on music video clips - working with people such as Natasha Pincus (Director – Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye) and as a Production Manager on international events such as the Commonwealth Games. She has recently been working on international projects with production companies such as Fremantle Media and ITV Granada.

SHAUN MILLER
Shaun recently set up Shaun Miller Lawyers specialising in film and entertainment law (based in Melbourne). Previous to this, Shaun was a Partner in the Media Department at Marshalls & Dent Lawyers. Earlier in his career, Shaun worked in film production (with filmmaker Paul Cox) as well as film distribution and exhibition (with Sharmill Films and Cinema Nova). Shaun is the Chair of the Board of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Film and Television School Course Advisory Committee. He was previously on the board of Channel 31 (a community television station based in Melbourne) and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. With over 10 years' experience in the area of film and entertainment law, Shaun has worked on a vast number of feature films, television series, animations, short films and new media projects. Features films that Shaun has done the legal work on include Ned Kelly, Gettin' Squared, The Rage in Placid Lake, Mary and Max, Acolytes, The Night We Called It a Day (which was produced by Emile Sherman, whose film The King's Speech won the Oscar for Best Picture at the 2011 Academy Awards) Van Diemen's Land and the soon-to-be-released film X. Shaun has also worked on a string of low budget feature films in the last couple of years including Surviving Georgia, Belladonna, Hail and Triple Happiness, all of which Shaun is also the Executive Producer on. One of the highlights Shaun's career as a film lawyer was acting for the producer of Adam Elliot's short animated film Harvie Krumpet which won an Oscar at the Academy Awards in 2004. Shaun also guest lectures in film and entertainment law at Open Channel, the VCA Film and Television School, the AFTRS, RMIT and the University of Melbourne. Shaun sees the role of today's film and entertainment lawyer as a "facilitator", that is, liaising with producers, government funding bodies, distributors, financiers and creative talent in order to get film and television programs onto the big and small screen.

Past Tutors

ROSLYN WALKER
Ros Walker is one of Australia's most respected screen production professionals. Her feature film credits include co-producing Peaches, line producing Big Mamma's Boy and Not Quite Hollywood and production managing Life and Only the Brave. She produced the documentary Portrait and is producing the documentary Remain in Light. From 1998-2002 she was Manager of Film Victoria and has served as the Victorian Chapter Head of SPAA (Screen Producers Association of Australia).

GINA BLACK
Gina has worked on hundreds of hours of feature films, mini-series and TV for The Disney Channel, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal and HBO on productions including Inspector Gadget 2, George of the Jungle 2, Ocean Girl 2, Street Fighter. Most recently, she was Unit Production Manager on Steven Spielberg's sci-fi series Terra Nova.

ESTHER RODEWALD
Line Producer/Production Manager on Chris Lilley's new show Angry Boys, Dirt Game, Tripping Over and Worst Best Friends.

AMANDA CRITTENDEN
Production Manager on City Homicide Pilot, Series 1 and 2, Strange Bedfellows, and Production Supervisor on The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions.

The program includes many Guest Speakers, and have included:

TRACY BAWDEN
Tracey was a Production Manager for television series including Stingers, Blue Heelers and The X Factor before taking a senior role with Fremantle Media in 2006. In this capacity she has worked as Production Supervisor on all aspects of Fremantle's Melbourne-based productions including Newstopia, Australia's Got Talent, The Gift and As the Bell Rings.

Testimonials

Really interesting speakers who gave excellent talks

Tales from the industry and sharing first hand experiences was really valuable

The Production book and the knowledge of the tutors and the small class size was all excellent.

the industry knowledge and teaching skill and passion was excellent.

Loved the direct contacts to gain employment in the industry, learned how to break down a real script and make a budget, tutored by a current production manager that is actually working in the industry - not retired or out of touch.

Amanda-she was a wealth of knowledge who went above and beyond the call of duty by taking us to city homicide at the end.

Excellent teaching techniques

From 2009 courses, three graduates went on to work on feature films shortly after completing the course. Kate Straus and Craig Turnley as Production Managers on the Kate Whitbread film Surviving Georgia, and Angela Lee as Production Co-ordinator and Re Lim as Production Assistant on the Dee McLachlan film Eliminated.