This conference is an initiative of AFTRS and Principal Partners Film Victoria and is designed for early career practitioners to get support and practical help across two packed days of panels, networking and coaching clinics. Whether your aim is to pursue your own projects or to get your next job, Make It will help.
Meet those who control the purse strings in funding agencies as well as key creatives from leading production companies in all genres on all platforms.
You’ll be able to hear from top industry creatives on how to progress your career across various practices including directing, screenwriting, producing, editing, sound and production design. The conference will also include talks from established creatives in advertising, digital and social media marketing and gaming.
See the full program here. Get the full list of confirmed speakers and their bios here.
The sessions will cover various aspects of screen production across different platforms and genres.
You’ll have the opportunity to compete for an internship with Digital Agency Social Garden. The Internship is 12 weeks (2 days per week) part time, with the possibility of employment at the end. Only attendees of Make It can compete for the Internship – and we’ll send you the details once you enrol.
More than 75 of Victoria’s biggest and brightest industry professionals will speak at the conference, including those responsible for hiring on some of Melbourne’s biggest productions such as Neighbours, Masterchef and The Block.
Speakers include Top End Wedding writer and co-creator Joshua Tyler, highly sought after studio director John Olb, comedy Editor Ben Eriksen, (The Weekly, Mad as Hell), The Block co-creator, David Barbour, The Katering Show and Get Krackin’ producer Tamasin Simpkin along with many more.
There’ll be a session on pitching with Alison Black of Mischief Sisters, a talk on factual producing from The Living Room Executive Producer Virginia Hodgson and a session with Drew Grove, Executive Producer of the soon-to-be released feature Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears where he’ll talk about using crowd-funding for film projects. The list goes on.
Coach Clinics
Coach Clinics offer one on ones with industry leaders to help you with specific career and professional questions. You might want help on ideas, how to budget your project, rewriting your CV, information of specific genres and general career support. This is your opportunity to pick the brains of some of the best in our business. Each session will be 15-minutes. Book on the day to secure a place. First in, best dressed.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
EXECUTIVES
Frank Bruzzese – Director of Production at Guesswork TV
Virginia Hodgson – Executive Producer at WTFN
Lee Naimo – Investment Manager at Screen Australia
Joseph Betros – General Manager at RMITV
Justin Sturzaker – EP of The Block
Paul Walton and Karla Burt – 720 Creative
Ant McCormack – Director of Operations at Changer Studios
Drew Grove – Commercial Director at Every Cloud Productions
David Barbour – EP at Cavalier Television
Katy Roberts – Head of Video at Vice Media
Tarni James – EP, Arts & Entertainment, ABC.
ADVERTISING & DIGITAL
Jake Barrow – Executive Creative Director at Y&R Melbourne
Ash Mustchin – Director of Digital and Experience at Principals
Michael Bird – CEO of Social Garden
Houman Bigloo – Digital Recruitment Consultant at Creative Recruiters
PRODUCTION
Anna Reichard – Line Producer at ABC TV
Legendary entertainment show producer Pam Barnes
Tamasin Simpkin – Producer of Get Krackin’
Brendan Campbell – Scripted Executive at Matchbox TV
Charlotte Wheaton – Producer, GoodThing Productions
Karen Bunting – Supervising Production Manager, Masterchef
Jannine Barnes – Producer at Happening Films
Chris Donis – Line Producer, Neighbours
Yuki Nagashima – Assistant Director
TECHNICAL
Joanne Donahoe-Beckwith, Director of Photography
Lynn Butler, Sound Recordist
Ben Eriksen, Editor
Chris Corby, Audio Director
Jacquie Rynn, Motion Graphics Designer – ABC
Peter Millington, Managing Director, Blue Post
Kym Doust, National Manager of Post Production for ABC Television
Darren Vukasinovic, Ignition Immersive
John Kerron, Soundfirm
FACTUAL PRODUCERS
Alison Black, Esther Coleman-Hawkins, Kate Pappas, Denise Eriksen
DIRECTORS
John Olb (studio), Isaac Elliott (documentary), Josh Cable (documentary)
WRITERS
David Hannam, Joshua Tyler, Clea Frost, Bec Petraitis, Shane Isheev