A2.2 Professional Attachments and Mentorships

Purpose and Scope - Attachments:

To increase the creative, technical and business skills of Western Australian-resident filmmakers by funding production companies to provide intermediate and advanced level professional attachments on feature films, documentary & factual programs, TV drama, animation and other broadcast media. Attachment proposals will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Purpose and Scope - Mentorships:

To pay experienced recognised filmmakers an allowance to provide mentorship in their area of expertise to an early or mid career filmmaker who requires support to fulfill their crew function to an optimum level. Mentorships are intended to provide advice and assistance on an as needs basis allowing early to mid career filmmakers to fill the gaps in their knowledge and to fast track their learning and understanding of the specific crew position.

Mentorships will only be available to filmmakers working on productions that have received funding from a Government agency or the Film and Television Institute. ScreenWest reserves the right to assign specific mentors to individual filmmakers on ScreenWest funded projects. Mentorships may be a condition of funding.

Guidelines:

Funding is available to production companies or individual mentors, nationwide, to provide on-the-job training or mentoring to a maximum value of $4,000.

The professional attachment practitioner must be retained as an employee of the production company for the full duration of the attachment.

As an employee, the Production Company will be liable for the costs of work place insurances/superannuation/group tax and workers compensation. The maximum contribution from ScreenWest available for attachments is $500 per week. It is expected that this amount will be paid as a wage directly to the professional attachment.

Practitioners on professional attachments in far reaching Western Australian regional areas or interstate productions are eligible to receive a travel allowance from ScreenWest in the form of one return economy class air fare.

Attachments must be Western Australian residents (See General Guidelines Section 1 for Western Australian Residency definitions), professionally based in Western Australia and have a track record in their chosen area of specialization. Attachment payments will be made in the form of a grant.

Entry level filmmakers and students are not eligible. Those seeking an attachment must have at least one credit (not produced as part of a course of study) in the crew position to which the applicant is seeking a professional attachment. The attachment must be supervised by an appropriately skilled and experienced industry professional, preferably the relevant Head of Department.

Professional Attachments are to provide a genuine learning experience and are not to substitute a crew position nor undertake duties that would otherwise require the engagement of a salaried crew member.

Applications should preferably be received four weeks prior to the start date of the professional attachment.

Mentors will be paid on an hourly or daily rate and will be sourced by the early career filmmaker on an as needs basis. Mentorships are only eligible on fully funded projects

Production Companies that Receive Production Investment Funding from ScreenWest:

Production Companies that receive investment funding of $125,000 or more from ScreenWest will be obliged to fund attachment(s) in consultation with ScreenWest. The number of attachments that are required to be funded by the Production Company is determined by the amount of ScreenWest Investment, as listed below.

• $125,000 to $299,000 - at least one attachment
• $300,000 or more - at least two attachments

A Production Company may apply to ScreenWest for additional professional attachments.

Assessment Criteria:

Funding decisions will be based on the following criteria:

• The benefit of the attachment or mentorship with particular regard to the identified needs of the industry;
• Preference will be given to attachments and mentorships in crew areas that are lacking in the State, currently these positions include:
• Drama positions: assistant directors, production accountants, unit managers, production coordinators, continuity, stand-by props, art department coordinators/managers, sound recordists and boom operators;
• Factual (including documentary) positions: editors, researchers, directors, observational camera operators;
• The track records of the attachment, supervisor and employing company;
• The effectiveness of the training program and the training period; and
• The likelihood of the attachment securing employment within the chosen area of specialisation on completion of the professional attachment.

Reporting:

A written report from both the attachment and the supervisor is required on completion of the professional attachment or mentorship.

What is the Process?

Professional Attachments:

• The employing Production Company makes the application to ScreenWest (Application form, covering letter outlining details of the attachment, and CV of both attachment and supervisor). The application form preferably to be received four weeks prior to start of the attachment;
• Once an application has been approved, all parties will be notified and payment organized;
• Once the professional attachment period is completed, the supervisor will forward both reports (ie. the supervisor's and the attachment's report).

The ScreenWest Professional Attachment Scheme will support the Western Australian screen Industry by providing funding for on-the-job training opportunities that allow intermediate and advanced level technical and production personnel to further their career pathways.

Mentorships:

Early to mid career filmmakers who are working on a funded production and have identified a potential willing mentor are encouraged to ring ScreenWest prior to applying to discuss the parameters, available funds and the skill levels of the applicant and the mentor.

Mentorship applications from early to mid career filmmakers must include the following support material:

• A letter from the early career filmmaker outlining the reasons why they require the mentorship, and the expected outcomes, as well as the estimated time and costs of the mentorship. (Mentors will be paid directly by ScreenWest);
• A letter from the mentor in support of the application outlining their experience and their willingness to support the filmmaker, and what specific skills they will be able to impart and share;
• Once an application has been approved, all parties will be notified and payment will be organized;
• Once the mentorship is completed, the mentor and the filmmaker must provide a report to ScreenWest.

These guidelines must be read in conjunction with the General Guidelines