Helping hand for doco hopefuls

Launched at FTI on Thursday night, the Get Your Foot in the Doc training program will offer four intensive one-week courses in researcher/assistant producer, shooter director, editor and production manager roles.

The aim will be to find employment for participants at Prospero Productions to work on documentaries.

Prospero Productions managing director Julia Redwood said employment demands in WA were outweighing the population.

She said there was also an attitude in some quarters that it would take a move overseas or to the eastern states to be successful in the industry.

‘There’s less desire from the young to remain in Perth,’ she said.

FTI skills and engagement co-ordinator Annie Murtagh-Monks said the initiative would provide a chance for applicants to be assessed by a leading documentary company and to develop their skills.

‘Many people harbour a desire to work in documentary and factual TV but without any experience or knowledge of how doco companies work and what areas there are shortages in, they don’t know how to get a foot in the door,’ she said.

She said Perth was a leading documentary centre with the most award-winning and internationally-recognised documentary production companies in Australia.

‘A shortage of skilled crew has meant that some have had to source crew not only from interstate but overseas,’ she said.

‘The benefit of this initiative will hopefully be a happier, healthier industry that needs to seek fewer employees from overseas or over east, which is more costly and less nurturing of the established WA industry.’

Prospero Productions will assess applications and select those who they feel are most suited to work in documentary. Those who accept the offer will pay $400 for one week of intensive professional development to make them more readily employable in documentary production.

The application deadline is February 3.

Call Ms Murtagh-Monks on 94316703 or email annie@fti.|asn.au to apply.