Previous Special Initiatives

Previous Special Initiatives - Arista Workshops

Project and script development is a major focus of Screen Tasmania's core activity. The agency is committed to supporting the local industry to build their development and craft skills, and assist practitioners to develop their stories and advance them into production.

Screen Tasmania, in partnership with Arista founder Stephen Cleary, has hosted a series of script workshops since 2007.

Arista workshops provide expert training and consultancy in the craft of storytelling and the business of film and TV development to industry professionals around the world. Arista's activities include intensive residential Project Development Programs and Story Development Workshops; Introduction to Development Seminars, Screenwriting Craft Specials, and Business of Development Conferences; and Bespoke Development Training.

Arista Freycinet Residential

Screen Tasmania hosted the internationally renowned Arista script development residential workshop, at Freycinet Lodge from Sunday 13 to Saturday 19 July 2008.

Twenty-nine participants took part in a series of intensive workshops over the week.

Teams of producers, writers and directors came from all over the country to put their projects under a microscope – with some very positive results.

Participation in this workshop helped participants to gain knowledge and training in script development of international standard. It also enabled local talent to develop the skills and expertise to be competitive in the international marketplace and develop skills to successfully progress feature film scripts to a production-ready stage.

Feedback from participants has been very positive, with some saying it was the most stimulating and beneficial workshop they have ever attended and the highlight of their career.

Arista 2007 Hobart Workshops

In October 2007, Screen Tasmania hosted a series of workshops by the internationally acclaimed Arista to help Tasmanian practitioners further develop their script and craft skills, and assist in developing their stories to advance them into production.

Practitioners from the screen industry in Tasmania embraced this opportunity with over 30 people attending the first two-day session focused on story development and 27 people attending the second two-day session on writing treatments.

A networking event was held on Friday 19 October 2007 to provide the opportunity for other industry members to meet with Arista founder and script expert Stephen Cleary and New Zealand-based producer Michael Wrenn who represented Canadian-based distributor Maximum Films.