Screen Tasmania, in partnership with the world-renowned Arista script development program, hosted the Business of Development National Conference from 21-23 July, with a cocktail party on the Tuesday night.
Held at Wrest Point, Hobart, the event was the first of its kind, dedicated to a concentrated examination of script development. Over 70 delegates attended, including representatives from the Tasmanian local industry, Screen Producers' Association of Australia, Australian Writers' Guild, Australian Directors' Guild, state funding bodies, as well as commercial operators such as Hopscotch, and critically acclaimed writer's Jan Sardi (Shine and The Notebook) and Mac Gudgeon (Halifax FP, Good Guys Bad Guys and Stingers).
Amongst the attendees was David Tiley, chief writer for Australia's leading online industry news source Screen Hub. David has given generous coverage of the event and opened a space for ongoing discussion about some of the issues raised at the conference. This is how he sets the scene:
His series of five reports give a very thorough and often entertaining account of the three days, concluding with an article from three different points-of-view, including Screen Tasmania Director Karena Slaninka, NSW Film and Television Office's Senior Project Officer Martin Williams and Victorian College of the Arts' Film and Television lecturer on producing,Roslyn Walker.
Feedback about the event has been very positive, with over 84 per cent of delegates indicating they would return for a follow-up conference should the event be run again.
Abi Binning
Producer, Move Media Pty Ltd
Andrada Tudor
Project Administrator, South Australian Film Corporation
Andrew Ellis
Project Officer, South Australian Film Corporation
Anna McLeish
Managing Director, Warp Films
Annmaree J Bell
Producer, Azure Productions Pty Ltd
Anthony Maras
Director, AntHouse Films
Ben Grant
Producer, Goalpost Pictures
Bernadette O'Mahony
Head of Development and Production, Australian Children's TV Foundation
Caroline Waters
Producer, Indigo Scout
Carolyn Frichot
Managing Director, Signalhill
Catherine Pettman
Independent Producer
Charlie Carman
Script Manager, Film Victoria
Claire Harris
Producer, Portameur Productions
Claire Jager
Project Manager (Melbourne), Screen Australia
Daniel Speed
Producer, Dam Mad Productions/Southern Cross Television
David Tiley
Editor, Screen Hub
Defrim Isai
Head, Screen Industry Programs, South Australian Film Corporation
Dominique Hurley
Owner, Cool Climate Pictures
Edwina Morris
State Manager, Tasmania, Australian Film, TV and Radio School
Emma Jensen
Independent Writer/Script Editor/Producer
Erica Glynn
Project Manager Indigenous Branch, Screen Australia
Helen Panckhurst
Producer, Matchbox Pictures/Panckhurst Productions
Jacqueline Woodman
Executive Director, Australian Writer's Guild
Jan Sardi
Screenwriter
Jane Stapleton
CEO, Sound Connexions Multimedia
Jenny Tosi
General Manager, Film Victoria
Joan Sauers
Project Manager (Sydney), Screen Australia
Jocelyn Nettlefold
Independent Writer/Producer
John Frank
Managing Director, Azure Productions Pty Ltd
John Swindells
Producer, Gritmedia
Judith John-Story
Independent Producer/Script Assessor
Karin Altmann
Project Manager (Melbourne), Screen Australia
Kate Jarrett
Project Administrator, South Australian Film Corporation
Kath McIntyre
Project Officer, South Australian Film Corporation
Kylie du Fresne
Producer, Goalpost Pictures
Lauren Ford
Ford Film Consultancy
Lawrence Johnston
Project Manager (Melbourne), Screen Australia
Lech Mackiewicz
Independent Writer/Director/Actor
Lisa Shaunessy
Creative Executive, Seed Productions
Lori Flekser
Director, Industry and Enterprise Development, Screen Australia
Lucien Simon
Independent Writer/Director
Mac Gudgeon
Screenwriter
Martin Williams
Senior Project Officer, NSW Film and Television Office
Megan Simpson Huberman
Project Manager (Sydney), Screen Australia
Patricia Hunder
Director, Pat Hunder Productions
Paulette Fisher
Independent Writer/Script Assessor
Penelope McDonald
Director, NT Film Office
Leopoldyna (Polly) McGee
Director, Mouth and Quiet
Robin Murphy
Producer, Robin Murphy Productions
Rachel Okine
Production and Acquisitions Executive, Hopscotch
Rebecca Summerton
Project Officer, South Australian Film Corporation
Rosemary Blight
Producer, Goalpost Pictures
Roslyn Walker
Lecturer, VCA Film and Television, University of Melbourne
Rowena Hall
Coordinator, Research and Education Division, Australian Film, TV and Radio School
Sally Browning
Investment Manager, Screen Australia
Sally Riley
Indigenous Branch Manager, Screen Australia
Sam Carroll
Australian Children's TV Foundation
Sharon Cleary
Managing Director, Nettle Noise and Pictures Pty Ltd
Stephen Wallace
Project Manager (Sydney), Screen Australia
Tait Brady
Executive Director, Marketing Support and Promotion, Screen Australia
Timothy O'Brien
Development Executive, New Zealand Film Commission
Tony Wright
Producer, December Films
Trish Lake
CEO, Freshwater Pictures
Val Clark
Independent Writer
Veronica Gleeson
Program Officer, Australian Writer's Guild
Vicki Sugars
Producer/Director, Velvet Pictures
Vickie Gest
Producer, Vizpoets
Vivien Mason
Independent Writer/Animator/Director
Yvette Blackwood
Filmmaker, Mouth and Quiet