Writers’ Room to enhance Hunter’s TV industry
By Gavin Banks
Award-winning producers and screenwriters have chosen their home town of Newcastle to launch a pilot project aimed at promoting local talent into the screen and television industry.
Screenwriters Vanessa Alexander and John O’Brien have teamed up with producers Gavin Banks and Olivia Olley from Good Eye Deer to open the Newcastle Writers’ Room.
“This is not about critiquing scripts, it is much more about identifying projects that hit all the marks in terms of audience appeal, and then developing them into products that can be produced from the Hunter. It is much more about creating a lasting and outcome-driven legacy for the region and the creative industry sector.”
The concept is to foster stronger relationships between filmmakers in the Hunter, give writers the opportunity for serious feedback, nurture projects with real potential, and develop collaborations that will ultimately create a sustainable and viable television and screen production hub in the Hunter.
Producer Olivia Olley said there were many practitioners in Newcastle who have TV projects in the works.
“Our objective for the pilot project is to use the collective skills and experience of the Newcastle Writers’ Room pilot to professionally work-shop good TV series ideas into story development. Ultimately, this is about creating an independent production hub in the Hunter that features some of the industry’s best practitioners who also happen to call the Hunter home.“
How to get involved
Interested or burgeoning screenwriters are invited to get involved in the Newcastle Writers’ Room by submitting up to three projects. Successful projects will go onto the Writers’ Room at no cost. The screen ideas will be workshopped as part of a collaborative program with a view to building the concept into a viable project.
Submission details
DEADLINE: 9am, 30 June 2015
REQUIREMENTS: 1 x series pitch (2 pg max), character outlines (1 pg max) and a CV ( .pdf / .doc).
DELIVERY: Up to three projects can be submitted per person. Please email your pitch documents to Olivia Olley Producer, Good Eye Deer.
More information
Contact Olivia Olley Producer, Good Eye Deer.