Month: August 2024

START, GROW OR SWITCH UP YOUR CAREER AT AFTRS

(L R): AFTRS Students Jermal Ibrahim-Haas, Charlotte McLaverty, Hazel Chidzanja and Zabi Malik

Go behind the scenes this Saturday as Australia’s national screen and audio school, opens its doors to all with an interest in pursuing a creative career. 

There is nothing quite like the buzz of a film and television set, or slipping behind the mic in a radio studio. With working studios and sets in full swing, AFTRS Open Day is an opportunity to experience the magic and learn about igniting a career in Australia’s booming screen and audio industries. 

Over the past 50 years, AFTRS screen graduates have received critical acclaim and been recognised through a slate of prestigious gongs. The School’s alumni have received Academy Awards, AACTAs, BAFTAs, Palme d’Ors, Silver Lions, Golden Globes, Emmys and hundreds of guild prizes. AFTRS radio graduates are snapped up by Australia’s biggest broadcasters, often before they have completed their studies, and go on to have long and illustrious careers.  

AFTRS training is unique – hands on, delivered by industry experts, in state-of-the-art studios, production sets and sound stages – and is the key to the School’s exceptional career outcomes, with over 80% of graduates finding employment in their chosen industry within six months. 

“This is a really exciting time to join the screen and audio sectors – we have billion-dollar industries that are rapidly growing, and we need new talent. If you’re a school leaver curious about how to get your first foot on the ladder; if you’re mid-career and thinking about retraining; or if you’re already in the industry and looking to level up, we have you covered,” said AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood. “Open Day is an exciting chance to explore all the School has to offer and find the career pathway that’s right for you.” 

AFTRS Open Day will include demonstrations of its state-of-the-art Virtual Production Volume studio. This is the technology that films like Thor: Love and Thunder used to capture In Camera Visual Effects. Films made by current and recent students will be screening in the AFTRS Mix Theatre. A short scene filmed on rotation on an AFTRS’ sound stage will give visitors to chance to participate in front of or behind the camera, while another studio will present a broadcast set up from an orchestral film scoring exercise. And for those interested in radio, there will be a live broadcast all day from the front of the School, as well as tours of AFTRS’ broadcast studios. 

AFTRS senior staff will present deep-dive sessions into each course offering: Graduate Diploma in Radio and Podcasting, Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production, the Masters program, which is offered in 9 disciplines, and the Master of Arts Screen: Business. AFTRS CEO Nell Greenwood will lead a career pathways panel with AFTRS alumni – Heartbreak High writer, film and TV director Thomas Wilson-White; Bronte Nener who has worked in the camera departments of Thor: Love and Thunder, Furiosa, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Bump; Hannah-Rae Meegan, co-creator of The Formal, a TikTok and Screen Australia-funded series with 12 million views and over 100,000 followers; and Simon Beaton, a podcast producer at LiSTNR who helped create and produce the daily news podcast This Arvo in Sydney and the Blak Matters podcast.  

The AFTRS café and Library will be open, with an annual sale of books and AFTRS apparel. In the foyer visitors can also see a remarkable collection of screen and broadcast items on loan from AFTRS alumni including Oscars and other awards from notable alumni and clapper boards from Academy Award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe.  

AFTRS Open Day runs from 10am to 4pm, Saturday 3 August – on campus at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, Sydney, and with sessions livestreamed online. More information here.

Nominations for 2024 APRA & AMCOS Board elections now open

The 2024 APRA and AMCOS Annual General Meetings (AGMs) will be held on Tuesday 19 November. Voting for the election of directors to the APRA Board and AMCOS Board is conducted before the AGMs.

In accordance with the APRA and AMCOS Constitutions, nominations for director positions on the APRA Board and AMCOS Board must be received by the Company Secretary by close of business on Friday 20 September.

APRA Writers in Australia and New Zealand

If you’re an APRA writer in Australia or New Zealand, you could be eligible to nominate for a position on the APRA Board.

This year there are vacancies on the APRA Board for two writer directors to be elected by the Australian writer membership. This year there are no New Zealand writer directors up for re-election.

Australian Writer Directors Amanda Brown and Burkhard Dallwitz have both been in office for three successive annual terms since their last election and must retire, but are eligible to offer themselves for re-election if they so choose.

APRA Publishers

If you’re an APRA publisher, you could be eligible to nominate for a position on the APRA Board.

This year there are vacancies on the APRA Board for three publisher directors to be elected by the APRA publisher membership. Publisher Directors Linda Bosidis (Mushroom Music Publishing) and Simon Moor (Kobalt Music Group APAC) have both been in office for three successive annual terms since their last election and must retire.

In addition, because he is currently filling a Publisher Director casual vacancy on the APRA Board, the Constitution requires that Heath Johns (BMG Australia) must also retire from the Board this year.

Linda Bosidis, Heath Johns and Simon Moor are all eligible to offer themselves for re-election if they so choose.

AMCOS Members

If you’re an AMCOS member you could be eligible to nominate for a position on the AMCOS Board.

This year there are vacancies on the AMCOS Board for five directors to be elected by the AMCOS membership. Directors Linda Bosidis (Mushroom Music Publishing), Jane English (Wise Music Pty Ltd Australia, Aotearoa and Asia Pacific), Jaime Gough (Concord Music Publishing ANZ), and Peter Hebbes AM (Hebbes Music Group Pty Ltd) have been in office for three successive annual terms since their last election and must retire.

In addition, because he is currently filling a casual vacancy on the AMCOS Board, the Constitution requires that Craig Monagle (Warner Chappell Music Australia) must also retire from the Board this year.

Linda Bosidis, Jane English, Jaime Gough, Peter Hebbes and Craig Monagle are all eligible to offer themselves for re-election if they so choose.

The role of APRA and AMCOS board members

  • Provide insights and a longer-term strategic perspective to the Board, CEO and executive to help guide the organisation
  • Support the provision of membership, licensing and distribution services and advocacy on behalf of our broadly diverse APRA writer members
  • Shape messaging and communications with key stakeholders
  • Connect the organisation into important networks
  • Represent the organisation, uphold its brand reputation and values and promote its interests nationally and internationally
  • Oversee management implementation, objectives and performance
  • Provide non-executive leadership and set the strategic objectives of APRA AMCOS
  • Clearly articulate a risk appetite within which the Board expects management to operate
  • Build knowledge of the sector APRA AMCOS operates in, including with its partners and competitors
  • Actively contribute to scheduled Board meetings and other events
  • Approve operating budgets and major capital expenditure
  • Stay abreast of issues relating to the sector APRA AMCOS operates in.

More information

To discuss your eligibility to nominate for a position on the APRA or AMCOS Board, contact APRA and AMCOS’ Company Secretary Jonathan Carter by email at jcarter@apra.com.au

A formal AGM notification, including Board election nominee details and instructions on how to vote will be sent to all eligible voting members at least 30 days before the AGMs.

View the APRA and AMCOS Constitutions and governance statements

CBAA Multicultural Framework Review Report and Response

The Review and their recommendations have captured the vital role of ethnic and multicultural broadcasters in creating a welcoming Australia and enhancing a sense of belonging for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

The Review’s report Towards fairness: A multicultural Australia for all, recognises that representation of diverse cultures in the media is fundamental to a successful multicultural Australia.

“Inclusive media and representation has an immense influence on shaping national narratives. Done well, inclusive media and representation reflects the multicultural nature of Australian society through diverse representation in media [and] promotes accurate and positive portrayals of various cultures to combat stereotypes and prejudices.”

The Review states that community radio is essential to delivering culturally safe messaging and recognises community broadcasting “speaks to 25% of the Australian population but also advances community interests, broadcasts diverse stories, delivers broadcasting stations in-language, and provides an alternative to adverse narratives perpetuated by mainstream broadcasting stations.”

The Review recommends the Government consult community broadcasters more on policy and programs; commit more government funding, and provide greater access to Government Advertising campaigns for independent multicultural media.

The Government has committed to the Framework’s principles and will be guided by them in future policy-making.

CBAA and NEMBC made submissions, and appeared before hearing of the Review process. We will now work together, and with the Government, to turn these recommendations into action that provides better support for the vital activities of ethnic and multicultural community stations and broadcasters.

Authentic, effective – ANZ and Hendrick’s give voice to Power of Radio campaign

The experts behind some of Australia’s most loved and trusted brands have put their voices to a new series of radio ads, as Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) launches its Power of Radio campaign.

Created by Eardrum, the first phase of the campaign focuses on ANZ and Hendrick’s, taking a behind-the-scenes look at why their campaigns have used radio to talk directly to their consumer targets.

Jo Dick, chief commercial officer of Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), said the Power of Radio was created to support groundbreaking research that showed radio has the power to double a campaign’s effectiveness.

“We wanted to amplify the message that investing just 11% of a campaign budget in radio can double its impact, so we have collaborated with these trusted and respected brands to demonstrate the true Power of Radio in action,” Ms Dick said.

ANZ Head of Marketing (Commercial & Private Bank) Lucy Gribble said radio was a key element when advertising ANZ’s online business lending platform GoBiz: “We know small business owners are busy, time poor and on-the-go, so radio is a great avenue to reach them when they’re going about their normal day-to-day business. Additionally, business owners are such a broad audience that we like to use multiple channels to reach them.”

Marketing Manager on Hendrick’s Gin & Innovation at William Grant & Sons, Nathan James said the power of radio was in its timing: “We use radio to speak to consumers at the most appropriate time of day – ‘gin o’clock’. It was about owning the occasion, so radio was a natural channel to pick for us. It was important to us to use audio that captured our unique tone of voice and conveyed the feeling of refreshment.”

Ralph van Dijk, founding creative director at Eardrum, said: “The best endorsement for radio advertising are all the successful brands that regularly use the medium. During the making of the campaign, it was great to hear how these smart marketers have harnessed radio’s power to achieve a variety of marketing objectives. In fact, we had so much material, we could have made a campaign out of each advertiser.”

SBS names interim sales leadership as Adam Sadler steps down

SBS Director of Media Sales Adam Sadler has announced he will step down after a successful six and half year stint leading SBS Media.

Jane Palfreyman, SBS Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, will assume temporary leadership of SBS Media over the coming months, while SBS goes through a process to recruit a new Director of Media Sales.

“In recent years, the SBS Media team has made sure it always punches above its weight,” said Palfreyman. “A lot of that has been due to Sads and the SBS Media leadership team’s focus on crafting a successful strategy which put SBS On Demand at the heart of our commercial offering.

“I want to thank Sads for his significant contribution to the business going back 15 years. He leaves SBS Media in a very strong space with a world-class team delivering excellent outcomes for our clients.”

Over this period, Keiran Beasley, National Sales Manager – TV and Digital, Lee Callagher, National Manager – Operations and Digital Product, and Kate Young, National Manager – CulturalConnect will be elevated in their roles.

“We have a really strong leadership team at SBS Media and I look forward to working more closely with this exceptional team,” Palfreyman added.

Jane Palfreyman, SBS Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer (centre), with some members of the SBS Media Sales leadership team (L-R): Lee Callagher, National Manager – Operations and Digital Product; Kevin Harris, Head of Operations and Trading; Kate Young, National Manager – CulturalConnect; Keiran Beasley, National Sales Manager – TV and Digital.

During his time leading SBS Media, Sadler has ensured the broadcaster was at the forefront of the commercial digital transformation strategy, shifting the digital business from a handheld to a programmatic operating model, that has significantly grown digital revenues over the past six years.

Sadler was instrumental in several innovative market initiatives during his tenure, including SBS On Demand’s opt-out for advertising in certain categories and SBS’s Beyond 3% initiative, which has helped grow media spend in the First Nations media sector.

“SBS Media has truly been a force in the market in recent years,” said Sadler. “We have shown how SBS is a force for good at the intersection of public and commercial media. We have led the market in the shift to digital video, but we have also led on other key areas such as responsible advertising and investment in First Nations media.

“The senior team is in a really strong position and now is the right time for me to move on to new challenges.”