The Five Paths for Australian Screenwriters

Australia is not Hollywood. Australia is notfrom the necessity of surviving in a small market,
Hollywood. Australia is not Hollywood.many writers aim to self-produce their work. If
Sometimes, I have to remind myself. It's the onlythis includes you, you'll need to learn the myriad
way to preserve my sanity.other skills involved, which will necessarily limit the
See, I'm an independent film producer who's beentime and energy you can put into perfecting the
involved in the film industry since before I was ascreenwriting craft. Be sure to get objective
teenager (over 20 years now, eeesh!). Andfeedback on your project before racing into
because I grew up in Los Angeles, the filmproduction. Most writers misunderstand
industry was all around me.self-producing, assuming it's the easiest (or at
It never even occurred to me that people mightleast most direct) route to a completed film. In
consider a career in film "impossible".fact, it's about twenty times the work for half
So when I got to Australia and started looking forthe reward. But it's a viable avenue that can be
screenplays, I was genuinely surprised by howlegitimately considered.
few people were doing it. At first, I saw it as a4) Write for me (or someone like me)
tremendous opportunity. Over time, I began toAlthough I'm technically just one of the many
realize it was a tremendous obstacle.producers who fall under category 2, I'm a little
Without many screenwriters in Australia, theunique down here, in that I believe in applying
screenwriting community remains small, which"Hollywood" techniques to local stories. My
makes it a very lonely profession. (Writing'sphilosophy is simple: If you make movies that
always a lonely profession, but when no onemake money, you get to make more movies --
around you even understands what you do, itso let's start making mainstream entertainment
gets downright desolate.)that can keep the quality industry alive. Many in
As it turns out, many Australians who WOULDthe local industry reject that kind of American
turn their ideas into screenplays DON'T... simplyinfluence, arguing that Australian film should be
because they don't think it's feasible.pure and free of commercial considerations. It's a
Well, I disagree.valid point of view, and I absolutely respect it. But
If you can excel at screenwriting in Australia, youI want to reach out to the cineplexes, so I seek
can get noticed. The local industry is continually"High Concept" stories that can be easily
crying out for quality material. Why shouldn't it bemarketed to a wide audience. There are several
you that writes it?Australian producers with this philosophy, and we
But Australia is not Hollywood. So the career pathall fit into this category.
of a screenwriter here is not quite so obvious.5) Write for Hollywood
That's why I've identified five different andYes, believe it or not Aussie screenwriters,
clearly-marked paths that would-be Australiandespite being this far away, writing for the
screenwriters can take. I don't know if these areHollywood market is a legitimate and viable path.
the ONLY paths, but they're the five that I couldIronically, many Australian writers have found it
identify without much thought.easier to "break in" to the Hollywood market than
If you're looking to write a screenplay, pick a pathAmericans. Largely the result of very few
and write FOR it, and your chances of seeingAustralian films getting released in the US (and
something in return for your efforts will multiplythen, it's only the good ones), Hollywood has a
exponentially.distorted perception of Australia, and makes
1) Write for the Governmentassumptions in your favour. The challenge to this
It's no secret that government funding dominatespath is that, in the end, you're competing with
the Australian film industry. And many would-beabout 100 times as many writers, including the
screenwriters see government money as thebest in the world. Your skills had better be
only source of income. It's not, but it's the mostworld-class, if you hope to compete.
obvious. To attract government funding, you'llSo. Which path is best?
need to understand what those funding sourcesThe simple answer is that there's no answer to
need to see in a screenplay (specifically, culturalthat question. It's whichever is right for you, your
relevance). In Australia, most of the competition isproject, your personality, and your goals. Don't
writing for this market, but it remains alive andrule out -- and don't settle for -- ANY of these,
well).simply because they look easier or harder than
2) Write for local producersthe others.
Australian producers exist in a difficultThe point is not which path to take.
environment. They typically have very little scriptThe point is that there are at least five real,
development money, and can't claim developmentpotential, viable career paths for Australian
expenses against their taxes unless the projectscreenwriters.
goes into production. The result? Films get pushedSo if you've got an idea for a screenplay, or you
into production prematurely. Australian producershave any inkling that screenwriting might be
aspire to make brilliant films just like everyonesomething you'd like to do, I strongly encourage
else does. To write for this market, researchyou to consider it seriously.
who's who, who does what, and what they'reAustralia needs quality screenwriters. We make
looking for. Craft something powerful that's30-odd films per year, on average. If every one
specifically designed for them, and you'll getof them was amazing and powerful, or
noticed very quickly.far-reaching and entertaining, the local culture
3) Write to self-producewould flourish.
Partly from a do-it-yourself attitude, and partlyKeep on writing!