ACT Screen Arts Fund 2013

1. ACT Screen Arts Fund 2013 Information Session.

2. ACT SCREEN ARTS FUND 2013 • ScreenACT, the office of film, TV and digital media for the ACT/Capital region is the administrator of the Fund. • For this year, follows same guidelines as the Arts Project Fund • Applications and supporting documents are online at www.screenact.com.au • You must read the guidelines document!

3. ACT SCREEN ARTS FUND 2013 • The total fund available for the 2013 round is $80,000 • Applications are made via the online form only. • No late entries will be accepted.

4. Key Dates • Applications: Open now! • Closing date: Friday 9th November, 2012 5.00pm • Grant announcements: late 2012 • Grants distributed: early 2013 • Projects to be acquitted by 19th December, 2013

5. GENERAL NOTES • Applicants are limited to ONE application per round. • Fund supports applications from individual artists as well as groups and organisations. • ScreenACT reserves the right not to assess applications that do not address the assessment questions or otherwise comply with the funding requirements. • Projects applied for should represent good value for money. • Applications should be professional in their presentation, thought and execution.

6. The ACT Screen Arts Fund is open to all members of the ACT community. • The Fund focuses on projects and programs that develop screen artists – moving artists into new stages of their development. • The Fund supports all narrative screen art forms from film, television, short film, experimental film, games, apps and digital media • The Fund supports Artists at all stages of their artistic development: elementary, emerging and established (for more information on these stages, please visit www.screenact.com.au) • Supports projects and programs of excellence.

7. SOFT CAPS • Script development should not exceed $5,000 • applications seeking funding for short film production should not exceed $15,000. • There is a soft cap of $25,000 on any grant application, however if the applicant is able to substantiate the need for a larger request, this will be considered by the assessment panel.

8. THE APPLICATION • ScreenACT has moved from paper to an online application process. This means you will need to do some preparation of materials prior to the online lodgement of your application. No hard copies of materials will be accepted. • Supporting written material (eg scripts, CVs etc) must be in PDF form and each individual file should not be larger than 300kb. • Show reels and examples of work need to be online and a link supplied eg You Tube or Vimeo. If you have a password, you must supply this. • Download the templates for the project budget from the website. You must use this template. • Once you go online and you start filling out the form, you can’t save it or go back to it. Therefore you need to have everything prepared in advance so that you can simply enter, upload and submit.

9. THE APPLICATION • You will see that there are comments to help you fill out the form, which appear when you hold the mouse over the question. • If you make a mistake and notice after you’ve submitted your application, email us to tell us and redo your application. We will accept the amended application ONLY if you inform us AND the new application is made before the deadline. You will need to answer all questions marked with an asterisk (*). • Add in extra supporting material (if applicable). Be judicious with what you include – there are limited spaces for uploading extra documents. • Let’s look at the online application now… www.screenact.com.au

10. MOST IMPORTANT • A handy tip – do not leave lodgement of your application to the last hour. If you have a technical problem or access to internet issues, no extension will be given. • Once again, if you need to make a change, you will have to redo the whole application. ScreenACT will not be adding to or changing any information to the application.

11. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA • In assessing applications the ScreenACT Peer Assessment Committee will mark applications against the following criteria: • Strength of application against the selection criteria; • Viability of the budget; • The appropriateness of the creative team; and • The benefit to the artistic development of the applicant.

12. HOW TO ANSWER THE CRITERIA QUESTIONS • The following information is a guide only. As an applicant you are responsible for deciding how best to answer the assessment questions.

13. Question 1. What is your project and for what are you seeking funding? • Do not assume that the people reading the application know anything about you or your project. • If you are seeking funding for part of a larger project, provide information on the whole project but focus mainly on the activities for which you are seeking a grant from the ACT Screen Arts Fund. • If relevant, include brief information on how the project came about, but spend most time explaining the actual project. Additional background information can be included as support material. • Ensure that you explain all aspects of the project including development, realisation and final outcomes.

14. Question 2. How does your project contribute the development of your arts practice? • Discuss the impact of the proposed activity on your artistic practice and the art form itself. What are the development opportunities that arise through this project? For example, will you be developing your skills through working with other screen practitioners? Will you be improving the range and the quality of your work? Will your screen practice be moving in a different direction? • Where you are applying to make a particular product such as a short film, you must explain how the process of developing and producing the work will contribute to the development of your arts practice. Producing the item does not in itself constitute development of your arts practice. • If your project does not have a public outcome, for example a project that is still in development, this should be clear in your application.

15. Question 3. How will your project be realised? • Include: your relevant experience and capacity to deliver the project; key people involved; a clear timeline. • Describe exactly how your project will be undertaken and to demonstrate that you have the ability to achieve it. Your application should address any questions the assessment panel may have about your project and how it will be achieved. • Discuss what experience and capacity you as the individual applicant or organisation have to undertake the proposed project. If this is a new direction or a bigger project you will need to describe what additional support you have put in place to ensure that you can complete the project. • Your CV can provide further details of your previous experience. • Provide details of how the key people involved will assist in the project. Brief CV’s outlining the relevant experience of all key personnel should be included. Each CV should be limited to one page, so include only the information relevant to this project. Do not submit CV’s for people who have not agreed to participate in your project. • You should try to identify key people you will be working with before making your application. However, if you have not yet selected some key personnel, indicate the type of skills you will expect them to have and how you will go about recruiting appropriate people. • You should provide a clear timeline for the project, including major milestones. If the timing of all elements is not yet known, include an indicative timeline. Note that the project must be completed by 19 December 2013.

16. Question 4. Detailed, clear, and substantiated budget, with maximum half-page budget justification. • You may provide a maximum 250 word explanation of your budget if you consider that the budget sheet needs further explanation or there are any amounts about which you think the assessment panel may have questions. • Include the calculation of any significant costs for which you are unable to provide quotes. • The budget page and justification is your opportunity to explain exactly how you will spend your grant, should you be successful. A well-considered and justified budget is essential to your application. • You should remember that the ACT Screen Arts Fund has limited resources. • Ensure that you have realistically costed your project. Do not over-inflate or under-estimate your request; ask for the money you require to complete your project. In deciding how much funding to request you should consider the benefit to the ACT community, the size and scope of your project and you or your organisation’s artistic and administrative experience. All applications should represent value for money in both the level of funding and the outcomes to be achieved. • It may not be possible to fund all aspects of a project in one year. For large projects you should consider breaking your project into separate stages and applying for only one stage in 2013. Applicants should consider which stage of a project or activity they are seeking funding for, and clearly articulate this in the application. • When preparing the budget page, first estimate your total project costs in the expenditure column. The inbuilt formula will add up the expenditure column. The figure you have will be the amount required to complete the project.

17. BUDGET • Applicants should seek funding and collaboration from a variety of sources. • Note whether these other sources are confirmed or waiting a decision (and when that decision is expected) • Whole project expenditure must match whole project income. • Grant expenditure must match grant expenditure • You must use the budget template provided

18. General Application Helpful Tips • Plan in advance, many funds like the ACT Arts Fund will be for activities in the following calendar year, • Present an application that you are proud of, allow yourself plenty of time to write it. • Keep your language clear and concise • Know your project and understand what it is you are trying to achieve. Be realistic about what you are trying to achieve • How relevant is this activity for me? • Is this really truly my best idea? • Am I able to demonstrate that I am able to deliver? • How does my support material demonstrate that I am able to deliver? • Consider a staged development for your project • Spend time on your budget and submit quotes for costs– this is an area where otherwise competitive applications are let down.

19. Consider your Support material – focus on quality and relevance to the project, not quantity, and include a list of support materials submitted - remember it is what will express the quality of your work to the Panel • Consider letters of support from relevant organisations as well as other people involved in your project, leave no stone unturned. • Provide a clear timeline of your activity • Make sure what you propose is in line with the objectives of the specific fund you are applying to • Be aware of and take advantage of the opportunities available to you, get on mailing lists • Get someone to read your application, hopefully someone who has had success or experience with grant writing. • Consider diversifying your funding sources (ie applying to more than one funding body for different aspects of your project) • Be a detail freak - Give funders EXACTLY what they ask for • Check, check and double check, especially that your support material works. • AND Give yourself plenty of time to prepare your application and ensure that it is submitted on time, no exceptions are made for late applications • If you are unsuccessful, ask for feedback and TRY AGAIN!