SBS launches television production trainee scheme
SBS has launched a television production trainee scheme for people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to place them in short-term work on productions commissioned by the network.
The announcement:
SBS launches Television Production Trainee Scheme
SBS has launched a Multicultural Television Production Trainee Scheme to provide short-term work placements for participants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, including Indigenous backgrounds, on SBS commissioned productions.
The scheme was initiated by John Godfrey, SBS Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, who said: “SBS is uniquely positioned to foster the professional development of people from CALD and Indigenous communities in the Australian television industry through our content. As Australia’s only multicultural broadcaster we can offer practical training while also providing opportunities to build up skills across all of SBS’s content platforms”.
SBS will partner with funding agencies Screen NSW and Film Victoria to offer the placements. Two traineeships have already been successfully completed, and a trainee is currently employed on the new series of Go Back to Where You Came From. SBS intends to fund two further traineeships on commissioned programming before June 2012. Trainees will be selected for individual productions based on existing television experience. The nature and duration of the traineeships will be dependent on the individual production.
Maria Tran was employed as a researcher on Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta, a new three-part documentary series to air from Sunday, 8 January on SBS ONE and produced by Fredbird Entertainment and Northern Pictures. Maria gained unprecedented exposure to all facets of documentary production, including field interviews, actuality filming, post-production and on-line content creation. Maria is fluent in Vietnamese and as part of her role, she acted as an interpreter.
Bollywood Star will follow the search for an Australian Bollywood star: an unknown who will go on to win the prize of a lifetime – a part in a Bollywood movie. Indian student Karan Mandhian managed tasks as varied as casting, assistant story production, translations for correspondence with India and vital community contact for the production. Bollywood Star has provided Karan with invaluable experience and an unparalleled insight into television production, and he intends to build on these skills as he pursues a career as producer.
Former Afghan refugee and emerging filmmaker Saber Baluch has recently begun work on the second series of Go Back to Where You Came From. The first series proved to be one of the most talked about television events in 2011 and the next series promises to push the format even further. Saber will be involved in different aspects of the intensive production process, working with Cordell Jigsaw, who were responsible for the first series.
Bollywood Star and Go Back to Where You Came From will air on SBS ONE in 2012.
Source: SBS press release
