About Us
Screen Careers is a one-stop online platform that creates, builds and sustains careers in the Australian screen industry.
We tackle the Below The Line skills shortage by offering training and upskilling for employees at all levels, fuelling screen industry production in Australia and supporting long term development.
Screen Careers’ goal is simple – to
recruit more workers, train and
induct them so they’re ready for
on-set employment and support
them to employment. Committed
to lifelong learning, we offer
workforce capabilities that improve
productivity.
We are not an academic
organisation nor looking to
compete in that market. We begin
where academic institutions end
and consider ourselves to be a
fundamental partner in a person’s
education-to-work journey.
Our Vision
Shaping the Future of Australian Film
Excellently Trained Crew
Our vision is a future where the Australian screen industry is powered by a highly skilled, versatile crew, ready to meet the growing demands of global and local productions.
Lifelong Learning Culture
We envision a world where continuous improvement and professional development are embedded in the fabric of the screen industry, enhancing productivity and fostering a sense of value and belonging among all professionals.
Global Recognition for Australian Crews
Our goal is to establish Australian crews as the gold standard in film production worldwide, making Australia a beacon of excellence and innovation in the screen industry.
We will know we are succeeding
when we see the following changes:
Culture
Crew wellbeing and standards of behaviour on set are improving equally.
Diversity
The people engaged in the early phase of our pipeline will be representative of modern Australia and this diversity will be visible in the crews. In time senior roles will be held by people representative of the Australian population.
Quality
Crew will engage in continuing professional development, throughout their employment. This will lift the bar on professional skills, future proofing our industry.
Our Mission
We seek to elevate careers in film and television through comprehensive, flexible learning options, catering to both seasoned professionals and those ready to embark on a new chapter in their careers.
As a not-for-profit organisation with a national reach, our goal is to forge an inclusive, robust pathway into the screen industries for newcomers, nurturing the growth and expertise of Below The Line crew members throughout their journey in the field.
Our offerings are diverse and practical, spanning in-person workshops, e-learning modules, trade skills training, set etiquette, and leadership development workshops.
How to help the
work of Screen Careers
organisation dependent upon funding from screen
agencies, production businesses and the charity
sector to carry out its work of bringing new people
into the screen industry and supporting the careers
of people working in Below The Line crew roles.
If you’d like to help us further our work in this area, please contact:
Fiona Gilroy
fiona@screencareers.com.au
to talk about the ways you can do this.
Problem / Solution
Statement
At Screen Careers, we position ourselves not as competitors to academic institutions but as their complement, bridging the gap between formal education and the dynamic world of work.
Our programs, crafted by industry
professionals, offer practical, role-
specific learning opportunities designed
to seamlessly transition individuals from
academic settings into the bustling film
industry. With a focus on short, impactful
courses, we equip our learners with the
skills and knowledge necessary for
immediate application, sidestepping the
need for traditional, lengthy degree
programs.
Addressing the Industry’s Core Challenges
Recruitment
The film industry often appears as a closed world, with many roles shrouded in mystery. This lack of visibility is compounded by outdated career advice and a reliance on networking over open recruitment, making entry seem daunting to outsiders. Screen Careers aims to demystify the industry, providing clear insights and pathways into a range of Below The Line roles.
Training
Unlike other industries, there’s a stark absence of standardised training for many vital film roles. Our approach circumvents this gap by offering direct, hands-on training sessions that are both accessible and relevant, moving beyond the theoretical focus of traditional education.
Career Progression
In an industry fueled by freelancing, structured career development is rare. We address this by not only providing entry-level training but also supporting continuous professional development, ensuring individuals can grow and evolve within their roles.
Work Culture
The challenges of a freelance-dominated industry are many, including a lack of stability and a culture that can, at times, tolerate negativity. We’re committed to fostering a healthier workplace culture through leadership and management training, aiming to build environments where respect, inclusivity, and professionalism are paramount.
Freelance Business Skills
Our Whole Career Solution
Our model is a comprehensive career solution tailored to the unique needs of the film industry. By addressing the critical issues of recruitment, training, career progression, workplace culture, and business skills, we offer resources that support individuals to launch, develop, and sustain fulfilling careers Below The Line.
Our Team
Executives
Esther Coleman Hawkins
Chief Executive Officer
Denise Eriksen
Head of Training & Programmes
Fiona Gilroy
Head of Business Development and Communications
Megan Mohell
Head of Operations & Company Secretary
Board of Directors
Chris Oliver Taylor
Chief Content Officer, ABC
We acknowledge the traditional owners of country and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them, their cultures and their elders, past, present and to their emerging leaders.
Esther is a powerhouse of brilliant ideas and the drive to get stuff done. She’s from the north of England (Accrington, to be precise) and that grit and determination hasn’t left her. She’s funny, smart and very useful. Most recently, along with Denise Eriksen, she co-founded Media Mentors to help screen creatives bring their best selves to their work.
Esther is the CEO of Screen Careers and the driving force in taking this not-for-profit initiative to crew looking for career long learning opportunities and to anyone curious about working in the screen industry.
She’s what’s politely known as an “industry veteran” or, less politely as “you’re still here then?” She does this work because she bloody loves telly and film and wants everybody to have the career they deserve and work for. She loves teaching, MCing and public performance generally. And a good chat.
Most recently, Denise co-founded Media Mentors Australia with Esther Coleman-Hawkins to share her love of the screen industry with as many people as possible. Denise is the Head of Programs and Training at Screen Careers and works with our advisory groups to ensure the programs we offer are exactly what the industry needs.
Fiona is the Head of Business Development and Communications at Screen Careers and works with our partners and Below The Line crew to ensure they know what opportunities we’re offering.
fiona@screencareers.com.au
Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa
Meg originally trained in Pharmacy, has a knack for numbers and loves screen and creative arts. After leaving pharmacy and adding IT to her resume, Meg joined the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s IT and accounting team. It was here that she found her ideal working world, an administrator surrounded by creativity.
In 2010 she moved to Melbourne and further honed her administrative skills before moving to Adelaide to work for the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) as their administrator. From there Meg moved back to Melbourne to join the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) for 6 years as their Operations Manager.
Now back in Wellington she is looking forward to this next step with Screen Careers.
meg@screencareers.com.au
