|
At the AWG we promote and protect the interest and standing of writers who originate or adapt written material for performance. We support our members through an extensive program of industrial campaigns, legal assistance, professional development services, initiatives, events and advice. Everyday we find new ways to support our members but here’s a brief summary of our services: Industrial
Industrial The AWG assists our members in the development of their craft by providing professional development opportunities throughout the year. These include masterclasses with some of the world’s most respected scriptwriters and developers; seminars on craft and genre; mentorship programs and a number of professional initiatives designed to give our members opportunity and support in their craft and careers. The AWG also works closely with other industry organisations and government bodies to develop further opportunities for our members. Recent professional development programs have included the NSW Mentorship Program, providing NSW based performance writers with a significant opportunity to receive critical support and guidance from professional colleagues to develop an existing work; a number of seminars and workshops with international film development expert Stephen Cleary, and Narrative Comedy workshops with Tim Ferguson. For more information on AWG Professional Development click here The AWG presents a number of initiatives and competitions throughout the year that provide members with an opportunities to develop their professional experience and foster their craft. These include internships, masterclass positions and funding in addition to the industry recognition that comes from winning an AWG initiative or competition. For our more experienced members the AWG administers a number of high profile fellowships including the FOXTEL Fellowship recognising achievement in television writing and the Kit Denton Fellowship that rewards courage in performance writing. Two of our most popular competitions and initiatives are the INSITE Un-produced Screenplay Competition offering a public reading, one on one script assessment and $2,500 and the AWG FremantleMedia Neighbours Initiative providing two writers with six week internships with the Neighbours Script department. For more information on AWG initiatives and competitions click here Events and Networking Opportunities Throughout the year we hold a number of events for our members. These include screenings of members films followed by Q&A sessions with the writer, and often the producer and director; industry forums; Writer/Producer speed dating; ‘In Conversation’ presentations with some of Australia’s most respected performance writers; festival events and panels and monthly member meetings. A major annual event is the FOXTEL Screenwriters Address, presented by the Australian Writers’ Foundation. These events provide fantastic opportunities to network within writing community and the industry, to share ideas and form professional relationships and gain from the experience of other writers. Click for more information on AWG events in:
The AWGIE Awards are the Australian Writers' Guild’s annual awards for excellence in screen, stage, radio and new media writing. The ‘AWGIEs’ are the only peer assessed awards for performance writers with judging based on the written script - the writer's intention - rather than the finished production. With the generous assistance of our supporters over $100,000 in special prizes and fellowships are presented at the awards including the $25,000 Kit Denton Fellowship which rewards courage and excellence in performance writing, the $25,000 FOXTEL Fellowship for television writers and the $15,000 John Hinde Award for Science Fiction. The recipient of the Major AWGIE, for Outstanding Australian Script of the Year receives the $10,000 Copyright Agency Limited Peer Recognition Prize. For more information on the AWGIE Awards click here
National Screenwriters' Conference The National Screenwriters' Conference is a biennial conference presented by the Australian Writers’ Guild and is a must for every writer working in film,television and new media. The National Screenwriters’ Conference aims to:
The conference features sessions dealing with craft; local and global production environments; case studies of Australian and overseas work across film, television and new media; and Masterclasses with the world’s leading screenwriters. Beyond the sessions there are networking opportunities and social events; micro-mentorships; and opportunities to find out what producers and networks really want. For more information on the National Screenwriters’ Conference click here
After extensive research and consultation with the best development professionals in Australia and internationally - across film, television and theatre, we have created a best practice script assessment service designed to give writers constructive and balanced evaluation of their draft scripts. Our not-for-profit service provides you with choices to suit your experience level and the stage of your script’s development. This includes two tiers of assessment and a range of reporting and consultation options. Our assessment team has been selected to include over 40 high quality assessors, ensuring an excellent standard of assessment and fast turnaround. For more information on Script Assessment click here
For more information on Script Registration click here
These royalties arise from: • statutory levies on blank DVDs, videotapes and CDs • private and educational copying royalties • royalties collected for the retransmission of free-to-air television on cable and satellite TV • royalties collected for copying done by educational institutions, and • royalties collected for the rental of videotapes/CDs/DVDs. In 2007, the Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society (AWGACS) collected a million dollars in overseas royalties for the first time.The royalties from overseas can only increase year by year with the addition of 11 more overseas partners. AWGACS now has contracts with 15 overseas collecting societies: Argentina, Chile, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Mauritius, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Uruguay. You are eligible to join AWGACS if you are an Australian or New Zealand film or television writer. Membership is free. For more information on AWGACS click here |