It may help to highlight what seems the most pertinent part of the article.

“Screen Tasmania’s Director, Karena Slaninka, says Screen Tasmania would have read the script, if an application had been made.”

Putting in an application does tend to improve your chances immensely. Thought for the day.

Jon, you’ve obviously never dealt with Screen Tasmania - they do not return calls or emails. Unless you’re in the club it’s pointless wasting time with them. I find the only alternative is to work your arse off, employ local people and pay tax so they can give it away.

I was referring to the above article, so my personal experience isn’t really relevant. Considering that there were two other recent Alexander Pearce projects recently, it doesn’t seem unreasonable for Screen Tas to point that out, and they state that they would in fact have read the script if it had been submitted - I’m pretty sure they’re obliged to, so I’m not entirely sure what the problem was.

For what it’s worth I have dealt with Screen Tas and they’ve only ever been helpful. Rang up about a potential proposal, the project officer was on set at the time but called me back the next day and gave some helpful feedback. I didn’t submit it for that round because I was too busy and got a follow-up call asking if there were any problems.

My experience is obviously different from some others, I tried to be professional in my dealings and got the same treatment back. Maybe I just got them on a good week.

Gutful (or should I call you Mark?), you should get some help with that persecution complex before it turns into a full blown conspiracy theory.

I agree with Jon, applying for funding is an important prerequisite for receiving aforementioned funding.

If, as Karena Slaninka says, the film was primarily shot in Victoria, it seems reasonable for the film to not be funded by Tasmanians

Hey Jon ... the problem here is that you’re Jon Kudelka, and everyone else isn’t.

I’m not having a go at you, I promise - its just that I’ve seen a VERY similar thread on the Dwarf where everyone complains about the lack of response from the Tas Govt Dept responsible, and Brian Ritchie responds by saying that he’s never had any trouble himself.

Sorry Jon, but its kind of a cool rebuttal - you’re famous, and the rest of us aren’t, so they’re always going to respond to you, whereas the rest of us are, apparently, a bit dogshitty. If you know what I mean.

Cheers,
Jason Lovell

Screen Tasmania’s record speaks for itself. For years they have doled out large sums of money to the same small group of film makers who live comfortably on the proceeds while producing VERY little content. I have approached them several times with good ideas and been either completely ignored or dissuaded from applying for funding. Mark is justified in asking these questions and I think it’s about time we got some answers.

The reason some people who aren’t necessarily that much chop get funding is that they didn’t get put off by a few bruises to their ego and managed to jump through all the bureaucratic hoops while the geniuses were down the pub bitching about how unrecognised they all are.

Rather than bitching about how the funding bodies aren’t taking you seriously, it may be a better use of time to fill out an application and get it in complete and on time. That way, the funding bodies are required to take you seriously whether you’re a nobody or not, and might eventually start returning your calls.

If you get knocked back, you are also entitled to ask for feedback on why you weren’t successful. This would be a good time to ask the burning questions. You are dealing with a bureaucracy which is indeed a miserable business, but while you have to follow their rules, so do they.

I agree with you Jon. There is no point in complaining about knockbacks unless you’ve had a real crack at getting through the red tape and I’m the first to admit that I have not devoted sufficient time to this. But there are some fundamental problems with Screen Tas which do need exploring. If their mission is, as they state, to support and develop a film industry in Tasmania; then they have failed spectacularly thus far and wasted a hell of a lot of money in doing so.

My understanding is that VDL was looking for support for attachments on the film, who get paid about $500 a week, and since the shoot was only for 3 weeks, that’s not a big ask.

And didn’t Jon Kudelkas wife just finish working for Screen Tas?

I guess some views of this could be examined.

Whether a government department should be proactive and engaging, or defensive and responsive may be a useful discussion.

Further - operating publicly available scorecards on investment/ return, optimal values for investment, what has worked and why, what hasnt and why would all seem to be useful. So then we’re in a position of transparency.  Then those who seek to engage and apply can have a reasonable view.

Of course these may all be attendant. The department may be unlike every other Tasmanian Government department - and already has systems and processes that are known and understood by more than a few in the know.

Navigating through a responsive only government department can be like threading the eye of a needle with a small piece of shipping rope.

And in general terms, those on the immediate periphery who sit and defend and or explain are usually those with something to either materially gain or lose… And sometimes a nod is as good as a wink.

In the end, it wasnt the producer who lost out. He’s having a ball. and Justifiably so. Its a good film.  Those who declined to play are those who now go without appropriate credit.

Argument on relevance of capture location etc would seem to be entirely parochial. in this case, how very apt.

I’m sorry but I still feel the main point of this story has been overlooked (“Those who decline to play ...” - Richard Butler?). According to the article JONATHAN AUF DER HEIDE DID NOT APPLY TO SCREEN TASMANIA FOR FUNDING. End of story. To suggest Screen Tasmania ‘declined to play’ is a bit rich.

Are you seriously all arguing that he should have funding without even asking for it?? If that is the case, can I have some money too? I was born in Tasmania (don’t live there now of course, moved to Melbourne as soon as I got the chance - just like Jonathan!),oh and my project doesn’t meet any of the criteria for funding, won’t be filmed in the state or employ Tasmanians, (snap, snap, snap again Jonathan!!)

You lot come across as a bunch of whingers who would rather waste energy bitching and moaning than getting your act together and having a go. Yes bureaucracies are bureaucratic, get over it and apply anyway. Listen to those who have good advice to offer (Jon Kudelka) rather than disregarding them because of their own success/fame (??!!) Do you only listen to advice from unsuccessful nobodies? Maybe that is why you haven’t noticed that enormous chip on your shoulder ... all your friends have one exactly the same size.

In conclusion, and to recap: Jonathan auf de Heide DID NOT apply to Screen Tasmania for funding.

“Toaster” a short film (currently unfunded)

Toasters Tasmania, how can I help?

I’d like to complain about my toaster.

What exactly seems to be the problem?

I don’t know I haven’t plugged it in.

Could you try plugging it in then?

Stop being so dismissive of my creativity.

Sorry, it would really help if-

Look, I rang to complain about my toaster and I don’t need a petty bureaucrat like you telling me how to roast a goddamn chicken! I am far too creative to spend all my time plugging electrical appliances into wall sockets!

You can’t roast a chicken in a toaster

That’s just the sort of dismissive uncreative attitude I and my other hungry friends have come to expect from you people! I’ve a good mind to-

click

Did you just hang up on me? You did! Don’t you know who I am? I’ll have your job for this!

(ends)

Return of the Toaster – A sequel (still unfunded)

Toasters Tasmania, what do you want?

I’d like to make a film about a Toaster

Have you made films about Toasters before?

Yes, I have. But I feel with some support both creatively and financially I could make these Toaster films reach a wider audience and show off what a great Toaster loving state Tasmania is.

Right. Well, the problem is, we are a bit sick of films about Toasters. There have been a few recently so we’d really rather not be involved.

But this is a great Toaster story. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. It’ll change your life.

No, we’re not interested.

Are you brushing me off because it’s a Toaster story or because you don’t know who I am?

Well, since we’ve never heard of you we really can’t imagine you know the first thing about Toasters. We have a whole cluster of regular Toaster film makers who know us well. We’d rather deal with them. Please desist in your harassment.

Can I at least apply for assistance?

Absolutely! Of course you can! Please do! That’s what we’re here for! But remember, we’re a bit over Toasters, so there’s not much point

Have you got any advice for a struggling Toaster enthusiast?

No.

Nothing at all?

Stop mixing your metaphors.

Fade out..

Yeah, well the sequel’s never as good.

One last gratuitous piece of advice, Struggling Artistes of Tasmania, if you can’t cop a bit of brutal rejection now and then, you may well not be suited for a life in the arts. It’s the price you pay for not having to get up early.

God there’s a lot of whiners about.

If you manage to get some money out of Screen Tas for something, great. If not, welcome to the real world.

If you actually want to work in the film industry, get off your arse and prove yourself like Jonathan did. That should be the point of this story - not that Screen Tas didn’t help, but people who are actually talented will make it with or without government assistance.

This isn’t Film Camp. Not everyone gets a turn. If you just want free money, there’s always Centrelink. If you’ve actually got talent and dedication, you’ll learn to deal with rejection and when you get it, find another way forward instead of bitching about it.

Shaun, i’m not sure who you are referring to here. I can’t recall anyone ‘bitching’ and ‘whining’ that they can’t get funding, particularly when they (like myself) haven’t been arsed flogging the application process to death. The issue lies within the lack of oversight over projects sponsored by screen tas, many of which don’t see the light of day and appear to have very limited prospects. There is also an inherrent lack of enthusiasm and encouragment exhibited to anyone who approachs ST. It took me 2 months and 4 emails just to get them to response to a question about how I apply for funding. Of course there are exceptions to this and you need not point them out. Tasmania has some very talented film makers, like yourself who deserve to receive funding from Screen TAs. But with a bit of extra support for ST we could really develop an industry to be proud of and give a leg up to emerging artists. Your allusion to living on Centrelink is pretty ridiculous. As a pensioner of 11+ years, I can tell you that the meagre amounts doled out fortnigtly make successful grant applications seem like Tatts windfalls.

Shaun #16

That should be the point of this story - not that Screen Tas didn’t help, but people who are actually talented will make it with or without government assistance.

While that’s a good point, it doesn’t really apply to this ‘story’ as the director did receive government assistance, just it didn’t come from Screen Tasmania - it came from Film Victoria… which you would’ve known if you bothered to read the article properly.

Simon, you might want to have a talk to Wide Angle - their brief is “Supporting Emerging Tasmanian Screen Culture - Statewide” which sounds more like what you’re looking for.

Jon, once again you are absolutely correct. Wide Angle is fantastic. I’ve had many dealings with them. Their staff are supporting, constructive, encouraging, efficient and open minded. Everything Screen Tas. SHOULD be.

Simon, Wide Angle is set up for emerging film makers and Screen Tas is set up for more established practitioners. Wide Angle will obviously be better at hand-holding than Screen Tas because that’s what they’re meant to do, it’s the whole roasting a chicken in a toaster thing.

I realise this Jon, but all I ever see from each round of funding is huge sums of money going to the same small group of people who often don’t even get anything made with it. Show me the product and I’ll stand corrected in orthopedic sandals.

Simon, this may come as a shock, but an enormous proportion of films are shit. Lots and lots of development money is spent on producing utter shit, whether that’s in Hollywood or Hobart, and even more money is spent on developing films that people mercifully realised were utter shit before they actually went into production.

Following on from this,I hate to break it to you, but it’s statistically very likely that all the ideas you think are actually great are actually shit. As film making is an art and not a science, it’s incredibly hard to tell whether something’s not shit until it’s finished. One of the few indicators that some idea that you are haranguing Screen Tas to give you taxpayers’ hard-earned money to make might possibly not be shit is your track record, and if you don’t have one, that puts you right in the “it’s probably shit” category. That’s why it’s a bloody hard business to crack. Sorry to give it to you straight like this, but everyone has to do the hard yards at some point and frankly, you are a bit of a whiner.

I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve studied film history, theory and technique for most of my life. I know how it works and about the vast quantities of shit out there. I’m not arguing that there should be some subjective standard that Tasmanian films should have to reach. That would be impossible. My problem is that there doesn’t seem to be much oversight showing how the money is used and more importantly, to ensure the films are actually made at all. I have read of many examples and heard anecdotally about many more. If it was private money- fine. But this is coming from the public purse and thus I think we deserve a bit better. Admittedly in this thread I have vented a few other personal grievances and I accept that I must sound like a bit of a whiner in those instances. Not a personality trait I relish.

FINALLY Jon, I’m not actually a bitter aspiring film maker as has been suggested. I am in fact a semi-pro videographer who makes wedding, sport and occasionally funeral videos to pay bills and put food on the family. Over the past few years I have heard and read about numerous cases of Screen Tas. handing out money and nothing coming from it. For example, I know personally one recipient of over $5000 who was never contacted again by ST to see what he did with the money. Fact is, he did nothing.  I have also spoken to industry insiders who have severe misgivings about the way ST is run and feel there is a desperate need to reassess what they are about and who is in charge. I have had very limited contract with ST personally, a few information nights and email exchanges and realise there is still much I do not understand about their processes. You are no doubt clearly aware of this.

Thankyou for an interesting and frank discussion. I appreciate you taking the time to clear a few things up for me and for your unique perspective.

Over and out.

Simon if you have actual examples of lack of oversight that aren’t merely gossip or second-hand whining from people who didn’t get the cash, I do hope you’ve passed them on to Screen Tas, who are doing a fairly extensive review at the moment as this might actually be helpful to them. The film industry might produce an awesome amount of shit, but as you are probably aware, this is effortlessly surpassed by the amount of shit that is spoken.

If this is a legit complaint and the complaints have been officially made and aren’t followed up, then by all means, whine away.  I’m all for government being held accountable for how they piss away taxpayers’ money, especially since some of it’s mine.

In reference to comment 4 by Hamish. I am not gutful, if I place I comment, I use my real name. Who are you Hamish…please reveal yourself.