The ACS and Screen Australia have announced four placement opportunities for emerging Directors of Photography through Screen Australia’s Credit Maker 2.0 program.
The program is a high-calibre initiative that will support women or gender diverse cinematographers and screen composers to attain a career defining credit on a scripted production, elevate their career trajectory and to bring change in female HoD representation in the sector.
The ACS Credit Maker 2.0 will support experienced women and gender-diverse cinematographers with expertise in narrative storytelling, aesthetic and technical areas and the ability to work in a fast-paced on-set environment are able to elevate and accelerate their careers.
The cinematographers who take part in ACS Credit Maker 2.0 will be placed in and become part of a television drama series where they will be mentored and supervised by the series’ director of photography (DoP).
As a result, the cinematographer will participate in the pre-production process and observe the supervising DoP in action as they shoot the series in order that they experience and are across all aspects of making the show.
Then, working under the guidance of the supervising DoP, the cinematographer will shoot an episode of the series themselves and critically attain their first breakthrough drama series credit.
ACS Credit Maker 2.0 is a unique placement program that differs to other shadowing and attachment programs in that the Credit Maker cinematographer fully experiences all aspects of the production process from pre-production, shooting and postproduction, all whilst being guided and mentored by a supervising DoP.
The cinematographers also work hands-on with all shooting and production disciplines including AD, costume and makeup, gaffer, grips and sound.
Erika explained, “This world leading scheme addresses the stark reality of the difficulties faced by women and other minority groups in gaining access to opportunities where they can prove their capabilities and progress their careers. The feedback from producers on the first ACS Credit Maker was incredibly encouraging as they were really impressed by the results delivered and they were excited to be part of making history. Hence, we are expecting even more positive results from ACS Credit Maker 2.0.”
Ken Crouch, Head of Industry Development at Screen Australia said, “Screen Australia is proud to continue its support for ACS through the Credit Maker 2.0 program, which is instrumental in fostering diverse talent and providing vital career opportunities for women and gender-diverse cinematographers.
“By partnering with ACS, we are not only investing in the growth of individual careers but also working to build a more inclusive and equitable Australian screen industry. Programs like this are critical in addressing the gender disparities that still exist in technical roles and ensuring that the next generation of storytellers has the support and mentorship they need to succeed.”
ACS Credit Maker 2.0 aims to elevate the career trajectory of the cinematographers involved and improve the equity for women and gender-diverse practitioners in the Australian cinematography industry.
Screen Australia funded the first round of Credit Maker in 2022 and the participants in that round were Alice Stephens (Surviving Summer S2), Kate Cornish (Erotic Stories), Sarah Hadley (Bay of Fires S2) and Justine Kerrigan ACS (Bump S5).
Applications will be accepted from 1st April to the 18th May 2025.
For more information, visit Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS)
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