Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson joined VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher, producer Joanna Werner, and videogame developer Liam Esler on the set of the new Victorian-made TV series Crazy Fun Park to launch the Victorian Production Fund, a $40 million program that will increase support for Victorian-led film, television, digital games and online content created in the state.
The fund will invest in Victorian-led productions to deliver diverse and compelling content for local and international audiences alike. It is expected to inject $130.5 million into the Victorian economy every year, as well as creating the equivalent of 3,700 full time jobs over four years.
Pearson said, “We’re backing Victorian-led productions that will support thousands of creative jobs and drive Victoria’s continued development as a global screen powerhouse.”
Responding to the growing demand for skilled workers across the screen industry, a new $2.06 million Specialist Placement Program has also been established to address critical skills gaps across the screen ecosystem.
This new skills development program will grow the local talent pool to fill in-demand roles including production accountants, location managers, script editors, post-production supervisors and games marketers.
“Our screen production pipeline is increasing at a rapid pace and we are investing in the future of our local talent pool across film, television, digital games, animation and visual effects,” continued Minister Pearson.
Both programs are supported as part of the Victorian Government’s $191.5 million VicScreen strategy, which is investing in new talent, skills, businesses, and events to grow the state’s screen industry.
To deliver this strategy and reflect the breadth of screen content made in the state, Film Victoria will be re-branded VicScreen, Victoria’s creative and economic screen development agency.
Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher said, “Today Film Victoria builds on its rich legacy of screen industry support and evolves into VicScreen, better representing the entire screen ecosystem and promoting Victoria as a world-leading centre for screen.”
“Victoria is an epicentre for games development in our region, in fact our agency has invested in digital games for more than 25 years. I’m excited that our name now fully represents such important sectors of our industry.”