2012 Neighbours Initiative

15 April, 2012

The Australian Writers’ Guild and FremantleMedia Australia are calling for entries for the long-awaited 2012 Neighbours Scriptwriter Training Initiative.

Now in its fifth year the initiative gives two writers the opportunity to spend 6 weeks with the story department of Australia’s favourite serial.

The writers will join the team as trainee storyliners and will also receive $5000*.

The initiative provides writers with a rare chance to get their foot in the door of Australian television and experience the fast-paced environment of serial drama. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain an invaluable understanding in one of the most challenging but rewarding areas of screenwriting. Several of the internships have also resulted in permanent positions for the writers.


Read what 2011 interns Ric Forster and Andy Spyros had to say about their time with the Neighbours story department:
 

 Ric Forster

'As a long time viewer of Neighbours, the AWG initiative was a brilliant opportunity to join the story team. I met some great people and had a lot of laughs in the story office whilst plotting 6 episodes a week. Best of all were the pre-plot days, working with the storyliners to come up with an entire week - then pitching it back to the story editors and script producers on Monday. A great experience for anyone looking to work in serial drama - you will learn to think and write quickly!'
 

Andy Spyros                                              

'An outsider might follow the trail of laughter to the Neighbours plot room and think, 'Look at those bludgers - chairs reclined, nursing herbal teas, making window art out of coloured post-it notes... storylining for Neighbours is child's play!' Well, in actual fact, the chairs are reclined to aid circulation to the brain, the tea is to ground your personality lest it should multiply (one for each character, one for each of your fellow storyliners) and the post-it notes are there because there's a job to be done. 120 minutes of television to be plotted in 3 days. No pressure...

Sounds tough, but there's a reason why there is laughter. You must invest. Hour by hour, day by day, you will be projecting your own humanity into characters who are loved by millions and can't live without the highs and lows you create for them. On your first day at the story table, you'll doubt whether your story brain could ever be as sharp as theirs. By the end of the six weeks, they'll have sharpened not only your story brain, but your perception of the world. If there is a difference.
 
There aren't many workplaces that value the uninhibited sharing of emotional truth above all else. The Neighbours story team have taken the oath, and if you take it too and if you are genuine, you won't even have to try.'
                                                                                                                        
 

How to apply

Applications are invited from both new writers and those who have experience in other areas of performance writing. What is required is a love of the serial genre, a desire to affect the way people feel and tell stories that come from the heart.

Applicants must also have the ability to generate story ideas quickly, think visually, work collaboratively and have a good sense of humour.

To apply for the AWG FremantleMedia Neighbours Scriptwriter Training Initiative applicants must provide a story idea for the serial using current Neighbours characters.

Applications close 5pm Friday 4 May.
For more information and to download initiative guidelines and application form click here

*These internships are Melbourne based. All expenses and travel must be covered by this fee.