12 06 2019 - Media release

Screen Australia and VidCon Australia announce Pitcher Perfect

VidCon Australia 2018

Screen Australia and VidCon Australia have today announced a new pitching competition - Pitcher Perfect.

The competition presents an opportunity for online narrative creators to apply for the chance to pitch their project live on stage to a panel of industry experts at VidCon Australia (19-22 September 2019). The team with the best pitch will be awarded $30,000 in funding for script development and to make a proof of concept.

Applications open today and up to five teams will be selected to pitch their project at VidCon Australia. Teams will need to be able to present an engaging pitch that gets the panel excited about their narrative concept, summarises who the project is for, how an audience will access it, and why that audience will want to watch it.

Successful finalists will participate in a closed workshop on 19 September in Melbourne to help them prepare for the live pitch the next day. Each finalist team will also receive two complimentary Creator Track passes to VidCon Australia.

Online Investment Manager at Screen Australia, Lee Naimo said: “We know that Australia has a huge amount of talent making really engaging and exciting content for online audiences. Pitcher Perfect is an incredible opportunity for those emerging creatives with strong ideas to build their pitching skills, and access funding to start a career in the industry. For the winning team $30,000 is a significant amount of money to develop a proof of concept in the form of a trailer, pilot or episode to bring their idea to life, and I can’t wait to see the range of teams that apply.”

VidCon’s General Manager, Jim Louderback said: “Australia is seeing one of the fastest growth spurts in online video on a global scale - it is one of the many reasons we brought VidCon to Melbourne, and this year’s event is set to become our best yet. It’s crucial we support the incredibly talented emerging creators from Australia, who will undoubtedly play a key role in shaping the future of the market as it continues to grow. We’re really excited to see what the entrants have to offer!”

Applicant teams need to have a minimum of two people covering the roles of producer, writer and director. Larger teams can apply, but only two people from each team will take part in the live pitch at VidCon Australia.

To apply, teams need to submit a video pitch up to three minutes in length. Finalists who are not based in Melbourne will receive flights and accommodation for two team members. For more information on eligibility and application guidelines click here

Applications close Friday 19 July.