Screen Australia and Google have today announced the four recipients of this year’s Skip Ahead Initiative, a partnership which aims to find fresh Australian YouTube talent and give ’em the funding and resources to create longer, more “narratively ambitious” content. It’s a good initiative for Screen Australia – especially given that Australian filmmaker talent can often best be found online nowadays.
Videos made under the initiative have come from such luminaries as Aunty Donna and Mighty Car Mods, so they’ve got that goin’ for ’em.
Who are this year’s winners – and what kinda stuff have they produced in the past?
First off the ranks are the lads from RackaRacka, who will be creating “a livestream vlog from wannabe filmmakers on a rampage in a haunted, abandoned theatre”. They are insanely popular on YouTube, and their videos are often gruesome as hell, if thats your thing.
Superwog, who you no doubt know, is also up for a chunk of the funding, with the intention of creating a half-hour comedy called The Superwog Show.
Food channel Charli’s Crafty Kitchen – a very popular channel dedicated to cooking and craft for kids, are creating an animated called Crafty Kingdom.
And lastly, the team behind BrainCraft are working on a science doco called Mutant Menu, which will cover genetic mutations in human beings. BrainCraft generally do short, fun science education vids.
Mike Cowap, Investment Manager at Screen Australia, said:
Skip Ahead has grown year on year, and we’re thrilled to continue to partner with YouTube who are such a powerful force in online video and the advancement of technology and storytelling generally.These successful creators have great instincts for filmmaking and engaging with large audiences. They have earned this opportunity to make longer, more challenging narrative work, and we’re excited to see the result. We’re sure their audiences are going to love it.
Source: YouTube.
Photo: Supplied.
