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SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION
AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S NEXT?
PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERVIEW
Once you have completed your Application, the SFS Recruiting and Admissions Manager will contact you to arrange an interview. If you live in the Sydney area, this interview will be conducted in person at Waterloo Studios. Alternatively if you live interstate or internationally your interview will be conducted via Skype.
Prior to the interview you must prepare a Pitch Presentation to present to the interview panel.
Once completed, please email your completed pitch to [email protected]. This presentation will be displayed on the tv screen in the interview room or printed out. The SFS Recruiting and Admission Manager will base their recommendation for admission into Sydney Film School on your presentation during the interview. They will also get to know you, get a sense of your filmmaking passion and your eagerness to learn during the interview.
THE PITCH PRESENTATION – INTERVIEW
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Project Pitch for Prospective Students
A film pitch serves as a concise yet compelling overview of a proposed film project, designed to capture the attention and imagination of potential investors, producers, or studio executives. It encapsulates the essence of the film, including its storyline, characters, themes, and unique selling points, all within a brief presentation. A successful pitch not only outlines the creative vision behind the film but also articulates its commercial viability, demonstrating its potential to resonate with audiences and generate profit. Essentially, a film pitch serves as the initial step in the journey of transforming an idea into a fully realized cinematic endeavour, serving as the foundation upon which the project’s development and production are built.
Prospective students applying to Sydney Film School are required to present a film pitch to an interview panel, made up of two SFS staff members, as part of the admission process, during which you must address specific pitch criteria as outlined below. Whether using a PowerPoint presentation, or completing the provided pitch criteria form, candidates are encouraged to showcase their creative vision, storytelling abilities, and cinematic potential to secure entry into the school. The presentation should be no longer than 5 minutes.
Your pitch can be for a film idea you’ve imagined for years, one you’re eager to bring to life either at Sydney Film School or in your future professional filmmaking career, or it can be a fresh concept conceived specifically for admission into Sydney Film School.
PITCH CRITERIA YOU MUST ADDRESS IN YOUR PRESENTATION
Production Title: Your Film Title
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Documentary, etc.
Logline: A one to two-sentence summary of your film.
Synopsis: A brief outline of your film’s story – no more than 100 words.
Characters: A breakdown of two to three main characters – motivations, traits, arcs
Objectives: What you aim to achieve with this film?
Target Audience: Who is this film for?
Crew: Any roles you have or wish to have.
Inspirations: Films, directors, or other works that inspire this project.
Cinematic Treatment: A mood board of images that inspire your film’s aesthetic, colour palette, tone and style.
Closing Statement: An interesting final statement to entice your audience about the film.
Have fun presenting your film pitch! The panel wants to see your passion for filmmaking and how well you can communicate your ideas.
Below are two pitch presentation examples for your reference. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to let your creativity flow and dazzle us with your uniquely crafted pitch.
The completed ‘Pitch Criteria Form’. This document must be emailed to the Admissions Manager prior to the interview. It will be printed out ready for your presentation.
A powerpoint presentation addressing the pitch criteria. This document should be emailed to the Admissions Manager prior to the interview so it can be shown on the TV in the room.
ON THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEW
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your interview – be aware, there is only street parking available.
Bring a bottle of water.
Please make yourself known to a staff member in the Administration Office located at the top of the stairs behind the reception desk.
Be yourself and have fun.
If you choose to complete the ‘Pitch Criteria Form’, the Admissions Manager will have copies printed out for you and all panelist. If you choose to create a powerpoint presentation it will be displayed on the TV in the interview room. You will present your pitch using either option as an aid. After you finish your presentation the panel will ask your a few questions about your pitched project and will find out a little more about you and your passion for filmmaking.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Sydney Film School courses maintain a rigorous schedule of 20 hours of face to face class time per week. At this phase of the interview process, you will be required to disclose any existing injuries or psychiatric / physiological conditions which may possibly impact or affect your progression through the course.
- You will be required to complete and submit the form provided.
- Information disclosed remains private and confidential between the applicant, Sydney Film School Director of Education, and Sydney Film School Student Services Officer, and it serves purely to assist in individual student management and duty of care.
The Recruiting and Admissions Manager will discuss your application and interview with the Director of Education, and come to an outcome on your admission to Sydney Film School. Sydney Film School maintains small class sizes for the most personalised filmmaking training possible, therefore not all applications will be successful.
If successful you will receive an email with your Letter of Offer and Student Agreement attached. International Students will also have the option of taking out Overseas Health Cover at this point. You must sign and complete all the required forms, and your place at Sydney Film School is not secured till you pay your deposit as outlined in the Letter of Offer.
Once your deposit has been confirmed we look forward to welcoming you to Sydney Film School at Orientation Week.
BEING COMMITTED TO A FILMMAKING CAREER
IS YOUR FIRST STEP
Do you have stories to tell? Do you love to collaborate with passionate and creative people? Is filmmaking what you want to do with your life? Do you need guidance and opportunity to ‘make it’?
If your dream is to build a thriving career in the screen and media industry, then Sydney Film School is almost certainly the school for you.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Minimum 18 years of age preferred. Applicants turning 18 years of age in the year of admission will be considered through an interview process. As a domestic student, you must have Australian or New Zealand citizenship, Australian permanent residency, or similarly hold an Australian permanent humanitarian visa. International students are furthermore welcome to apply to our filmmaking courses– see our international students page if you need to know more about visa application and other requirements for study at Sydney Film School.
HOW TO APPLY?
If you are interested in applying to interview for our filmmaking courses the online Application Form needs to be completed.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must have a suitable level of academic skill in order to study filmmaking in either the Diploma or Advanced Diploma. Applicants can demonstrate this through either:
- providing a certified copy of a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education that has been awarded by an agency or authority of a State or Territory of Australia for the completion of year 12; or
- undertaking an assessment of their competence in reading and numeracy (see below).
For potential students interested in filling out an application form, there are no other academic pre-requisites or vocational requirements.
However, Sydney Film School also requires that applicants:
- Be a minimum age of 18 years (preferred), or be turning 18 years of age in the year of admission.
- Have effective English language, communication, interpersonal skills and
- Have writing skills to a level where you can write an essay.
- Have numeracy skills to a level where you can develop and maintain a production budget.
- Have an interest in applying filmmaking skills to the demands of contemporary and innovative technologies in studio, external locations and digital/internet technologies; or
- Have an interest in developing their storytelling, production and artistic skills for use in innovative ways across a range of screen formats and platforms.
Applicants will be required to participate in an interview with the Recruiting and Admissions Manager. This is to demonstrate aptitude and adaptability.
ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCE IN READING AND NUMERACY
Applicants can demonstrate their competence in reading and numeracy through providing a certified copy of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE). (Each state and territory in Australia has its own SSCE – see here for further information.)
SFS uses the Core Skills Profile for Adults (CSPA) to determine reading and numeracy skills. Applicants are required to complete the test as part of the SFS selection process. Applicants who undertake this skills test will receive their results as soon as possible, and before an offer of enrolment is made.
Potential students interested in filmmaking, who hold an overseas Year 12 equivalent qualification, or other qualifications including higher education degrees, may be assessed by SFS as having a suitable level of academic skills for studying acting at Sydney Film School.