A suite of new initiatives are now available for media students and professionals, to expand opportunities for local and global talent to collaborate, and create more “made-with-Singapore” content for the world. Launched by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), these include the call-for-applications for the Story Lab Apprenticeship programme to nurture young media professionals, and a new Script to Screen programme to help writers translate their stories to the screen. In addition, local talent will learn from international media experts, through a series of training and mentorship programmes with key partners such as LASALLE and the British Film Institute (BFI).

These initiatives were announced by Minister for Communications and Information, Mr S Iswaran. Mr Tan Kiat How, Chief Executive of IMDA, said, “There is a high demand for media professionals locally and in the region, creating good job opportunities for Singaporeans. However, new skills in storytelling are required with the rise of digital mediums and tools, to tell personalised stories that resonate well with audiences. This is why IMDA is working with partners to introduce a suite of programmes to help aspiring talent become industry-ready, and support media professionals in upgrading their skills. Our goal is to strengthen Singapore’s role as a media hub in Asia, and encourage the creation of “made-withSingapore” content.”

Fresh media professionals can now apply for the Story Lab Apprenticeship programme, which is open for applications from now till 29 September 2019. The programme aims to:
Provide promising young media professionals with structured on-the-job training, and opportunities that will develop their skillsets to take on bigger roles in their future career.
Interested applicants can apply for apprenticeship roles in award-winning Singaporebased media companies such as Beach House Pictures, GHY Culture and Media, Mediacorp and mm2 Entertainment. More companies such as HBO Asia are expected to be part of the programme.
More than 60 apprenticeship roles over two years are available, from producing, writing, digital marketing to content creation.
Through an immersive and experiential 12-month programme, selected apprentices will work on live projects under the mentorship of media veterans, and gain valuable exposure and experience in the business of media.

To create more avenues for local media talent to access international networks and learn global best practices, IMDA is planning to form a partnership with the BFI, to deliver a range of training programmes and masterclasses. These include:
A mentorship programme for local producers that will involve an in depth two-week course exploring all aspects of film production alongside opportunities to undergo industry placements and to attend the BFI London Film Festival.
In addition, there will be digital masterclasses targeted at media and marcomms professionals, and a ten-day immersive experience based at Pinewood Studios, for 20 nominated media students from Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). IMDA is also extending its partnership with LASALLE to introduce David Puttnam’s ProducersLab in Creative Producing and Financing, which will kickstart its first run in 2020
Up to 12 participants will be selected through an open call in March to attend the nine-week programme that will run from June to August, where they will receive mentorship and guidance from award-winning director and producer David Puttnam through lectures and tutorials.
The programme is designed to equip the next generation of Singaporean media professionals with practical skills to enable them to create, pitch, and finance content for TV, online and streaming platforms.

For the past three years, IMDA has been supporting the WritersLab programme organised by LASALLE to nurture scriptwriting and storytelling skills. This year, IMDA will introduce a new Script to Screen programme, which aims to:
Provide participants from WritersLab with the opportunity to pitch their story ideas and scripts to be produced into a pilot.
Give writers of the selected scripts valuable experience on set as part of the production.

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