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Nakul Legha: tips for applying for Digital Originals and pitching to SBS Scripted
94 Plays11 days ago
SBS Head of Scripted Nakul Legha talks about how to pitch to SBS, the types of series they are and aren’t commissioning, and advice for Digital Originals. Applications are now open for the Digital Originals initiative from SBS, NITV and Screen Australia, and Nakul runs through who is eligible, what they’re looking for, how to make your application stand out and many more Frequently Asked Questions.
Read the guidelines before you apply: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fund/digital-originals-2026/
As Head of Scripted, Nakul leads the commissioning of scripted content at SBS, which includes overseeing Original SBS series, the slate of Digital Originals, and other industry initiatives that amplify new voices. Prior to SBS, Nakul was at Netflix, where he helped establish the streamer’s content strategy in ANZ, and oversaw a slate of original scripted series, feature films and documentaries that included Boy Swallows Universe, Wellmania, Surviving Summer, Love is in the Air, Irreverent and ONEFOUR: Against All Odds.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Breaking Screen'
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to Breaking Screen, a podcast about the Australian screen industry and the creative people within it. I'm your host, Caris Bizzaca, I'm recording this podcast from the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, where I'm very grateful to be a visitor and be able to work on these lands. Always was, always will be.
Introducing Nicole Legger
00:00:21
Speaker
Joining me on today's episode is SBS head of scripted, Nakul Legha, who leads the commissioning of scripted content at the network, which includes overseeing original SBS series, its award-winning short form slate of digital originals and other industry initiatives that amplify new voices.
00:00:40
Speaker
Prior to SBS, Nakul at Netflix, where he helped establish the streamer's content strategy in ANZ, and oversaw a slate of original scripted series, feature films, and documentaries that included Boy Swallows Universe, Wellmania , Surviving Summer, Love is in the Air, Irreverent, and One Four Against All Odds.
Pitching to SBS
00:01:01
Speaker
Throughout the podcast, Nakul talks about how to pitch to SBS, the types of series they are and aren't commissioning, and he dives into advice for anyone applying for digital originals.
00:01:12
Speaker
Applications have opened for the initiative now in its seventh year, and Nakul runs through who is eligible, what they're looking for, how to make your application stand out, how developed your idea should be, if you can be attached to more than one project, and many more frequently asked questions.
00:01:30
Speaker
Here's that chat.
Nakul's Career Journey
00:01:34
Speaker
The way we start ah every episode of this podcast is with the same question and it's about inciting incidents. And can you tell me what the inciting incident has been for your career?
00:01:47
Speaker
Yeah, I've had a probably a few different careers. um It's been zigzaggy and studied economics and law. I became a corporate lawyer doing telco media work, became a business affairs exec negotiating deals around TV productions, acquisitions and co-productions and programming. And of course, as a creative executive on Original. So I think probably the common thread looking across all the choices I've made is a genuine obsession and love for television, which I think as a kid was seen as like a terrible thing, a terrible habit for a child to have to watch so much television. But um I think that love for television
00:02:28
Speaker
What a good story makes someone feel um probably came from when I moved to Australia, when I migrated with my parents to Australia, having grown up in a country called Bhutan where television was banned, or actually like film, TV, everything was was bad. And it was in the pursuit of creating this utopian society, which we can have a conversation about another day or another podcast. Yeah. I think coming to Australia and being an adult child and being just left in front of the television as my childcare made me just fall in love and made me get a better on understanding of the world around me and the country that I just moved to. And I think that's been the thing that has been the thread through my life. I think the thing that's changed is realizing that could be a career.
00:03:11
Speaker
um growing up and making the choices I did. They were about making a stable career and a stable pathway, a stable life in Australia. I had economic security and gave comfort to my parents. It was secondary that I would choose to do things that also loved. And that came about through just doors opening up as I went further along in the jobs that I could do at the time that they became available to me.
Impact of Australian Stories
00:03:38
Speaker
o And so the last time we spoke on a podcast anyway, but was you were at Netflix, where you worked for a number of years. What were your takeaways from your time working at the streamer?
00:03:52
Speaker
I think the biggest, most exciting thing to take away was that Australian audiences will turn up for Australian stories if they're told well. I think that was the most exciting thing to see was to to create, develop, to put out shows that were competing against, you know, some huge shows from around the world. and for them to resonate with audiences in the same way, if not in bigger ways. and There's a show was really proud to work on, an executive and produced from from the Netflix side called Voice of the Universe, which was a distinctly Australian story that really cut through with audiences here and abroad. And I think that is both the challenge and the opportunity. That's the same at SBS, which is on SBS, we're a platform full amazing stories from around the world that sit on SBS On Demand and on our broadcast channel.
00:04:41
Speaker
And the challenge is to get our Australian stories to cut through and and to resonate with audiences. And having seen it be done and having seen it be possible on a global platform, I know that the same is possible here at SBS. And I think that's the thing that we're always searching for is how do we make shows that compete against Handmaid's Tale, against Blue Rites? think what we constantly see is that Australian audiences They're both very sophisticated in their tastes and their understanding of television, but they also really, really want to see their communities and their experiences reflected back at them. And that's the thing that we get to do first and foremost here at SBS.
00:05:22
Speaker
And um we will jump into a bit more about SBS in it in a
Influence of Legal Background
00:05:26
Speaker
second. But before we get to that, um I just wanted to ask, because you have a background in intellectual property and entertainment law, how do you think that has influenced you as a commissioner?
00:05:39
Speaker
That's a really good question. I think there's like this the practical knowledge and skill set, which is, you know, I started out in the pure legal side of the industry. I was an intellectual property litigator. So I guess I was there when things went a bit awry and you were in litigation. Yeah. So I could see when things go wrong. i moved into the commercial side in business affairs, which is where you're at the pointy end of the deal and setting up the mechanisms by which relationship between parties is going to unfold. So I've seen the worst. I've seen the best, most optimistic end of things.
00:06:11
Speaker
And then I think as a commissioner, really, there is that skill sort of knowing how contracts work, how rights work. But I think the most important thing is In all those roles, you're in a client services role, essentially, right? you are You are managing relationships and you are trying to persuade parties, whether it's on your side, your clients, or on the other side to an outcome.
00:06:33
Speaker
That's a win-win, as close to win-win as you can get. And i think that's the thing as a commissioner that I really hold on to, which is so much of this job is about creating an environment that allows people to tell the best stories possible. And that's an environment that's both creative and letting writers have, you know as few hurdles in the way to deliver their stories in the best way possible. But it's also producerial.
00:06:55
Speaker
It's enabling a commercial space where people business can be done and where you're good to work with. So I would say that's probably the big skill that I've learned that helps me be a better commissioner.
Vision for SBS Scripted
00:07:08
Speaker
And yeah, so you are head of scripted at SBS. You were a commissioning editor prior to that. But when you stepped into the role as head of scripted, did you have a specific goal or vision for the future of SBS scripted?
00:07:24
Speaker
I think for me, so i as I said, I migrated here. i didn't speak English when I moved to Australia. And so SBS had a huge outsized role to play in my upbringing and in the kind of resettlement of my family and our understanding of what it is to to be in this new country And so in that sense, I think it's really shaped my sense of the value, the role, the importance of SBS. um It was a network that helped shape my understanding of so much around me. And it was, I remember the the dramas, the comedies, particularly that I'd see on SBS that were my gateway to the world, but also to Australia specifically. And I think that stays with me first and foremost, which is how do we continue to ensure SBS's relevance for contemporary audiences? in the way that I felt it. I know so many migrant multicultural communities have felt it over decades. But obviously with audiences fragmenting, with content from around the world being available in so many different ways, the thing that I'm most, most passionate about is ensuring that SBS is front of mind and relevant to audiences today. And how do we ensure that our charter, which I think is so unique, you know, it is the pursuit of a more inclusive society. It's just telling of multicultural stories
00:08:39
Speaker
How do we ensure that that is fit for purpose today? And how do we ensure that the stories we tell from the scripted side ah deliver on the promise of that charter? So in that sense, what I think about what we can do is channel defining scripted drama, comedy that is distinctive that is noisy, but also unapologetically entertaining, it shows that have to have a point of difference. you know We're a smaller platform, so we've got a shout louder from the rooftops to cut through, to make people lean in and make the switch.
00:09:12
Speaker
And maybe it'll be that person's first time engaging with SBS. Maybe it's the first time in five, 10 years they're engaging with s SBS. Maybe they're loyal SBS audiences. How do we have have enough that provokes and delights all those broad audiences?
Developing Scripted Stories
00:09:26
Speaker
We're a network that has historically always taken swings, that's taken risks. It's the reason why I loved SBS growing up. And so that distinctiveness really matters. And then it's marrying that with contemporary, propulsive storytelling that has iconic characters that audiences fall in love with, worlds that audiences haven't seen before, of perspectives that might be unseen or fresh. That's how I see what we can do at SBS to stand out and cut through.
00:09:54
Speaker
And yeah, just a little bit more about the SBS scripted. So um who else is in the team and and what does your role entail? Yes, so a small team. It's myself as Head of Scripted and it's Zaina Ahmed as our development executive. And the two of us, the focus for us is to search for, develop and commission scripted stories, both short form and long form. So our slate comprises of two strands, three strands really. So the first is our primetime dramas. It shows like four years later, Reckless, which is a sibling thriller that just came out over the summer.
00:10:30
Speaker
and the airport chaplain and it's our short form dramas as through our initiative with Screen Australia called Digital Originals. We commissioned three short form dramas a year from that pathway. The third thing that we do is initiatives, initiatives to support emerging underrepresented voices in the sector and we partner with a number of organizations to to deliver on those. And really our goal is to ensure that we're telling the most compelling, best version of stories that we can. At the moment, you know, we just had a show come out called Homebodies, which was with AP, who was on your show created that that is this distinctive bold take on a coming-of-age story told through the trans experience we had reckless go out over a summer which is this darkly funny sibling thriller told through a first section's perspective and told by Kodie Bedford we just found out that reckless has been nominated in the intentional drama category at the Rockies alongside a few small shows called Handmaid's Tale The Pitt and Heated Rivalry and , And i think I think that's the ambition for us, right, is yeah how do we take something that feels so resonant and bold locally and so distinctly original and it holds its own on a global platform.
00:11:43
Speaker
And sometimes budget helps and we try and ensure that commercially we're budgeting shows is at a level that our market rates and that can compete on a global platform.
00:11:54
Speaker
But oftentimes, It's really about the strength of the idea at the core of it or the relationship at the heart of it. Heat ed Rivalry, did that. I think Reckless does that superbly. And think that's exciting thing for us is seeing our shows resonate with audiences here and abroad in really surprising ways. And I think every time we do a show, there's something to say element of it.
00:12:16
Speaker
is a really key criteria. It has to have something that it wants to say about who we are as contemporary society, where we want to go, what we want to do and how we relate to each other. And I think if we can find that emotional truth in our stories, we will see that travel as well
How to Pitch to SBS
00:12:32
Speaker
abroad.
00:12:32
Speaker
And so for anyone that is wanting to pitch to SBS Scripted, how do they go about that? And what kind of stories are you looking for? We have an open inbox.
00:12:45
Speaker
Anyone can submit pictures to us. That's scripted at sbs.com.au. We read everything and respond to everything. Just bear with us because of the volume of submissions we get. In terms of what we're looking for today, it's really about contemporary dramas with clear genre hooks, i said iconic characters and dramatic stakes. We're really focused on drama, forward proposition for our prime time slate. So in terms of genre, we're open to playing in any number of grounded spaces, whether it's thrillers, whether it's high stakes relationship dramas, romance, mysteries. What we're not currently looking for, if that's also helpful, is broad comedy, pure sci-fi or fantasy, YA features or children's content.
00:13:27
Speaker
And in terms of formats, we're open to eight by 30, four by one, six by one. Sometimes we'll look at returnable for the right show, but primarily looking at limited series. And beyond that, we're really open to projects coming in at different stages. We've developed things based off one pages, provided there's a really strong bit of IP there underneath it. So we know the the promise of that story world that or of that that pitch. for The Airport Chaplain, upcoming airport drama is an example of a show that we put into development of
00:13:59
Speaker
basically a two pager, but off the back of it, it had ah a real life experience and connection to IP that we knew would give us a lot of story. There'd be other shows that were pitched to us with a Bible and a script. It helps if you are newer writer and you're wanting to be the writer creator of the series, for us to have evidence of your written work. So if that's a pilot script on that show or something else, that's really helpful. but We're really flexible about what stage we go into development if the clarity of the proposition is there.
00:14:29
Speaker
And how much of a team do you need to have if you are submitting to that inbox? you know Can it just be a writer or do you need to have like a full team ready? Absolutely. Writers are submitting their pitches all the time to us. We have to have the conversation. I think what you'll then want to be geared up for if you're writer submitting to us is to have a plan for how and where you take that show to market. And we can help with that plan of of who might be the best fit, partnering you up with the right producers and matchmaking that relationship. So again, really open to that.
00:14:59
Speaker
It's great to hear, you know, the the open inbox um and also what you were saying about how, you know, you want stories to travel both at home and abroad. And I think like, you know, like you said, Reckless being um nominated at the Rockies. Also, there was a big write-up in Deadline for Homebodies, um ah also showing like how it's traveled internationally as well as the Series Mania selection. But with Reckless, so... um Reckless was a co-commission with NITV. So SBS does have this long history of working with NITV on projects as well. ah How does SBS work with NITV on, say, like a co-commission like Reckless?
00:15:41
Speaker
Yeah, Reckless was indeed a co-commissioned with NITV. And i think for us, we have this incredible opportunity within the network, with SBS and NITV being assisted networks, is we can reach two distinct audiences who trust you know trust the network. So NITV has a loyal audience, the First Nation audiences around Australia, i especially regional Australia. And the opportunity for us to amplify the reach of our stories, but also to have...
00:16:09
Speaker
expert input from First Nations executives through the development and commissioning of of the show, that's a no-brainer. So really, anytime there is a First Nations-centered story that comes in, we will look at it together between NRTV and SBS. We'll consider it together. There be shows that we develop separately from that point on or shows that we go, that makes sense for both networks. And Reckless was absolutely one of those. It was a It's a distinctive, noisy, entertaining show for broad audiences, but rooted in such a specific sensibility. And so we got behind it together. And what that meant was we were able to have input from from two networks that were both trying serve audiences. And when we did the rollout, were able to reach audiences broader together. So really it's the sum of the parts is bigger going into it. And that's the goal with us for any First Nation stories. We did that with True Colours as well a few years ago.
00:16:58
Speaker
And now we're reckless and we'll keep doing that in future. The other thing that we're trying to do is just collaborate more because, you know, resources are constrained, right? And we've got to be clever about how we partner. And one of the other shows that we did last year that we worked on as a hybrid, The People vs. Robodebt, which was this docudrama that used factual storytelling and dramatizations and to reach audiences who maybe otherwise wouldn't have come to ah a straight up and down factual retelling of what was a pretty disturbing tale of government malfeasance around Robodebt.
00:17:31
Speaker
And we found that was hugely successful because we were able to put a face to the stories, you know, really find an emotional way in to otherwise a difficult story. And that was a collaboration between our unscripted team and the scripted team. So we'll keep finding really interesting ways to collaborate, whether it's hybrid formats, whether it's partnering up with an ITV or other networks to deliver shows that reach audiences, because ultimately the goal is reaching audiences where they're at.
00:17:59
Speaker
Great.
Supporting New Voices
00:18:00
Speaker
And um you mentioned before that there are initiatives and pathways for new voices at SBS. Could you talk through several of the ones that are available? Yeah, I think we do primetime dramas, short form dramas. And the third thing that we do, and as I see as part of our core offering, is a responsibility to be accessible, to demystify the industry, and to offer meaningful pathways for new and underrepresented voices into the sector. So...
00:18:26
Speaker
We have partnership with NIDA called NIDA Pathways, which is to offer students from underrepresented backgrounds at NIDA pathways into writers' rooms, into the sector, into productions. We've partnered with Co-Curious on the Diaspora Story Lab, which is for emerging to mid-career South Asian Australian creators to develop market-ready pitches. We also, as a network, offer a talent escalator placements. which is essentially placements on productions which allow people to move up a role from what they're previously credited with. So for example, on The Airport Chaplain, our upcoming drama, we had Jeanne, the notetaker, through development, she was able to move up into script coordinating across the production. We also do TV lunches, which is a deep dive into craft. Anyone can join and ask questions.
00:19:13
Speaker
And, of course, our biggest jewel in the crown of initiatives is the Digital Originals, which I'm sure we'll dive into soon. Yes. Actually, we'll dive into it right now. um So, um yeah, so for those who don't know about Digital Originals, can you talk me through what it is and what some of the projects or people that have come through it ah Yeah, it is. i think um there is not a better short form pathway in the world than digital originals. And I think, I reckon it's the best funded one too. Every year, NITV, SBS and Screen Australia, we commission three short form series of six by 10 minutes each with a budget of up about 1.2 million for essentially 60 minutes of television. And I think it's consistently delivered award-winning, incredibly brilliant series that have
00:20:03
Speaker
you know won awards gone to festivals received audience and critical acclaim and launched the careers of some of the most talented voices in the sector and there are writers and directors like alistair baldwin madeline gottlieb stevie kruz martin cory chen mahini hersey liam hayne there's so many i could keep listing them all going all the back to dylan river but he did robbie hood which was the precursor to what has become the Digital Originals Initiative. I think it is the best platform for showcasing new voices. And I think it's in a market that's increasingly harder like to break through. i think it's tougher than it's ever been, especially for new voices.
00:20:44
Speaker
What we offer is a really like structured platform and well-resourced pathway from pitching through development through production.
Digital Originals Initiative
00:20:53
Speaker
It is just as an important part of our slate as our primetime dramas and that's why i'm really excited that we're going again for round seven this year.
00:21:02
Speaker
Round seven, okay. um And so when do applications open for round seven? Well, it is it today. the 14th of May. It's today because today is definitely the day we're recording this. And this the day that applications open, the 14th of May. And you have until the 2nd of July to submit your applications.
00:21:25
Speaker
Okay. We'll go through like a bunch of FAQs that you kind of get for digital originals. So who is eligible? If you are Australian resident or if you're sort a citizen, you can apply. that really is like the primary thing in terms of hurdles to apply. There's some specifics on ABNs that that you should read in the guidelines. But really what we're looking for is teams of at least two people. That is at least one writer from first nations backgrounds, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, deaf or disabled, women or gender diverse, LGBTQIA plus, or located in a regional or remote part of Australia. Again, the criteria is available on the screen share website. But ultimately, it's teams of two or three with a really great, bold idea and a pitch document of up to three pages is what we need. You don't need to have credits. You don't need to have made things because we're looking for new voices. Now, you are, so if you're successful, going to move into development and maybe production.
00:22:23
Speaker
So you should have an understanding of how these things work and how things get made. but you don't need credits for experience. And i think that's a point of difference for this pathway. um In terms of what you need to submit, it's just a three-pager pitch document and a pitch video of three minutes long.
00:22:40
Speaker
And the pitch video is really is about you speaking to your passion for the show, your personal connection, why you, why now, why this series, And um we ask for this because some people are better at expressing themselves through the written. Some people are better expressing themselves through the spoken medium. So we offer both opportunities. And we do need a script sample of up to 10 pages of previous work. So that's 10 pages of something you have written that is not the project that you are submitting.
00:23:08
Speaker
And what we're looking to see there is is the ability of the right for the project to deliver on the promise of the project. So again, while you don't need credits, you need to have written things and we need to see your ability to execute because once things move forward, they're really moving forward and you really need to be able to to jump on that train and and and keep going on that journey.
00:23:29
Speaker
And so how many projects receive the development funding? And then it's three projects at the end who are selected to go into production. That's right. So we take 10 projects from the applications and we run an intensive workshop where we bring in directors, development executives, network execs, and we really work through those 10 projects to see where they can go from the moment they're applied to what they could be. At the end of those workshops, the teams get to pitch their projects again.
00:24:01
Speaker
And of those 10 projects, five are chosen for development funding. Every project gets the same amount development funding. They usually goes for about three to six months. At the end of that process, three projects get chosen for production funding.
00:24:16
Speaker
And how developed should the concept be? Good question. How deep up should it be? I mean, i think what we often see is a great inciting incident, but an inability for it to sustain across the six episodes. I think that's the key thing. I think we see a lot of projects that have great hooks, but probably can't sustain across episodic television. And the important thing to remember for everyone here applying is this is an episodic television initiative.
00:24:44
Speaker
The idea is to build the muscle and train folks in delivering episodic television, which means three acts within six episodes. So its three acts per episode across six episodes. So we are not looking for a short film or a feature that's been repurposed into episodes of television. Now, you may have a short film when you've done that you want to expand and build out, and that's so fine. But in terms of how you think about your storytelling, remember, what you're looking for is the same kind of propulsion, escalation of stakes, and a story engine that keeps delivering across the six episodes.
00:25:22
Speaker
Now, we don't need that to be fully fleshed out necessarily. There have been great shows where we've had a great inciting incident. and a great story engine that we know gives us a lot of potential to develop into six-parter because we appreciate three pages isn't a lot to deliver on that. But that's what we're looking for, right? So beyond that, we encourage people to take swings. This is an opportunity to be bold, to be brave, to try something new, take a big swing. In last year's crop that we announced,
00:25:51
Speaker
We had a show like Homebodies, which is a contemporary ghost story. We had an adult animation in the form of Fishboy, which is this kind of, you know, surreal caper through Western Sydney and the Filipino Australian community. And we've got this kitschy rock comedy drama in Misultana, which is the world of beauty pageants. So,
00:26:12
Speaker
You can play in different forms. You can play in comedy as well as drama. You can play with animation. So you can try a few things, but ultimately we really need the clarity of the proposition and we need a story engine that can hold over six episodes.
00:26:28
Speaker
But in terms of the stories or genres that you're looking for in these applications, are there specific ones? is Is it similar to, you know, the the broader scripted thing of um dramas or anything like that? Yeah. I'd say you can be certainly more broader. I think the areas that we're not looking for things in the digital digital space is YA or kids. And I think sketch or that pure hard comedy, you know laugh a bit at comedy, that's probably not right for us. And really that's just us thinking about pathway to audiences and what will work on in our TV and SBS because they'll be the the pathways to audience. But beyond that, we're really happy for folks to play in different spaces. If it's a comedy, obviously ideally a comedy with something to say,
00:27:11
Speaker
character-led, dramatic stakes, but people certainly can take swings they want to. This is a place where we want to see bold, wild imagination. i will say what we tend to get a lot of is that dramedy, drama-comedy,
00:27:27
Speaker
And that's fine. And often they make for really, really great premises and shows. But I'd encourage folks to think about what else is there, whether it's genre, playing in different spaces, to one, test your own skills, but to also offer a real diversity of storytelling. I'd also encourage people from regional Australia to apply. Something that we're always looking for is diversity of representation from across Australia.
00:27:49
Speaker
And um it is highly competitive. Do you have tips then for making your application stand out? Yes, it's it's highly competitive. But what I'll say is two things. One is once you get to that shortlisted stage of 10 projects that come to workshops, up to three of those projects are going to get greenlit for production. Five are going to move into stage one development and three into productions. I would say the odds are really, really, really good um once you're in those workshops. So I would say that's really exciting. In terms of standing out in your applications, I think clarity of a tone,
00:28:26
Speaker
is is one that I think sometimes is tricky to nail down and communicate. and And if you can communicate your tone, if you can communicate your why, you know, what is the thing underneath this shiny tip of an iceberg, the substance of it, the meat of it, like the why, why you must tell the story and your personal connection to it.
00:28:46
Speaker
I think that always really stands out. I think third is, know, the term we use at SVS often is like provoke a purpose. right So if you can marry a really interesting provocation, a meaningful provocation with that deeper like purpose behind it, that I think is really always really exciting. Beyond that, I really don't want to be too didactic because this is one of the few spaces I think where like in the sector where...
00:29:12
Speaker
there is a bit of bandwidth to try something new and try something different. So I don't want to be too narrowing. What I will say that is very important for applicants to think about is the budget. And 1.2 million thereabouts for six minutes of television, I would say is very healthy for folks often getting their first credits.
00:29:33
Speaker
that's still 1.2 million that you've got to work within. And so being cognizant of those parameters as you build this story out, and I think finding the kernel, the emotional heart of your story, whether it's a two-hander, a three-hander, whether it's a core relationship, really starting from that and building outwards is going to hold you in better stead than trying to build a world that's too big, too unwieldy, too shiny, and then trying to finesse that back down to something at the heart of it so i would say start with a nugget of something that's deeply truthful and really cuts through and then build your world beyond that because i think what we see often is great inciting incident and a big sprawling world and marrying the two together can really be tricky in development yeah
00:30:23
Speaker
You did say something before where you you talked about if you're developing a feature or a TV series, like to think about the fact that what you're looking for in digital originals is a six by 10 minute. In that sense, like, can you retrofit a feature or TV series idea for short form? Or is it something where you kind of need to start from scratch?
00:30:46
Speaker
Yeah, so for digital originals, I think the thing you can certainly retrofit is if you've got a long-form television series that you've been thinking about, really digital originals is kind of ideal because the way we've built that format out is to, it's scaling down and up what television writing looks right, right? So it's six 10-minute episodes, maybe you're working on six 30 minutes or 6.45 or 8.45. So that could certainly work. I think the feature or a short film, what I would say to that is to find content a more generative story engine or to ensure that you've got a story engine that is generative so that you can build it out because it's easy to spot a feature that's been retrofitted for a digital original because it doesn't offer as much transformation or story of progression.
00:31:31
Speaker
And that's what you really, that's the hardest thing is to have Character revelation and a story turn every episode, four, six episodes, is I think the hardest thing to nail with the digital original. And that's the thing you've got to be able to find. But certainly i encourage folks if they've got an idea they've been mulling away on, digital originals is a great playing ground to test that idea out.
00:31:53
Speaker
So does it matter if you are attached to a couple of different digital originals applications? You can be attached to more than ah one project, but you probably should think really hard about it because ultimately you might end up competing with yourself. Certainly you should only apply, attach yourself to a maximum of two projects. That's fine. But yes, think about whether you are competing with yourself and maybe you're in a lead creator capacity on one and you're in a supporting capacity in the other. That might make sense. And so it now being in its seventh year, why do you think digital originals continues to be such a force within the Australian screen industry?
Success of Digital Originals
00:32:32
Speaker
I think it's because the stories genuinely are given the space to be ambitious and to strive for creative excellence and to take the biggest credit swings possible. I think that is why we constantly see them reach audiences, find success on global platforms, at awards and festivals around the world is because We want them to be amazing shows. These are not a nice to do, nice to have, where we gave someone a go. shows that we want to be phenomenal, powerful, compelling stories that reach and connect audiences. And I think that's why they keep doing so well and why they keep uncovering talent that go on to make incredible shows in the future.
00:33:16
Speaker
And so also just for everyone to note, there'll be a link in the show notes, which will take you to the Screen Australia website where you can read more about this. Make sure you read through all the guidelines before applying. And so just ah now now that we've covered digital originals, I was wondering, do you have like a general piece of advice for a creative? Yeah, I think finding a way to love doing the thing that you're able to do that's in front of you.
00:33:47
Speaker
Careers in this sector can be so uncertain. Opportunities can pop up at the most unexpected of times and they may not be, quote unquote, the perfect opportunity. I would say if it's possible, find what you love about the thing that you can do and run it as much as you can. i think, you know, there's a lot of talk about climbing a mountain and I think maybe the thing that that creates in people's minds is that there's a pinnacle that there's some kind of top of the mountain and I think the reality is there isn't necessarily a top of the mountain we're in these careers and working in this industry for a long time and i think to sustain yourself through all that is to find joy in what is possible and I think there might be times when things are flying and things are amazing. And there are times when things feel really constrained or challenging and tricky. And through it all, if you can hold on to why you do the thing that you do and finding a connection between that and the work that you're able to do at that point in time, i think that's a really valuable mindset to have.
00:34:55
Speaker
o And so then that brings us to our final segment, which is um the pay it forward segment. So this is where you'll be asked a question from our previous guest, and then ah you'll come up with a question for our next guest. So the previous guest was Christopher Kam. He's the head of development at Typecast as well as a freelance story producer. So he asked.
00:35:20
Speaker
What do they think needs to change in the Australian TV and film slash screen industry? Spicy question. It's a spicy question.
00:35:33
Speaker
i love it. Thanks, Chris Kam, for putting me in this position. um I would say that one thing that maybe we over-index thinking about is how international audiences are going to receive our content, how how our content travels. And I think sometimes it comes at the expense of thinking about reaching audiences here at home, that idea of local for local. I think you'd be hard pressed to find stories that have somehow found success overseas, but have not found it in Australia. And I think the way through to shows and stories connecting with broader audiences is for them to work first and foremost for audiences here at home.
00:36:11
Speaker
And I get it. I get there's a reality, which is we have we rely on financing and partners overseas to work fund our shows if you're not at a single finance platform. But I think sometimes we can worry a little bit too much about how our shows might reach international audiences. And I think what we've got to think about first and foremost is how they reach our audiences here at home.
00:36:33
Speaker
Fantastic. Well, we will leave it there. Thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and talking to me all about SBS scripted and digital originals. Thanks so much for having me. And I hope people get onto SBS On Demand and check out all the amazing Australian stories we have on there.
00:36:50
Speaker
That was Nakul Legha and a reminder to go to the Screen Australia website to read the full guidelines for digital originals, which we've popped a link to in the show notes. This episode was produced and edited by myself with logo design by Shara Parsons and music by Seb Sabotaj-Gavrilovic.
00:37:07
Speaker
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