Fairfield

Victoria

About the club

Fairfield Screen Club is our flagship club and is now accepting film/show pitches for our Summer Holidays Season! These are available to high school students between the age of 12 and 18 with an interest in filmmaking, writing, cinematography, performing or storytelling of any kind. You don’t have to be a member already to pitch!

Successful pitches gain access to professional equipment, mentorship from working filmmakers, a budget, and support to complete the project. The club is on the hunt for one of the following: a Short Film, Game Show, Narrative Web-Series, News/Current Affairs, Panel Show, or a Sitcom.

Find out more about pitching at the bottom of this page and through the following links:

Short Film Pitching Form

Series Pitching Form

Summer Holidays Season

This Summer Holidays, we're running a short production season to provide a fun activity to do over the break and a great entry point for new members interested in getting involved! The Summer Season will run for 6 in-person filming sessions across January. 

All activities will take place in Fairfield, Victoria across six weekdays between 1:30pm and 5pm.

Registrations for cast and crew roles will be available in late November once the successful pitch has been chosen.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to undertake a trial session, please chat to us at contact@screenclubs.org.au.

Registrations

Registrations occur when cast and crew roles are advertised for each production. When signing your teenager up for the Fairfield Screen Club, they will become a part of a new creative community in Melbourne and gain access to:

  • 10% discount on all school holiday workshops and advanced workshops for fully paid members

  • Induction Workshop and Safety Briefing (including child safety)

  • Access to professional equipment

  • A paid mentor who’s there every week to help oversee, troubleshoot and guide the production

  • Snacks/food on shoot days

If you’re unsure about signing up and want to try it out first, you can organise a trial session by emailing us at contact@screenclubs.org.au

Pitching

What you need to know

Pitching is a cornerstone of the industry. Whether you’re meeting with a distributer or applying for a grant, being skilled at selling your idea is paramount to having a successful career.

As a member of Screen Clubs, you get the chance to pitch your own ideas at least twice a year. This can be anything from a short film or podcast, to a sitcom, news program or something else entirely.

The ideas come from you!

Steps to pitching

  1. Decide on the idea (or ideas) you’d like to pitch.

  2. Fill in the pitch submission form to the best of your ability. The Content Committee is there to help you if you have questions or need guidance. Use them.

  3. You will be contacted by email with the details for your pitching session.

  4. You’ll pitch online to the Content Committee who will assess your pitch against the selection criteria.

  5. You will be notified of the outcome no matter the result. If you are green lit, you will be contacted to arrange an induction.

Tips for pitching

When you present your pitch to the Content Committee, they assess your pitch against the following criteria:

  1. Idea: Pitch an idea you’re passionate about and show the committee that you’re excited to make it. Would you want to watch what you’re pitching? Make sure you check what can and can’t be pitched by viewing our programming policy.

  2. Audience: Show that you’ve thought about who will watch your idea. Who are they?

  3. Impact: Who will benefit from your idea being made? Are you spotlighting a hidden figure? Are you elevating the skills of a member (or members) of the crew? Don’t let this point change the core of your idea. The committee just wants to see how well you understand the impact of making this project.

  4. Scope: All pitches need to take into account what’s possible with the equipment, facilities and time available. Give an overview of how you plan to use them.

  5. Visuals: When pitching, you’re trying to excite someone into financing your idea. Make sure you look for ways to visually convey your idea in your submission. Using colour, stock photos, test footage, storyboards, etc, is encouraged. During the pitch session, present yourself nicely and respect the committee’s time - they’re all volunteers.

Good luck! Make sure you ask questions!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Fairfield Screen Club is a place for kids aged 12-18 to create their own shows with professional equipment and be guided by working filmmakers. Based in the Northern and North-East suburbs of Melbourne, it's a place where grassroots or amateur filmmaking can thrive and communities can be built. Activities take place in community spaces across the Darebin Council area across two seasons a year.

    Fairfield Screen Club is a part of Screen Clubs Ltd, a registered charity that aims to promote grassroots filmmaking across Victoria and Australia.

  • We're currently accepting pitches from anyone aged 12-16 who's registered with the club or looking into registering with the club. You do not need to be a member to pitch.

  • We're on the hunt for one of the following: a Game Show, Narrative Web-Series, News/Current Affairs, Panel Show, or a Sitcom. All ideas have to be possible to produce within a council space (eg: nothing outdoors or in alternative locations). 

    The show idea also must be original and your own, or you must have written permission from the owner of the idea where they clearly state that you are allowed to use their idea. 

  • Shows have the option to, where appropriate, be released on YouTube, Twitch or broadcast on Channel 31. Other options are also available (such as social media) but it's best to chat to us before you submit your application if you're thinking of using something other than the three listed above. 

  • Fairfield Screen Club will provide a budget of $300.00 for production expenses including sets, props, catering and marketing. While the way this is spent will be up to you as a producer and will change based on the needs of your show, our recommended budget breakdown is: 

    • Catering: $150.00 ($15.00 per week for 10 weeks for snacks)

    • Set/Props: $100.00

    • Marketing: $30.00

    • Misc: $20.00

  • You'll get access to a crew made up of other members, professional filmmaking equipment, a budget and a mentor who will help you plan and make your show from beginning to end. 

  • Pitching will close at 11:59pm on the 9th of August, 2026. 

  • Once pitching closes, our Content Committee, made up of Screen Clubs Ltd Board Members, will do an initial assessment of your application. If they want to know more about it, they will invite you for an online interview where you'll have a chance to talk about your show idea in more depth and answer some of their questions. These are short and last no more than 10-12 minutes. 

    After your interview, the Content Committee will assess and grade your application against the criteria found below. You'll then be notified if your idea has been successful or not. 

    If you're successful, congrats!! Our mentor will then guide you through the planning process and help you bring your idea to life. 

  • Our Content Committee will assess your pitch against the following: 

    1. Idea:

      • The idea is original and engaging.

      • The idea is appropriate for the age group producing it. For example: 

        • Individuals or groups of individuals who are 12, 13, 14 or 15 years old can pitch ideas that aim to be G, PG or M rated.

        • Individuals or groups of individuals who are 16, 17 or 18 years old can pitch ideas that aim to be rated G, PG, M or MA15+.

      • The idea is well thought out and developed.

    2. Audience

      • The audience is clearly stated and matches the idea.

      • The audience is clearly understood and could potentially be engaged by the idea. 

    3. Impact

      • The potential impact of this production is clearly stated and understood.

    4. Scope

      • The idea is able to be produced within the timeline available.

      • The idea is able to be produced using the equipment, facilities and members available.

      • The scope available to the producer(s) is well understood and demonstrated by including, but not limited to, a timeline, budget breakdown, lists of cast/crew roles and planned equipment usage, where appropriate. 

    5. Visuals  

      • The pitch was presented respectfully and passionately.

      • The pitch was communicated clearly and concisely with a polished presentation.

    The assessment criteria can be read in detail in the Screen Clubs programming policy found here: https://www.screenclubs.org.au/policies

  • Bill from Screen Clubs will be more than happy to answer any and all of your questions! You can get in touch with him at contact@screenclubs.org.au. 

    We strongly recommend that you check anything you're unsure about with him before the pitching deadline. 

  • Of course! They're more than welcome to help you through the application and to help come up with ideas. However, this pitch must still be yours. 

    Parents or Guardians are also more than welcome to be present for your interview with the Content Committee, but must not speak unless asking the committee a question at the end. 

  • Absolutely!