The world-leading AFTRS course, Master of Arts Screen: Business is once again open for applications.
This course is designed for the next generation of screen leaders – i.e., business-minded people with a particular focus on screen media.
‘Everything we do at AFTRS is exciting,’ said Peter Herbert, AFTRS Head of Screen Business. ‘But the Master of Arts Screen: Business is right at the top. It is transformative. It takes what you are and transforms you into the very best you can be fast track your career with coursework and research.’
AFTRS is consistently ranked among the top fifteen international film schools by The Hollywood Reporter. As an industry-facing institution, it is uniquely positioned to offer a balanced delivery of theory and real-world practice unparalleled in Australia, and its Master of Arts Screen: Business has long been acknowledged as one of the best postgraduate programs in contemporary screen business and creative leadership in the world.
‘The Screen Business course has been running for over a decade,’ said Herbert. ‘So, we have people in all sorts of positions around the world, typically management and leadership, who are creating and growing businesses.’
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Work/study/life balance
If you’re after a course you can do while working, look no further: the Master of Arts Screen: Business course is offered over one year full-time, or two years part-time, with a hybridised model of both online and on-campus options.
The teaching method is a combination of specialist lectures, workshops, expert tuition and sophisticated interaction with the screen media industries, delivered by Peter Herbert and Dr Gerard Reed.
‘In regards to balancing work life study, I have to admit the school was amazing with that,’ said course alumnus Gia Frino. ‘I have four children, and I’m a single parent working full time, and they made it happen.’
The program also includes intensive, practice-based screen business training, combined with theory to equip students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills for the global screen media environment. Engagement with the global industry, especially in Asia, is a feature of the course.
‘The trip overseas was great … We looked at the Thailand film and television market, and it was really interesting,’ said alumnus Jessica Khoury. ‘You learn so much. It’s a different culture. The teachers really pushed the boundaries.’
Keeping up
Intended to move with the times, the Master of Arts Screen: Business involves a mix of in-depth research and intensive workshops. exploring the benefits and opportunities to be found in a screen sector undergoing profound disruption.
‘A good screen business leader is somebody who’s interested in things that are changing,’ said Peter Herbert. ‘They are going to take the status quo and look at it and see how it can be changed, and how it can be improved.’
In 2022, the course will be expanded to meet the growing demand for more flexible, nationwide delivery and specialised study through a range of focused electives.
AFTRS screen business alumni include:
- Chloe Rickard, Partner and COO, Jungle Entertainment;
- Bridget Callow-Wright, Midwinter Films;
- Angela Bates, Development and Investment Manager, Screen Australia Indigenous Department;
- Sue Maslin, Producer;
- Matt Hancock, General Manager, SBS On Demand;
- Nathan Anderson, COO and Executive Producer, Start Beyond;
- Peter Drinkwater, CEO, Screen Audience Research Australia (SARA);
- Paul Wiegard, Co-founder and CEO, Madman Entertainment.
Graduates of the course will create a new business, and lead creative teams in the creative arts and screen content sectors.
In 2023, AFTRS is also offering the Netflix First Nations Scholarship to successful applicants of the Master of Arts Screen: Business. The scholarship is intended to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with the full cost of course fees, plus contribution towards travel, accommodation and living expenses. AFTRS encourages and welcomes First Nations applicants with intersectional backgrounds, including but not limited to gender identity, people with a disability or people of the LGBTQIA+ community. The scholarship is made available via the Netflix Indigenous Scholarship Fund. See if you are eligible.
Applications for Master of Arts Screen: Business are open now and can be submitted online at the AFTRS website.
