• SUNDAY NIGHT I 8 Weeks I 7:00pm - 9:00pm I Commencing 4th of February, 2018
• TUESDAY NIGHT I 8 Weeks I 7:00pm - 9:00pm I Commencing 6th of February , 2018
• THURSDAY NIGHT I 8 Weeks I 7:00pm - 9:00pm I Commencing 8th of February, 2018

With industry guests including Jo Porter (Fremantlemedia Australia Head of Drama), Imogen Banks (creator, writer and producer of Multi-Award Winning Television Series Offspring; Puberty Blues; Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, and Tangle, and Producer of mini-series Gallipoli; Party Tricks; Dangerous and The Beautiful Lie), Jason Herbison (Series Producer, Neighbours), Amanda Crittenden (Series Producer, Wentworth - Series 1, 2 and 3), Foxtel's Head of Drama, Penny Win (The Kettering Incident, Devil’s Playground and Deadline Gallipoli), and Show Creator/Producer/Director and writer Andrew Prowse (INXS-Never Tear Us Apart; Underbelly Squizzy; Fat Tony; Rush; Farscape; Wildside; The Doctor Blake Mysteries; Heartbreak High; All Saints; McLeod’s Daughters; Ultraman and Monarch Cove); Television Producer Ian Collie (ABC TV Rake, starring Richard Roxburg and US Version of Rake, starring Greg Kinnear; Jack Irish, starring Guy Pearce, Marta Dusseldorp, Aaron Pedersen, Roy Billing, Shane Jacobson, Don Hany and Diana Glenn; The Principal, starring Alex Dimitriades, Aden Young and Mirrah Foulkes; 2013 feature Saving Mr Banks, starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson); and Australian film director and producer Tony Rogers, best known for directing the Tropfest and AFI award winning comedy Wilfred (starring Damian Walshe-Howling and Angus Sampson); producers Kristen Souvlis (Lightening Point, H20: Just Add Water) and Todd Fellman (Mental, Bait 3D, A few Best Men); Producer Tracey Robertson (Secrets & Lies, The Stange Calls, SLIDE) and Director Jovita O'Shaughnessy (Neighbours, Wonderland); Casting Director Thea McLeod (Neighbours) and Television Producer Natalie Lynch (Neighbours); Tony Ayres (Multi award-winning Show Creator/ Show Runner/ Executive Producer/ Writer/ Director and a founding member of Matchbox Pictures), Executive Producer Leigh McGrath (Hoodlum Entertainment); Senior Casting Director of Mullinars Casting, Nathan Lloyd; Jo Martino (Award-winning Prime Time Show Creator and Television Producer); and Prime Time Show Creator / Television Producer Judi McCrossin (The Wrong Girl; The Secret Life of Us; The Time of our Lives; The Surgeon; Beaconsfield; Tangle; and Ship to Shore), we take Ongoing Screen Acting Programs to another level. We are proud to say that there is not another acting studio in the country that comes close to Film & Television Studio International's illustrious group of trainers and industry guests.  At our studio we get straight to the point by going directly to the source of Australia's film & television, and that of course lies with the shows Creators, Heads of Network, Heads of Drama, Executive Producers and series Producers. These industry professionals are the decision makers and we are delighted to welcome Anousha Zarkesh (Casting Director at Anousha Zarkesh Casting - Sydney), to our Melbourne studio in Term 1, 2018.

Text to Screen-Test is facilitated by some of Australia's most loved actors: Richard Cawthorne, Simone Buchanan and Scott Major, and has been meticulously shaped to guide and encourage students to work on their specific areas requiring development, whilst bringing forth their strengths when screen-testing for prime-time drama.  Richard, Simone and Scott work with actors both individually and as a company, assisting students to POP from moment one of an audition. Scenes are assigned to students each week along with an outline on the course content and prep work for each session. For actors who participated in previous terms, they have another opportunity to work in this ongoing manner with our outstanding trainers & special guests. Continuing across the terms ensures stability in training & rehearsal, and consistency in terms of the guidance & feedback offered, with scenes selected to target specific areas of weakness and strength. The studio also welcomes actors to the program who have not participated in previous terms as they can begin this process, leading to a stronger understanding of the requirements of screen testing.

On the last week of term, students will be able to put their hard work into practice during their one-on-one screen-testing session with Anousha Zarkesh.  This is an incredible opportunity for our actors to meet and greet Anousha, and to showcase their scenes to this working professional who is at the very top end of her field.

Work with Australia's most prolific casting director, renowned for discovering emerging talent - Australia wide.  Established for over 25 years, Anousha Zarkesh Casting specializes in top-end, quality Australian Film and Television.  Based in Sydney, the Casting Agency has gained a reputation for a specialised service, championing cultural diversity.  They take pride in casting for a wide range of genres including political satire, drama, comedy, telemovies, documentary series and Film.

Anousha has cast some incredible productions over the years including the greatly anticipated series Underbelly: Chopper, produced by Screentime, starring Aaron Jeffrey; Michael Caton; Todd Lasance; Vince Colosimo; Debra Byrne; Jane Allsop; Damian Walsh-Howling, and directed by Peter Andrikidis.  Damian (actor trainer at Film & Television Studio International) was also assistant director to Peter on this production.  Anousha cast series 1-5 of the hugely popular ABC series Rake, starring Richard Roxburgh, and featuring some of Australia’s most esteemed actors including Matt Day; Danielle Cormack; Rhys Muldoon; Sonia Todd; Martin Sacks; Jane Allsop; John Waters; Tasma Walton; Rachel Blake; Robyn Nevin; Rachel Griffiths; Lisa McCune; Hugo Weaving; Sam Neill, Noah Taylor; Justine Clarke; Kim Gynell; Aden Young; Magda Szubanski; Catherine McClements; Toni Collette; Tina Bursell; and many more.

Anousha also cast multi award-winning series Redfern Now, starring Leah Purcell, Deborah Mailman; Stephen Curry; Miranda Tapsell; Sibylia Budd; Steve Bisley; Ryan Corr; Celia Ireland; and Sarah Snook, as well as The Principal, another multi award-winning series for the SBS, starring Alex Demitriadis.

She is the casting director for hit new Australian Dramas 800 Words, and The Secret Daughter, starring Jessica Mauboy; Matt Levett; David Field; Colin Friels.  Other projects include but are not limited to:  INXS – Never Tear us Apart; Mystery Road: The Series, starring Judy Davis and Deborah Mailman; Catching Milat; also directed by Peter Andridis and starring our very own actor trainer Richard Cawthorne, together with Geoff Morrell; Malcolm Kennard; David Field; Luke Ford; Salvatore Coco and Leeanna Walsman; Cleverman: directed by Lea Purcell and Wayne Blair, and starring Frances O’Connor; Deborah Mailman; Tasma Walton; Marcus Graham; Ryan Corr; Rachael Blake; Luke Ford; Miranda Tapsell; Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, starring Joel Jackson, Rebecca Gibney; Sigrid Thornton; Sweet Country, starring Brian Brown, Matt Day and Sam Neill; Deep Water, starring Noah Taylor; Danielle Cormack; Ben Oxenbould; Craig McLachlan; Jeremy Lindsay Taylor; Dan Spielman; Paul Capsis; and Feature Films Hounds of Love, starring Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings, Stephen Curry and Susie Porter; Jasper Jones, starring Toni Collette; Hugo Weaving; Dan Wyllie; and Alex & Eve, directed by Peter Andrikidis (starring Alex O’Loughlin).  Anousha also cast Home & Away for five years, earlier on in her career.

Anousha has several projects slated for 2018, and we are thrilled to bring her exclusively to our Melbourne studio in Term One.

Richard Cawthorne is one of Australia’s most respected actors, who’s work in the past 16 years has ranged from serial dramas (Neighbours) to Crime Drama (Fat Tony & Co, Underbelly: Squizzy), Police Drama (Stingers, Blue Heelers, Catching Milat) and drama miniseries (Australia on Trial, The Pacific and Killing Time – of which Richard won an AACTA Award for his role as Criminal and drug dealer Dennis Allen in 2010).  Richard’s work also includes Halifax f.p, Rush, Canal Road, Noise, City Homicide, East West 101, Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, Jack Irish, The Death and Life of Otto Bloom and the Stan Original Series Wolf Creek.

After playing Debbie Kelly for many years in Australia’s most successful and longest running sitcom Hey Dad, Simone went on to star alongside Deborah Lee Furness in internationally acclaimed feature film Shame. Simone has also starred in many television dramas including Neighbours, McLeod’s Daughters, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, All Saints, Pacific Drive, A Country Practice, Sons and Daughters and many more. In addition to Shame, her film credits include: Forced Entry, Push, The Man from the High Country, Doctors and Nurses and My Brilliant Career.  Most recently, Simone starred alongside Rachel Griffiths in feature film Patrick, and Upper Middle Bogan for the ABC.  Her feature film Boar, starring alongside Ernie Dingo, Hugh Sheridan and John Jarratt, has just been released through Universal Pictures.  We are very excited to announce that Simone has also just commenced her Directors Attachment on Australia's longest running serial drama, Neighbours.

Scott's acting début was playing Murray on Home & Away in the 1990s. He joined the Neighbours cast for a brief period in 1993 as the original Darren Stark and then was a part of the Heartbreak High cast as Peter Rivers from 1994–1995. In 1998 Scott appeared in All Saints (Season 2). In 1999 he was cast in the Aussie film Envy (titled as The New Girlfriend in the United States). Two years later he featured in the iconic film adaptation of He Died With A Felafel In His Hand.  Scott also played the part of Tom Morgan in the Australian drama, Always Greener, which was shown on the Seven Network between 2001 and 2003. He also wrote, produced, directed and starred in his own play called Both Sides of the Bar at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  Scott then went on to guest star in the BBC soap Doctors and the second series of Love Soup, a BBC comedy starring Tamsin Greig.  He has since returned to Australia after spending two years in the UK. He resides in Melbourne and began appearing in Neighbours from July 2008 as Lucas Fitzgerald. In 2013 Scott left the show to persue his passion for Directing. He is now a Director on Neighbours.

To enrol, simply book via our website.  It will automatically be sent to enquiries@filmtv.com.au. We will then process your application. If you send your application form and all placements have been filled we will be in touch to notify you.  If you have any further queries, please don't hesitate to contact us directly on 1800 FILMTV (1800 345 688).

*All applications are processed on a first in first served basis.  Once your placement has been confirmed, you will recieve a full week by week breakdown on what to expect from your program, together with further course materials which are sent to you via email.

Melbourne Studio I 390 Clarendon Street I South Melbourne I VIC 3205 I www.filmtv.com.au