Shooting AP here - I'm looking into the best way to go about moving to Australia from the UK and working in TV over there.
I personally used my WHV a few years ago, so looking at other options. Does anybody have any tips in terms of which visas to apply for in our line of work or sponsorship experience? I've heard it's pretty hard to get TV work out there and sponsorship can be rare. Any tips, advice or personal experiences welcome. TIA
Working in TV in Australia - best way to do it?
by Lauren Elliott on 5th Feb 2021 Answers
To add your answer, please
Vancouver would be best if you wanna work in film the industry there is massive. Aus has a fairly small industry
Hi Lauren,
I moved out to Australia in February 2020, and then Covid-19 hit. As a shooter myself, I found it next to impossible to land jobs, whereas in the UK it had been relatively straight forward. For shooters it tends to be done by very high-end PSC camera operators in Australia.
There seems to be alot of work for the production side of things (PCs and PMs get work quickly in Oz) but for shooters it's trickier. Maybe look at moving into corperate media? You also have to consider that the UK is second only to the USA in terms of content production in my opinion. Furthermore the 'Self-Shooting' role is popular in the UK, not so much in Australia - they like to use crews (separate camera, sound, lighting etc).
So yes, look at moving into corporate, otherwise I can guarantee you'll find more shooting work in Blighty. I moved back in August 2020 and landed work in the UK right away. Like most occasions, you need to have work experience in the respective country you're working in to get a foot in the door. Landing your first gig will be key! Sites like 'Pedestrian Jobs' and Facebook are good for job postings in Oz.
Wishing you the best of luck - have a plan B up your sleeve for sure!
Hey Lauren,
First off, do not blame you for looking to move back - what a place!
I worked (as an AP/Producer) and lived in Sydney throughout 2019. Sponsorship is really tough to come by. From my experience, I'd recommend looking for a sponsorship in the more corporate side of media as that's where you're more likely to find one.
Endemol Shine and ITV Aus is where I mostly worked, certainly worth getting in touch with their talent managers. Gogglebox and Masterchef are based in Melbs, whereas Married At First Sight is in Sydney and other doc based stuff are there too.
Feel free to drop me a message if you have any other questions!
Good luck!
Anna
Hi Lauren,
I moved to Sydney for two years and struggled to find TV work. As soon as I moved to Melbourne, it was much easier to find!
I am not sure if this is everyones experience, but I would recommend reaching out to companies every two weeks and seeing if anything is going into production and they are hiring.
Be brave and take people for coffee and make contacts.
Working in TV over there is so much fun and I am sure you would have a brilliant time. Best of luck!
Hi Lauren,
I don't have much advice on the work situation but know that it's very difficult to travel to Australia at the moment even if you're a citizen, and they are only letting non-citizens in very selectively. I'd suggest holding off until the pandemic calms down.
Good luck!