Important background information and explanation of key aspects of the application process...
Project description
In the application form, applicants will be asked to provide a brief project outline and project description. The project outline should provide a succinct articulation of your proposal concept (75 words). The project description should explain the overall scope of the project, the form the work is likely to take and an explanation of the subject, themes and ideas (500 words). This includes details of any anticipated artistic or technical collaborations.
Applicants should outline how they will approach the project in terms of production and technique, and how this sits with their existing practice and demonstrates a significant shift or development. It should also describe how the audience will experience and interact with the work. It is understood that details may change or emerge as the project develops.
Production schedule
Applicants are required to provide a timeline that outlines key dates in the project production plan. If a shoot has to coincide with a particular season or if any particular research, tests or workshops need to be carried out, please indicate when.
Applicants should also outline any other commitments they may have during the development of the project. We understand and expect that key dates might shift during the development period.
Project budget
At application stage you need only provide an estimate of the total budget – supplier quotes are not necessary. However, please note that there is no capacity for an increase in the Commission sum of $100,000. Therefore, please consider the scale of your project carefully, considering materials, technology, equipment, fees, travel, documentation, crating and freight.
ACMI will cover the cost of your project’s presentation where it includes standard audio-visual gallery equipment and infrastructure. For projects with particularly complex presentation systems, technology and exhibition design, the artist will be expected to cover this, at a level negotiated with ACMI. Any variation to the standard exhibition presentation costs will be at the sole discretion of ACMI.
Artist’s Fee
It is expected that commissioned artist(s) pay themselves an artist fee. The artist fee is not fixed, however, this will be looked at in the context of the budget, the scale of the project, the amount of time you need to allocate to making the work and the number of roles you will be taking on as part of the project. It is recommended that the National Association for Visual Arts (NAVA) fee schedule is used as a guide. The commission funds cannot be spent on arts training, study or conferences.
The commission fee will be paid in instalments over 12 months, as negotiated between the artist and The Ian Potter Cultural Trust. It is likely that the payment schedule will be pegged to the commission’s production schedule.
Technical specifications
Applicants are required to indicate what technology will be used in the production of the project, and where it will be sourced. Applicants should outline what crew are required and whether or not particular individuals have committed to the project.
Format for the final commissioned project
Work can be produced, shot and screened in any various moving image formats, but please consult ACMI if your project involves rate or specialist technology.
Completion time
The project must be able to be completed within 12 months of receiving the Commission. The 2022 Ian Potter Moving Image Commission will be presented at ACMI in the first half of 2022.
Debut/Premiere
The work will premiere at ACMI in 2022 and should not have been shown elsewhere during its development, in fragments or in its entirety.
Contractual arrangement
If your project is selected for The Ian Potter Moving Image Commission you will be required to sign formal agreements with both The Ian Potter Cultural Trust and with ACMI. These contracts will outline the role and obligations of all parties. The Ian Potter Cultural Trust and ACMI will not enter into contractual agreements with any secondary parties. The agreements will stipulate that the commissioned work is premiered at ACMI in 2022 and that the commissioned work, with full screen and exhibition rights, will be accessioned into the ACMI Collection. ACMI will reserve the right to accession the whole artwork, an edition, or individual components, including but not restricted to moving image material, 2D and 3D components of an artwork.
The agreement will include (and may not be limited to) the delivery materials, production schedule, payment schedule, production budget, marketing, communications, registration, Intellectual Property, licensing, acknowledgements, moral rights, confidentiality. Copyright will reside with the artist.
Support material for application
Applicants must provide up to three examples of their previous work, and/or a sample of their moving image practice of no more than fifteen minutes duration in total. Previous work is a useful way to show the trajectory that an artist’s ideas have followed, and themes that have continued throughout their practice. Applicants are advised to refer back to previous works when writing the application as a useful way to illustrate the presentation, visual treatment and concepts they have in mind for the new project.
Applicants can submit still, or moving-image mock-ups or sketches of work in progress, but must explain them correctly in the list of support materials. Please note that the judging panel looks at the visual support material to assess artistic merit. Therefore, we recommend that majority of the support material is high quality documentation of recent, finished work.
If you believe it will enhance your application, we are happy to receive up to one page of storyboards, five still images, a one page gallery installation plan, two pages of script and/or five drawings.
We do not accept catalogues, photographs, colour photocopies, letters of support, PowerPoint presentations, slides or printed materials.
Shortlisted applicants
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to work up a full proposal. The proposal development period includes bespoke mentoring with ACMI’s curators and production staff. Each artist will have access to up to two advisory sessions. ACMI will advise and assist with developing the budget, planning the production stages and the projects’ creative direction. In addition to this, each artist will also receive a development fee of up to $3000 to cover associated costs.
Artists invited to prepare a full proposal will have their names published as part of the publicity around the Ian Potter Moving Image Commission.