Support to complete a postgraduate degree in screen production
The ABC John Bean ACS Memorial Scholarship for Cinematography, established in 2012, encourages excellence in cinematography and supports a postgraduate student to complete a Master of Screen Production at Griffith Film School.
Key points
Targeted to
Master of Screen Production students
Value
$25,000 and the opportunity for an internship with the ABC
Apply by
4 pm Monday 18 March 2024
Level of study
Postgraduate
Scholarship details
To be eligible, you must:
- be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident
- hold an undergraduate degree in film with an emphasis on cinematography
- enrol or be enrolled in the Master of Screen Production.
You can apply for this scholarship via our application process.
Application information
We use the following sections of the application to consider you for this scholarship:
Study details
- Tertiary education history—you must hold an undergraduate degree in film or a related field, with an emphasis in cinematography
- Program preferences: Show you have chosen Master of Screen Media Production.
Personal statements
- Past academic achievement and/or work experience.
- Career goals and aims: What are your career aspirations?
- Personal statement addressing in 250 words or less:
- your commitment to the craft
- your desire for cinematography and camera work to be the focus of your career
- your ability to be a team player, and work under pressure with ambition and passion.
Supporting documentation
You must upload the following in the supporting documentation section:
- Portfolio: include details of your portfolio.
Please upload the following formats only: PDF, Word, JPEG or Excel. We cannot guarantee other formats will be accepted.
Value
The scholarship is valued at $25,000 paid in instalments and includes an intensive internship of up to five weeks (total: 190 hours) to six weeks (total: 228 hours) with the breakup of the six-week period and timing to be based on program demands, to maximise the experience for the scholarship recipient.
Scholarship monies will be issued in two payments:
- $16,500.00 in year one—$8,250 after census date in trimester one and $8,250 in trimester two
- $ 8,500.00 in year two—paid after trimester one census date.
Recipients are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to undertake the internship in year one, prior to commencing year two studies.
Payment
Payments are made up to six weeks after the census date, subject to meeting the ongoing terms and conditions.
The To remain eligible for the scholarship, you will be required to:
- elect to do the internship course of the Masters program 7711GFS Internship. Completion of the course is necessary to be eligible for the five (total: 190hrs) to six weeks (total: 228 hours) of internship placement* at ABC.
Year one payments are made on confirmation of full-time enrolment.
Year two payment is conditional on the recipient:
- successfully completing their first year of study, having completed the course 7711GFS Internship
- remaining full-time enrolled at Griffith University in the Master of Screen Production
- maintaining good academic progress at Griffith University
The scholarship recipient cannot defer their scholarship. Should the recipient wish to defer the commencement of their degree, they must reapply for the scholarship in the year they commence their degree.
The student may seek leave of absence for up to a maximum of one year due to extenuating personal circumstances or medical reasons supported by a doctor’s certificate.
(*the internship provides a variety of experiences with the recipient there for educational purposes and not for their work output. Recipients are not required to become an employee of the ABC on completion of the degree and scholarship.)
The above conditions are verified each trimester at census date. If a scholarship recipient fails to successfully meet these conditions, scholarship payments may be withheld, or the scholarship may be terminated.
Applications, including any supporting documentation, must be completed and submitted by the closing date.
Applicants may be shortlisted and be required to provide additional information.
Offers are made via email.
Griffith University reserves the right to withdraw an advertised scholarship at any time.
In Memory Of
John Bean ACS (1963–2011)
As an exceptional television cinematographer for ABC News and a myriad of current affairs television programs in Australia, the Pacific and the USA, John Bean never stopped trying to deliver to his reporters the best possible pictures to enhance their stories. As reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on 31st August 2011, “He had a beautiful eye. Nothing he did was ordinary. He put 100 per cent into everything”.
John’s tragic death in a helicopter crash at Lake Eyre on 18 August 2011, which also killed the ABC reporter Paul Lockyer and the pilot Gary Ticehurst, shook not only the television industry but brought heartfelt testimonials from Government Ministers and the general public alike. All had been moved by his images, his professionalism and his caring nature. He worked on programs such as The 7.30 Report, Australian Story, Catalyst, The New Inventors and Gardening Australia. His images of the devastating Queensland floods in 2011 were just one example of the emotive power of his work.
John Wayne Bean was born at Rockhampton, Queensland, on 12th June 1963 and finished his schooling at Glenmore State High. With a TE score of 990, John opted to go to the Queensland College of Art and Design at Seven Hills to do graphic design. It was then he discovered the power of the television camera and he graduated in 1983 with a Diploma in Arts majoring in film and television.
After a variety of jobs in regional Queensland he worked for the ABC in Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane. John met his wife, journalist Pip Courtney, while he was working on Landline. The couple married in 1999 and in 2009 John was assigned to the ABC Bureau in Washington before returning to Australia to continue his busy schedule.
John was passionate about camerawork and set very high standards that became renowned within the industry. He was generous about mentoring others and spent considerable time over many years with students at Griffith University Film School. For this reason ABC News has established the ABC John Bean Memorial Scholarship for Cinematography at Griffith University Film School to support the ongoing study of a talented postgraduate student in the field of cinematography and to encourage excellence in the specialist field of cinematography.
Start your application
We've put together a checklist to ensure you make the most of your scholarship application. Once you have all the information and documentation needed, you can create an account in or login to our scholarships system and submit your application.
Get in touch
If you have a question, need some help with your scholarship application, or would like to make a donation, feel free to contact us.