2008 INTAKE OF AWARD SCHOOL STUDENTS READY FOR ACTION
AWARD has released the list of successful applicants into News Limited AWARD School. 201 sought after positions have been offered across Australia this year, with an increase across the board due to the fantastic standard of applicants.
A change in strategy of the application questions resulted in a very high standard of work, impressing the judging panels with the promise of new talent for the industry.
Agencies across Australia will have an amazing batch of new creatives to select from, as News Limited AWARD School continues its legacy of supplying the industry the best people with which to fill their creative departments.
News Limited AWARD School will host its opening nights on Thursday March 6th in Sydney and Monday 31st March in Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart. Opening nights provide the students the opportunity to meet their peers, lecturers and tutors before the hard work begins.
For the list of successful applicants across Australia, visit AWARD School Online
53 Comments
I don’t know how ‘across the board’ that increased number of positions was…still just the usual (and ridiculously small) 12 spots for Brisbane. Maybe I should move to Sydney or Melbourne next year.
Seems very expensive at around $1700, and the students don’t get the new annual or even the ‘craft of copywriting’ book that they used to. In fact where does the money go? The tutors certainly don’t get paid, do the lecturers or the judges? There are no ‘prizes’ either.
Just where does the money go? Surely we’re not taking money off young students to supplement the price of our AWARD entries or tickets to the night (doubtful that they’re supplemented methinks)
So come on, where does the money go?
It is no ones business where the money goes. Surely it is not going to happen without any money. Infact, they should atleast make more money by increasing their numbers. What AWARD school is in NSW is not the same else where.
201 is way too many. It was much better back when there were only 30 or so students.
Award School IS the same wherever it is.
A simple test to see if new creatives can cut it in, or better still, improve our industry. And if they can’t hit the ground running in an application to a three month course, then they shouldn’t be considered.
Still, we are taking too many. Whether it’s cheaper than most courses or worth every cent is irrelevant if we miss out on attracting the next Droga who might not be able to afford it.
AWARD’s charter is to raise standards, not money.
Surely it is everyones business who pays entry fees, finalist fees, membership fees and award night ticket fees
It is certainly our business where the money goes. $400k under our industry banner gives us the right to enquire. As someone has already said we tutor these students for nothing. I stopped teaching award years ago because there were not enough positions for the 30 or 40 graduates back then. 200 is absurd. These kids are used as cheap labour. I don’t like it at McDonalds and i don’t like the effect it has had on our industry – what happens to these kids in future. There are very few seniors left in this business which means there is little or no future for creative people past 40. You do the math. What sort of industry can sustain itself on this model – other than a crap fast food rip off marketing insult to digestion.
By the way people who blog anonymously are chicken shit.
Surely hiring out the Garvan Institute and putting $500 behind the bar twice during AWARD school adds up to 200 x $1700…
wait…
$340k?
I’m sure it’s all about helping the industry given there are roughly 5 jobs for the 200 hopefuls.
The whole thing is an abomination.
Not because it’s slave labour, who cares? No one give a shit that their new Pumas were made by a five year old Indonesian kid with one arm, so you’re not really going to set up a charity for the poor, under-appreciated, aspiring creative. Or are you? Anyway, the point is AWARD school is facile and boring. It’s just snake oil. And anyone who participated as student or teacher should be embarrassed and pretend they didn’t.
The very loosely termed ‘lecturers’ are just ad wankers who attractive women would vomit on if cornered. But they can’t vomit on them because there are other people in the room and they don’t want someone to take a photo and put it on Facebook. Not because they’re worried about looking skanky while vomiting on said ‘lecturer’ but because they don’t want to be seen in the same room.
Also, who gives a crap if these kids and their parents are stupid enough to pay to attend the shammy course? It serves them right for not aspiring to greater things than walking around in thongs and jeans and lame t-shirts that say things that they bought off the net while they should have been working but aren’t because they can’t think of anything that wasn’t on TV the night before. They should be aspiring to something good like being in a jamboree or taking up the discus or something. But they’re not, they’re just going to drink European beer and wear their collars up and ‘network’ and be a writhing mass of mediocrity and corner you in the lift and tell you their tedious dreams for the future. Don’t you agree?
Irrelevant topic, move on. Let’s talk about the good old days when the Snappy Tom’s ‘Cats of Australia’ ruled the airwaves.
Nick is right. Few will get jobs and even fewer will have a job when they are 35…
I’ve tutored AWARD School in Melbourne many times over the years and was a student many years before then. As deputy CD of a mid-size creative agency, at the moment I am trying to hire a couple of teams, one Junior and another Midweight. I consulted the lists of students over the years to check up on them and see if i could employ them to fill the positions available. I’ve found nearly impossible to find anyone to take. The vast majority do not work on advertising at all, probably around 90% of them. Most of them claim that AWARD School taught them that it was way too hard a business so they basically gave up. Another 5% are on related industries but not really as advertising creatives or in agencies. Only 5% are employed at agencies as creatives and doing well. I used to think that AWARD School took just too many people, now I am absolutely convinced that we actually need more. You’ll be surprised at the amount of drop-outs, the dissapointed and people that don’t make the cut. But I guess you need to be a tutor for a couple of years to realize that.
I am still struggling to find a decent Junior team in Melbourne and now I’ve been told we probably need two teams. Good luck to me. My 5 cent worth.
I’m one of the 600 and counting paying members who spends $285 a year on my annual membership – Last year all I got an annual that was a year late…
8:40pm – forgive me for being proactive – how do my partner and I who looking for a junior team position get in touch with our folio? jimmurray777@hotmail.com
To those who think that the 200 students are alot to take, you’re mistaken and the reason behind it is because you think they’re all going to the same jobs in Australia. Not everyone wants to stay here and that is one of the things that AWARD school prepares people to do, build a folio that could take them anywhere.
After all, doing AWARD School is good but what matters the most is the final folio.
This is why MORE people should do it. Getting into AWARD School would not get you a job..it’s what you make out of AWARD School and their “legacy”.
I still insist the money is none of anyone’s business but surely the industry should know where the money is being spent. AWARD school is still worth the money, AWARD memberships are still reasonably priced than major worldwide clubs and certainly same goes to AWARD entries. Nonetheless, as an association/club..people do have the right to know where the money is going, especially when people know that AWARD lecturers and tutors are not being paid.
Well done Jim. Initiative is worth so much. Good luck on your search. If I was in Melbourne I’d have a look.
I think it would be fair to ask AWARD to provide a comprehensive Financial Report detailing all expenditures and revenue for the past year to it’s members at the upcoming AGM.
Kate,
fuck that was the funniest thing I’ve read all day.
Sure, it’s only 9.42am but I’m a fast reader.
Jim: If you’re not “in touch with your folio”, you should probably work on that first.
Don’t me to be mean, but this is – or at least should be – a professional industry.
Being able to write properly should be on the list of prerequisites, even for juniors.
me to be mean…
he he
Kate all I can say is THANKYOU … I have been in the industry for 12 years, I was rejected by AWARD school in the early days which was an absolute blessing. I did things the old school way. I was a junior and worked my way up and all I can say is it taught me a whole lot more than a few hours over 12 weeks.
AWARD school is absolute rubbish. Of the creatives I know that went most either did not get jobs or landed jobs in agencies that were “cool” and really believed in AWARD school. They threw them in the chair and instantly made them an art director. When it all went pear shaped they wondered why.
I also don’t believe in a system that tells every designer out there that they will never be able to work their way to art director because the have not shelled out $1200. There are some brilliant minds sitting in the studios that are not being utilized and most of them have degrees.
As an industry stand up and say “this system is not working” and let’s get back to the good old ways that actually work.
10.01am – “Don’t me to be mean…” Is that how you write proper like?
Truth is people can manufacture their own AWARD school.
This involves getting a list of creatives (not creative directors) who will help. Start lower down the ladder then by the time a CD sees your book it will be pretty good.
Make one contact in one agency, ask him./her for a list of mates who will see you. Also ask for a brief (not a live one- just a simple brief).
Go back a week later with 50 or so ideas that you have knocked out on that brief.
There may be a couple of half decent ones in there that will make a campaign. Then go and see all the mates in different agencies, they will give you opinions.
It could be that they all agree everything is no good, so start again. If a few people agree that some of your ideas are good, then work on them. Don’t restrict yourself to media, just show that you can think.
Start building up more and more campaigns in this way. Do lots of work and listen to advice.
At the end of this, often quite long process, you should come out with a good book, one which isn’t the same as the 200 other people who’ve just done AWARD school.
You won’t be hamstrung by having to meet false criteria just to stand a chance of winning.
You’ll also have quite a network of people you know in different agencies around town and more importantly these people will know you.
You don’t need to take up lots of their time, 10 minutes is enough to get a low down on a few ideas. Don’t expect them to do the ads for you, just listen then do your own ads.
Next it’s time to start moving up the scale perhaps, without putting anyone’s nose out of joint of course – by the time you are seeing creative directors your book should be looking good and they’ll think “these guys are good, imagine how good they’ll be when I teach them.”
I could go on and on, but I really don’t have time. All I will say is that it works.
David Droga.
Leo Premutico.
Guy Rooke.
Rebecca Carrasco.
Award School is clearly crap.
Could it not be that perhaps the above individuals are incredibly talented and creative and would’ve been successful regardless of AWARD school?
It’s not about where you went to adschool. It’s all about the quality of your book.
There will always be shit students come out of good adschools, and great creatives that come out of average adschools.
So move on.
1.36, I don’t think your comment would withstand any statistical rigour.
Name, names, all just names. If you can understand how to interpret a brief and come up with original and effective ideas to solve it, then AWARD School is a complete waste of money. I think the main thing it’s good for is to give aspiring writers and art directors a starting portfolio to take with them when applying for junior roles. Apart from that, you’ve either got it or you haven’t and AWARD School and going to give it to you.
From a guy who just paid $1750.00 to fulfil a dream, what can I say. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement, for the past week I’ve been so excited about starting the course and maybe fulfilling my dream to become a creative. Then to have so many people put down the course and in effect put down all the other aspiring creatives who joined up this year. Thanks for the support guys, you’ve really made my day.
Kate clearly failed AWARD school yet she does have a point. Why are most of the AWARD tutors unfit, single, sleazy guys?
Lets get some hot suits teaching it.
That aside, AWARD school was tough, I hated it, it didn’t help me get a job but it helped me to write good ads.
The good ads came months after I’d finished and annoyed the shit out of 10 creative directors I got in touch with while at AWARD school.
Those good ads got me a job that was the worst paying job I’d ever had, not including inflation.
The job taught me how to write better ads.
Better ads got me a better job.
Everyone’s got a different journey. I really admire people who go through AWARD with an open mind and listen to their tutors advice.
I especially admire tutors who put up with 10-20 people not listening to a word of their advice and particularly not understanding anything about ads. Some of the ads I saw in my tute group were awful, including mine.
And I’m greatful AWARD exists, because there is no single other course in Australia that teaches you how to write kick-ass ads, unless you’re lucky enough to live in Melbourne.
Boo-frickin-hoo, poor ‘guy who’s just paid $1750 only to have his dream shattered by a bunch of cynical bastards’. Man, if you’re put off by a few personal comments, then you’re REALLY going to struggle with the sometimes harsh and always subjective feedback during the course (and the rest of your working like if you make it to a creative position). Good luck, though…
I think AWARD School is a great opportunity. The students get a chance to work with experienced creatives and if they have the talent and work hard, there’s a decent chance they’ll get a position somewhere.
I’ve tutored three times and I’ll do it again.
Sure, most of my “students” are not in advertising today, but that has very little to do with the course itself. They never had what it takes. Now they know.
$1750 for finding out if you have what it takes to be a creative is not too expensive, I think.
AWARD School is great…when tutors decide to turn up and AWARD remember to notify you of venue and/or date changes for lectures and tutorials.
Best $1700 I ever spent.
I couldn’t afford it now though. Not on a junior’s salary.
I did award school twice.
And why the fuck would you do it twice you might ask?
Basically I was very immature the first time ’round and I naively thought the little talent I was showing in my uni course would show me through to great things.
I was wrong, oh so wrong.
Fast forward two years and I did the course again. But this time I was hungry. I wanted to succeed. This was something I needed to do. I really tried and my work got better as a result.
In the end Award School gave me a better book and contacts in the industry – which led to work experience. A job didn’t happen out of that. But within 6 months of graduating I landed my first bona-fide advertising gig.
Award School is a tool. What you fashion with it is entirely up to you.
I did AWARD School last year; I came in the Top 30th and had 3 works on the “Wall”. It gave me many contacts in the Advertising industry. In saying that though, going good in AWARD School is only the start of a very long road (and I really mean that, you will hear it many times; after AWARD life is hell!!!).
The hidden factor in all this, is that we are in a forever changing world and being able to draw an idea on paper is one thing, but you need to understand how to then take that good idea and make it great through new media for traditional ways. This is what sets AWARD School students apart; if you already know how to use a Mac you are way ahead of a student who cannot. The ones who get into AWARD School and haven’t touched a computer or know nothing about how to use new media will be in for a huge shock trying to get a job! CD’s want more from young juniors we are no longer in the 80’s. Drawing good ads will only get you through AWARD School not set you up for the real world of Advertising. The real story is that the only ones, who make it, are the ones who not only have great ideas, but also are just as passionate about the way they will execute the ad. Most places these days want creatives who can execute their own ideas. If you have no interested in spending most of your time on a computer executing an ad then forget it!!! This is what AWARD School does not tell you! This is way I am no longer in Advertising I loved the idea creation, but was not interested in learning the latest in new media and computer programs, and I quickly learnt that the only way to survive is to look forward on backwards and the future of Advertising is all about new ways to advertise. Good luck to all the new students starting AWARD School this year.
I did AWARD School Melbourne in 2006.
While I’ve come really close (down to the last two but rejected again even yesterday), I haven’t yet got my first full time gig.
I should be bitter but AWARD was worth every cent.
Kate, your observations on AWARD, on the School, on the tutors and lecturers and on the industry in general are not only utterly negative, poisonous and misguided but ultimately mistaken. I am not going to try and prove you wrong, because to fight against vile of such level is just a waste of precious time. But I recommend that if you are still employed on anything that resembles an advertising agency, please quit and spare yourself so much suffering. That goes for you Kim and for anyone that celebrates negativity and vitriol in an industry that needs just the opposite. Shame on you.
Alright Pollyanna or should I call you 10:07. You’ve swayed me. After reading your rays of sunshine I’m a changed woman. I’m turning off my Emac and I’m going to become a cotton farmer called Cyril, I will think of you always as you change the world one FMCG at a time.
I did AWARD School back a few years back. I thought it was worth every cent. The lecutres were insightful and the tutors were really good and were always there for you whenever you had a question. It was worth every cent of the $1500 paid back then.
It was not until when I graduated in the TOP 30. That I started to lose a little faith. Supposedly, the TOP 30 graduates were eligible to a further mentoring program? But that never came. No email, no phone call, no nothing. I am not bitter in any sense, it is up to the potential juniors themselves to get in the faces of top agencies and get their foot in the door. But I am curious as to what that part of the program entailed.
peace
Kate, you friends with Toby and Bec by any chance?
That is pure fucking gold.
O.K Kate or should I call you Cyril, just don’t forget to place that Kangaroo shooting shotgun right against the roof of your mouth and press the trigger as vigorously as you can…In the meantime, I will continue to change the world, one positive step at a time…
As every other year, all AWARD GOLD Members receive the complete financials of the organisation, and should have done so early this week. If you have not received yours, please contact AWARD to receive your copy immediately.
The AWARD AGM will be held on Wednesday 5th March, 5pm, upstairs at The White Horse Hotel, Crown St, Surry Hills.
Each year the turn out to this event is minimal, with people opting to voice their opinions anonymously on this website which will achieve absolutely nothing if the Committee and Management cannot be there to hear your concerns, respond and then act on them if necessary. We look forward to meeting you there to hear your thoughts and answer your questions in person, in the professional manner and setting that they deserve.
AWARD Management
Whoo. That’s positive 11:09.
Oi!! 11:09.
What’s with the crack about the Kangaroo gun??
I’m a native marsupial who happened to do AWARD school twice and I object to your particular brand of positivity…..
Why can’t we all get along????
I think kate has sand in her vagina
Wow. I was enjoying reading this spirited debate until you wrote that 11:12.
That’s absolutely disgraceful… and gutless as it was anonymous.
Grow up.
With charming and mindless talk like previous it makes me wonder what the hell I’ve been doing wrong not to get a good gig yet.
I think 1.21’s got sand in her vagina. Or a stick up his arse. Or any one of a number of euphemisms for people who take shit way too seriously.
Who cares about all this nonsense. It’s Jim I care about. Dude, did you get an interview? Better still, a job?
Hi 8.17, thanks for thinking of me. It’s a bit early to say yet, but any leads on people looking for juniors in Melbourne will be welcomed at the above email. Cheers, Jim
Glenn – taking yourself way too seriously and reading the blog instead of writing some ads.
No, I wouldn’t want to take my career “too seriously”.
Sheesh!
Those ad people out there who know me would know how ridiculously off the mark you are, 7.51.
Anyway, good luck all for this year’s AWARD School.
It’s a hoot.
Well I did AWARD School twice, about a decade apart. First time round I wasn’t ready for advertising, I was having too much fun in a career I didn’t even mean to fall into.
So I did it again when I was ready. Then I shopped my book around, took all the advice I could, worked on my book, knocked on doors again, listened and learned again, shopped some more, landed a few mercy briefs, and then almost 2 years later (thank god I still had a real job) I landed a short freelance gig. From their I worked, and worked and worked till finally I made it as a full time junior.
AWARD school was (and IMHO) still is great. Most of the guys I know that did it aren’t in advertising, but I used it more as a stepping stone, a calling card, a foot in the door. I’d definitely recommend it, and one day hope I’m good enough and experienced enough to put back just some of what I got out of it.