Screen Australia, with FilmNation, opens its second producer placement program to all interested producers.

Two chosen individuals will be working in the Los Angeles offices of FilmNation in Los Angeles in August. They will be writing detailed coverage, prepare analysis of scripts, brainstorm ideas, prepare writers, director, cast lists and will take notes on script during projects.

The submission for application ends on Friday, June 20.

"FilmNation is thrilled to continue its partnership with Screen Australia and have the opportunity to work with more of Australia's most promising producers. We have been incredibly impressed with our current Screen Australia placements, and can't wait to forge new relationships with the talented individuals who will be joining us this summer," Alison Cohen, FilmNation's EVP, Business and Legal Affairs, said in a statement.

"We are delighted to be able to offer Australia's most outstanding emerging producing talent the opportunity to work with some of the best companies and organisations worldwide and to bring back new experience, relationships and inspiration to the film industry here. I'd like to congratulate Karen, Donna and Cecilia on their success in being chosen as the recipients of placements at Scott Free London and the San Francisco Film Society. And I encourage promising producers to apply for the FilmNation placements - another great opportunity to learn from some of the film industry's smartest executives," Sally Caplan, Screen Australia's Head of Production.

In another partnership, Screen Australia and the 61st Sydney Film Festival opens Think Big at the Festival workshop.

The workshop will be facilitated by Academy Award winning director Ross Kauffman and visual artists and filmmakers Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. It will be conducted on Friday, June 6 at the Festival Hub, Lower Town Hall.

Mr Kauffman will share his strategy on mounting a documentary - funding, marketing and character building.

"I want to tell a great story with great characters. It's all about connecting with people. Whether it's children in the brothels of India, or human rights investigators on the front lines of history. For me, the key is forming a connection. Once we can relate to our characters, anything is possible," Mr Kauffman said.

Mr Forsyth and Ms Pollard, directors of 20,000 Days on Earth will discuss how to weave fact and fiction in creating a cinematic portrait.

"We all had a lack of interest and a lack of trust in the fly-on-the-wall style music documentary - the sort of film that suggests it somehow gets 'behind the mask' of the rock star. Our background is in art rather than filmmaking, and in our own work for many years we've explored our belief that artifice can be used as a device to reveal a greater truth," said Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard," Mr Forsyth and Ms Pollard said in a statement.