In partnership with Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG), one Master of Fine Art Writing alum was presented with a coveted six-week internship at StudioCanal. This year Brigitte Haviland (Dramatic Writing, 2025) was given the opportunity and returned with new insights and perspectives on the industry she’s working in. We spoke with Brigitte to find out what she learned, what surprised her and what advice she has for the next wave of emerging writers.
For those who don’t know, what does the six-week internship at StudioCanal involve and what kinds of experiences were you most excited about?
This experience largely involved supporting the Acquisitions team with script coverage over a busy period during one of the three big international film markets. I was very keen to read new material from some of the industry’s most accomplished talent, and equally what was coming in from the local market. Most exciting for me was seeing how film packages are considered by the team at StudioCanal through the perspective of their years of experience in the movie business, from their relationships with exhibitors of independent cinema in the late 90s/2000s through to the radically different and more challenging current day landscape of theatrical distribution.
Why did you choose to apply for this internship?
As an emerging screenwriter gearing up to produce my first feature, I knew this experience would offer unparalleled insight into the realities of the Australian and international markets. Distribution is a key piece of the funding model, so I jumped at the chance to learn as much as I could about audiences and the commerciality of projects, to help not only inform budget and finance planning for the film I’m currently producing, but to find where it belongs in the marketplace and plan for a sustainable film career.
What were some of your key takeaways from your time at StudioCanal?
For me, it reinforced the knowledge that the short materials of a project, combined with the above the line attachments, are the basis for the industry’s decision on investment. This might feel disheartening or reductive of the work, and of course you still need to be able to deliver a great script, but this decision-making process comes down to how audiences decide what to consume. Whatever your taste, if you think about your own viewing habits and what will get you into a cinema, it is these elements that inform our choices. Writers need to know what the essence of their story is and get comfortable with the practice of identifying why audiences will want to see it.
How do opportunities like this internship help emerging writers bridge the gap between study and the professional screen industry?
Australian screenwriters are working in a market with limited funding avenues, so storytellers need to be entrepreneurial as much as producers need to be creative. It’s a tough industry for any graduate, but this internship is a chance for an emerging writer to broaden their perspective of the business and see their own work from an industry standpoint. If talent is a prerequisite to undertake the work of an MFA, then great writing is only a prerequisite to begin the work of building a career. With the support of the Australian Writers Guild, an opportunity like this offers a step forward in a writer’s professional development and it would be brilliant if more companies welcomed similar initiatives.
Looking back at your time at NIDA, are there particular lessons, mentors or projects that helped prepare you for this internship?
The many industry guests we had in the writers’ room, as well as the Business of Writing subject, were some of my favourite sessions in the course. I’m inherently motivated by practical solutions to creative problems and while writers specialise in words, I always find the literal and metaphorical bottom line just as important and helpful. The aim to demystify creative business in the MFA provided strong preparation for planning both long and short-term goals and made for a smoother shift into covering scripts in a commercially minded way at StudioCanal.
What kinds of stories are you most excited about telling at the moment?
I’m excited by making work that is as authentic as possible. My aim is always to deliver a story that people want or need, but in a way that they may not have expected, which just happens to be from my somewhat niche perspective. I’m particularly excited about finding collaborators who connect over the material, and who work with the same values as me to bring relatable, flawed and daring characters to life, make audiences laugh and feel seen.
Do you have any advice for current NIDA students or recent graduates interested in undertaking a similar internship?
My advice would be to articulate specifically why the internship is important to you, and if you get to do one, trust your instincts when reading because your perspective is valid. If you don’t get to do it right now, keep your eye out for the next round as there are a few markets annually and the AWG will support emerging writers to get this kind of industry exposure.
NIDA would like to thank the Australian Writers Guild for this opportunity.