An initiative of Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum (NWFF), the ACTION! Narrative Apprenticeship Program is now in its fourth year, generously supported by the Butler Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Norcliffe Foundation, and Vogt Family Foundation and with equipment support from Koerner Camera Company, Glazers Camera and Foundry10. The program is geared towards individuals who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or living with a disability, for whom on-set experience on narrative film sets has historically been difficult to access at intermediate and professional levels.

ACTION! is modeled after NWFF’s RGPro Apprenticeship Program, which pays mentors and apprentices to create productions together on feminist film sets, with the apprentices leading the creative vision.

The Fourth Annual Narrative Apprenticeship Program will take a script from concept through production and post-production, to create a final finished film that is a collaboration between mentors and apprentices. Apprentices and mentors must be able to commit to the entire duration of the program, especially on the in-person film shoot days.

Available roles are as follows:

APPRENTICES

Eight (8) apprentice roles will be available during the Pre-Production and Production stages and will be compensated at a rate of $25 / hour. Must be available between May 31 and August 3; please see timeline below. (* Note: Writer / Director will also play a role during the Post-Production phase)

• Producer (~35 hours allotted)
• 1st Assistant Director (~35 hours allotted)
• Writer / Director * (~55 hours allotted)
• Cinematographer (~35 hours allotted)
• 1st AC (~35 hours allotted)
• Gaffer / Grip (~35 hours)
• Production Sound (~35 hours allotted)
• Production Designer (~35 hours allotted)

Three (3) apprentice roles will be available for Post-Production stages, and will be compensated at a rate of $25 / hour. Must be available between July 21 and September 7.

• Editor (~40 hours allotted)
• Sound Editor (~20 hours allotted)
• Color (~20 hours allotted)

MENTORS

Ten (10) mentor roles will mirror apprentice roles for Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production, with similar hours. Mentors will be compensated at a rate of $50 / hour. (* Note: Writer / Director mentor role has been filled.)

• Producer (~35 hours allotted)
• 1st Assistant Director (~35 hours allotted)
• Cinematographer (~35 hours allotted)
• 1st AC (~35 hours allotted)
• Gaffer / Grip (~35 hours allotted)
• Production Sound (~35 hours allotted)
• Production Designer (~35 hours allotted)
• Editor (~40 hours allotted)
• Sound Editor (~40 hours allotted)
• Color (~40 hours allotted)

Artists, mentors, and apprentices who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color), living with a disability, femme, gender non-conforming, LGBTQ+, undocumented, and/or live in unincorporated King County are strongly encouraged to apply.

All mentor and apprentice applicants will need to provide an Artist Biography, an Artist Values Statement, Work Samples, and answer two Narrative Questions. Apprentices who are applying for the writer-director role will be required to submit an additional Screenplay Sample for consideration for the final project.

Please view the Application Guide for tips and best practices.