Too Happy Studios is excited to launch a new Artist Moving Image Commission. The commissioning model will focus on production, mentorship, collaboration, and more effective integration of the visual arts and traditional screen industries. The artist will be based within our studio in Glasgow and will have a network of support for the duration of the commission including mentorship from Rachel Maclean and her extended studio team as well as production support from the award-winning producers at Forest of Black. The completed film will premiere at Glasgow Short Film Festival 2025.
After the initial premiere of the finished film, they will continue to work with the artist to develop an international film festival strategy and marketing plan. This commission is an exciting opportunity for an early career artist to benefit from the facilities and support of an experienced moving image artist.
In addition to facilities and mentorship, they are offering:
- An Artist fee of £7,650 (36 days at SAU rates)
- An Production budget of £10,000
Applications are now open.
Deadline: Monday 1st April 2024, 9am
Full details on the application process and commission details are listed below. If you have any questions or need further information, please reach out to Ciara Dunne at ciara@toohappystudios.com with the subject line ‘Artist Commission’.
What We’re Looking For
We are seeking early-career artists based in Scotland who are ready to push the boundaries of moving image art. We want to see project proposals that are innovative, ambitious, and original, and that utilise technology in new ways. We encourage submissions that are inventive, thought-provoking, and that challenge the boundaries of traditional moving image art.
We are looking for an artist who has an existing video practice or can show evidence of an ability to adapt their practice to video.
The proposed work should be a brand new, single-screen film, approximately 15 minutes in length and conceived with a cinema screening in mind. The artist should be living in Scotland and be willing to base themselves in Glasgow for come of the commission. The artist should be open to participating in a short ‘making-of’ documentary, as well as a moderated Q&A at the premiere of the film.
We recognise there are significant barriers to working in the visual arts sector and that these challenges are experienced more acutely by those facing marginalisation and systemic injustice. This includes people with protected characteristics across age, disability, gender, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation alongside those with chronic illness, neurodiversity, parental/caring responsibilities, experience of the immigration system and people from working-class backgrounds. We encourage applications from artists from all backgrounds.
We acknowledge that the term ‘early career’ can be vague, but we are looking for someone who:
- Is in the early stages of their creative development.
- Has a focused direction but are still developing their artistic voice.
- Has yet to receive substantial recognition within their field.
- Has yet to receive substantial funding.
- Is not currently enrolled in any higher or further education.
Age is not a determining factor.
If somebody meets the following criteria, they are likely to be ineligible:
- They have extensive international touring experience with their own work.
- They have long-term commercial representation such as gallery representation or an agent.
- They have more than one major commission with national or international coverage and profile.
Commission Details
The selected artist will receive a fee of £7,560 (36 days at SAU rates) and a production budget of £10,000 to fund the creation of a 15-minute single-screen moving image work. If the artist is based outside of Glasgow, an accommodation and travel budget will be provided. There is a separate budget covering costs associated with the exhibition of the finished work, including access costs.
Duration
The commission will run from April 2024 – April 2025 with mutually agreed milestones and set deliverables.
Timeline
1st of April: Open call deadline
w/c 8th April: Interviews
17th April: Successful artist notified
May – June: Development period
July – September: Pre-production and Shoot
October – January: Post-production
December: Progress screening of rough cut for project partners
February: Deadline for completed film
March: Premiere at Glasgow Short Film Festival 2025
April: International festival campaign development
Application Details
To apply, please submit the following materials to contact@toohappystudios.com
- Project Proposal: A description of your moving image project (max. 1 page or 2 minutes of audio/video)
Things to consider:
– The film will be a 15 minutes in length and shown in a theatrical screening.
– Depending on the needs of the project, you will have the opportunity to work with collaborators from across the screen industries, for example, a cinematographer, editor, make-up artist, costume designer, set designer, VFX artist and so on.
– The facilities we are offering are ideal for films which involve studio shoots and VFX, but your film does not have to be limited to this.
– The production budget is £10,000 - Timeline: A brief timeline based on the ‘Programme Timeline’ above, which outlines, roughly, how you will allocate the 36 days of your time across the 12 month period.
- CV/Resume: A brief overview of your artistic background, including any relevant experience.
- Portfolio: Provide a PDF portfolio or link to your website. If sharing films, please limit clips to a maximum of 5 minutes. This could mean sharing several shorter clips from a few films, or one longer clip from one film. The total should not exceed 5 minutes.
- Personal Statement: A short statement about how this opportunity will enable you to develop your practice in new ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible (max. 1 page or 2 minutes of audio/video)
If applicable, please also let us know if you have faced any barriers that have prevented you from progressing your artistic practice, producing, or exhibiting your work. We are interested to hear the structural inequalities of society such as discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability have made it harder for you to advance your career. - Format: Please send all application materials via email as attachments. Please include links in the attachments rather than the body of the email itself. A cover letter is not necessary. Please use the subject line ‘Too Happy Artist Commission’. The deadline is Monday 1st of April at 9am.
As part of your application, please complete the Inclusion Form via this link. This enables us to monitor the diversity of applicants and support our aim to be an inclusive and diverse organisation.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Ciara Dunne at ciara@toohappystudios.com
More information is available at: https://toohappystudios.com/commission/
Photo credits:
Audience at Civic House by Ingrid Muir