TAC and TABOO's ‘Split Second’ Contest Empowers Young Filmmakers to Save Lives

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC), in collaboration with creative agency TABOO, is proud to launch the 6th annual ‘Split Second’ competition, with entries open for young Victorian storytellers who want to save lives on our roads and launch their creative careers.

Split Second was developed by TAC and TABOO in 2018 and has become a long-standing youth road safety platform. To date, the competition has received more than 850 film concepts, produced six short films and helped kick-start the careers of their creators – all while delivering powerful peer-to-peer road safety messages.

This year the competition is expanding. Building on the success of the competition, TAC is introducing a prize for young multicultural content creators. This initiative aims to celebrate the diversity of young people across Victoria, foster fresh perspectives, and provide a platform for diverse content creators for more inclusive storytelling.

The competition is now open to all content creators aged 18 – 30, entrants are invited to submit a script, storyboard or video outlining their concept for a short film. This year’s briefs are focused on driving tired and seatbelt usage.

This year, there will be two winners – each winner will get their concept produced with a $35k budget, $5k cash and get to work with creative agency TABOO and this year’s production partner TRUCE Films to bring their concept to life.

Young drivers have a high risk of road crash involvement and continue to be overrepresented in road trauma statistics. Driving tired and incorrect seatbelt use are factors that contribute to young drivers.

Fatigue accounts for 16% to 20% of fatal crashes involving young Victorians, while more than 140 drivers and passengers killed on Victorian roads in the last five years were not wearing a seatbelt.

“Fatigue and hesitation around seatbelt use are all silent killers on our roads,” TAC Head of Community Jacqui Sampson says.

“It only takes a split second for a life to be changed forever. By engaging young and diverse filmmakers, content creators and storytellers, we aim to bring fresh, impactful perspectives on how these risks can be prevented. Their creativity has the power to influence attitudes and behaviours, especially among their peers.”

2023 winner Sati Ocal says the initiative has provided the perfect platform for their emerging creative career, “The Split Second Competition has allowed me to forge a strong connection with the creative industry. As a film student, it often feels daunting and as though there’s little room for newcomers. I was able to create meaningful content focused on road safety, which felt especially impactful as I served as a voice for my peers. I’ve gained invaluable insights from the professional industry and truly enjoyed being involved in every stage of the filmmaking process—pre-production, production, and post-production.”

TABOO’s James Mackinnon says of the competition “In an era where marketing campaigns tend to be short-term and rather disposable, it’s great to see an organisation commit to an enduring platform to change behaviour. Through Split Second, the TAC helps young Victorians be part of the solution, not just the problem. We can’t wait to see the brilliant ideas that come in for this year’s briefs."

The visual identity of Split Second has been updated in 2024, with a thumb stopping colour palette and a design system that could easily translate to any language or culture. The campaign is digital and socially native, along with the introduction of animated Characters designed to represent and reflect the wide breadth of age, gender and diversity of aspiring creatives. The striking new campaign will be launched through owned, earned and paid media from Friday 1st November.

The competition is now open until November 24, 2024.