Ross Dimsey, the general manager of industry development and investment at State Government agency Film Victoria, has stepped down after a mere seven weeks in the job.

Those who are closely involved are being tight-lipped about what exactly happened. A statement released by Film Victoria says that the role was "not as he anticipated and in the circumstances it is not appropriate for him to continue".

The industry initially greeted Dimsey's appointment with some surprise. While he has extensive experience as an independent producer, an executive producer with public broadcaster ABC, and in senior executive roles in government agencies, most of that experience dates back to the 1980s.

Chief executive Sandra Sdraulig, former director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, instituted a major make-over of Film Victoria, a crucial source of development and production financing for Melbourne-based producers, soon after being appointed to the job.

In the last few months she has put a new organisational structure in place, appointed new heads to all three business units - including Dimsey - and released a fresh set of funding guidelines.

At the end of the 1990s there was intense dissatisfaction about Victoria's rock-bottom production levels, the perception being that government subsidies were being redirected away from film and television and into multimedia.

A change of government helped correct this situation, with the new political leaders re-committing to traditional production as well as a major new studio complex, which is now well underway.