WANTED: FEMME FATALE (SEMINAR CRITIQUE)

Content: D

I thought the guests were all great, particularly Jenni Tosi. I was impressed that the group managed to get the CEO of Film Victoria! In terms of the information I got from the seminar, that was a mixed bag though. It’s might be because it was more based around women in media and how they can get work. I loved the statistics, as it showed the audience that this was a major issue in our industry and that it needed to change. There were times where the seminar started to feel like a bit of a rant against men in the media. Quite frankly, it wasn’t the most interesting seminar for me, but I did notice a lot of girls were very impressed with it so it was definitely good for them.

Approach: D

I really liked the approach that the group took with the Femme Fatale seminar. It was quite different to other seminars and I liked that. I thought it was very clever to interact with the audience at the start, using questions about feminism in film. It was a great way to keep the audience engaged.

Theme: HD

I really loved the name of the seminar (I’m a huge Film Noir fan), and it was great to see that the group took that theme and used it heavily in their seminar. The slide show had that classic noir look, and I loved the font they used – very classic Hollywood. Also, the catering was just fantastic. Although I didn’t get a chance to grab one before they were all gone, the cupcakes looked great and fit into the theme as well.

Staging: HD

I really loved the look of the staging. The best word I can use to describe it was ‘pretty’, as the little blue lights around the stage were just beautiful. The backdrop of the city was relevant to the theme, and the lighting and slideshow were great. I did notice a bit of issue in the sound, but it never really bothered me as I thought the group did a great job with their set-up of the stage.

Promotion: HD

The black and white posters were awesome. Clever and stylish, it captured that film noir look well. Similar to other seminars, I saw the posters everywhere, from Bowen Street and the Building 9 digital screen, so praise must be given to the group for getting the event out there.

WANTED: BREAKING IN – SEMINAR CRITIQUE

Content: HD

Similar to Non-Fiction, I wasn’t expecting to find much interest in the Television seminar as I never really had plans to pursue a career in television after I graduate. However, again I was proven wrong and my expectations were blown away. Breaking In had some great guests, and what I liked most was that they were all interesting. With the previous seminar, it was Bailey who I found most interesting, with the others not making much of an impression, but all the guests of Breaking In were highly qualified professionals and had great things to say.

Approach: HD

I found the way the group approached their seminar to be excellent. I was fully engaged with Breaking In, not only because it was really interesting, but it was genuinely hilarious, particularly the host who was witty and charismatic. The slide show was in theme with their posters, and the video they played at the start was a very clever way to introduce their seminar and the host himself.

Theme: HD

I think the Television group took the Wanted theme and ran away with it. The name ‘Breaking In’ was a clever reference, and when I saw that they were giving out fake meth at the door, I was utterly impressed. It was also very smart to theme the seminar like it was game show, again a clever way to tie into the television theme. The breaks in between the talks about the industry using hilarious trivia questions not only made it fun for the audience, but also for the guests themselves. You could tell that they were enjoying themselves, and that was great to see.

Staging: HD

The staging fit with the game show theme, and it was very clever. I’m tempted to say that there maybe was too much going on in terms of props on the stage, but again, it fit with the game show theme so I can’t flaw the group on that. Lighting, sound and the slide show were also excellent.

Promotion: HD

I loved the poster as it was a great parody of Breaking Bad’s style, and I have to praise the group on the way they promoted the seminar around campus, with Breaking In posters all over Bowen Street and on the digital screen at Building 9.

WANTED: NON-FICTION – SEMINAR CRITIQUE

Content: HD

I thought the content of Non-Fiction was fantastic. Before going, I wasn’t expecting to be interested at all in the seminar as I’ve never really been a fan of documentaries. However, the guests and their experience in the industry really made the seminar informative and interesting. It was definitely Genevieve Bailey who stole the show though, as her story about getting her film shot over a long period of time and screened at film festivals was simply inspirational, particularly for aspiring filmmakers. Thus, I think the Documentary group have done a great job with their content, as they had found terrific guests in such a short amount of time (they were the first seminar).

Approach: D

I found the way the group approached their seminar was competent. The way the guests were introduced was clear and all the questions were handled well. The main thing that kept me engaged were the guests. The seminar itself had no hiccups that I can remember – everything was on time and I was never taken out by any mistakes.

Theme: C

In terms of the posters and promo material, Non-Fiction did work in the theme that the steering committee set. However, I never saw that in the name of the seminar or the way the seminar was set up, from the slide show and the host. I think if the name had a more ‘criminal’ spin, it would’ve been more in line with the other seminars, and the ‘Wanted’ theme. The slideshow could’ve also had some quirky elements hinting at a criminal theme.

Staging: D

The staging was simple but effective. The lighting was top-notch on the guests, and everything fit very nicely on stage – nothing distracted you. It’s a good example of less is more I think. The sound was solid, and although I did think the slideshow needed a bit more character, it was still clear and to the point.

Promotion: HD

I loved the posters of Non-Fiction and saw them around RMIT during the week of the seminar. I think the Documentaries group did a great job of promoting their event by using posters as well as social media, inviting a lot of people to the Facebook event.