Write about what drew you to this studio? What you think this studio is and what are you interested in exploring?

This studio begs the question, what changes need to be made within the Australian film industry to ensure that we are creating films that Australians want to see? Jennifer Kent, director of The Babadook 2014, states that “Australians hardly ever get excited about their own [movies]” and I reluctantly relate. The films I see in cinemas, watch on streaming services and engage with both academically e.g. university and socially e.g. LetterBoxd are primarily American. I want to delve into why this is the case, why I feel disconnected from my own country’s films. My goal is to better familiarise myself with what modern Australian cinema has to offer through this studio’s syllabus, rather than dwelling on the classics. The Worst Film Industry in the World 2023, a Youtube video by Motion in Art, suggests that the reason Australian classics such as Mad Max 1979 and Crocodile Dundee 1986 are still highly revered and a piece of national pride is because they took risks. As an aspiring filmmaker in Australia, I want to be proud of our industry, having a role within it rather than having “to go overseas to get recognition”. I’d like to explore within this studio ways to better the Australian feature filmmaking landscape, how it can be more far-reaching, more accessible, more exciting and ambitious and potentially uncovering these solutions through the final collaborative creative project. I’d love the opportunity to direct and write again, working to create something uniquely Australian, creatively risk-taking and fun. I’d like to work on the mistakes I made in my last directing/writing role, improving my organisation in pre-production, problem solving on set and writing believable, impactful dialogue. I also wouldn’t mind stepping outside my comfort zone and possibly dive into a role I’m less familiar with such as editing or cinematography, pushing myself technically and broadening my filmmaking skills. 

Choose TWO of the workshop activities (in class or homework) that we’ve done so far and write a reflective post on each

(1) Week 1 had us in small groups, reading articles related to the Australian filmmaking industry. We looked at a particular article by Andrew F Peirce titled 2024: A Hard Year for Australian Films that delved into the fundamental issues of Australia’s industry. I found it extremely eye opening as I had been blissfully unaware of how our industry operates; who funds productions, how and why certain films receive funding and why there is a serious lack of national pride surrounding Australian films. Seeing how much of an impact the Australian government has over what films are financially supported brings the question of money vs art to the surface. Our filmmaking industry has become a business deal rather than a creative outlet, and it explains why American productions are prioritised over local Australian ones. The risk of losing profit outweighs the potential to create something that would authentically and uniquely connect with Australians. This has resulted in the same style of films being made, made with the intention of bringing in money. Our government is viewing the act of film making as a business, something to profit off and boost the economy and therefore creativity is less prioritised.  They are less likely to view film proposals that take risks, that are dynamic and unique, films that maybe defy what they see as “Australian values”. Seeing these fundamental flaws haven’t made me feel discouraged or depressed about the future of Australian Cinema, but instead inspired me. We know where the issues lie, what barriers are stopping ambitious filmmakers from getting their ideas funded. Our government does not prioritise local cinema and the films that are given funding and support fit into the narrow box of what is believed to be financially successful e.g. Animal movies, Outback Movies, Superhero Movies. A change needs to come from within. As Peirce said “the onus isn’t on Australian audiences to seek out Australian films”. The industry itself “needs to break through the algorithm of our continued existence to put Australian films in front of faces” (Peirce 2025).

(2) In week 2, we were tasked with creating a short documentary, using the equipment we’ll eventually be using for our final major work. I found it surprisingly challenging to come up with a topic of discussion that was engaging, personal and able to be successfully executed within the class time. Our group landed on the topic of Death; When and how we think we’ll die and what we want to happen to our bodies. A rather grim topic to explore as our culture treats death as something taboo and is often avoided at all costs. Our interviews of each other had a rather comedic tone, which wasn’t necessarily our intent but made sense. When we’re uncomfortable or scared, we resort to humor, as tragedy and comedy are not opposites but rather close friends. We played with lighting in particular, attempting to create a liminal, limbo-like space to mimic the afterlife and create a gothic aesthetic. I really enjoyed experimenting with the camera, deliberately focusing and unfocusing and using the unbalanced light to capture some ethereal looking B-roll that hopefully worked to compliment the interviewee footage. We had some trouble with sound as none of us  were familiar with the wireless lapel mics. Instead, we opted for our phones, using voice memos to record our testimonies. Obviously not ideal for getting the best quality of sound but given the time frame, we had to work quickly. In hindsight, I should’ve asked for guidance on using them as it would’ve benefited me to learn that equipment then, so that it would be less challenging down the road when filming our major. It also would have benefited to venture out into other areas of the uni to record more B-roll as we had limited ourselves to one small area and by the end of class, we were struggling a bit to film enough variety to edit with. After this workshop, I see documentary-making as more of a fun and creative mode of storytelling . With mockumentary as the exception, I’ve always seen the mode of documentary as rather dry, but you truly can make it your own if you’re inspired enough. There’s so much potential for impactful, raw moments and by utilising B-roll, you can create something visually striking and weave a silent narrative alongside the interviews, marrying the reality of people’s lived experiences with the visual art of filmmaking

Video Essay Link: https://vimeo.com/1068067728/dcdf8aef5b?share=copy