Dreaming of a career in screen, media or film but lacking the portfolio to apply for a uni degree? Don’t stress, Flinders has just what you need.
In September 2021 the first Flinders University High School Leaver Filmmaker Bootcamp was held, designed to provide high school students with an opportunity to come on campus for a weekend, experiment with equipment, meet lecturers and produce a film to go towards the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Screen) portfolio application.
Flinders offers two degrees that will prepare you for a career in filmmaking: Bachelor of Creative Arts (Screen) and Bachelor of Creative Industries (Film & TV), the former requiring the submission of a portfolio with your application. Film and television industries are growing rapidly and many prospective students have incredible talent, but they may be at a disadvantage as they simply don’t have access to filmmaking equipment to produce content to support their application. Sound familiar?
The creative team in Flinders’ Creative Arts and Media wanted to change this and launched the Flinders Filmmaker Bootcamp so aspiring creatives can get hands-on training from professional filmmakers, no matter what their background – anyone with a vision can attend. Screen Production Lecturer Tom Young confirms, “The students only need to be keen, enthusiastic, and want to try and make something. In fact, it’s great if they have no experience. We take it from the very base level.”
What will I learn at Flinders Filmmaker Bootcamp?
Over the course of two days, the students learnt fundamental skills for camera, lighting and sound and ultimately delivered seven short films, culminating in a screening for the participants’ families on the Sunday afternoon.
Day one kicked off with script and camera workshops, getting everyone familiar with the camera, tripod and sound and lighting equipment. A lecturer was then assigned to each group to help mentor and support the students as they shot 2-minute screenplays, especially written by Screenwriting Lecturer Matt Hawkins.
Day two focussed on editing. Postproduction Lecturer Bec Edwards hosted a morning workshop on video editing basics and the students then got to put their skills to use, cutting their films, recording and mixing sound and colour grading.
The Filmmaker Bootcamp delivered promising results
Screen and Media Lecturer Nicholas Godfrey was very happy with the outcome, “We had 21 students participate across both days, and we prioritised accepting female students, students from public schools without media studies programs, and regional students who may not otherwise have access to something like this. Pleasingly, we had three students from Mount Gambier take part, and one from Jamestown.” He goes on, “For many of the participants, these were the first films they ever worked on.”
Tom Young, too, is delighted about the bootcamp’s huge success: “Making a film in two days is a tough ask for anyone, let alone people who have never done it before. So, we were amazed at the quality of the films. They had sound, they had music, they had dialogue, they had titles and credits, they were a complete legitimate film. They were actually polished.
“At the close of the weekend, there were many questions about the university application process and the degrees on offer. There is no doubt we will be seeing a number of these participants in our courses next year.”
Take the first step towards an exciting career in filmmaking!
Participating in this program will give you a taste of what awaits you at Flinders. Join our next Filmmaker Bootcamp in mid-2022. Further details coming soon – watch this space!
Mid-2022 seems far away? In the meantime, feel free to contact Tom Young for any questions you may have about studying filmmaking at Flinders: thomas.young@flinders.edu.au