Flinders Screen placement connects filmmakers with the music industry 

Although it often seems that Adelaide has dodged a bullet in terms of the Covid-19 epidemic it has still been a hard road for our local musicians and music venues. As venues slowly come back into life and band members can finally leave their studios, Flinders University Bachelor of Creative Arts (Screen) students are jumping in to lend a helping hand. 

“In the music industry, sustainability depends on getting your message onto multiple platforms, and that’s where the creative talents of our Screen students come in,” says Screen Lecturer Dr Matt Hawkins“Through our Work Integrated Learning program, we’re creating music videos for local bands as well as promotional material for cutting edge venues like The Lab on Light. It’s a great way to connect these two amazing artforms.” 

Collaborating with local artists 

Legendary Adelaide musician Mikey Green (The Audreys, Dr De Soto) was thrilled to be approached by Flinders students to produce the video for the hit single Satellite Towns from his latest album The Street Below 

“Artists of all persuasions have been hit terribly hard over the past few years,” Mikey reminds us. “That’s well documented, so too the particular challenge that musicians face in presenting their work. With the stagnation of live touring, it’s more important than ever to offer up exciting mixed-media content to key supporters. A great opportunity exists for collaborative work across the disciplines. It was a great pleasure working with the Flinders Screen students. They were approachable and honest, creative and keen. We enjoyed witnessing that exchange of ideas, that push and pull of tech and artistry. It reminded us of being in a band! I’m excited to think about what projects the Flinders students might find themselves a part of over the next few years.” 

Gaining work experience at state-of-the-art venues 

The Lab has only been open since March 2021 and already it has emerged as one of the most important music venues in Adelaide. It attracts the best of Australia’s musical performers across multiple genres from RnB star Elsy Wameyo to The Australian String Quartet. It also combines AV content with musical performance, via its high-definition surround LED screens. Hence, it was the ideal opportunity for a collaboration with our students. 

Anne Wiberg, artistic director of The Lab/Light Cultural Foundation commissioned Flinders Screen students to produce a high-quality promotional video for her venue. 

“It was wonderful to work with a very organised and professional team”, she reported. “Having video content is extremely useful because our audience is mainly on social media where quick visuals capture their attention. Video content for a live performance venue has much more impact than stills, so we are very grateful for the work that the students have put towards this project.”   

Networking is key in Flinders Work integrated Learning program 

Being part of the arts eco-system of South Australia has become a focus for the Flinders University Creative Arts courses. “The more people you connect with in the performing arts industry, the more opportunities you have to find your voice and advance your skills”, observes Dr Matt Hawkins. “There are so many artists and stories out there worthy of rich and engaging video content. It’s the first step toward longer format productions like TV series and feature films.” 

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