Filling up the Plaza in Flinders Bedford Park campus under the night sky, the Screen Student Showcase: Sunset Screening will be 1 of 3 Screen events during the Flinders Festival of Creative Arts. A selection of the best filmmaking projects – from first year to honours – will be screened, showcasing the students’ collaborative works.
Experience the best of Screen at the Sunset Screening
Bachelor of Creative Arts (Screen) student Abby Nicholls is excited about the Festival week, “The Sunset Screening is the big end-of-year event for screen students showcasing the culmination of a year’s worth of films. You’ll get to see the quality work produced across all year levels and experience the real-time growth of the students’ skills throughout the course.
“I usually bring my family along to the screening because I not only want to show what I and my collaborators have made, but it’s also a great atmosphere in the amphitheatre on the Bedford campus.”
The creative process behind the films
Abby gives us insight into how the degree is set up, “Our courses are structured in a fashion that encourages inclusivity and collaboration. Working together as a group in all areas of production, each group member has an incentive to add their creative input, as well as flare their ever-growing technical capabilities.
“In the case of the ‘400ft project’, the students were encouraged to work as collaboratively as possible, due to the limited amount of film. This meant executing takes and setups with short turnover and minimal error.
“Enjoyably, the Fashion and Costume Design students from the dual-award degrees with TAFE SA were brought in to collaborate with the Screen students. This process proved advantageous for a number of reasons, one of which was the way each course benefited the other.
“The screen students were provided with eccentric and otherwise unobtainable costuming. While the costume students were provided with a platform to display their creative visions on screen.
“This process also allowed students from both courses to broaden their network, creating friendships and potential collaborations on future projects.”
The students’ film highlights
At the Sunset Screening, you’ll get to see a wide range of student work – everything from documentaries to fictional short films. You’ll have to come and pick your favourite yourself but here are some films that Abby and fellow Screen student Ben Raschella really enjoyed working on.
“I loved working with 16mm and the Aaton camera to film a parody 1950’s cooking show titled ‘Happy Husband Guide’ (3rd Year project). The props and costuming for this short film turned out better than we expected and it translated really well onto film.
“Generally filming on celluloid film is quite an expensive exercise so it was a real privilege to have been able to take part in that. It’s honestly the reason why I chose to study this course”, Abby says delightedly.
“Working on the set of honours student Kristoffer Lucia’s ‘Edward Has a Tree Inside of Him’ was also great. It was a very relaxed and creative set; Kris had a very strong and clear vision for this film and he executed the idea well so I’m excited to see how it turns out.”
Ben mentions two of his standouts, “I had the privilege of working beside some of the first years on their project, Picture Perfect, as a last-minute Assistant Director. From pre-production all the way through to the final cut, the team showcased some extremely exciting skills.
“They provided me with some very well-thought-out resources and each team member remained enthused and active throughout the entire production. The film had a beautifully well-structured story and the whole process was, in my opinion, carried out well above the standards of first-year quality.
“Working with Angus Becke-Smith and Dante Niedzwiedz on their honours film, Hills Hoist, was also a powerful experience. The shoot took place in the beautiful suburb of Milang, which proved a perfect setting for the story which brought out incredible performances from both actors. From beginning to end, the co-writer/co-director partnership had been driven by a concise and powerful vision, which I am sure will turn some heads at this year’s screening.”
Delve into the Flinders Festival of Creative Arts
Abby is also keen to watch the screening of Dry Winter on 14 November. “It’s an honours feature film that was made a couple of years ago in Cowell and it takes on a hybrid documentary-drama style that I’m intrigued to see. It follows an ensemble cast of young adults in a rural town and I think the hybrid style could really complement the realities of that lifestyle.”
Aside from the Screen events, the Flinders Festival of Creative Arts will showcase student work from many other disciplines in the Creative Arts. Attendees will also have to chance to hear about the non-traditional research conducted at Assemblage Centre for Creative Arts or learn about the current exhibition at Flinders University Museum of Art.
Register now
So what are you waiting for? Soak up the creativity. Register for the Sunset Screening.
Hot tip: Come early and also catch the live stream of the Drama Student Showcase: be/coming to the Plaza’s Superscreen at 5pm.