Revamped program sees student interest soar

Students from Flinders’ revamped screen honours program have recently completed the filming of two feature films and one TV pilot, with editing underway before the productions are finalised for submission to a range of national and international film festivals.

The three projects are part of a pioneering long-format program offered to Flinders’ Screen Production honours students, which has seen interest in the honours program skyrocket this year.

Together with gaining experience across an entire major project from planning to post-production, the students are producing a wide range of marketing materials including posters, images, behind the scenes footage and film trailers to be used on social media and the web.

“Revamping the program for 2018 was a game-changer for screen students,” says Dr Tom Young, Lecturer in Screen Production at Flinders.

“As a group they have banded together to collaborate on unique and high concept long format projects. It’s not only a great achievement for the University, but the revamped course has allowed these students to follow their passion and enhance their knowledge of the film and television industry.”

One of the teams is looking forward to screening their production to the Cowell community, where 13 locals were enlisted to appear in their 70 minute film, Dry Winter, filmed at the Eyre Peninsula location during July this year.

The production follows the life of a young couple in a rural town, with the journey diving into their partying, working and the sprawling landscape that separates them.

Honours student Michael Harpas is producer of the project and says the actors and support from the small Eyre Peninsula community had been wonderful throughout the filming, but the team had experienced a number of challenges – such as matching the reality of the weather to the requirements of the story.

The weather posed some challenges for the Dry Winter crew, despite the Eyre Peninsula’s particularly dry winter this year.

The three teams aim to have their films completed in time for assessment in November 2018. Together with the value the experience will add to their portfolios, the students are also investigating how they can use the opportunity to publicly promote their skills and experience.

“As soon as Dry Winter is finished, we’ll be submitting it to a variety of festivals and will be hold a local screening in Cowell as soon as we can,” Mr Harpas says.

“We’re also hoping to get it screened eventually in cinemas in Adelaide.”

Screen 2018 honours’ projects:

Dry Winter

I am Delta

Numbers Up

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