Last month, we welcomed our vibrant new cohort of students into an exhilarating start to the academic year. The new students dived into networking sessions to receive expert advice and get to know the teachers and staff before wrangling the equipment and shyness away to shoot their very first narratives.
The theatre, studios, classrooms and studios were filled with anticipation and energy as students met for the first time, eager to embark on the creative journeys that shape our community.
Monday kicked off with the arrival of the Master of Arts Screen and Graduate Diploma of Radio and Podcasting students. Their program convenors and discipline leads welcomed the group in the morning, and the afternoon provided an opportunity to hear from recent graduate Monica Reid and final-year Master of Arts Screen students Lianne Mackessy and Ali Rezvani, who offered advice on how to make the most of their time at AFTRS.
The session pointed to the importance of creating meaningful connections, keeping in mind that these are formative years for developing skills and for facing every challenge as a learning opportunity.
Lianne talked about the importance of keeping a positive mindset and staying focused on the story, enabling the understanding of the universal themes that connect with audiences and emerge through overlapping perspectives from different collaborators.
Monica (whom you might know from our TikTok videos) continued saying that it is essential to regularly zoom out from the task at hand to align on how it benefits the project’s overall scope. She added that striving to be the person everyone wants to collaborate with creates opportunities for exploration and growth.
Ali valued patience and optimism. He added that listening is fundamental and that opposing ideas should not be seen as personal rejection but as an opportunity to enrich the project and craft.
Tuesday morning started with a Welcome to Country ceremony with Aunty Rhonda, welcoming the new Bachelor of Arts Screen students and setting the tone for a week of reflection, acknowledging thousands of years of continuing education in the country. AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood, Director of Teaching and Learning David Balfour and alumna and podcast producer Pariya Taherzadeh also welcomed the students in the morning session.
Dr Nell Greenwood shared her enthusiasm with the new students, revealing that Orientation Week was one of her favourite weeks of the academic year. She acknowledged the history and successes of the community of alumni and reminded students that the school should be a place to experiment and commit to excellence in the craft, a place to find one’s voice, and a place to learn how to collaborate.
The AFTRS community’s beauty lies in enabling every student to become the best and truest version of themselves. Nell added that the school is an enabler for each student’s transformative journey, supporting them to be the best they can be, connecting with like-minded creatives and embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth.
David Balfour highlighted the questions and views of the world that each student brings to their creative development. These ranged from overarching themes such as the meaning of storytelling in a world of massification of content to the fundamental nature of what it is to be creative and questions about developing technical skills and expert knowledge in their discipline of interest.
Pariya Taherzadeh shared insights from her journey to become an award-winning podcaster, underscoring the importance of staying true to one’s vision. Pariya shared how Escape from Iran, the podcast she developed while studying at AFTRS, was commissioned after sharing an early version of the project with a lecturer at AFTRS. One year later, when they were working as colleagues, this same lecturer and producer mentioned the work to the executive producers at ABC, leading to the production and distribution of the podcast that went on to be awarded at the New York Festival World Radio Awards.
The afternoon was spent with each course discipline lead, exploring the various subjects, exercises, and assessments to undertake throughout the year and finalising with studio and library inductions.
Wednesday was the day to pick up the cameras and the radio equipment and work on blocking scenes, constructing a narrative, and understanding the ins and outs of the radio studio. Students explored their cinematic preferences in the shooting exercises, one group even bringing Jack Sparrow to the foyer, blocking shots, and bonding through their shared sense of story and cinema. In the afternoon, year 1 and year 2 students got together to enjoy ice cream and meet each other; current students Sarah and Wen celebrating with the new joiners to AFTRS.
Thursday was highlighted by presentations, including insights into Netflix’s commissioning strategy from Director of Content Que Minh Luu and a thought-provoking talk on anti-racism empowerment in storytelling by Erfan Daliri. In the afternoon, the community joined to welcome filmmaker and writer Tracey Rigney as the 2024 Artist-In-Residence.
Tracey presented the scope of her project.
“To further explore my mother’s language, Wergaia, through a range of creative practices including sound composition and sound design, which I love in film. I’m excited about how this experience with AFTRS might help shape my future dreaming with this project.”
AFTRS’ previous Artist in Residence was internationally-renowned VR pioneer Lynette Wallworth.
The session was followed by a fabulous drag trivia session with alumna Etcetera Etcetera (who sneakily tested student’s knowledge of the Student Handbook!) and a Rainbow Mixer, keeping a focus on networking and fostering connections for the collaborations in the year ahead.
Orientation Week is driven by the incredible Student Centre, which supports students all year and is always available to answer questions and chat about the challenges and successes during their time at AFTRS.
Thank you Jake, Annie, Mitch, Kate, Rachel, Roch, and Mobina for the fantastic week! We are already counting down until the next ice cream social.
