“Movies are just a little bit over 100 years old. I mean, imagine being there 100 years into painting or theatre – we don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here.” – Christopher Nolan
The 2024 Academy Awards was a beautiful celebration of the incredible films that hit our cinemas and became the topic of almost all our social interactions last year. Oppenheimer swept up seven awards, Poor Things, written by alum Tony McNamara, picked up four of its own accolades, while Tony was one of four Australians to be nominated for an award.
During his acceptance speech for Best Director, first-time Oscar winner Christopher Nolan said the above quote about the journey of filmmaking, and how honoured he was to be recognised as a “meaningful part of it.” Directing itself is a journey and a constant learning process where experience is your best guide. In this month’s online short course, The Director’s Journey, another award-winning director Elissa Down shares her experience and insights from her extensive career to help you elevate your craft.
Working in the US as well as Australia, Elissa’s assured debut feature, The Black Balloon, received numerous awards including six AACTA awards and the Crystal Bear for ‘Generation 14plus’ Best Feature Film at the Berlin Film Festival. No stranger to television, Elissa directed SBS series While the Men Are Away, nominated for this year’s AACTA Award for Best Miniseries, and a Season Three block on one of Australia’s most successful dramas, Offspring.
Across ten weeks of exercises and online Zoom sessions, you can learn directly from Elissa and develop the knowledge and skills to take your craft to the next level. You’ll have the opportunity to gain valuable insights on screenplay structure and scene analysis, pitching and director’s statements, communicating with actors, and collaborating with your creative and executive team.
Ready to take the next step in your directing career? Enrol in The Director’s Journey with Elissa Down starting Monday, 8 April.
Explore all our Short Courses in April:
Storytelling for Business | 9 April (in person)
Mobile Content Creation | 9 April (in person)
Podcasting for your Brand | 10 April (in person)
Screenwriting for Film | 15 April (online)
Writing a TV Series | 15 April (online)
Budgeting Fundamentals | 15 April (online)
Intro to Media Skills | 16 April (online)
Brief to Script to Great Video | 18 April (online)
Intro to Producing & Screen Business | 18 April (in person)
Premiere Pro Fundamentals | 20 April (in person)
Camera & Sound Fundamentals | 20 April (in person)
The Director’s Journey with Elissa Down | 22 April (online)
