VCA FILM AND TELEVISION 2 HEAD OF FILM AND TELEVISION Message to Graduating Students 2016 Last year in November I visited the Munich School of Film and Television. It was chilly in Munich, but with sunny blue skies. I was there to attend an international conference of film schools. During one of the lunchtimes I stepped outside, to get some of that sunshine. I found this sign, and I have no idea what it means. Munich School of Film and Television is built right on top of Munich’s Museum of Egyptian Antiquities – which is literally buried underground. I wonder if they were thinking of the sunken tombs under the pyramids when they designed it. Inside the museum, which is not far from the puzzling sign, I found this couple. Are they what the sign was pointing to? And on their tunics, you can just make out some hieroglyphics – but what does it say? It might say ‘Walk Slowly’, or that might be what the sign outside meant? Walk Slowly was the title of a poster I found on one of the corridor walls of the film school – not as an OH&S warning (which might be what the sign’s about) - but a quote from filmmaker David O. Russell. “Walk slowly and drink lots of water”, is a piece of advice Russell received from Ken Kesey, the writer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He meant ‘it aint a sprint’. BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS (SCREENWRITING) 2016 3 That’s what I reckoned too, when I ascended from the antiquities back up to the Munich hubbub, and thought about the journey of stories, from hieroglyphics, to the High Definition moving image stories being discussed at the film school conference. Our own graduating screenwriters - showcased in this publication - have a fabulous range of stories and styles too. They have been sharpening their skills over the last three years, and have great projects ready for development. Some of them (students and stories) have already been gobbled up by companies looking for fresh and exciting talent. Others will walk more slowly, and I feel sure we will see their work when it’s ready. In the meantime, it’s worth knowing (thanks to that corridor notice in Munich) that before he got his own break, David O. Russell worked as a waiter, and served drinks to directors like Martin Scorsese and Mike Nichols. When he told Scorsese he wanted to be a director too, Scorsese replied, “I’ll have a vodka”. Walk Slowly……I wish you all well. Nicolette Freeman Head of Film and Television 4 SCREENWRITING PROGRAMS CONVENOR Message to Graduating Students 2016 You are such a fabulous class of talented and exciting individuals… I have but one small word for you to keep in mind… I genuinely wish you all the success in the world. Annabelle Murphy Screenwriting Programs Convenor BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS (SCREENWRITING) 2016 5 THIRD YEAR SCREENWRITING CONVENOR Message to Graduating Students 2016 “You must stay drunk on writing, so reality cannot destroy you.” – Ray Bradbury. You have been drunk all year. You must continue to be drunk all your lives. Drunk on writing because your words, your storytelling, your individual vision and voice are important. Storytelling is important. It helps us process reality, and see the world and the people we share it with in a new and clearer light. It has truly been an honour and a privilege to spend this year drunk on the words of nineteen talented, unique and committed screenwriters. You have shown me the world in ways I had not thought to look at it before. You have made me laugh ‘til I cried, and cry until I was more than a little envious of your skill and talent. I can’t wait to sit in front of a screen and have my experience of your stories be shared with others, as you emerge as the next generation of voices. You are ready. Go out there and take on the world. Thank you for saving me from reality throughout 2016. I am going to miss you. Philippa Burne Lecturer and Coordinator, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting) VCA FILM AND TELEVISION 6 Antagonists Mystery / comedy Alistair Baldwin Vinnie Waa is a wannabe actor who has turned his life into a game of improvisation. Eugene Eels is a private detective with muscular dystrophy and a benign chip on his shoulder. They meet when Vinnie can’t help but “yes, and…?” an encounter with a parking inspector. So begins a comedy of errors that leads to the unlikely partnership between a method actor and his muse. In our pilot a vengeful ghost appears to be haunting a theatre, killing its victims from within completely sealed rooms. But is this the work of a supernatural force? Or just someone who knows the power of smoke & mirrors? Biography When Alistair Baldwin was born he came out very still. Doctors tried to assert that he had a rare congenital muscle disorder, but his mother smiled serenely and said “he’s just destined for the sedentary life of a writer”. Ultimately they were both correct. Medical professionals prevented Alistair’s father from pressuring him into Auskick, so his weekends were freed up, allowing for a steady diet of television comedy and Agatha Christie. Alistair went on to be named WA’s top young comedian and novella writer and after school he moved to Victoria to hone his craft at the Victorian College of the Arts. He is a screenwriter, script coverage writer and Next Wave writing resident. Contact m: 0400 677 399 e: