Highlighting some of the best local film and TV Australia has to offer, Supanova in Melbourne and the Gold Coast hosted a number of Aussie Film Showcases last month.
We caught up with some of the filmmakers around their panels to ask them the most important thing they’ve learnt so far while navigating the action-packed industry.
James Di Martino (The Faceless Man)
“Find the right people – do the interviews and really suss people out before you get them because once you’ve got them on set, that’s it, there’s no other way to go about it. Really know the people you’re going to work with and these people need to be able to work in high-intensity situations without getting angry. You really need to do your homework and plan properly in advance, so that when those stressful days happen, you know have a good group of people there.”
Nathan Dalton (QUANTA)
“Go out and make films; don’t wait for the stars to align. Make bad films to start with, everyone’s got some that need flushing out. Do that without spending much money. But keep honing your craft, keep making content, keep telling stories. Some will work well and others will be valuable lessons for future projects. Find your collaborators and listen to each other. Work hard. And always, most importantly, be a nice person. Because at the end of the day, we’re only making movies.”
Caitlin Koller (30 Miles From Nowhere)
“The most important lesson I’ve learnt so far when it comes to filmmaking is to find enthusiastic, like-minded people and make films with them. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, so if you bring people on board who share your passion you’re going to have a very creatively fulfilling process during production. And if you can foster that kind of collaborative environment, something of that passion filters through pre-production, production and post-production to eventually be seen on screen by the audience. Furthermore, if you make an effort to hire your cast and crew from diverse backgrounds, you will have a wealth of knowledge, experience and voices to gather that collaboration from and that is definitely a bonus.”
Ashburn Waters
David Pether (Ashburn Waters)
“Be prepared. We were really prepared when it came to the actual shoot of the film, but we weren’t really prepared when it came to the post-production. We were thinking, ‘We’ll shoot the film and figure it out in post,’ which is not the way to go about it because then that took me six years. So definitely be thinking ahead all the time; lock down your crew as soon as you can, make good relationships with great editors and great sound designers. Preparation is key.”
Scott Brewer (Garrison7)
“Surround yourself with good people. I’ve learnt who my friends are and I know who the people are who are close to me who have helped me make it all happen.”
Nadine Bates & Kristen Souvlis (The Wishmas Tree)
“The most important thing we’ve learnt is to be bold, nobody is going to give you permission to go after what you want – that’s up to you.”
Lead Image: ‘The Wishmas Tree’
