Film Camp 1.0

This year is the first year of the Certificate III of Screen and Media (Video Production), delivered by Swinburne Senior Secondary College and backed by registered training organisation Access Skills Training. Devised as a response to the call of students preferring a practical film and television course in their senior years, it is a rigorous accelerated course that truncates two years of curriculum into one, providing an opportunity for students to upskill their technical ability prior to commencing their Year 12 VCE Media studies. 

This year’s class is made up of an eclectic group of individuals hailing from surrounding government schools, Catholic schools, and private schools. A melting pot of creative sensibilities, after producing a short retro training video on Work Health and Safety practices, students were set the challenge to produce a short film responding to a location in Queenscliff. Nestled on a narrow strip of land at the head of Bellarine peninsula, the quiet seaside town of Queenscliff offers a range of unique locations to film at, all within walking distance from one another. The railway station, lighthouse, park, pier, beach, and even our accommodation featured in the short 2-3 minute productions that were shot over the Easter break in response to a false brief from the Borough of Queenscliff. Alumni students Aden and Ariel, along with camera assistant Meg, mentored production groups in how to create their vision over the three days of shooting.  

It was terrific seeing how passionate young people from different backgrounds become close friends and collaborate on creative projects. Now neck deep in editing the productions, students are getting a firsthand taste of what it is to be a video practitioner. Next up, the class will produce a mullti-camera production capturing the next SSSC Music Night. After that, they will create short documentary pieces profiling different community organisations. By the year’s end, the 18 aspiring filmmakers will not only be able to constructively collaborate with a variety of people in different contexts, they will be well versed in how to produce a range of content for screen. Stay tuned for the next instalments! 

By Ed Armstrong, Media Teacher