Talks and live happenings that pay homage to the small screen in a cult celebration of TV.

Talking TV

Talking about Costume Design

Meet the people at the cutting edge of Australia's screen culture industries.

Join us for this podcast series exploring the intersection between film, TV, videogames and creative technologies like AR and VR through the lens of their makers.

In each episode we sit down with a resident of ACMI’s industry-leading coworking space, ACMI X, to take a deep dive into topics ranging from individual projects to wider industry trends.

Learn more:

Inside ACMI X Podcast

Offering an insight into Bowie’s work, as well as the man himself, this series touches on everything from his impact on the fashion world, to his time on screen, and even personal accounts and first-hand insights into Bowie’s time visiting Australia.

David Bowie is... Strange Fascinations

Aardman Podcast

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, VR and AR artist Marc-O-Matic began exploring the Crypto Art and NFT space, expanding his work into blockchain and metaverse platforms and eventually creating virtual worlds, animated artworks and digital wearables for an emerging decentralised economy. Two years on his work has earned over $1 million USD from NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens – and is featured across some of the most notable NFT marketplaces including Super Rare, Makers Place, Decentraland, and festivals in the US like Art Basel Miami and NFT NYC.

In our first Inside ACMI X podcast, Marc-O-Matic talks about his practice and his own beginnings in this emerging space and offers practical advice for artists looking to make a living on the blockchain.

Inside ACMI X
https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/inside-acmi-x-pocast

ACMI X
Website: https://www.acmi.net.au/acmi-x/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acmiXstudio

Marc-O-Matic
Website: https://www.marcomatic.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marc0matic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mr.marcomatic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcomatic/

Inside ACMI X podcast

Making and selling NFTs with artist Marc-O-Matic

In this episode, we discuss mentorship and storytelling in the screen industry with Denise Eriksen, co-founder of Media Mentors. Using her wealth of experience and knowledge of all things broadcasting, Denise helps creative practitioners find their way into the industry.

About Denise Eriksen
Denise has worked as a Journalist, Producer and Executive Producer around the world. She has been Head of Factual and Head of Current Affairs at the ABC; Head of Production and Development at SBS; and made programs for Seven, Nine, Ten and Foxtel over her lengthy career. She has trained TV professionals in many genres in Australia and around the world.

Mentoring and storytelling with Denise Eriksen

Mentorship and storytelling with Denise Eriksen

This fortnight, we're talking to writer and narrative designer, and ACMI X resident, Alexander Swords. Alexander made the switch from writing for film to writing for videogames, and he now advocates for the power of interactive narrative and the need for diverse future storytellers. His work explores emotional games, games for change and the adaptation and evolution of stories moving to new mediums.

His book, Forest Paths Method for Narrative Design (2020), provides an accessible and collaborative approach to writing and narrative design for interactive and non-interactive storytelling. It is now used internationally to develop, research and educate in the fields of videogames and screenwriting.

In this episode, we discuss the intersection of videogames and film, focusing on development, production, distribution and technology. This chat explores ways practitioners across both industries already are and can continue to take advantage of opportunities within these artistic forms.

Narrative Design in Videogames with Alexander Swords

In this episode, we invited filmmaker, author and co-founder of Lean Filmmaking Kylie Eddy to discuss how she has re-imagined the development, production and distribution of independent films – and how she is challenging conventional wisdom with new ways of working.

Last year, Kylie and her collaborator and brother David Eddy released their new book, 'The Art of Lean Filmmaking: An unconventional guide to creating feature films'. In November 2021, they wrapped up a six-week online Lean Filmmaking academy.

Re-imagining Independent Filmmaking with Kylie Eddy

This week on Inside ACMI X, we’re talking to Emma Parker and Chris Leaver from experiential training company Isonomic, to explore how they’re using Mixed Reality technologies to upskill the Australian workforce.

Isonomic is a cutting edge immersive Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality company made up of talented developers, game designers and 3D artists who transform complex training into state-of-the-art immersive training in Microsoft’s HoloLens.

Emma is Isonomic’s founder and CEO, and she has worked as a transformation and change expert for over 20 years, consulting in major blue-chip environments. Chris handles production and delivery. He is a visual effects artist, producer and sculptor.

Upskilling the Australian Workforce Using Mixed Reality with Emma Parker and Chris Leaver

Writer, director and star of 'The Drover's Wife: The Legend of MollyJohnson', Leah Purcell, spoke to us about her thoroughly researched, Blak feminist retelling of Henry Lawson's classic text.

Read the full transcript of the talk and an introduction to the film by Bryan Andy
https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/leah-purcell-on-reclaiming-the-drovers-wife-with-the-legend-of-molly-johnson/

The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson – Leah Purcell in conversation with Bryan Andy

In this episode of Inside ACMI X, we talk to resident Julian Wilton, Creative Director at Massive Monster Games Studio, about his experience making games with a focus on their new game, Cult of the Lamb, soon to be released.

Australian Game Developer Award winner Julian Wilton is an animator, illustrator, digital designer. He shipped his first console game before leaving university and is based in Melbourne, Australia, where he is completing a residency at ACMI X, working as the Creative Director at Massive Monster indie game development studio. Julian works closely with Massive Monster to develop Web, Mobile, Desktop & Console Games including their previous game The Adventure Pals.

The business of making games with Julian Wilton (Creator of 'Cult of the Lamb')

This episode is for creatives juggling multiple passions.
Meet our next guest on Inside ACMI X, Jacob Leaney, who has found a way to make music and games by combining the two.

Jacob is the founder of Things for Humans, the pop-music video game studio behind Video World. In this episode, Jacob shares his experience as a game developer, songwriter and producer. He is currently working on Halloween’s Valentine, the sequel to Video World.

Video World was showcased for Big Games Night In as part of Melbourne International Games Week (2–10 Oct 2021). Watch Jacob's introduction to the game: https://youtu.be/oge6sV1zzkM

Making music and games with Jake Leaney

Making music and games with Jacob Leaney (Things for Humans)

For our season finale, we interview new-media artist, PHD candidate and Lecturer at RMIT University, Tyler Payne.

Tyler's work focuses on the genre of self-portraiture in photography and video to investigate womens' embodiment through the lens of gendered advertising. She interrogates the impact that social media platforms such as Instagram have on women and their ability to visualise and share images of themselves.

Using a combination of video, still photography and electro-bricolage, Tyler investigates "the oppressive nature of the platform and the damages inherent in fitness and celebrity culture".

During our talk we discuss her primary research subject, Kim Kardashian.

Inside ACMI X

How many hours does it take to be a woman? with Tyler Payne

This episode is for those interested in creating visual art for games.

Our next guest on Inside ACMI X is concept Artist Zahraa Al Zubaydi who is currently working on Pixellated The Game, about a cyborg child who finds a way to connect to two opposing worlds she belongs with, in a universe of different dimensions drawn in different styles. We spoke to Zahraa about her pathway into videogames, and the development of and inspirations behind Pixellated The Game.

Creating art for videogames with Zahraa Al Zubaydi

Have you considered what form is best for your story?

In this episode, we talk about Jason's path into the industry and strategy for storytelling; finding a personal connection and considering the perfect form.

Jason Christou is a creator/writer/director who tells stories infused by his Greek-Cypriot and Austrian/Slovenian descent across film, TV, documentary, interactive and games. His feature projects have been a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest, and selected to Warner Bros & The Blacklist’s “Aussie List”. He was a writer on ABC/Matchbox Pictures’ tv series NOWHERE BOYS, and a director’s apprentice on Sony/AMC’s PREACHER, and is a current Creative Victoria Creators Fund recipient for his interactive series/game WE THE JURY and a 2022 alumni and production funding recpient of the AFTRS National Documentary Talent Camp for SKINNY.

Choosing the right form for story with Jason Christou

Since 2016, artist Anthony Tan has been working on Way To The Woods, a third person adventure game where a deer and a fawn must embark on a journey through an abandoned world to get home. Anthony joined ACMI X as resident in 2022 to put the finishing touches on his highly anticipated game, which has received global attention for its gorgeous art style, mechanics and soundtrack.
In this episode of Inside ACMI X, Anthony spoke to us about the highs and lows he experienced making Way To The Woods and navigating the expectations of the game’s fanbase through to its completion.
Throughout this episode you will hear snippets of music from the game composed by Aivi & Surasshu, the electronic music duo behind the soundtrack to the animated show Steven Universe

Managing expectations as a solo game developer with Anthony Tan

Greta Nash's most recent short film, Heart Throb (2023), is about an 18-year-old, Gray (Gabriel Cali), whose love for his best friend Angelo is complicated by his desire for TikTok stardom. 

Last year, Greta underwent a Director's Attachment on Run Rabbit Run, funded by Screen Australia, and in the year prior, they wrote a polished draft of their first feature, School Camp, funded by Screen Tasmania.

Greta wrote and directed the winning Tropfest film Two Piece in 2018, and their previous short film Locker Room premiered at the 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival and has since had over 9 million views online.

Making Short Films with Writer/Director Greta Nash

This special episode of the Mirring Yalingwa Podcast, hosted by Wurundjeri and Ngurai-Illum-Wurrung man Jasper Cohen-Hunter, was recorded at ACMI to kick off NAIDOC Week for 2023. Produced by Jasper, the podcast focuses on Australian cinema and First Nations-led cinema productions.

Jasper Cohen-Hunter: "Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and a prominent place in our communities and families. They are cultural knowledge-holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones.

That's why this NAIDOC Week 2023, I want to acknowledge Aunty Essie Coffey and Uncle Norm Hunter. Essie Coffey was a Murawarri activist, advocate and filmmaker concerned about the influence of white culture and education on Indigenous children. She was the first Indigenous woman to direct a documentary feature My Survival as an Aboriginal (1979). Uncle Norm Hunter was an advocate for education, he was instrumental in establishing the Gunung-Willam-Balluk Learning Centre, a part of the Kangan Institute. He was a proud Wurundjeri Elder who documented the stories of his mum, Nanna Jessie Hunter, the last girl born on Coranderrk Aboriginal Mission. Together they created a set of tapes to permanently tell her story, so that it was never lost to time."

Episode 2 of the Mirring Yalingwa Podcast was recorded in collaboration with ACMI this NAIDOC Week, and I want to personally thank them for facilitating Culture, Language and Lore during such an important time for Mob.

Subscribe to the Mirring Yalingwa Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F1Z0v1arDmaLtNtuU58gy

Honouring Essie Coffey and Uncle Norm Hunter(NAIDOC 2023: For Our Elders)

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.

While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake. 

In this episode, they question – since everything is connected (according to science) – can anything ever really die?

Works of Nature Soundscape: Death

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.
While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake.

In this episode, they discuss the interconnectedness of different organisms from different species - including us.

Works of Nature Soundscape: Collectivity

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.
While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake.

In this episode, they discuss individuality, consciousness and Gaia, the earth mother.

Works of Nature Soundscape: Care

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.

While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake. 

In this episode, they discuss the fundamental rhythm that underpins not only the exhibition but all life on earth - breath.

Works of Nature Soundscape: Breath

For two decades, Universal Everything's Creative Director, Matt Pyke, has been working with teams of curious and creative beings worldwide to create large-scale, life-affirming digital artworks with the world's most iconic artists, institutions and brands – all while staying "small", artistically-driven and saying "no" to things they simply don't want to do. 

To unpack how they manage to do this, one of UE's longtime collaborators, Keri Elmsly, (our Executive Director of Programming) caught up with Matt Pyke to reflect on the collective's roots and key projects, and to find out where UE are heading next.

Learn more about the 'Beings' exhibition at ACMI: acmi.net.au/beings

The soundtrack for Beings, Music for Beings by Simon Pyke is now available on all digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

Music for Beings

The story of Universal Everything – Matt Pyke

One of the most curious chapters in Australia's cinematic history began in 1948 when petroleum group Shell Company of Australia formed its own film production unit.

'Shell Film Unit Australia' produced hundreds of promotional and educational films about mining, roads, infrastructure, sports and motoring and other similar topics. While films like The Back of Beyond (1954), which won the Grand Prix Absolute at the Venice Film Festival, provided a fascinating snapshot of 'remote' mid century Australia, its depictions of life in the Red Centre and the First Nations people who lived there, were often clouded with desires to further the colonial project – and oil.

With her three-channel artwork Beneath Roads, ACMI Curator Jenna Rain Warwick has produced a poetic response to these works, intercutting archival government films, iconic Australian road movies and newly captured footage of the Aboriginal motorcycle club The Southern Warriors, to reinsert First Peoples knowledge legacies and representation into our cinematic canon and recontextualise our relationship to history, culture and Country.

Jenna was joined by Art Gallery of New South Wales' curator of Film, Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd to discuss the Shell Film Unit and the nature of its travelogues, and the making of Beneath Roads, in a recorded conversation that took place at ACMI in July 2024.

What lies beneath Australia's roads?

Fairy Tales Re-imagined: Writer and director Sarah Gibson and producer Sue Maslin discuss this immersive project.

Recorded: 10 Mar 2011

Re-enchantment: The Hidden World of Fairy Tales for Adults

Pull on your never-nudes, grab a frozen banana and get ready to celebrate the cult TV hit Arrested Development. 

Recorded: 29 March 2012

Get Arrested

Mel Campbell, Peter Mattessi, Karen Pickering and Debi Enker explore the world of Downton Abbey. 

Recorded: 28 June 2012

Upstairs/Downstairs: The World of Downton Abbey

Rochelle Siemienowicz, Katherine Thomson, Anna Borghesi and Margot Anderson discuss the Australian costume designer.

Recorded: 4 May 2013

Orry-Kelly and his Legacy

Film academic John Flaus and NGV Curator, Roger Leong, discuss one of Hollywood's greatest costume designers, Adrian.

We Need to Talk about Adrian

Mark Nicholls, Paola Di Trocchio and Jake Wilson dissect how masculinity is defined on the silver screen.

Recorded: 21 July 2013

Dust, Leather and Masculinity

Bowie’s sustained narrative of modern anxiety and impending doom has always set him apart in the often feel-good world of rock ’n’ roll as we know it.

Starting with the storyboards and video for Bowie’s shelved Diamond Dogs movie project, Michael Dwyer springboards into one of the defining themes of Bowie’s catalogue, one which the man himself once described as his own personal “non-specific nagging fear”.

Strange Fascinations With Michael Dwyer

From Klaus Nomi to Tally Brown to modern day, Bowie's career has intertwined with cabaret and pop/club sub-cultures, weaving an intricate tapestry of mutual influence. Rock cabaret singer-songwriter Geraldine Quinn explores the contribution of underground scenes and their inherent gender-flux to the Bowie myth, and his influence on practitioners of the genre from the 1970s to today.

Strange Fascinations with Geraldine Quinn

Visiting artist and writer Tanja Stark examines Bowie’s long-term fascination with Carl Jung, introduces some of Jung’s key ideas and begins an exploration of some intriguing links between the music icon and the Swiss psychiatrist.

Strange Fascinations with Tanja Stark

Mel Campbell is a journalist, author and cultural critic who researches and writes about fashion, film and television, books and ideas, advertising and branding, media, and the wonderful, underrated banalities of everyday life.

In this podcast Mel Campbell explores how Bowie flagged his changing musical directions through the changing of his costume, how his sartorial choices are tied to the performance of gender and sexuality, and how the costumes of an icon informed an entire generation.

Strange Fascinations with Mel Campbell

Emma Beddows is a professional geek. She holds a PhD in transmedia storytelling, popular culture and fans. She is a freelance narrative and media consultant, co-hosts for the pop-culture podcast The Whatcha Show, and works for Swinburne Online where she teaches university students in media and communications.

In this podcast Emma Beddows examines how recognisable sci-fi tropes are reflected in, and have had deep influence on the work of the music icon.

Strange Fascinations with Emma Beddows

Join Hong Kong-based curator, researcher, teacher, writer and critic Sam Ho as he explores the history of Hong Kong cinema, outlining the historical, cultural and economic factors that coalesced into an exceptional aesthetics enjoyed and celebrated all over the world.

Hong Kong has a unique cinematic history. A tiny city and never a sovereign state, it managed to fashion a film industry comparable to any national cinema, with a long and rich history and a distinctive aesthetics all its own. At once very Chinese and very westernized, Hong Kong’s highly eventful and sometimes traumatic past converges on film to generate a glorious cinema, inspiring films of intensely dramatic stories and grippingly compelling characters.

Sam Ho is a curator, researcher, teacher, writer and critic. Based in Hong Kong and the United States, Ho specializes in the study of Hong Kong cinema but had also written extensively and curated programs on various aspects of cinema, including films from China, the United States, Europe and other parts of Asia. His writing had appeared in books, academic journals, newspapers, magazines and on the internet. His work had been translated into many different languages, including Chinese, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Korean.

Ho has given many lectures on films across the globe, and has served as juror, media panelist or advisor for many international film festivals and award organizations, including the Pacific Meridian International Film Festival in Vladivostok, Russia; the Asian Film Festival in Vesoul, France; the Hong Kong International Film Festival; the Hong Kong Film Awards; the Best Chinese Films of the Year Award, Beijing, China; and the China Times Express Bests Films of the Year Awards, Taiwan.


A Brief History of Hong Kong Cinema with Sam Ho

Join us for a keynote lecture by artist Julian Rosefeldt as he discusses his practice and pays homage to the beauty of artists’ manifestos, the basis of his new work 'Manifesto', featuring Cate Blanchett.

Julian Rosefeldt’s work reflects the artist’s fascination with day-to-day reality and the stereotypes, clichés and mindless repetitions that suffuse popular culture.

Rosefeldt is renowned for his visually opulent and meticulously choreographed moving image artworks. Inspired equally by film, art and pop-culture histories, Rosefeldt creates complex and compelling experiences that combine narrative and non-linear film installations.

With works that are often projected simultaneously onto several screens, Rosefeldt carries viewers into surreal, theatrical realms, where the inhabitants are absorbed by the rituals of everyday life. Within these episodic arrangements, Rosefeldt uses familiar cinematic tropes and devices to explore themes of dislocation, alienation, and social and psychological disruption.

Julian Rosefeldt Keynote Lecture

Celebrate the SCORSESE exhibition and join one of the master filmmaker’s long time collaborators, BAFTA and Oscar winning designer Sandy Powell OBE, as she delivers a masterclass on costume design and gives a fascinating insight into her extraordinary career.

From working closely with Scorsese on films including The Aviator, Gangs of New York and Wolf of Wall Street, to the collaborative process of designing costume for celebrated films such as Carol and Cinderella, the acclaimed designer will appear at ACMI for a special night of conversation hosted by Associate Professor Jessica Bugg (School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT) to explore her iconic work, her influences, and her creative partnerships with Scorsese and a range of legendary filmmakers.

Powell, who has won the Academy Award for Costume Design three times for Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Aviator (2004), and The Young Victoria (2009), and has been nominated a total of twelve times, is renowned for her ability to form long lasting, creative collaborations with a diverse range of auteurs. Across a career spanning over 3 decades, Powell has helped shape the celebrated films of Derek Jarman (Caravaggio, The Last of England), Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Michael Collins, The Butcher Boy), Todd Hayes (Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven, Carol) and of course, Martin Scorsese.

When it comes to working with Scorsese – with whom she has worked with on six films to date – Powell says there is always serious attention to detail. "When an actor comes onto the set wearing a costume for the first time, he'll actually go and touch them and touch the cloth," she states. "He's always very interested."

Providing a rare insight into her interconnected work with such celebrated directors, Powell will explore her own creative processes and will look back over a body of work that has positioned her as one of the most highly acclaimed designers in the film industry in this very special masterclass event.

Sandy Powell: Masterclass in Costume Design

Presented as part of Hey Girl, this panel discussion, hosted by comedian Judith Lucy, will look at girls on screen in a special evening dedicated to dissecting some of the funniest and fetchest pop-culture favourites.

Featuring Mel Campbell, Jessica Knight, Billie Tumarkin and Candy Bowers this conversation is suited to girls, anyone who was once a girl and anybody who knows a girl.

It’s hard to know whether to cheer or groan at the success of Lena Dunham’s hit TV show Girls. On one hand, it’s encouraging to see real, imperfect female bodies on screen. On the other hand, it’s depressing that such images are still revolutionary. ‘There's people who don't want to see bodies like mine, or bodies like their own bodies,’ Dunham has said.

Girls is just one show that has inspired some fiery debates about female representation and diversity in popular culture. Our panel – comprising some of the smartest young women we know – will also respond to clips from Broad City, Freaks & Geeks, The Katering Show, Puberty Blues and, of course, Mean Girls. Can we see ourselves in these characters? Who is left out in representations of girls on screen? What power do these representations hold over our imaginations? And could there ever be a show about girls as gross as The Inbetweeners?

YAS KWEEN: Girls on Screen Podcast

Working with leading filmmakers such as Danny Boyle and Roman Polanski, Nicolas Becker’s many credits include Gravity, Ex Machina, Wuthering Heights, and Andrea Arnold’s forthcoming American Honey.

Join us for a rare opportunity to gain insight into Becker’s unique working methods and multi-disciplinary approach, and learn about designing sound across a wide array of film and arts projects. Illustrated with clips, Becker will share details of his practice – devising a bespoke process to create original and distinctive soundscapes for each project – and explain the reasoning behind his artistic approach.

Designing Sound with Nicolas Becker

Much to the joy of Twin Peaks fans, master of surrealist nightmares David Lynch has re-visited Twin Peaks after 25 years. Season three sees the return of many of the characters that touched our hearts and haunted our dreams. 

Join Andy Hazel, host of 'Twin Peaks: The Return, A Podcast' and a panel of writers and critics for some damn fine coffee and doughnuts as we venture back to the realm of the Black Lodge.

Twin Peaks: No One Is Innocent

Peter Lord and David Sproxton started making films together when they were 12 years old and have been making films ever since.  This year Aardman Studios turns 40.  Hear how the studio grew and the diversity of work they have created.

Aardman Podcast Part 1: Who is Aardman?

From little ideas big things grow. Drawing and sketching is where ideas are hatched. Hear the stories behind the drawings of Shaun the Sheep and Were Rabbit and get an insight into how the drawings come to life.

Aardman Podcast Part 2:Drawing

Some puppets have complex wire structures like the wererabbit and some are simple like Morph who is pure plasticine and uses it to his advantage. He can literally morph into anything. The props and sets on Aardman films are based on real life objects. The perfection in the smallest of details such as a carrot in a grocery stall make the sets believable.

Moulding plasticine into a world of wonderful – hear from the master craftspeople.

3. Aardman Podcast Part 3: Sculpture

One aspect of Wallace and Gromit's world that audiences find so endearing are the fabulous inventions' and contraptions. Their eccentricities are so funny and clever. All these contraptions are so idiosyncratic of the Aardman world. 
Hear about the wacky inventiveness behind the cracking contraptions.

Aardman Podcast Part 4: Machines and Inventions

Having conquered the cutthroat world of satirical online cooking shows with The Katering Show (Australian TV's all-time most viewed digital series), the two Kates are ready to take their trademark sassy swipe at morning lifestyle television in Get Krack!n, a new series for Seeso and ABC.

Each morning the Kates will shuffle through a roster of unsafe demonstrations, surly guests, unprepared experts and the over-lit decomposition of the duo’s already rocky relationship. Viewers will quickly discover that McLennan and McCartney will leave no cultural touchstone unturned, even though they are in no capacity qualified to speak on them, or on anything for that matter.

As always, neither of the women has any sense of on-camera technique. While McCartney’s Daria-esque enthusiasm is a total miss-match to the bright and breezy format, McLennan’s hosting is imbued with a fetid air of desperation. The show should be McCartney and McLennan’s Big US Break. But, like any televisual format that the Kates put their rough, manly hands to, things on Get Krack!n will go downhill fast.

This Q&A with Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney followed the screening of the first two episodes.

Series Mania 2017 Get Krack!n Q and A

Yohji Yamamoto has been reinterpreting the rules of fashion for over four decades.

In light of the Australian premiere season of Yohji Yamamoto: Dressmaker screening exclusively as part of Melbourne  Fashion Week at ACMI, film programmer James Nolen will be joined by fashion experts, fashion historians and Yamamoto super fans, as they delve into the history of this celebrated Japanese designer.

We are delighted to have hosted Australian fashion legend Joe Saba, specialist retailers Thi Lam, Yahav Ron, Sebastian Supel and Octavius La Rosa and Yamamoto collector Dr Gene Sherman.

Enigmatic Genius - Unpicking Yohji Yamamoto

“We need to raise it up, we need to fight and to shout, but we also need to bring it down, to talk and to listen in order to make change”
Donald Betts Junior

Following the screening of I Am Not Your Negro, former Kansas State Senator Donald Betts Jr and American history professor Michael Ondaatje entered into a lively  conversation about race politics and resistance from the civil rights era to present day America.

Race, Politics and Identity

This Q&A with Ian Collie, Wally Elnour, Ez Eldin Deng, Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, Matt Cameron and Elise McCredie follwed the screening of the first episode of Sunshine which was selected as Series Mania Melbourne's opening night screening, 

Sunshine is a vibrant, kinetic and compelling high stakes fictional crime drama that explores a world of contrasts - truth and reconstruction, past and present, hope and heartbreak – felt by those forging a new life in a foreign land. 

The 4 x 1 hour series is set in the summer of 2017 in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine. The story follows Jacob Garang (Wally Elnour), a young, aspiring South Sudanese-Australian basketball player who is on the cusp of being picked up by scouts for the US College league. However, Jacob’s team is not up to his standard and so he angles to bring in a new coach to help with the team’s performance. His pick is Eddie Grattan (Anthony LaPaglia), a local who once played for a US college team, but has long since retired and operates a small sports store in Sunshine. Almost against his best instincts, Eddie accepts an approach by Jacob to coach his underperforming team, The Sunshine Kings. 

In the midst of his aspirations, Jacob finds himself answering to Sunshine-raised lawyer Zara Skelton (Melanie Lynskey) when he is caught up in a police investigation involving a young teenage girl who has been violently assaulted and is now in a coma fighting for her life.

Series Mania 2017 Sunshine Q and A

In the lead up to the opening of Wonderland ACMI Curator Jess Bram spoke to Colleen Atwood about her work designing the costumes for the 2010 Tim Burton film: Alice in Wonderland.

About Wonderland:
Fall down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, a world premiere exhibition celebrating the timeless stories of Lewis Carroll and Alice’s adventures on screen.

From first gracing the page in 1865, Alice has delighted audiences and inspired artists across generations. In more than 40 cinematic odysseys, she has epitomised the best in animation, been an arthouse icon and a blockbuster success.

Alongside her journey through pop culture, Wonderland explores how filmmaking, special effects and technology have reimagined one of the world’s most beloved characters.

In this must-see event, take a trip through the looking glass into an immersive, enchanted world that draws together a remarkable selection of original behind-the-scenes material.

The more curious you are, the more you’ll discover.

Colleen Atwood: Dressing Alice

Is the recent trend in 80s retro films and TV symbolic of a nostalgia for a simpler era?

The 80s was a decade renowned for its excess - think money, drugs, eyeshadow and lycra. From Stranger Things and Glow to Spielberg’s upcoming Ready Player One, we look at contemporary TV and films that transport us back to the decade defined by  ET, The Goonies, big hair, pastels and 12-sided dice.

But what does this recent trend in 80s retro nostalgia tell us about ourselves? Are we nostalgic for a simpler pre-Trump age?

Join filmmaker Glendyn Ivin, academic Dr Lauren Rosewarne and critic Mel Campbell in a neon-coloured, synth-scored exploration of our yearning for 80s small town America.

Copyright Acknowledgments 

Title: Stranger Things, Series One, Episode One
Copyright: Netflix

Title: Stranger Things, Series One, Episode Two
Copyright: Netflix

Title: Glow, Series One, Episode Seven
Copyright: Netflix

Title: Wet Hot American Summer
Copyright: USA Films

Title: E.T.
Copyright: Universal Pictures

Title: The Goonies
Copyright: Warner Bros.

Title: Stand By Me
Copyright: Columbia Pictures

Title: Puberty Blues, Season One, Episode One
Copyright: Endemol Australia

Title: Puberty Blues, Season One, Episode Three
Copyright: Endemol Australia


Title: Cracker Bag
Copyright: Glendyn Ivin

ACMI Conversations: Retro Nostalgia

Robert Fernandez has been producing award-winning documentaries and commercials for over 25 years - yet he still loves getting his hands dirty on budget spreadsheets 'I love the numbers'. Working with Errol Morris since The Fog of War, Fernandez recently delivered their biggest project to-date: the Netflix series Wormwood. With no precedent for its hybrid format or production model, it took 1.5 years to develop and finance with Netflix, and 2.5 years to shoot. Fernandez is the master producer behind a master director, and the man that 'did the numbers' to produce the opus Wormwood, replete with a feature shoot's worth of drama and 10-camera interview setups.

AIDC 2018: Errol Morris' Wormwood ... like producing 3 films at once

Hunter Page-Lochard tells us about the person who is the conduit between the Dreaming and this world: The Cleverman.
Written by Ryan Griffen.
Republished with permission from Triple J & ABC.

Cleverman origin stories: The Cleverman

COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Is Australian press freedom an endangered species? What can be done to prevent the media being portrayed as the enemy of the people?

Australia has some of the most draconian anti-media laws of all Western countries. Police raids on journalists, national security laws that criminalise journalistic activities, attacks on whistleblowers, archaic defamation laws and restricted access to information have stifled the ability of journalists to hold power to account.

Investigative journalism is under threat globally and increasingly in countries where democracies have historically prevailed. At a time when attacks on press freedom around the world are on the rise, the risks faced by news, journalism and documentary are very real. But what can be done to stem the growing culture of secrecy and counter the epidemic of fake news, disinformation and manipulation that is eroding public discourse and democracy?

Join a distinguished panel of news, documentary and investigative journalists including ABC News’ Gaven Morris, filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem and University of Queensland’s Professor Peter Greste to discuss the threat posed to press freedom. This session is a timely discussion of why public interest journalism should be protected and how the industry can help educate the public about their right to know before Australian journalists are labelled the enemy of the people.

AIDC2020 - The War on Press Freedom (and What to do About It)

CRAFT
Meet the key people behind hit ABC shows that have delivered real world impact, and find out what’s next in 2020.

Commissioning distinctive TV that has a real-world impact on Australians and their communities is a major goal of ABC’s Factual and Documentary teams. The ABC has been leading the way with this form of programming through acclaimed series such as Old People’s Home for 4 Year Old’s, Employable Me, Don’t Stop The Music, Love On The Spectrum and War On Waste. In 2020, the ABC is presenting two major climate-themed series with Fight for Planet A: The Climate Challenge exploring how we can all help reduce both our individual and collective carbon emissions and Big Weather (and how to survive it) offering insight and practical advice on how to survive and thrive in a time of increasing extreme weather events. We will also see Shaun Micallef return to our screens as he delves into the nation’s relationship with alcohol, with Shaun Micallef’s On The Sauce.

All of these shows demonstrate the importance of content that not only informs and entertains but has the power to connect the nation and drive real-world awareness and change.

In this session you will hear insights from key people on these shows, both in front of and behind the camera as well as the ABC’s Impact Producer. All have been pivotal in developing and delivering TV with a social purpose that resonates with audiences across all platforms.

This session features Craig Reucassel, Debbie Cuell, Karina Holden and Teri Calder and will be moderated by Stephen Oliver.

AIDC2020 - Real World Impact: TV with Social Purpose

CRAFT
Leading factual producers reveal how they tackled projects of scale … and scale doesn’t always mean big budget. 

Leading factual producers discuss and demystify the oft-used term ‘scale’.
From giant crews, fixed rigs and far-flung locations, to leading a tiny team shooting across a long timeframe – scale calls for precise decision making in the development process and in designing your production model.
 
What are the different production approaches that can be scaled to get the most out of the story and budget? Do you go big, long, lean, broad or deep to best access your story? How can you invert your production approach on the same story material?
 
Debbie Cuell, Jocelyn Little and Ben Ulm’s careers embody the full spectrum of scale, from big blue-chip to lean ob-doc. They will dissect making recent and upcoming series Ed Stafford: First Man Out, Old People’s Home for 4 Year-Olds, One Born Every Minute, Who Gets to Stay in Australia and Wild City. 
 
Moderator Sarah Thornton (Network Ten) springboards this conversation from a Network commissioning perspective. Scale used to mean big budget but what does it mean in the current factual market?

AIDC2020 - Niche to Broad, Big to Lean: Concepts of Scale in Factual

BUSINESS
Three major international cable networks discuss what worked in 2019, what's coming in 2020 and what they're looking for now.

Discovery International, A+E, and ESPN – three heavyweight international cable networks discuss their big successes from 2019, what exciting projects they have in the pipeline, and what they are looking for from production companies. This session will compare and contrast their audiences and their needs.

What brings in their audiences, what keeps them, what loses them? What are the differences between the US factual landscape and the UK one? Do US and UK audiences tend to favour different programming? What crosses over? What doesn’t? How does delivering to a truly international audience differ to focusing inside a specific national market? And in the bigger picture: How is the documentary series landscape changing in an age of instability.

As streaming services rise, battle and consolidate, linear TV must shake itself up to survive. How does that impact us right now? How might it play out?

AIDC2020 -Passport to the Big Leagues: What's Next for International Networks

Australia's only national museum of film, video games, digital culture and art - situated at the heart of Melbourne in Fed Square. Listen to our latest podcasts of live events, playlists associated with exhibitions, and more.

Located at Fed Square. Open daily. #acmimelbourne www.acmi.net.au

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