Jasmin Andersen, Ashleigh Bartlett, Natasha Davies, Myles Pollard, Nathan Feeney-Butao, Laura Abela and Daryien Fleay with Dana Peel (seated).
Camera IconJasmin Andersen, Ashleigh Bartlett, Natasha Davies, Myles Pollard, Nathan Feeney-Butao, Laura Abela and Daryien Fleay with Dana Peel (seated). Credit: Supplied/Jon Hewson        d453745

Actor Miles Pollard teams up with local students to make a film

Vanessa SchmittWeekend Kwinana Courier

Pupils from Safety Bay Senior High School, Gilmore College and Coodanup College participated in their own three-day filmmaking sessions with Mr Pollard, which include workshops (on script writing, storyboarding and acting), auditions and filming.

“It’s an amazing experience for all involved and I hope it opened their eyes to the exciting opportunities available in filmmaking,” Mr Pollard said.

Known as the Creative Arts Initiative (CAI), the project is designed to build aspiration and confidence among high school students and has been run annually for the past four years in various high schools in the Kwinana, Rockingham and Mandurah region as part of Murdoch’s MAP4U initiative.

The CAI also gives Murdoch’s postgraduates the opportunity to work closely with industry professionals and mentor the high school students as they learn more about industry-standard filmmaking processes.

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Murdoch lecturer John McMullan said the program had resulted in an increase in tertiary entrance numbers for schools that had participated.

“The program encourages students who may not have considered tertiary education before to give it a try and to consider career opportunities in media and the creative arts,” he said.

Each school has a budget of about $55,000, with funding from the schools, MAP4U and Murdoch’s graduate diploma in media production.