Ones to Watch

For Corrie, directing is all about process and pace - seeing firsthand the realities of directing in the real world, pre-empting problems before they happen and putting out fires, all while retaining the integrity of work.

Through what Corries describes as a mixture of luck and persistence she was selected for three funded director’s placements - Nowhere Boys, Peter Allen, and The Leftovers.

While some emerging directors loath the idea of placements, Corrie found them crucial in her training, learning by osmosis, and shadowing her directors everywhere they went (sometimes even accidentally to the toilet).

Her first hired gig was at the beginning of 2017 on Mustangs FC, where she directed three episodes and will always recall as her truly unforgettable first job.

Confidence is key for Corrie to do her best directing work and Corrie credits RGM agent Jennifer Naughton and Producers Amanda Higgs and Rachel Davis who championed her along the way and believed in her through times when she stopped believing in herself.

For Corrie it’s an exciting time to be a storyteller.  “Niche” storytelling is no longer scary, “authenticity” is desirable, and Corrie wants to be at the genesis of stories and projects that change the status quo of what “diversity” means – not just on screen, but more crucially behind the camera.

“I want to be part of a legacy that makes lasting changes to the makeup of the Australian screen landscape, and through that, build a new audience and thirst for different voices.”

Corrie’s future goal is to make content through the lens of an “Asian- Australian voice”, rather than a specifically “Australian story” … and of course, do her reboot of Jurassic World: Shanghai Rampage.

For Meleesha, filmmaking is about illuminating characters and issues that often go unnoticed. While studying directing at the VCA from 2013-2014, Meleesha used her time there to hone her skills in directing, screen language and sound design to use the medium of film to investigate the subtleties of social justice issues and characters' inner landscapes. In terms of process, Meleesha is drawn to the  creative problem-solving the rigors of directing involve as well as how collaborative filmmaking  is and the sense of camaraderie within a film family. 

Meleesha's career so far has seen her make four short films which have screened internationally and won awards. Her most recent short film Match was selected for the  64th Melbourne International Film Festival's Accelerator Program in 2015. It went on to screen at the NewFilmmakers New York series at the Anthology Archives in Manhattan. 

Since 2015, Meleesha has worked for Matchbox and ABC as an EPK Director for Barracuda (2016) and Seven Types of Ambiguity (2017). In 2016, Meleesha also directed a 20 minute documentary for the Wilin Centre  (supervised by filmmaker Richard Frankland)  which followed the relationships between Indigenious Elders and Indigenous sudents at the VCA and MCM. 

Meleesha credits her recent director's attachment on Picnic at Hanging Rock as a wonderful learning experience giving her the opportunity to direct some second unit shots for Block 2 which included VFX plates, macro shots for montages, drone shots and a FX Burns unit. 

Director, writer, producer and cinematographer Lynne Ramsay is a stand-out filmmaker for Meleesha who loves the way Ramsay blends social realism with poeticism. 

Meleesha hopes the skills and experience she’s gained so far will hold her in good stead to make her first feature in the near future.

Johanna’s fist paid gig in the industry was a Script Coordinator position at Neighbours. Since then she has been steadily working her way up the ranks and is currently the Script Editor on the long-running series. Johanna also has a few personal projects on the side that she’s working on in her spare time, including publishing a historical romance novel.

Through Film Victoria’s industry placement, Johanna took part in House Husbands Season 5, which gave her valuable exposure to the world beyond soap. Also spending some time on A Place to Call Home, she had the privilege of learning from hugely experienced practitioners.

One of the most influential figures in Johanna’s career development is Stephen Vagg, who gave Johanna her first job at Neighbours.

Within the next decade, she sees herself as a show runner on her own show, which would probably be a crime thriller, historical drama, or a combination of both. 

Tracey has always loved stories - particularly those her Grandfather used to tell her. Growing up in the small country town of Dimboola, pursuing a career in the screen industry seemed like a far and distant dream for Tracey. But moving to Melbourne some years later, Tracey began playwriting and in this way, the screen industry found her and she has never looked back.

Tracey wrote and directed Endangered (2005), Abalone (2012) and Man Real (2015). Her first industry placement was on the succesful feature, The Sapphires which she credits as an amazing experience and the stepping stone to a writers placement on The Warriors.

Tracey credits these placements as opening up doors to work on other projects that she has immensely enjoyed. Tracey has since gained advisory roles on television series Picnic at Hanging Rock TV with another project in development.

Whilst memorable role models are too numerous to count, Tracey highlights a few individuals who have gone beyond lending verbal support and backed it up with actions. Tony Briggs, Robert Connolly, Gillian Armstrong and Sue Maslin are those who have been mentors to Tracey, both formally and informally and have also provided opportunities to learn and work more in the film and TV sector. 

Looking to the future, Tracey wants to build on her writing and directing experience and hone her craft for film and TV. Developing and making content for children is a particular goal for Tracey, particularly since giving birth in 2016. She’d also like to have a feature film or TV series under her belt or in development.

Clare was encouraged to study and pursue a career in photography when she was 15 by her amateur photographer and film enthusiast father.

Her path into filmmaking came whilst working in advertising. There, she met Fran Derham who became her creative collaborator and a strong driving force for Clare.

Alongside directing commercials Clare produced the feature length documentary First Love, directed the short film Horseplay and was DOP for another feature documentary Uncharted Waters.

It was her placement with Larysa Kondraki on Picnic at Hanging Rock that exceeded Clare’s expectations of what she thought she could achieve through a Directors Attachment. Having the opportunity to be mentored by an international director, who was taking on a classic Australian story with an international vision has been career changing for her.

A particular highlight was having the opportunity to direct second unit on numerous occasions, including two days on location at Hanging Rock and working with esteemed Director of Photography David Eggby.

Clare views the film industry as the perfect playground for the restless and she hopes her next journey will see her direct her first feature film. Along the way she aims to direct a short film as a lead-in to the feature, complete a shadow directing placement and continue with her directing work in commercials.

Kate grew up against the backdrop of the creative industries. With a mum who worked in the Arts and a stepdad who directed Neighbours and commercials, a career in the arts was a natural direction for Kate to take.
 
Her work has seen Kate co-direct & produce Future Radicals (2012) with Director Ben Eriksen which was commissioned as part of the Opening Shot initiative and Deception By Design (2015) which was the first project for the company Jonnie & Kate Films Kate that established with Jonnie Morris.
 
Her more recent project Westwind: Djalu’s Legacy (2017) has been a six year labour of love for Kate and the co-producing team. Kate looks to this time as a career highlight, filming with Galpu people in Arnhem land. She also cites the experience of shooting at Westpoint Military Academy on Deception by Design and more recently filming animals for a wildlife series as stand-out moments.
 
Kate looks to her mum as a strong role model, marked by her confidence, leadership and willingness to make change or take risks. Inside the industry Kate admires Sonya Pemberton who always sets the bar very high with her projects and inspires brilliance in the teams who work on them.
 
Kate hopes that she can continue to work with high caliber and talented people who have taught her so much along the way and to solidify Victoria as a strong hub for documentary & factual filmmaking. She wants to return the favour by being actively involved in the policy and legislation that shapes the industry and mentor those coming up through the ranks…and make stand out documentaries that continue to shine a light on the incredible stories around us.

Jess has always wanted to be an actress. From lunch time plays as a kid, to entertaining her family, Jess carried this love of performing into her early 20s but found she was no closer to her dream. Working as a cinema usher, Jess began writing a role for herself - a frustrated, lost, broke and desperate to be heard girl in her twenties. Thus Twentysomething was hatched which Jess wrote, directed and performed in.

The series began on Channel 31 before being pick up for two seasons on ABC2 and is now airing on Netflix. It was through this experience Jess found a love of telling stories, through writing, directing and acting. 

Jess spent time in LA teaming up with experienced producers Eric and Kim Tannenbaum (Two and Half Men) for a spin-off series of Twentysomething titled Last Call to the US cable network FX. In collaboration with showrunners, Jennifer Crittenden (Seinfeld, The Simpsons) and Gabrielle Allen (Scrubs) she wrote and delivered a pilot script to the cable channel in late 2015.

Her other credits include writing and performing on It’s a Date and Rove and appeared as herself on the Agony series for the ABC.

Most recently Jess completed two Film Victoria Directors attachments on ABC’s Ronny Chieng International Student, with Jonathan Brough, and the second series of The Wrong Girl with Mat King. 

Jess credits Big Girls Blouse and Absolutely Fabulous as major influences in her life. In the real world, observing and working with her brother in-law and Director Paul Currie, taught Jess a lot as did Twentysomething Producer Nicole Minchen who mentored, supported  and guided Jess through her career. 

The launch party for the first episode of Twentysomething was a career highlight for Jess. After years of work it had all finally come together, and she could celebrate with a room full of family and friends. The response to the show was amazing, with a write up in the paper every week and a nomination for two ACCTA awards for Best Comedy and Best Performance.

Jess loves what she does and constantly looking for new ways to be creative, seek challenges … and pay her rent.