Media Arts Project - Ninja.
Media Arts Project is the Capstone subject of the degree - allowing students to showcase all of the skills they have developed in a final pièce de résistance to take out into the world. I decided to run my own project, a short sci-fi thriller by the name of ‘Ninja’. I worked as Writer - Director, as well as Editor, VFX Artist, Colour Grader and Composer.
I should really learn to delegate more. You can view the trailer below!
Find out more on Instagram @ninjashortfilm. Or access all areas with permission on this sneaky page.
Cinematography Module
Module subjects are an opportunity for students to specialise in areas of interest, in preparation for their Capstone projects later that year. Unfortunately, due to the great plague of 2020, I had to complete this subject at the same time as my Capstone. However, I still greatly enjoyed this subject, it was a great opportunity to learn from a true industry veteran in Steve Macdonald, as well as develop our skills in a relaxed studio manner.
The first assessment in this subject was a portrait exercise, in which we received a simple brief - deliver 3 portraits, each with a different inspiration: Beauty/Fashion, Architecture, and Silhouette. Massive thanks to Annalise Kafetzi and Kezia Suryaputra for modelling.
Next up was a short 3-shot solo exercise designed to convey a short story. I decided to make an over-dramatised piece titled ‘The Sneeze.’ I worked as DoP, Camera Operator and Editor.
From here, we moved to work in small teams to produce a short 10-shot film. For this, we decided to produce a short horror film titled “Hallway to Hell”. We shared the role of DoP and Camera Operator, depending on the shot, and I put the initial edit together, alongside colour grading it.
The final assessment was another group task - a short, stylised advertisement for a fictional product. Unfortunately I don’t currently have access to that file, though shall add it below if I ever do.
Aesthetics.
Aesthetics was the fourth subject in the degree, and allows student to experiment in new forms of media and play with new techniques to develop a unique style. Though I had some troubles throughout this semester, namely being able to decide on my direction, I was reasonably happy with the final product as it was a step in a different direction to much of my other works.
My final project ended up as a short animation titled reCycle. Inspired by pixel art animation and created in the Adobe Suite (and Ableton Live) by yours truly.
Fictions.
Fictions was our first step into the world of Drama film-making in the degree. We were put in small teams and were exposed to the full production cycle, from pre to post. It was the first real fiction project experience for most students, and was a tonne of fun.
This piece is a reimagining of a scene from The Maltese Falcon (1941), which served as our final project. I worked as the DOP on set, and assistant editor.
Composing the Real.
UTS Media Arts & Production’s very own documentary subject. This subject had students working as individuals and in small teams, to produce non-fiction works across media. These are two assessments created for this subject; an audiovisual essay using found footage, and a short documentary on the effects of childhood trauma.
Exploring Media Arts.
The first subject of the degree was largely focused on giving students the most basic of skills across all aspects of the industry. The final assessment had us create a music video in small teams, using sites around Sydney. I composed the music and served as director for this project.