“I feel like work experience is where all the puzzle pieces of research and information start to come together.”
“The work feels alive, like a live wire”, Mike White
Before my first placement in the industry, I had imagined that each department on set had its own final goal that they worked towards. However, after my first placement on a set, I realised that this was not so.
How work experience supported my learning journey
Work Experience
The Artful Dodger is an Australian historical drama series for Disney+, filmed at locations including Callan Park and Swifts mansion.
I got to work with the Art Department both in the workshop and on set, learning how set designs go from an idea to something that actually exists on screen. I helped create props and saw firsthand how all the little details come together to build the world of a story.
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Work Experience
Fangs is a dark comedy thriller directed by Lucy McKendrick.
I got to work with the Costume Department in their workshop, learning about the creative process from initial mood boards and sourcing clothes through to altering, art finishing and preparing costumes for filming. It was fascinating to see how much thought goes into creating the look of a character before they ever step onto set.
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Work Experience
Gypsy is a musical fable that was performed by North Shore Theatre Company.
I applied for and was given the role of Costume Coordinator, taking responsibility for organising, altering, creating and designing costumes for the production. It was an opportunity to put what I’d been learning into practice and take on the very real responsibility for a creative department.
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Work Experience
Street Fighter is a Hollywood action film produced by Legendary Pictures and Capcom, with filming taking place at Disney Studios in Sydney.
I worked alongside the Assistant Directors and Extras Department on set, getting a firsthand look at the enormous amount of planning, coordination and communication involved in a major production. I assisted the team with their daily responsibilities and began to understand how the individual departments work together to keep everything running smoothly.
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Work Experience
Opera Australia is Australia’s national opera company and one of its largest performing arts organisations, staging everything from classical opera to major musical theatre productions and outdoor performances on Sydney Harbour.
I worked alongside the Costume Department in their workshop, helping create costumes and learning how a designer’s vision becomes something that not only looks beautiful on stage but also works practically for the performers wearing it.
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Work Experience
Easy Tiger Productions is the Australian television production studio behind award-winning shows including Colin from Accounts, The Twelve, Scrublands, Territory, Rake and Jack Irish.
I worked alongside the Development Team in their office, learning how a television project develops from its initial submission to something that might eventually make it onto our screens. I got to see the amount of creative thinking, decision-making and communication involved behind the scenes, and how much work goes into developing a story before filming even begins.
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Work Experience
Recipe of the Year is a television series. I was cast in the promotional advertisement.
After auditioning through my acting agency, I was cast in the promo and got to experience a professional set from the actor’s perspective. It gave me a completely different understanding of how a production operates, particularly how directors communicate with performers and how much coordination goes into creating even a short advertisement.
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Industry Experience
Before my first placement in the industry, I had imagined that each department on set had its own final goal that they worked towards. However, after my first placement on a set, I realised that this was not so. The departments worked together to complete one major goal like the well-oiled cogs of a machine: to complete a project on time and on budget and to the best of their abilities, they were willing to do whatever it took.
Experiencing a range of departments showed me just how productions operate. On the sets of The Artful Dodger and Street Fighter I saw how productions functioned, and it put into perspective all the research I had done on film and television in the classroom. Easy Tiger Productions showed me the vital production processes involved in creating a story that potentially ends up on set. By being part of their team, I gained admiration and appreciation for the creativity, preparation and organisation behind each and every production.
Working at Opera Australia introduced me to the intricate details of visual storytelling and the role they play in a production. Through these placements I have begun to understand the scope of this industry I want to work in, as well as what it really takes to make a production come to life.
I felt most engaged and challenged when I was asked to write a report, create a pitch deck and present it to the team at Easy Tiger Productions. To accomplish this, I needed to learn how to break down and evaluate storylines. This task pushed my thinking and understanding of what actually makes a project strong. It also gave me the opportunity to have thought-provoking and interesting conversations with the team as we discussed the possibility of different perspectives. Before my internship with Easy Tiger Productions, I didn’t realise the enormous amount of work that was involved in developing a film or TV series so it’s ready for the first day of principal photography. Working with the team gave me practical experience and insight into the importance of the developmental stage of filmmaking. In fact, I realised that some of the most important work happens long before a camera is even switched on.
I felt most comfortable and motivated working in the workshop on The Artful Dodger, observing the director on Street Fighter and creating my pitch for the book Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans at Easy Tiger. All of these experiences had one thing in common: they required creativity. Realising that I felt most inspired when in a creative and imaginative workspace, I discovered a strength I hadn’t previously recognised: lateral thinking. This is a term used for solving problems through an indirect, creative approach that disrupts step-by-step logic. However, through early mornings and late nights during my placements, I recognised that my time management was weak, so I focused on improving it. As my work experience continued, my knowledge of leadership, communication and working under pressure in the industry also continued to grow. Through each intimidating introduction and interaction with new industry professionals, I became more confident in sharing my story and better equipped to be part of a new team.
These placements have widened my interest in working in a creative profession by showing me that film and television is just one fascinating field in a sea of opportunities. At first, I was sure I wanted to work in film and television, but I’m not set on that idea specifically anymore. I am excited to explore the many and diverse fields of creative production. Fashion and music also hold an interest for me. Who knows where these new explorations will lead? However, my work experience has shown me that if I do continue to explore the world of film and TV, it is the YA genre and telling honest stories, exploring discomfort, complexity, connection and first love, that fascinate me.
While working on The Artful Dodger, I learned a most important lesson that I will carry forward to wherever I go. Ironically, it isn’t about film or television but about an attitude to life. I learnt how to make what you envision your reality. What began with me peering over a fence, dreaming about being on that set, turned into a four-week placement in the Art Department, and before I knew it, I was meeting the creator of the show on set and then interviewing him over Zoom at his home in Montecito, California. This taught me something maybe even more powerful than any knowledge I could have gained about the industry. It instilled in me that “if you have 100% intention, the mechanisms will follow.” I believe there are zero limitations to my future if I continue to have the courage to put myself out there. With this insight, I can’t wait to see where I will go.
Interviews
Mike White is an American writer, director and producer, best known as the creator, writer, director and executive producer of HBO’s award-winning series The White Lotus. He also co-created the HBO series Enlightened and made his feature directorial debut with Year of the Dog. His earlier writing credits include Chuck & Buck, Orange County, The Good Girl and School of Rock, establishing a career that encompasses comedy and drama, using unconventional character-driven storytelling.
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Imogen Banks is an award-winning Australian television producer and creator behind acclaimed series including Offspring, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie, Sisters and Tangle. In 2021, she founded the independent production company Kindling Pictures, following her role as Head of Drama at Endemol Shine Banks. She has created some of Australia’s most successful television dramas, with a focus on developing original stories and supporting emerging creative talent.
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James McNamara is an Australian screenwriter, creator and executive producer best known for the Disney+ series The Artful Dodger, which he co-created, wrote and executive produced. His career has included international television development, screenwriting and writers’ rooms. He is also an academic, serving as Head of Production and Associate Professor of Teaching in Film and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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Maia Mitchell is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her role as Callie Adams Foster in the television drama The Fosters and its spin-off Good Trouble, as well as Disney’s Teen Beach Movie franchise. More recently, she returned to Australian television starring as Lady Belle Fox in the Disney+ historical drama series The Artful Dodger.
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Susie Porter is an award-winning Australian actress and NIDA graduate who works in film, television and theatre. Her extensive screen credits include Welcome to Woop Woop, RAN: Remote Area Nurse, East of Everything, Puberty Blues, Wentworth and Apple Cider Vinegar. More recently, she appeared as Lady Jane Fox in the Disney+ historical drama The Artful Dodger.
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Ailsa Chang is an award-winning American journalist and host of NPR’s All Things Considered and Consider This. Before becoming a national radio host, she was a correspondent for Planet Money and covered the United States Congress for NPR. She began her journalism career in investigative reporting at WNYC in New York, after having had a career in law.