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College snapshots
Wesley On (the small) Screen
The pandemic saw to it that instead of the usual big screen splash, St Kilda Road’s annual Wesley On Screen event premiered with a YouTube live-stream to the small screen at home, but the energy and creativity of our VCE Media Studies students loomed just as large… and the audience got to eat home-cooked popcorn.
Media Studies teacher Alex Maunder was impressed with the students’ adaptability. ‘Despite their production period being so heavily impacted by COVID-19 through both Stage 3 and 4 lockdowns, every student displayed immensely creative resilience, working within the parameters without compromising quality,’ he said.
From Sally Feferkranz’s Contract Killer with its unexpected twist, to Ashley Reid’s Imperfect Annihilation with objects being destroyed to Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons,’ to Tassia Paterson’s Mind the Gap with its sensitive portrayal of relationship breakdown, the 21 films showcased the vitality and inventiveness with which the students are embracing their chosen craft.
Alex’s colleague Karissa Roberson is ‘incredibly proud’ of what the students achieved. ‘They worked incredibly hard to produce a variety of very personal productions, which reflected their own personality and interests. We feel very lucky that our students allowed us a look into their lives in a year where the feeling of isolation is so prevalent,’ she said.
In a year like no other, our young film makers rose to the challenge of producing films with commitment, dedication and, most importantly, resilience.