creating worlds on film
Karen Murphy, Art Director, Australia
Leading production designers, art directors and film experts converge at ACMI for a free industry-focused symposium.
The Setting the Scene Symposium will bring together some of Australia's most prominent creative film minds for a unique discussion and networking event for industry professionals, aspiring designers and filmmakers, and anyone wishing to expand their understanding of the world of production design.
Divided into two sessions, with an opportunity to mingle in between, the symposium will address two key areas of 21st-century production design: digital design and location design.
The first session begins with a discussion of Digital Age Design, to be chaired by Jon Rohde (former Head of Design, Australian Film, Television & Radio School, NSW). Jon's credits as a Production Designer span both film and television and include Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback and RAN: Remote Area Nurse.
The session will explore digital production spaces and how imagination and technology converge to bring to life impossible worlds, and will feature such leading creatives as Roger Ford (Production Designer, The Chronicles of Narnia), Damien Drew (Art Director, Justice League: Mortal) and Karen Murphy (Art Director, Australia).
The panel will discuss the new capacities for design and production afforded by new technologies - including future directions towards sustainable filmmaking - and the creative challenges they involve.
Roger Ford will share his own particular career highlights and lowlights, the lessons, and the hard-won victories over his near 40-year career in production design, beginning with the BBC's Dr Who in 1971 and since spanning many blockbusters (he was nominated for an Oscar in 2003 for his work on Babe).
In an interview with Desktop Magazine earlier this year, Roger recalls how technology solved one of his greatest creative challenges while working on Peter Pan (2003): "Probably the hardest thing we were ever asked to do was to make realistic clouds in the studio for Peter Pan. Big, soft, misty, fluffy clouds for the kids to play on ... computers saved the day!"
The second session is themed Space, Place and Landscape, exploring the visual, emotional and psychological impact of the worlds thatdesigners craft for film.
Focussing on the atmospheric landscapes, suburban environments and domestic spaces created by designers Chris Kennedy (Production Designer, The Road, The Proposition), Ben Morieson and Carrie Kennedy (Production Design/Art Direction, The Castle) and director Sue Brooks (Japanese Story, Road to Nhill), this session presents a not-to-be-missed opportunity to gain insight into the creative processes of some of the finest visual architects in Australian contemporary cinema.
Paul Harris, Director of the St Kilda Film Festival, will chair the second session. A key commentator in Melbourne's film industry for over 30 years, Paul is also an author, journalist and broadcaster. He has been presenting Australia's longest running film radio program, Film Buff's Forecast, on community broadcaster Triple R FM for over 26 years.
The Setting The Scene Symposium will be held at ACMI Cinemas on Thursday 5 March from 1pm-4pm. Admission is free. Details here
Published Thursday, 26 February 2009
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