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by Erica Martin

In 1973, the dream of an Australian film school became a reality. Since then it has produced some of the biggest names in the industry and built an international reputation for excellence.

Before the foundations of the school were laid, Philip Adams, Barry Jones and Peter Coleman travelled the world gathering information about other film training institutions.

Philip Adams has said he felt there was a great need for an Australian film school because the only alternative to formal training in film was to train people in the deep end of the industry-but there wasn't an industry.

The film school was to be the driving force of the new industry. And what a force it's been.

Rod Bishop, Director of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), said it was only while preparing for the school's 25th birthday celebrations that they started to realise just how successful the school has been.

'We all knew that the school was flourishing, with the critical achievements of say Jane Campion, Jocelyn Moorhouse or Gillian Armstrong,' says Bishop.

'I think the thing that took a lot of us by surprise was that the critical success has been equalled by box office success. When we did the statistics, we discovered that 12 feature films directed by graduates had grossed over $750 million. But we compiled that figure at the end of 1997-now it is $1.5 billion. The box office figure has doubled in the past year.

'I don't think the school ever gave itself credit before. I think it was quite content to say we are the only film school in the world to have created both a winner of the Palme d'Or and the Camera d'Or in Cannes.

'It wasn't until we started looking at the box office success of some of our graduates that we realised how significant it was in straight industry terms.'

If commercial success has come as something of a shock, it's a shock they are quickly coming to terms with.

'Some filmmakers coming through the school now are showing a much greater interest towards commercial filmmaking rather than arthouse filmmaking.

'I think we've been unbelievably successful with the arthouse films and some students coming through the door for their first year here would be thinking this is the road to Cannes. However, graduates like Philip Noyce, PJ Hogan or Chris Noonan are showing the way in terms of filmmaking that is very much aimed at the box office as well as the critics and I'd like to see more of that,' says Bishop.

Current students do appear to be very much aware of the realities of the industry once they graduate. Mandi Bialek-Wester, Production Design student, feels one of the great strengths in the school is the preparation for industry realities.

'There are two important things about the school for me. One is the training, and particularly in my field you get specific skills training-drawing, drafting, access to computer skills, training in software, the possibility to work in digital media, and special effects,' she says.

'The other important thing is meeting people who will be part of the industry, making those contacts and developing relationships with people here, as well as the actual work itself.'

Students are noticing a stylistic change in the material and presentation of current Australian films.

'We seem to have got over the frivolous stage and now we can move on. We don't have to make period films for people to think that they're serious-we've proved we can make them. I think there's a shift to making interesting, contemporary and reflective films-there's an opening for that now,' Bialek-Wester says.

Stephen Jones, Creative Producer and a recent graduate of the school, agrees that Australian filmmaking is 'growing up'.

'Filmmakers are not so concerned about trying to make an "Australian film"-they're just letting that happen and I think that's interesting to international markets and the investors,' he explains.

'I think our cultural strengths are clear-they can exist in much more subtle forms than the high-camp comedies of a few years ago, which were still very good films but there's other expressions as well.'

The birthday celebrations have been marked by the release of a documentary and a book commemorating 25 years of the school. The book, Edge of the Known World: The Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Impressions of the First 25 Years, edited by Andrew L Urban and Meredith Quinn is available from the school's website.

AFTRS is within the Commonwealth Arts portfolio.

Contact
Rod Bishop, AFTRS 02 9805 6611 or email info@syd.aftrs.edu.aux
website www.aftrs.edu.au

Rolling the credits ...
AFTRS graduates include well-known directors: Jane Campion, The Piano, The Portrait of a Lady; Chris Noonan, Babe; Gillian Armstrong, My Brilliant Career, Oscar and Lucinda; Rolf de Heer, Bad Boy Bubby, Dance Me to My Song; Philip Noyce, Dead Calm, Clear and Present Danger; PJ Hogan, Muriel's Wedding, My Best Friend's Wedding; Jocelyn Moorhouse, Proof, How to Make an American Quilt.

Other AFTRS graduates with slightly less familiar names have also been highly successful.

Writing: Alexandra Long, Thank God He Met Lizzie; Alison Tilson, Road to Nhill; and Steve Wright, Lilian's Story.

Cinematography: Andrew Lesnie, Babe, Doing Time for Patsy Cline; Nicolette Freeman, Road to Nhill; and Joseph Pickering, Idiot Box.

Editing: Suresh Ayyar, The Interview, Bad Boy Bubby; Philippa Karmel, Shine; Heidi Kenessey, The Piano; and Nick Meyer, The Boys.

Sound: Annie Breslin, The Piano, The Well; Ross Brewer, Doing Time for Patsy Cline, The Sum of Us; and Ben Cheah, Fargo, Get Shorty.

• Document ID: 11491 |
• Last modified: 5 February 2008, 6:05pm