Participants

Published in

Extended Experiences Lab

11 min readMay 17, 2018

Here are all the wonderful participants in the Lab, in alphabetical order

Charnstar Anderson

Writer/Director Charnstar Anderson has been working as a delivery driver at Dominos Pizza since 2012, and the film industry since 2009. With a focus on editing and acting, he has won several awards for short films over the years
(48 Hour Film Project, Moviemania) and worked on independent feature films (Red Curtain Hell, The Last Witch). More recently, he has been using his already set skills to build more skills in writing and directing. Charnstar’s last action comedy short, L-Plates, was a huge success, winning Best International Comedy at WOEEF and Best Short Film at JMC Martini Awards.

Daniel Anderson

With qualifications in law, marketing and film, Dan is a writer/director set on a path to feature filmmaking.

Luis Bran

Luis A Bran is one of Queensland’s most versatile Director/DOPs. His understanding of human emotion and his tenacity to push the visual anchor him as an exciting contributor to the motion picture medium. With twelve years of industry, working in different roles across many different areas including feature films (San Andreas, The Inbetweeners 2, Mental), television (Sea Patrol, Secrets and Lies, H20: Just Add Water), documentary, TVCs, corporates and music videos, he has been able to polish his skill set under the instruction some of the most influential national and international filmmakers. Luis’ passion for short films and music videos has allowed him to experiment with different techniques and develop a fluid work ethic, which he brings to every production. His commitment in web content and corporate video has enabled him to successfully created an on going cliental. Making his feature directorial Debut with the horror thriller Conscious, he now turns his focus to larger project and TVC work where he looks to expand his industry exposure and creative influence. Luis has a great comprehension of the filmmaking craft, giving him the ability to create products that not only communicate to an audience but also emotively connect with them. His visual out look is always complementary to the subject matter as he places with his own touch on both the technical and creative execution of his work.

Bobbi-Lea Dionysius

Bobbi-Lea is a socially conscious documentary filmmaker, with a Bachelor in Film & TV from QUT (Golden Key Honour Scholar). She edited the TV documentary ‘The Ability Trek’, and was assistant editor on the TV documentary ‘Miracle at Sea’ (Logie- Best Documentary). After a hiatus of running a web design business, Bobbi-Lea returned to Griffith Film School to undertake a Master of Screen Production, focusing on Documentary and Impact Producing (Golden Key Honour Scholar Award, Griffith LiveLab Award of Excellence). Bobbi-Lea has produced, co-directed, and edited a number of shorts and documentaries and has recently spent seven weeks in Indonesia with NGO organisation EngageMedia as a John Darling Fellow.

Kirsty Lee

With a background in Dance and live performance, Lee has more recently picked up the video camera in a bid to document the ephemeral nature of not only her own art form but that of human gesture and movement. Lee’s intrinsic knowledge of the bodies delicacies has been documented as having a voyeuristic undertone when seen through the lens. Content development is sourced through impulse and improvisational play, and it is through these uninterrupted experiences that the identity of her work is formed.

Jason Fitzgerald

Jason originally hails from a musical background. While pursuing his Bachelor of Music, he minored in theatre studies and nurtured a growing passion for film. By the time he graduated Jason had decided to pursue film full-time. Jason has made numerous short films across various genres. His latest effort, “A Picture of Other People”, has just hit the festival circuit. Jason’s earlier films have been selected to screen at festivals all over the world and have taken home several awards. “The Insect & The Alien” received the Director’s Award at the Sci-On Film Festival in Nevada, as well as Best Casting and Best Cinematography at the Sanctuary Cove Film Festival. This film was also an Official Selection at the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, America’s oldest genre festival. More recently “Shakes” was screened at the renowned Heart of Gold International Film Festival. “Shakes” also took home the Audience Choice award at Brisbane’s West End Film Festival and then went on to win Best Picture and Best Actress at the Screen It Film Festival on the Gold Coast. Jason is currently developing his first feature project “The Lost Doll”, a touching drama about regret and atonement, imbued with Jason’s distinct sense of humour and heart. When not writing, directing and producing his own projects, Jason works extensively as an assistant director, immersing himself in practical experience, and relishing the opportunity to work closely with all departments in order to influence and broaden his own palette of skills.

Derek Griffiths

Derek has been active in the Brisbane creative arts scene for the past decade as a filmmaker, photographer, and arts lover/consumer. After obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Film and Television he switched his focus from Cinematography to Producing in an effort to be able to create more work for himself and his friends. Derek is the only person to win the JMC Martini’s Best Film Award 2 years in a row and has garnered accolades for his films from across the globe. Derek’s passion for creativity and integrity ensure excellence, no mater the size of the project.

Darren Harris

Darren J Harris is a composer and photographer who is drawn to art, music and philosophies that extend from a natural basis. He employs an economy of means, simplicity with depth, a direct approach. Darren has held successful solo exhibitions in Sydney and Brisbane. He has produced three albums, published two art photography books, and been published in the Silvershotz Journal of Fine Art Photography and in the Photo Compendium Australia. Darren is also a qualified creativity coach and counsellor.

Ashleigh Lawrence

Ashleigh is a lawyer — currently studying a Masters in International Law- with an interest and passion for the arts. Ashleigh is a member of the Australian Writer’s Guild with a draft script for a mini-series (crime/drama genre) already registered and a second script for a feature (fantasy) in the pipelines.

Paul Mahoney

Screenwriter Paul Mahoney has won the Euroscript Screenwriting Award in London, Winner of the Faith & Family Script Showcase in Los Angeles and has been Finalists in several other screenwriting competitions for his feature scripts. With four feature films optioned, he hopes to soon have one of his works produced on screen.

David Peterson

David Peterson freelances as a producer/writer/editor, working with production houses including Hoodlum and Freshwater Pictures. His YouTube channel has garnered over 20 million views. Most recently he edited the Screen Queensland-funded horror short “Post Mortem Mary”. David loves to create stories that connect with people the world over.

Katherine Putnam

Katherine Chediak Putnam is a Brazilian/American screenwriter and Ph.D. candidate at Griffith Film School in Brisbane, Australia. Graduated in Social Communication at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Katherine worked for 8 years as a film editor and post-production supervisor for major production companies in Brazil. In 2014, Katherine moved to Australia to study her Masters Degree in Screen Production at Griffith University, where she wrote and directed two short films. Following graduation, Katherine continuous her work as a screenwriter and was selected in 2017 by Screen Queensland to develop a feature film thriller screenplay under mentorship of Stephen Cleary, a renowned screenwriter consultant. In the same year, Katherine was awarded a doctoral scholarship at Griffith University to write her debut feature and research genre screenwriting, in particular horror and erotic thriller. In the following year, Katherine’s third short film and first horror screenplay was funded by Screen Queensland and will be screened at the 2018 Screamfest in Los Angeles. Currently, Katherine is developing several genre feature screenplays and TV shows and is a screenwriting tutor at Griffith University.

Scott Raylor

Scott is visual artist who loves to tell stories through different mediums. He explore abstract themes in his work; memories, reflections, nostalgia.

Vashanth Selvadurai

Industrial PHD Student at Nordsøen Oceanarium & Aalborg University in Denmark. The PhD project explores production criteria for a transmedia exhibition. The objective is to generate theory, methods and techniques for creating and implementing an involving and educative transmedia exhibition, which bridges the pre- and post-experience with the actual visit.

Sue Swinburne

Sue Swinburne is the Head of Producing at Griffith Film School. Sue has been making factual content for over twenty years, in current affairs and documentary, as well as for the web and apps.

Mieka Thorogood

Mieka Thorogood is an avid storyteller in both written and visual platforms. She is in her final year at Griffith Film School and is currently writing and directing one of the graduate films. Mieka directed a short “Cloudy With a Chance of Rain” which won People’s Choice for Heat One of Short and Sweet Film Festival Qld of which the finals will be held later in May and is a finalist for the West End Film Festival 2018.

Andrew Webster

Andrew Webster is a former journalist and digital editor of The Australian and The Courier-Mail, where he learned how to build and engage large audiences online. Today he applies that knowledge as a teacher, writer and digital producer.

Sam Weingott

As GM / Senior Producer for 2Can-Media Sam runs business operations and produces purpose driven content. In addition to being co-Director of the West End Film Festival (WEFF), Brisbane’s longest running short film festival and sessional academic at Canberra University and Griffith Film School. Sam’s experience spans feature films, television, corporate, educational content and TVCs, having worked for leading production houses, such as Virgo Productions and Wildbear Entertainment. Further, as a Senior Producer/Director, with QUT, Sam managed the media production team and produced a range of film, animation and digital content for this leading Australian University.

Commissioned Teams

Lewis Argall

Lewis Argall has been telling stories and creating story worlds for as long as he can remember in any medium that he can get his hands and mind on. His work includes sculptures, zines, character designs, and writing. He is what is described as gifted/learning disabled: he has very high scores in verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning. He has directed and written short films and has grown up in a creative environment and has diverse skills in various art practices. He is passionate about stories. He wants to learn new things and explore story and narrative. He is passionate about the place of story in the world. He is worried about the position of story in society and how it is not functioning in the way it should. Since he attended Forward/Story in 2016 he has been developing a TV series called BUDs.

Lucinda Clutterbuck

An animator for many years, Lucinda has been moving more towards
public art and events since 2011. In 2011 Lucinda worked with La Menagerie in collaboration with La Mairie de Tournefeuille in Toulouse, France to create a public art project in various spaces around the city. Since then she has
completed a variety of installation works with the Agar Dish artists’
collective — at 107 Projects, Intersect Arts and Articulate Project Space.
In 2015 she and her son Lewis Argall participated in Forward/Story, a
global collaboration led by Lance Weiler and Christy Dena and hosted
in Costa Rica. Lucinda’s background in animation involved directing music videos for a variety of Australian artists including The Machinations, INXS, Flotsam Jetsam, Jo Camilleri and the Black Sorrows. She wrote and directed the award winning short film Tiga which continues to be included in
Australian animation collections. She created the animated series The
Web; 13 short films about endangered animals, which won many
awards and was screened internationally. Closer to home, she made
the short film Walnut and Honeysuckle for SBS’ Home Movies series.
Lucinda has been a teacher and lecturer at UTS, Deakin University and
SCA. Most recently she has been developing an animated web series
called BUDs with Lewis Argall and Nik Malbasic who are both
graduates of The Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE).
She is joint company director of Piccolo Films along with director Ray
Argall (Midnight Oil: 1984).

Zac Fitz-Walter

Dr. Zac Fitz-Walter has a phd in gamification, game design and user experience. He has been designing playful and engaging apps for industry and research since 2009. He’s the co-founder of the company Eat More Pixels.

Ash Freed

Ash Freed is a Brisbane-based soprano, actress and writer. She has spent the last 3 years training as an opera singer with ambitions to undertake further studies within this discipline. As a multi-passionate creative, outside of her opera training Ash has spent time cultivating skills across dancing, acting, copywriting and creation of her own work. Ash is passionate about making work that explores identity, questions societal constructs and promotes personal freedom.

Nikola Malbasic

Nikola Malbasic was born in Sydney and has lived his life in both Australia and Bosnia. He completed his International Baccalaureate at Gimnazija Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While studying in Bosnia he was invited to participate in the Bitta Generation artist colony held in Vasto Italy as part of Observe Rethink Act oracapacitybuilding.weebly.com. Given the brief to complete an animation with a clear message on the topic of sustainable development, he self selected Vuk Palibrk and they created Bottle of Love: a short stop motion film. In 2012 he returned to Australia and completed an Advanced Diploma of Professional Game Development at AIE in Sydney followed by the Incubator program at AIE and a Diploma of Business Management. After completing the Incubator program he worked free lance as lead art at Neuron Spark, Sydney where he worked on Neon Rain a VR Game, and Daybreak Interactive, Sydney — where they made a third person shooter called Kittical Mass which was Alpha tested at Pax Prime Seattle.
He is a collaborator with Lewis Argall on live experimental artworks most recently at the Interactive Sculpture Garden held at Piccolo Films.

Tim Monley

Tim Monley is the creator of The Game at Woodford Folk Festival and founder of Folly Games, a local Brisbane group who produce shows that are a mix of Games and Theatre. He has a background in community arts and street theatre.

Ruby Simpson

Ruby Simpson is an independent developer whose core desires are to make things that connect people or share personal stories. She is currently working as a narrative designer on A Moment Between Us, a storytelling game which allows players to experience separate sides of the same story and encourages conversations about thoughts and feelings on emotional topics. So far she has worked on mostly digital content but her goal is to move towards working on live experiences, such as escape rooms and interactive installations.

Jimmy Ti

Dr. Jimmy Ti has a phd in app design and development for connecting commuters who take public transport. He has been developing playful and engaging apps for industry and research since 2009. He’s the co-founder of the company Eat More Pixels.

Gianni Tills

Gianni Tills directed The Game at the 2017/18 Woodford Folk Festival as well as The Farce Awakens at the 2017 Anywhere Theatre Festival. Winning an Anywhere award for the show. He is an dept non linear story writer and game designer.