WaveFest Masterclass Tutors
WaveFest Film Festival
We’re thrilled to be launching our inaugural WaveFest Film Festival on 13 August in the Performing Arts Centre. The community-based film festival invites students to submit a short film inspired by the theme “the future is yours”.
This family-friendly night will involve pre-show/intermission entertainment and hospitality, bands, HSC artworks, interviews with a panel of judges from the industry. Students’ short films will be screened and prizes awarded throughout the evening.
Waverley is calling all students who have a passion for creativity or see this as a window of opportunity to engage in something they are passionate about and have this displayed on the big screen.
Each student will engage in Mentor Masterclasses run by professional entertainment alumni. These will take place throughout Term 2. Learn more about our alumni mentors and the Masterclasses below.
If you have any questions please email Ms Belinda Buchan, Mentor Coordinator bbuchan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Matthew Young
Preproduction and Planning
Monday 3 May, 3:30-5pm in room K38 – register here.
As a creative producer, his films have screened on SBS, ABC iView and at film festivals worldwide, including Academy Award qualifying festivals.
Matt is also recognised as an award-winning film director, first assistant director, associate producer and editor fully accredited by the Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts (AACTA) and Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG).
He has experience working at major broadcasters in news, broadcast television and documentary production as well as at production companies in film distribution, merchandising and feature film production management.
In 2020, Matthew co-founded Wayflair Studios, an entertainment company dedicated to the unmaking of prejudice through authentic stories which include LGBTQIA+ artists, protagonists and crew. 🎬🎥 As the in-house producer and Director of Strategic Partnerships, he develops and implements productions spanning Wayflair Originals and collaborations with brands and companies who want to unmake prejudice with us.
As a graduate from the University of Technology Sydney with a Double Bachelor Degree in Communications (Media Arts & Production) and International Studies (Germany), Matthew received the Dean’s Merit in Communications and an Honourable Mention in International Studies. He also studied at the University of Potsdam, so deems Potsdam my second Heimat.
David O'Donnell
Short Film Screening and Discussion
Tuesday 4 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 (zoom) – register here.
After graduating from West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), David worked for several years in Australian theatre, film and TV. Credits include Blue Water High (ABC), Underbelly (Channel 9), Cops LAC (Channel 9). He received a nomination for a West Australian Equity Guild Award among other award nominations.
He wrote, produced, and directed the short Picture Wheel which screened at Palm Springs, Rhode Island, Cinequest, Santa Monica – where it won Best Short Film, and numerous other festivals. It was sold to Gunpowder & Sky. His dark comedy Love & Dating: in LA! (writer, producer, lead actor) screened at festivals around the world including Cleveland International, Hollyshorts, Santa Monica where it won the Audience Choice award, and was bought by The El Rey Network. Projects in development include feature film Sons of Salt, which recently received Screen Australia development funding and was shortlisted for the Australians In Film Gateway Screenwriting Prize.
He starred in the feature Ghosthunters (SyFy) and in the festival hit Oranges Don’t Grow on Trees which premiered at St. Kilda. He has lectured on writing and performance at various institutions including M.I.T. and Edith Cowan University.
Ben Davies
Documentary Film Making
Wednesday 5 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 – register here.
Creator and producer of numerous prime time TV series, Ben has over 20 years experience in the TV industry, and is the founder of production company, Ronde. In addition to winning 6 Logies (Australia’s highest TV award), he’s been nominated for a Rose D’or, a Screen Forever award, and a Golden Nymph. Ben’s creations include Bondi Rescue, currently in its 16th season on Network Ten, and also playing on Netflix (USA), Nat Geo (Europe) plus a further 100+ countries and territories worldwide. It’s one of Australia’s most successful TV exports.
Other series created or co-created by Ben include: Here Come The Habibs (Channel Nine), the first narrative comedy on commercial free to air TV in 14 years. Show Me The Movie, a light-ent series with Rove McManus, for Channel Ten. Gun Ringer, launched in 2018 as the most watched straight to Iview series in the history of Iview. Outback Ringer – is the 10 x 30 documentary series follow-up. Bondi Boardriders Vs The World, for Red Bull TV. New comedy factual series, Australia Now and Then, launches in 2021 on 7. And a new factual series Three Blue Ducks, Q1 2021, on Network Ten.
Ben’s career began as a ‘racer’ (roving film maker) on the ABC series Race Around The World (at the time, the highest rating ABC show ever). Soon after he worked on factual, documentary, and entertainment programs for Nine, ABC, Foxtel, and Sky.
He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (film and television) degree from The College of Fine Arts (UNSW), and is an MA honours graduate of the Australian Film and Television School (where he made the AFI nominated documentary Truckies Don’t Eat Quiche).
Simon McLachlan
Show Business – Acting, Singing, Editing, Vlogging, Entertainment, Musicals
Thursday 6 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 – register here.
Simon is a professional Actor/Singer/Presenter and has been working in the entertainment industry since graduating from Waverley College in the year 2000. Simon has had guest roles on most Australian TV shows including Underbelly, Here Come the Habibs, A Place to Call Home. Films include Me and My Left Brain, and he is currently featured in two major TVC campaigns for Real Insurance and Mitsubishi, and has just completed a film and photographic shoot for a large TVC and print campaign for Adobe which will hit screens shortly.
Simon also has major Music Theatre credits including being in the original Australian cast of Jersey Boys, and currently touring Australia with a production called The Robertson Brothers Variety Show, which plays in venues 300-1000pax, and is set up as a live studio recording of a variety TV show, that Simon and The Robertson Brothers host on camera, then perform the hit songs of the era live.
This also ties into work he does as a professional Host/MC for events. He has a lot of experience with self tapes for US and overseas productions, and self taping became a huge part of the Australian industry in 2020 due to COVID-19. Simon has also stepped more lately into shooting his own videos and documentary series, a combination of fact and fun, ones that chronicled the travel and quarantine process and its impact on families, when he and his family had to travel overseas recently. He also videos and documents a “behind the scenes” series as part of his current tour.
William Woodward
Script, Ideas and Storytelling
Monday 10 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 – register here.
William T Woodward, an Australian Director/Writer/Producer, enrolled in film school upon graduating from high school at the age of 18. Since then, William has worked on several Short Films with up and coming directors, as well as working on his own A New Outlook depicting male mental health. This film has been submitted to a number of prestigious festivals including the Sydney Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and Hollywood International Short Film Festival. In the short period since graduating from high school, William has established his own production company, RANSOM Productions with his best friend Finbar Warren. William is now working on two new projects where he will be directing/writing/producing.
Laurence Coy
Directing Actors and Film Acting
Tuesday 11 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 – register here.
Australian actor Laurence Coy has worked for all the State Theatre Companies, Bell Shakespeare, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney Festivals, Marion St, Q Theatre and many commercial and independent producers. He is currently acting in the Australian play written by David Williamson, The Removalists, playing at the New Theatre.
His feature film credits include San Andreas, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Fool’s Gold, The Three Stooges and Doing Time For Patsy Cline. On television he has appeared in Devil’s Dust, Wild Boys, Rake, Crownies and Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo. He co-wrote and directed two series of Tough Nuts – Australia’s Hardest Criminals for Foxtel and The Kangaroo Gang for the BBC.
He is a graduate in Arts (Theatre Studies) from University of New South Wales, in Acting from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, in Directing from National Institute of Dramatic Art, and he has an MA in Writing from University of Technology Sydney.
Laurence taught at Acting Conservatories in both Australia and Europe. In addition, he has been Academic Program Director at the Australian Academy of Dramatic Art.
Laurence’s career has focused on sports communication, media presentation, and interpersonal skills development. His clients include the National Rugby League, the Australian Rugby Union, Cricket Australia and the Australian Football League.
He was a Lecturer in Theatre Studies at University of Leeds.
Cooper Silk and Patrick Clifton
Sound and Music- the importance of sound and music in film
Tuesday 18 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 – register here.
Brendan Cook
Animation
Wednesday 19 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 – register here.
Brendan Cook is an award winning Motion Designer and Animation Director from Sydney, Australia.
With 20 years’ experience in the visual communications industry, his work spans film and television content, branding campaigns, music video and experiential environments such as exhibition and live performance visuals.
Brendan has a multi-disciplinary approach to visual communication through moving images, employing a combination of traditional live action, stop frame photography, 2D, 3D and hand-drawn animation techniques. He is equally at home on set directing live action or in the studio collaborating with teams of designers and animators. The ability to move between and combine a number of visual mediums allows him to develop a solution that most successfully communicates the essence of an idea.
Brendan has collaborated with an impressive range of Australian and international clients including Nickelodeon, MTV, ABC, Playschool, IWM, iEC, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Artists in Motion, History Channel, National Geographic, Disney, A&E, Flickerfest, GPY&R, the University of Sydney and SoH.
His motion design work has won numerous awards including two BDA World Gold Awards.
Brendan’s music video, and film projects have screened in festivals throughout the world including Annecy Film Festival, Ottawa International Animation Festival, LA Film Festival and Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Brendan has created music video content for artists including Gotye, James Taylor, The Temper Trap, Bill Callaghan (Smog), Husky, Clare Bowditch and The Potbelleez.
His recent feature film projects include directing animations for the feature documentary 35 Letters (winner SFF and Zach’s Ceremony (winner SFF, MIFF).
Brendan has recently created live visuals for James Taylor’s US tour, the WW1 Centenary exhibition for the Imperial War Museum of London, the Mandela My Life Exhibition at Melbourne Museum and Muriel’s Wedding the Musical.
Elliot Toms
Camera Angles, Film making for Advertising and e-commerce, Facebook, tik-tok
Wednesday 12 May, 3:30-5pm in K38 – register here.
Elliot is an ideographer at Eucalyptus, creating video content from pre-pro to delivery for their three Telehealth brands: Kin Fertility, Pilot and Software. He is passionate about quality content and everything that goes into making it – for him, the process is just as exciting as the finished product.
Outside of work, you’ll find Elliot working on passion projects. Click here to view a recent one in New Zealand
Summary of practical skills:
- In-house content production: Photography & Videography (shooting and editing)
- Thorough understanding of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, After Effects, Premier Pro)
- Colour grading with DaVinci Resolve
- Leading delivery process working with internal teams in the creative process from start to finish
- Creating opportunistic content off the back of cultural trends
- Understanding of social media strategy, production processes and content strategy
- Screenwriting – scripts for social content
- Putting together production timelines, budgets and liaising with external production companies.
