MA by Research

MA RESEARCH STUDENTS AND PROJECTS

Australian Film Television and Radio School >> Explore >> Research & Scholarship >> MA by Research

The AFTRS MA by Research is designed to create new knowledge for industry. Our students do self directed, creative, technical, practical or theoretical research into a topic that they propose. The required output is a 30,000 word thesis or equivalent. Projects are accepted into the program on the basis of their potential to generate and articulate new knowledge, usefulness or demand for that knowledge, feasibility, the student's capacity to undertake them (track record) and AFTRS capacity to supervise them.

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Current Students and Projects

Natalie Millar: Myth, Magic and Masala: The Potential for an Indian Mythological Fantasy Film with Crossover Appeal

This research addresses the issues that present themselves in this question of Bollywood truly crossing over to a Hollywood audience, with a particular focus on the mythological fantasy genre. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Matt Campora

Jonathon Peters: The Dramatic Aesthetic in Virtual Worlds, A research study into how to create effective hybrid world/film properties

The project will assess how to create a successful hybrid film / virtual world property looking specifically at how to create a dramatic aesthetic that resonates between a virtual world and a film. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Nathan Anderson

David Hansen; Here's Lying to You, Kid, A Filmmaker's Guide to Creating reality Onscreen

Research into the methods of various filmmakers who make use of improvisation and development of techniques through working with indigenous communities on devised scripts. Supervisor: Karen Pearlman

Atalanti Dionysus: How has interactive multi-platform changed the way documentary filmmakers are approaching their craft?

Looking into the craft of documentary making and how it is adapting to new interactive platforms, with the intent of producing and interactive web resources for developing documentary makers. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Ruth Cullen

Ivan Beram: Levels of Complexity A design methodology for (Interactive) Entertainment based Projects

Researching and writing a handbook on a new method of developing games levels - taking the creative work out of the hands of software designers and transferring it to innovators in entertainment. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Mike Jones

Mary Bowe: Plotting the Trajectory of the male protagonists and the female protagonists in the romantic comedy genre: finding new orbits for the Screenwriter

Researching romantic comedy to produce new and innovative ways of creating comedy story and character within the genre. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Matt Campora

Stefan Gillard: A New Working Model to Create Pixels in the Cloud

With the recent developments in Cloud based services, can a better and more financially efficient means of production facilitate a better way for the industry to tell engaging and compelling stories? Supervisor: David Court

Morgan Newall: Extending the frame, How to Leverage the modern without Losing the Plot

Researching and implementing new writing methods for "story clusters" - short films which complement each other in cohesive clusters and are distributed online through social networks or mobile media. Supervisor: Karen Pearlman

Kieran Tully: Thai Film Festival and Distribution of Asian Films in Australia and Online

Developing the festival and distribution models for Asian films in Australia. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Matt Campora

Andrew Belletty: Cultural Distortions

A study of how the listener, through cultural conditioning, informs aspects of the process of storytelling and expectation in the mainstream, feature filmmaking of India and the USA. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Matt Campora

Garry Morton: Indigenous Screen Production Funding: Leveraging Corporate and Social Enterprise Collaboration for the benefit of emerging Indigenous Writers, Directors and Producers

Identification of the appropriate social enterprise structure and corporate philanthropists or partnerships that will be most beneficial for a sustainable collaboration and related research. Supervisor: Cathryn McConaghy

Glenn Humphries: Mixing in the Modern Environment

How can improved sound production methodology and its related technology and workflows be best utilised and implemented to achieve the greatest results in a decreased amount of time? Supervisors: Chris McKeith & Mike Jones

George Papanicolaou: An Exploration of Middle Eastern Tunings

Incorporation in contemporary Film Scoring practice of tuning systems that are not based on the Western diatonic system or equal tempered scale. Supervisors: Dr Matthew Campora and Martin Armiger

Sarah Stollman: The Art of Nostalgia in the Cinema of Magic Realism

An investigation into the imagery, symbolism and production design that have developed out of the themes of Magic Realist films, particularly those centering around nostalgia. Supervisor: Dr Karen Pearlman

Leonie Jones: Storytelling in the Museum Context

Looking into the question of where does documentary filmmaking and storytelling meet museological communication in a cross media environment? Supervisors: Dr Karen Pearlman and Ruth Cullen

Dylan Blowen: Enterprise Funding and the Sustainability Myth; fantasy and fact in the Australian Film Industry

Assessing the impact of the Enterprise funding model on commercial viability and creative content in the small to medium sized sector of the Australian film and television industry. Supervisors: Dr Cathryn McConaghy and David Court

AFTRS MA Research 2010 Graduates

Anne Chesher: The Classroom Innovation revolution

Research into innovative media technology in the classroom learning environment intended to provide knowledge, resources and pathways for traditional media screen producers and teachers.

Anne has been accepted into QUT PhD Program to continue her MA Research with scholarship, and she was the Educational Producer on Cloudstreet.

Shoni Ellis: Wild Ark

An exploration of how mobile and social media technologies can enrich and extend the audience experience of cultural institutions such as museums, galleries and zoos.

Shoni is now involved in mobile technology projects for a number of cultural institutions.

Nathan Anderson: What's the story - are new entertainment platforms changing narrative?

The focus for the research will be on understanding the relationship between interactive and non-interactive narrative structures and their place in modern screen based entertainment.

Nathan is now a lecturer in Screen Business at AFTRS, and the recent recipient of grants from Screen Australia and the DMI to work on narrative based interactive projects.

Matthew Hancock: Everything old is new again: the adaptation of underlying material in the supply and demand of Australian screen content

This research will be the first comprehensive study of underlying material's economic contribution to feature film production in Australia. It will explore the development, production and release cycle to identify the industry's balance of original and adapted projects, addressing current levels, historical trends and international comparisons.

Matt is a manager of research at Screen Australia, and his research through the AFTFS MA has had impact on industry and policy.

Peter Herbert: The Value in Comedy Teams

The aim of this research is to analyse the processes involved in identifying and creating comedy teams, what it takes to support and manage them over a sustained period of time and, finally, examine some of the accounting measures that may assist in putting a financial value on creative comedy teams.

Peter is currently producing a comedy series for SBS.

Students Currently on Leave

Violeta Ayala: Cocaine Prison - The Filmmaker's experience

Coming off of the incredibly controversial experience of making and distributing the documentary Stolen, and the roller coaster ride of being courted internationally for the rights to remake Stolen as a fiction film in Hollywood (and write a book based on her story), Violeta will document the process of developing her next film, describing the effects on the filmmaker of making such personal and controversial stories. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Ruth Cullen

Corey Baudinette: Robust and Evolving Producer/Directors Relationships

This research project will explore the working relationship between the Producer and Director, the changes it is undergoing with the introduction of new technologies and delivery platforms, and its effect on the creative process of filmmaking. Supervisor: Karen Pearlman

Bronwyn Purvis: Clemency's Project

Theoretical and practical research into the representation of people with disabilities onscreen, producing a documentary which tells the story of one disabled person while also exploring representation of disability within cinematic history. Supervisors: Karen Pearlman & Ruth Cullen

Updated 29 July 2011