Claudia Shepherd, an alumna of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), shares her inspiring journey from the corporate world to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and landing a job as a production assistant at Netflix. In a recent interview with ArtsHub, Shepherd reflects on her experience at AFTRS and the transformative impact it had on her career. 

“I was working in the corporate world but I quit, without even knowing whether I would get into AFTRS, but I had this burning passion for film and I had to follow my dreams, and thank God I did,” Shepherd told ArtsHub. 

During her time at AFTRS, Shepherd studied the Master of Arts Screen: Producing, a comprehensive two-year program that provided her with a wide range of skills and knowledge in project development and creative leadership. In the program, Shepherd undertook workshops and practical exercises across screen studies, research and development and producing, learning from the School’s award-winning practitioners and guest speakers from leading production companies. 

A significant highlight in Shepherd’s journey was her Masters’ capstone project, MumLife, which was selected for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. This short film was a collaboration with her peers across other disciplines including Music, Screenwriting, Directing, Production Design and Cinematography.

Shepherd is now enjoying work as a production assistant at Netflix, where she appreciates the opportunity to be involved in projects from development to delivery. Talking about the day-to-day as a production assistant, Shepherd says, “You have to be really organised in this role. So, I’m grateful for the training and experience that I had at AFTRS and the encouragement to multi-task.” 

Claudia Shepherd’s journey from AFTRS to Cannes and Netflix exemplifies the transformative power of following one’s passion and the valuable opportunities provided to help students fast-track their career. To find out more about the Master of Arts Screen: Producing, join us for our Postgraduate Info Sessions on July 26-27. Learn more about the program from Discipline Lead for Producing, Julie Greene, and explore our state-of-the-art campus. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask any burning questions about the program, application process, student experience, scholarships and AFTRS. Register here. 

The original article was published by ArtsHub. Read the full interview with Claudia Shepherd here.