The Production & Facilities team works collaboratively to ensure that the school’s infrastructure is fit for purpose to support the delivery of the highly practical, future-focused, and industry-aligned student learning experience the school is known for. Externally, the team works with industry and tertiary partners to seek expertise and benchmark on the industry alignment of its facilities and production methods and to ensure safe and equitable access to AFTRS facilities for students.
Behind the scenes of 'Sweet Tooth' | Dir. Shannon Ashlyn | Photo: David Collins
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Link to Darren Chau
Darren Chau
Darren Chau is an award winning television executive, producer and educator with extensive experience in local and international content creation, commissioning and production across multi-genre, multi-platform and multi-market.
Darren has held local and international content leadership roles at Warner Bros. Discovery and Foxtel. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team and Head of Content, Production and Channels at Discovery Networks ANZ, Darren oversaw the portfolio strategy, commissioning and Executive Producing both local and global hits airing in over 150 countries worldwide; international franchises including The Block, Dancing with the Stars, Masterchef and The Masked Singer; as well as a range of factual, entertainment, reality, lifestyle, comedy and acclaimed drama series, including being credited with inspiring the idea to commission the multi-award winning Wentworth. Darren has also created and launched several broadcast channels across the region including creating free-to-air channel 9Rush as part of a joint venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and the Nine Network.
Darren has served as an International Emmy Awards judge, an expert moderator at the Emmy World Television Festival, is an elected member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and twice appointed to the Screen Producers Australia’ s Screen Forever Market Advisory Board.Darren Chau
Darren Chau is an award winning television executive, producer and educator with extensive experience in local and international content creation, commissioning and production across multi-genre, multi-platform and multi-market.
Darren has held local and international content leadership roles at Warner Bros. Discovery and Foxtel. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team and Head of Content, Production and Channels at Discovery Networks ANZ, Darren oversaw the portfolio strategy, commissioning and Executive Producing both local and global hits airing in over 150 countries worldwide; international franchises including The Block, Dancing with the Stars, Masterchef and The Masked Singer; as well as a range of factual, entertainment, reality, lifestyle, comedy and acclaimed drama series, including being credited with inspiring the idea to commission the multi-award winning Wentworth. Darren has also created and launched several broadcast channels across the region including creating free-to-air channel 9Rush as part of a joint venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and the Nine Network.
Darren has served as an International Emmy Awards judge, an expert moderator at the Emmy World Television Festival, is an elected member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and twice appointed to the Screen Producers Australia’ s Screen Forever Market Advisory Board.
Job title:
Director, Production and Facilities
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Peter Bianchino
Peter Bianchino
Peter is a facilities and project manager who has over 20 years’ experience in high tech and industrial manufacturing. He has worked for large international organisations such as Technicolor Australia where he acted in various management roles including engineering, production, facility and administration. He has worked in physical media manufacturing providing products and services to major studio clients such as Disney, Warner, Paramount, Universal and Roadshow.
More recently he worked as the facilities and project manager for Valmont Australia who supply industrial goods and services where he undertook the responsibility for planning and executing large factory relocation and integration projects.
He has managed various aspects of industrial and office real estate including sourcing appropriate sites, lease negotiations/formalisation and various site exit activities.
Strategy, planning and change management have been central to Peter’s role over the last 5 years.
Peter believes in working in a collaborative environment where everyone is focused on the objectives of the organisation and delivering the end goals.
In his downtime, Peter plays the guitar and has performed live with various bands over the years.Peter Bianchino
Peter is a facilities and project manager who has over 20 years’ experience in high tech and industrial manufacturing. He has worked for large international organisations such as Technicolor Australia where he acted in various management roles including engineering, production, facility and administration. He has worked in physical media manufacturing providing products and services to major studio clients such as Disney, Warner, Paramount, Universal and Roadshow.
More recently he worked as the facilities and project manager for Valmont Australia who supply industrial goods and services where he undertook the responsibility for planning and executing large factory relocation and integration projects.
He has managed various aspects of industrial and office real estate including sourcing appropriate sites, lease negotiations/formalisation and various site exit activities.
Strategy, planning and change management have been central to Peter’s role over the last 5 years.
Peter believes in working in a collaborative environment where everyone is focused on the objectives of the organisation and delivering the end goals.
In his downtime, Peter plays the guitar and has performed live with various bands over the years.
Job title:
Head of Facilities
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Natalie Robinson-Hurst
Natalie Robinson-Hurst
Natalie Robinson Hurst is the Head of Production at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Natalie is an award-winning Content Executive, with over 25 years’ experience in the screen industry
Natalie Robinson-Hurst
Natalie Robinson Hurst is the Head of Production at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Natalie is an award-winning Content Executive, with over 25 years’ experience in the screen industry
Job title:
Head of Production
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Alex Hardaker
Alex Hardaker
Growing up in film and TV, Alex did his first commercial at age 6 and has continued to work on both sides of the camera since then. He has been at AFTRS in several roles over the past 8 years and has a passion for helping people who want to learn and create. Alex also continues to work as both an actor, producer and camera operator on international sport, TV and commercials.
Alex Hardaker
Growing up in film and TV, Alex did his first commercial at age 6 and has continued to work on both sides of the camera since then. He has been at AFTRS in several roles over the past 8 years and has a passion for helping people who want to learn and create. Alex also continues to work as both an actor, producer and camera operator on international sport, TV and commercials.
Job title:
Head of Production Operations
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Annie Wright
Annie Wright
Annie Wright has a Bachelor of Industrial Design and has worked in Film, TV and Theatre for nearly 30 years. She is a Designer, Scenic artist/Set finisher, Prop Maker, Special Effects person, Standby Props person, Model Maker, Set Dresser and general all-round Art Department guy.
She has worked for Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, ABC, Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Sculpture by the Sea, as well as on hundreds of short films, features, TV shows, theatre productions, music video clips, exhibitions and TV commercials.
She is passionate about visual storytelling through the creation of believable environments and works closely with our students to find creative ways for them to build their worlds. She believes that skills are gained though practical experience and enjoys empowering them to find practical solutions to the varied and interesting problems that arise during the film making process.
Annie is also a safe conversations officer.Annie Wright
Annie Wright has a Bachelor of Industrial Design and has worked in Film, TV and Theatre for nearly 30 years. She is a Designer, Scenic artist/Set finisher, Prop Maker, Special Effects person, Standby Props person, Model Maker, Set Dresser and general all-round Art Department guy.
She has worked for Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, ABC, Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Sculpture by the Sea, as well as on hundreds of short films, features, TV shows, theatre productions, music video clips, exhibitions and TV commercials.
She is passionate about visual storytelling through the creation of believable environments and works closely with our students to find creative ways for them to build their worlds. She believes that skills are gained though practical experience and enjoys empowering them to find practical solutions to the varied and interesting problems that arise during the film making process.
Annie is also a safe conversations officer.
Job title:
Props & Staging Manager
Division:
Tutors, Production & Facilities
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Link to Con Despinidic
Con Despinidic
Con Despinidic has been with AFTRS since 2007. Since starting out as House Electrician he has since progressed to his current role of Maintenance Manager. He enjoys the variety in his role, meeting fantastic new people and working with some of the most talented people in the industry, with whom he shares a passion for exchanging knowledge and encouraging others to reach for their dreams.
Con Despinidic
Con Despinidic has been with AFTRS since 2007. Since starting out as House Electrician he has since progressed to his current role of Maintenance Manager. He enjoys the variety in his role, meeting fantastic new people and working with some of the most talented people in the industry, with whom he shares a passion for exchanging knowledge and encouraging others to reach for their dreams.
Job title:
Building Maintenance Manager
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Kym-Louise Barton
Kym-Louise Barton
Kym-Louise was appointed Sales and Distribution Manager at AFTRS in 2014. She works closely with students and alumni to distribute, licence and promote their work at film festivals and with content partners globally. In this time she has secured student film selections at some of the biggest festivals in the world including the Cannes Film Festival, Berlinale and Toronto International Film Festival.
Kym-Louise has over 25 years experience in marketing, sales, distribution and publicity across the film and music industries where she has held positions at PolyGram, Universal, EMI and Ivy League.
She is also a musician and has toured both domestically and internationally and had her music licensed for television and theatre.Kym-Louise Barton
Kym-Louise was appointed Sales and Distribution Manager at AFTRS in 2014. She works closely with students and alumni to distribute, licence and promote their work at film festivals and with content partners globally. In this time she has secured student film selections at some of the biggest festivals in the world including the Cannes Film Festival, Berlinale and Toronto International Film Festival.
Kym-Louise has over 25 years experience in marketing, sales, distribution and publicity across the film and music industries where she has held positions at PolyGram, Universal, EMI and Ivy League.
She is also a musician and has toured both domestically and internationally and had her music licensed for television and theatre.
Job title:
Sales & Distribution Manager
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Milena Romanin
Milena Romanin
Milena Romanin is AFTRS Alumni from both the Editing department and more recently the Producing department. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the Editing department as First Assistant Editor on both feature films and television dramas including Knowing, The Book of Revelation, Little Fish, Anacondas, Love and Other Catastrophes and East West 101.
Her editing credits include the award-winning short film Sexy Thing, which was nominated for Palm D’Or, and feature films Two Fists, One Heart and Circle of Lies.
Her producing credits also include AFTRS award-winning short film Emily, nominated for a student Academy Award and short film The Road Home.Milena Romanin
Milena Romanin is AFTRS Alumni from both the Editing department and more recently the Producing department. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the Editing department as First Assistant Editor on both feature films and television dramas including Knowing, The Book of Revelation, Little Fish, Anacondas, Love and Other Catastrophes and East West 101.
Her editing credits include the award-winning short film Sexy Thing, which was nominated for Palm D’Or, and feature films Two Fists, One Heart and Circle of Lies.
Her producing credits also include AFTRS award-winning short film Emily, nominated for a student Academy Award and short film The Road Home.
Job title:
Post-Production Supervisor
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Peter Humble
Peter Humble
Peter has a background as a performing artist as well as a history in cross disciplinary practice working between film, video, sound & music. He is the founder of Workshop for Potential Cinema, an artist-run film work space located in Sydney, which exists to serve those who continue to explore photo-chemical filmmaking on 8mm and 16mm film and regularly runs workshops in all aspects of analogue cinema.
Peter Humble
Peter has a background as a performing artist as well as a history in cross disciplinary practice working between film, video, sound & music. He is the founder of Workshop for Potential Cinema, an artist-run film work space located in Sydney, which exists to serve those who continue to explore photo-chemical filmmaking on 8mm and 16mm film and regularly runs workshops in all aspects of analogue cinema.
Job title:
Video Post Officer
Division:
Production & Facilities
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Link to Simon Gray
Simon Gray
Simon Gray works in the Technical Equipment Store: the ‘equipment library’ of AFTRS. As a Technical Store Officer, he is responsible for a wide variety of camera, lighting and sound kits, the booking system, and technical troubleshooting. He enjoys getting to know and seeing the progress of students throughout their time at AFTRS and creating new, efficient processes that meet the requirements and expectations of staff and students alike.
An award-winning AFTRS Masters Cinematography Graduate, Simon continues to be a frequent contributor of articles on large-scale productions to trade magazine American Cinematographer, holds a First Class Honours Degree in European and Russian Studies and is studying to be a positive dog trainer. His dogs are often available for a ‘meet-and-greet’ on Saturday mornings.Simon Gray
Simon Gray works in the Technical Equipment Store: the ‘equipment library’ of AFTRS. As a Technical Store Officer, he is responsible for a wide variety of camera, lighting and sound kits, the booking system, and technical troubleshooting. He enjoys getting to know and seeing the progress of students throughout their time at AFTRS and creating new, efficient processes that meet the requirements and expectations of staff and students alike.
An award-winning AFTRS Masters Cinematography Graduate, Simon continues to be a frequent contributor of articles on large-scale productions to trade magazine American Cinematographer, holds a First Class Honours Degree in European and Russian Studies and is studying to be a positive dog trainer. His dogs are often available for a ‘meet-and-greet’ on Saturday mornings.
Job title:
Technical Store Officer
Division:
Production & Facilities