After graduating high school in 2017, I launched a media company and soon after began a three-year long university degree at QUT, studying Fine Arts (Film, Screen & New Media). But these are not separate endeavours. In fact, they are intimately linked.

Understanding that my Bachelor’s degree would not in itself guarantee a spot in the competitive film industry, I designed my studies so as to utilise the resources, networking opportunities and mentorship programs to build a portfolio of work that, by the end of 2020, would demonstrate my diverse capabilities as a filmmaker, social media manager, screenwriter, and entrepreneur.

That portfolio of work is THE SLOP SHACK: a collaborative enterprise of transdisciplinary endeavours spanning podcasts, events, documentaries, music videos, freelance filmmaking and a successful YouTube channel. With almost 100,000 views across all platforms and wide network of collaborators – this media company would not be the same without QUT.

In the final semester of my degree, I participated in an intensive filmmaking experience that cemented my professional capabilities. Having already established myself as a creative lead, producer and director, I used this “Situated Creative Practice” experience to enhance my employability in key industry areas.

SO, Here’s how the last six months have challenged me to become a better creative PRACTITIONER:

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

Angst & Other Drugs

Desiring experience working on established IPs (as the industry becomes increasingly relient on popular properties), I challenged myself to market a long gestating short film – using my considerable social media experience to promote a work I was not directly involved in.

Angst and Other Drugs is a teen dramedy following a high school drug dealer’s double life. I was hired to draw attention to the film, run a successful crowdfunding campaign, and devise a lasting festival run.

As dictated by the target audience (16 – 22 year-old Australians, with a push for equal male and female attention), the social media campaign was very much based in the neon-soaked YA sphere, aiming to explore the world of the film, enhance engagement through polling, and flaunt a visually compelling aesthetic.

Challenged to work within defined parameters, I pushed myself to constantly refer back to the original source material (including as much of the tone, worldbuilding, brand image and crew involvement as I could).

Innovative plans in the campaign included the use of merchandise as an incentive for crowdfunding (as we created custom T-Shirts and stickers). These were new strategies that had not been employed by myself in the past or used by other SCP projects (but were, evidently, appropriated by all five other Film Slate projects after our success). With an iterative and experimental approach to the creation of this social media campaign, the final product yieled exceptional results (see engagement statistics below).

INNOVATIVE MICRO-CONTENT CAMPAIGN

Short film marketing is a challenge, with thousands of student films launching campaigns that peter out after a few weeks. Eager to avoid this pitfall, I pitched to the director and producer an innovative micro-content spin-off – inspired by recent content that utilises characters from existing IP in short educational videos – where the drug kingpin character from the film would educate viewers on the underworld.

While risky in its concept and ambitious in its scale, Drug Dealing 101 has been a massive success for the Angst and Other Drugs campaign. With 10 episodes, 15 minutes of content, 22 images, 1,000 words of copy and shared across multiple platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat and Reddit) – this was a fantastic formative experience that proved my ability to market a short film (reaching over 2,200 people).

A series of comedic sixty-second shorts, Stevie reveals the tricks of her
trade: Drug Dealing. As she schools audiences on the 10 most important rules, Stevie will take you from Eshay to Escobar. Written, directed, produced and edited by Harry Sweby.

By going above and beyond the expectations of this role (creating original merchandise, engaging pitch videos, behind-the-scenes photography, satirical crew bios and an entire ten episode spin-off series) my ambitions for the Angst and Other Drugs campaign have afforded me a much deeper understanding of the nuances of short film marketing and social media management. By utilising this project to experiment in ways I couldn’t with The Slop Shack’s feed, I feel renewed confidence in my abilty to bring fresh strategies to established brands and existing IP.

If you would like to hire me to manage your social media or create an eye-catching campaign for your short film, contact me here.

FILMMAKING

Abstraction

A short drama about a potrait artist diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Abstraction was the culmination of all of my previous practical experience at QUT.

Having worked on dozens of amateur short films, I desired a shoot of professional standard. Working through gruelling COVID-restrictions and a constricted schedule, I enhanced my scheduling, communication and leadership skills as a First Assistant Director.

Having to respond to the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 on film production (including masks, distancing and a 10-person household limit applied by the Queensland government) further impacted a role that is already demanding. Ultimately, I was able to successfully minimise risk as de-facto COVID Coordinator, keep the crew energised, and wrap most shooting days ahead of schedule – supporting a beautiful film that will undoubtedly live a long life on the festival circuit.

If you would like to hire me as a producer, runner, or First Assistant Director, contact me here.

SCREENWRITING

One of the best examples of my ability to utilise university opportunities to further develop my career was in the Script Mentor Sessions provided by Dr Susan Cake. Combining The Slop Shack’s resources and podcast network, I worked with Susan to organise two special learning events with high-profile screenwriters.

These valuable learning and networking opportunities were distributed as a part of The Slop Shack’s interview series SLOP:

The collaborative environment fostered in these Script Mentor Sessions also assisted my screenwriting, allowing me to re-draft a lengthy feature screenplay into a product worthy of competition.

For a sample of my diverse screenwriting (including short films, documentary scripts and a spec script for ABC’s Harrow), click here.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Slop Shack and my university studies exist in a symbiotic relationship. My media company’s diverse content and project list is the culmination of my studies and best represents my experience in 2020’s Situated Creative Practice Film Slate: One of experimentation and collaboration – punctuated by humbling failure and unprecedented success.

I think the biggest advice I have is to surround yourself with an eclectic assortment of creative people.

– quote from my featured article at creator mindset

But neither of these experiences would have been possible without the incredible people I’ve worked with. I am the sum total of everything I’ve learnt from my peers, tutors, crew members and friends – and so I truly understand the value of diverse collaboration. That’s why The Slop Shack will continue to focus on our creative collective – one that consistently works with over a hundred local creators.

In summary, my recent work on Abstraction, Angst and Other Drugs and the screenwriting podcasts have cemented my transdisciplinary skills as a copywriter, photographer, marketer, screenwriter, First AD and host, and serve as a primary example of what I encourage to my peers:

Don’t wait to follow your dreams. Get started today!

If you believe I am the right person to help YOU get started, download my CV here and contact me at sweebs101@gmail.com.