The Next Generation by Chau Vu (s3844228)

“This short film is centered on a student who is writing an essay about being a woman in the film industry where this student delves into the unconscious gender bias and the representation of women onscreen to a friend. While the student explains, she included some insights from an interview she did with Elise McCredie, a producer and screenwriter based in Melbourne.”

During the making of this short film, I interviewed Elise McCredie who is a screenwriter and producer in a zoom call. From the interview alone, I have learnt a lot in terms of storytelling and an insight on what it is like to be a woman in the film industry. This is where I learnt that many stories starring strong female protagonist was frown upon from male distributors where they assume that stories are more successful if the story was suited for the male gaze. Initially, I was shocked and decided to write a fictionalized story while embedding McCredie’s interview to show the audience the reaction of one individual rather than informing them with statistics to create a stronger statement.

As an aspiring screenwriter, I have definitely became inspired and more aware on how the industry works. With Elise McCredie’s compassion towards writing more strong and as she quotes “unlikeable” female characters, I hope that one day I would a write a compelling story showing women’s flaws in the near future.