Long Live Australian Cinema has been an incredibly fascinating dive into one of the most interesting film industries in the world. Coming from another country, I had a blast learning about the foundational aspects of the Australian cinema industry, identifying its defining peculiarities, and charting out the possible paths it might take in the future. It all culminated in the premiering of my short film, Five Stars, which is intended as a guest’s tribute to the country’s admirable championing of the common man. Food delivery drivers are ubiquitous all throughout Australia, but they don’t really see representation of any sort in contemporary media (Licata, 2023). Five Stars is my attempt to put one in the shoes of a traditional macho action hero and to both satirise and lionise their dedicated, austere work ethic.

I’m an unapologetic lover of commercial cinema—specifically the loud, boisterous, and action-packed kind. So imagine my surprise when I found out that there’s a dearth of such films within the Australian film industry (Screen Australia, n.d.). This realisation spurred me on, and I hope Five Stars helps convey to Australian audiences that action films need not solely be imported from Hollywood and can be made within unconventional local settings, like the quaint suburbs of Melbourne as well. Considering that the studio’s primary concern is about how to get Australians to watch more local films, exploring genres that are traditionally underrepresented is a viable way to rouse their interest and assure them that the industry is fecund beyond its usual perception of solely producing emotional dramas (Zvi, 2019). The rambunctious response the film got at the studio exhibition despite its flaws and visible constraints made me realise that audiences will always have a predilection for fun ‘popcorn’ films. Capitalising on this niche represents an exciting possibility for Australian cinema to see mainstream growth.

As for Five Stars itself, while I’m incredibly proud of what my team and I have produced, there are also a few glaring shortcomings in the film. The most unfortunate of which is the lack of usable footage. While I had a clear vision for how the final film would look when starting off, the turbulent shoot journey threw a gigantic wrench into my plans and forced my team and me to make do with a lot less footage than needed. Though we were able to overcome a lot of the issues with clever editing, a common bit of feedback I received from my peers is that the film feels ‘toothless’ when it comes to the violence and could’ve been a lot more impactful with actual on-screen gore. But the editing also resulted in what I would consider the film’s greatest strength, its tight pace. Barring a small introduction portion, the film moves in a fast and focused manner, ensuring that viewers remain engaged throughout. Editing also helped with the sound design that evoked intense reactions from the audience at times, such as the sounds of gushing blood after gunshots. Without a doubt, the sharp acumen of my editor, Trevor, proved to be one of the greatest blessings for Five Stars.

If I were to continue working on Five Stars, I’d immediately begin scheduling reshoots of certain sequences, specifically the ones involving on-screen violence. As mentioned earlier, their omission sticks out pretty blatantly, and their presence would really elevate the film back to my original vision as a throwback to the influential Ozploitation wave of films back in the 70’s and 80’s that revelled in jaw-dropping displays of violence and brutality (Milner, n.d.). I’d also ensure that I get more people to help on set and delegate tasks to them efficiently as the lack of manpower really affected our shoot, especially considering the ambitious content we were aiming for.

The biggest takeaway from Long Live Australian Cinema would be to never give up prematurely and to always try my best to ‘go the distance’ in anything I do. I was incredibly disheartened after the chaotic shoot and began to sink into the idea that the film was beyond fixing. The fear that I had ruined my maiden shot at an action short began to set in, and things seemed incredibly gloomy. It was at this juncture that my lecturer, Tim Marshall, and the film’s editor encouraged me to continue working on the film to the best of my abilities, which I began doing half-heartedly. But seeing the film take shape on the editing table felt like a shot to the veins and I was in genuine disbelief that things were coming together so well. As soon as we ended editing, my first thought was how none of these would’ve materialised if I had given up after the initial blow. I then resolved to always persevere and put forth an honest effort in my endeavours, no matter how perilous they seem.

I also learnt that working collaboratively is both a boon and a bane when it comes to filmmaking. While the instrumental editing process wouldn’t have been possible without a strong collaboration between me and my editor, there were also moments where communication breakdown made things frustrating and made me wish I was working with different people instead. Ultimately, filmmaking is a communal effort where we can’t always choose our peers. Instead, I understood that all we can do is ensure that all members of the team are on the same page and have a clear idea of the project’s vision before embarking on it.

Overall, Long Live Australian Cinema and the journey of Five Stars have imparted a lot of valuable lessons and exciting memories to me. The module has been a strong reminder that English cinema extends beyond just Hollywood, with tons of unique idiosyncratic gems on offer from more regional industries. I am extremely grateful for the experience I had in the module, and I wish to contribute to the resplendent Australian industry even as a foreigner in my journey as a filmmaker.

References

Licata, A. (2023). Checking the rear-view mirror: The online food delivery industry. Australian Institute of Business. https://pure.aib.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/33306125/Checking_the_Rear_View_Mirror_The_Online_Food_Delivery_Industry_AIB.pdf

Milner, J. (n.d.). Ozploitation films from the 1970s and 1980s. National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.  https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/ozploitation-films-1970s-and-1980s

Screen Australia. (n.d.). Genres – Activity Summary – Australian features – Production trends – Fact Finders. Screen Australia. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/production-trends/australian-features/genres

Zvi, J. (2019). What killed Australian cinema & why is the bloody corpse still moving? [Doctoral dissertation, Swinburne University of Technology]. Swinburne Research Bank.

Link to Film : https://vimeo.com/1089660885?share=copy#t=0

Link to Paperwork Folder : https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/s4110674_student_rmit_edu_au/EtltQOqAiipCseV4QTrXNggB1BaHb4EZxpp8mOQhJXiG9g

Links to Reflections:

Reflection 1: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2025/06/03/week-6-reflection-long-live-australian-cinema-mohamed-azman/

Reflection 2: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2025/06/03/week-7-to-9-reflection-long-live-australian-cinema-mohamed-azman/

Reflection 3: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2025/06/03/week-10-reflection-long-live-australian-cinema-mohamed-azman/

Reflection 4: https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2025/06/03/week-12-reflection-long-live-australian-cinema-mohamed-azman/

Though I ended shoot on a gloomy note, the very first draft I saw of the edit my teammate Trevor had prepared turned things around immediately. It was MILES ahead of what I had thought was possible. I was immediately galvanised and realised that Five Stars was far from a lost cause. That marked the start of many an editing session where Trevor and I worked together and meticulously carved out the final film. There were still occasional moments where we’d run in to unusable footage, such as the close-up shots of the main characters phone which were crucial for setting the stakes for the film. But after some brainstorming, we figured out creative solutions to each of the issues, like showing the phone screen as a pop-up instead.

Things soon became fun again as the film neared completion. We had a blast trying out different soundtracks and editing patterns, with even the final gag of the film being inspired completely by an editing mistake we ran into. The creation of a very dramatic credit sequence, the film was finally completed. I had completely shed the scepticism I had about the film and instead felt a strong sense of pride about what we had made. Five Stars isn’t perfect by any stretch of the word nor is it a perfect realisation of the vision I had when I was starting out. But it was a film filled with lessons from start to finish, and a powerful reminder to never be clouded by self-inflicted negativity. And for those reasons alone, I will forever cherish Five Stars.

I’ll preface immediately – the shoot was harrowing to say the least. Our team had prepared well; ensuring that the props were in order, actors were briefed, and location was prepared. But once we began filming however, a lot of problems began to rear their head, such as a general lack of experience from a teammate and a lack of manpower. Furthermore, time wasn’t on our side as well for we had only allocated 4 hours of shoot for both shoot days. As the hours ticked by and the preparation for each scene took way longer than expected, I felt an increasing sense of defeat and started to lose my composure. One of my teammates, Trevor, helped to keep me grounded and reminded me to focus on the task on hand instead of overthinking, which was just the reminder I needed. As day one of shoot ended, I was left pretty discouraged about the entire affair, though my worries were slightly assuaged by the enthusiastic response the footage we showed at the class pitch got.

The second day of shoot began soon after and despite our best efforts to remain on schedule, the timings still spiralled out of control. I had to get really creative on the fly and jettison a lot of the more ambitious shots planned, which admittedly was a great lesson in ‘killing your darlings’. After much toil, day two came to a close. Though the actors expressed excitement for the film in their parting words with us, I still felt devastated about how chaotic the entire shoot proved to be. Trevor once again came to my aid and told me to not dwell on what happened and instead devise clever ways we could make the best out of what we shot. With some slightly renewed spirits, I readied myself for the post-production.

Pre-production was in full force! As with every film, securing a suitable location and cast were my biggest concerns during this period. With Five Star’s intended violence however, it quickly became apparent that we would also need a knowledgable SFX artist to help the depictions of injuries come across as realistic, not comical. As such, I began relentlessly sending e-mails out to every acting schools and makeup academies in the hopes of attaining interested actors and SFX artistes. On the location front, one of my team members informed us that we would most likely be able to shoot at his relative’s house, albeit with a few conditions. Nonetheless, it came as a big relief.

As time passed, we unfortunately hit a fair bit of turbulence. While the search for an SFX artist proved fruitful, with Chelsea, a dedicated makeup student eagerly reaching out to us, we didn’t hear back from any actors as well. The location choice faced a tragic upheaval as well, as a misunderstanding meant that the teammate’s relative house wouldn’t be available at the timings we wanted. Though consternated, I know I had no choice but to preserver if I wanted to push the film to completion. We then decided to took the actor search to Facebook groups instead, which surprisingly yielded us a large volume of applicants. I also overcame my initial hesitation and requested my house owner if she could let us film at the house for 2 days, to which she cordially agreed. Things were falling into place, but I knew I couldn’t get complacent. The most crucial task still lied ahead of us — the shoot.

The journey of Five Stars began right after the film got chosen by the class as one of the 7 films that would be made. I was overjoyed at the reception the pitch got and became even more ecstatic when two of my classmates, Jash and Trevor, wanted to join the crew. With the team solidified, I knew that communication would be absolutely key for this project. The concept was ambitious and it was apparent that it was going to be an uphill battle, so it was crucial that my entire team were on the same page and had a clear sense of direction. Of course, the fact that I was the metaphorical ‘captain of the ship’ as the director left me extremely intimidated. The small team size also meant that all of us would have to juggle multiple roles, which certainly wasn’t going to make things easier. But hey, I was finally getting to realise one of my long-term dreams — making an action short film, and that excitement alone was enough to overshadow the nervousness.

And thus, I started things off with a long chat with my teammates, giving them a thorough idea of my vision and the plan I had to realise it. We also briefly planned out future tasks and roles, giving ourselves a timeline of sorts to follow to ensure efficient progress. Things were off to a promising start and I was brimming with optimism!

Title : Five Stars

REFLECTION STATEMENT

I’ve always loved a good action film. It rouses some sort of primal satisfaction in me seeing a hero wallop the villains to prove that good will always triumph. Despite being a superfan of the genre, the fact that I have never worked on one, even with numerous previous trysts with content creation constantly gnawed at me. Somehow the stars never seemed to align – there’ll always be a condition of some sort against it or simply a lack of resources. A month back however, I read Assignment 2’s brief and brimmed with excitement when I realised that all it asks for was for our film to relate to Australian cinema’s future. Here it was! My long-awaited shot at conceiving an action short that would remain ‘true’ to the genre through a focus on physical storytelling, while also being imbued with subtle layers and a wicked sense of humour.

I subsequently began brainstorming ways to deftly weave the values I had explored in Assignment 1 into the narrative. Australia’s predilection for underdogs and the ‘fair go’ concept made me feature a protagonist from a pivotal, yet underappreciated profession – the food delivery industry. The industry’s personnel are common sights countrywide, with the industry’s ubiquity skyrocketing post the Covid-19 pandemic (Roy Morgan, 2022). Despite this and the acute sense of risk within their professions, however (McCallum, 2024), their ephemeral interaction with consumers means they’re ‘invisible’ to the vast majority. Tying this very profession to the protagonist’s journey is my way of celebrating the underdog, as per Australian tradition. Additionally, establishing Jay as a diligent family man immediately through his car decals frames him as a typical hard-working Australian man who’ll be damned if he lets anything get in the way of his ‘fair go’.

Five Stars is also an experiment regarding action films within the Australian landscape. Despite the genre’s popularity globally, action films shockingly constitute only 6% of theatrical Australian films in the past 15 years (Screen Australia, 2024). By crafting a take on the genre that marries it with the country’s culture, geography, and sensibilities, Five Star attempts to discover a renewed way forward for the action genre within the local film industry and explore how Australian action films can carve out their own idiosyncratic identity instead of just emulating Hollywood.

And finally, as for the film’s viewership pathways, my primary intended platform is YouTube. I aim to leverage my Photoshop experience to craft creative ‘official’ looking promotional material for the film, which I’ll then enlist the help of as many friends as possible to spread on their social media platforms. This strategy alone should get a considerable amount of eyes on the film, and considering that action films tend to be quite accessible for general audiences, I’m banking on subsequent positive word-of-mouth to circulate and further propel the film to popularity. Of course, these are lofty ambitions. But with the confidence I gained from the positive response to the film’s pitch, I’m invigorated to realise my vision with immense confidence. Here’s to an exhilarating journey ahead!

References:

Meal delivery services now used by over 7 million Australians after strong growth during the pandemic. Roy Morgan. (2022). https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/meal-delivery-services-now-used-by-over-7-million-australians-after-strong-growth-during-the-pandemic

McCallum, K. (2024). Improving safety and rights for Gig Economy Delivery Drivers. Smith’s Lawyers. https://www.smithslawyers.com.au/post/rights-for-food-delivery-riders?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Screen Australia (c.2024) Australian Theatrical Feature Production Genres produced. Screen Australia website. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/production-trends/australian-features/genres

TREATMENT

Scene 1

An old car barrels down a remote road amidst utter darkness, cutting through uncomfortable stillness. A cut to the interior of the car follows, where a 90s pop hit waltzes from the radio. An eclectic collection of garish decals including; ‘Uber Eats Top Driver of the Year 2024’, 2023, and 2022’ , ‘Proud Australian Citzen’ , along with an adorable photo of a family all adorn the interiors. The driver is then unveiled – Jay, a middle-aged Indian man. Gripping the steering wheel with urgency, he occasionally glances at the dying phone propped up on his dashboard, where a message from a customer reads ‘Please don’t ring the bell; we’re planning a surprise. Contact us once you’re here.’ Jay unsuccessfully attempts to type a ‘sure’ before the phone unceremoniously shuts off, causing him to grunt and slam his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. Jay then floors the accelerator, and the car speeds up.

Scene 2

Jay’s car pulls up to a remote house juxtaposed against an eerie verdant backdrop, right out of a horror film. Jay fervidly kills the engine, leaps out of the car with the food parcel, and scurries to the doorstep. Beset by both a dead phone and the request to not alert the occupants, he cluelessly paces about. Some time passes, and the frustrated Jay decides to peek through a window, only to be met with obscured visuals of a tied-up, bloodied family surrounded by a few armed men clad in balaclavas. He staggers back in shock, dripping sweat and taking ragged breaths. He looks back at his car, then turns to the house, zeroing in on a slightly agape side window. Jay then clenches the food parcel tightly and silently inches towards the window before weaselling his way in.

Scene 3

Jay emerges inside the house and immediately scrutinises the surroundings. Flashes of the masked gang terrorising the family and asking about their valuables’ whereabouts punctuate a frightened Jay skulking around the house in pursuit of a means of communication.

Scene 4

Jay tiptoes into a room, where his eyes snap to a charging cable of his phone’s type. He plugs it in with shaking hands and sighs in relief when the glowing brand logo emerges. He takes a step back unmindfully…only to slip on a magazine on the floor and slam into a bed-frame. The resulting thud alerts an assailant who was burrowing through the cupboards next door and he rushes over, only to be met with an empty room. The assailant begins intently surveilling the room, just as the camera unveils Jay’s precarious hiding spot – the middle compartment of a closet which he has contorted himself into. The assailant turns to leave, but just then Jay’s phone blares out a notification from his food delivery app. The assailant pivots in shock and immediately rushes to the source of the noise, coming face-to-face with Jay. Right as he turns to call out to his companions, Jay jumps out, grabs a pair of scissors and drives them right into his ear. He immediately slumps over dead, and Jay looks eerily unfazed…until he realises the assailant is about to bleed out over the food parcel, immediately grabbing it away.

Scene 5

Jay cradles the parcel tightly and tiptoes down the hallway of the house. A quick cutaway shows that the phone isn’t getting any signal. A spot near a large window brings some success, but he turns and notices that it’s dangerously close to the pair of assailants accosting the family. He turns back to his phone and begins contacting the police, only for a bolt of lightning to strike near the window, projecting his shadow all across the dark living room. He turns in consternation and is met with furious glares by the assailants through their balaclavas.

Scene 6

We’re thrown right into the carnage. Jay lies sprawled out next to the family, face bruised and blood oozing from a gash on his forehead. The remaining two assailants convene in the living room, with packed duffel bags by their side. One of them saunters over to Jay and spits on his face before insulting him for killing his accomplice. He then raises his firearm and points it at Jay’s face. Right as his fingers caress the trigger however, he gets interrupted by the other assailant, who curiously brings forth the food package left on the windowsill earlier. Jay immediately reacts with renewed emotion upon noticing this. The assailant opens the bag and scoffs at the content before throwing it in front of Jay, who watches it crash down in slow motion. Sneering with red-hot anger, he grabs the leg of the armed assailant and pulls it forcefully, causing him to fall on his rear. Jay then slams a packet of piping hot soup from the food parcel onto his face, eliciting a shriek of utter anguish. Jay then grabs a glass bottle of Coke, stands up, and smashes it into the head of the other assailant rushing in, before stabbing the broken bottle into his neck again and again. Blood gushes out and coats Jay as he looks over and spots the scalded assailant languidly reaching for his firearm. Jay shambles over, positions his leg above the assailant’s neck, and brings it slamming down with all his might.

Scene 7

The house is now awash with light, with police tape everywhere. Chatter from policemen and forensics experts permeates the place. Jay sits on a chair with his head down. A woman belonging to the family he just saved walks over, places her hand on his shoulder and begins a relentless stream of passionate ‘thank yous’, only to be met with downcast indifference from him. Perplexed by his reaction, she turns to leave, but Jay calls out to her. Taking a deep breath, he then apologises tearfully to her for not being able to complete the delivery successfully, which further compounds her confusion. She assures him that it’s not an issue at all and is about to leave when he calls her again. Jay takes a deep breath, puts on his brightest smile, and in a theatrically chirpy tone asks if he can have a five-star rating.

TITLE CARD: FIVE STARS

VISUAL MOODBOARD

This frame is taken from a scene with heavy thematic similarity to Five Stars, where a character has to fend off a home invasion amidst a dark house. I’m very inspired by the use of creative diegetic lighting and the use of staging to convey power dynamics.

Source: Jailer (2023), © Sun Pictures

This frame inspires me with use of extremely stark shadows and a singular light source to create harsh focus and emphasis on a villainous character as he attacks a victim.

Source: Don’t Breathe (2016), © Screen Gems, Ghost House Pictures, Stage 6 Films

This frame uses a top down camera angle to express the aftermath of a violent attack, and I seek to adopt this method to show the protagonist standing amidst the dead assailants in the climax of Five Stars, conveying the extent of his brutal triumph against the odds.

Source: Marco (2024), © Cubes Entertainments

I really liked the use of harsh backlighting in this frame to add a sort of ethereal outward glow to the character. I can envision emulating this to make the assailants look extra menacing in some of the shots. 

Source: Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), © Blumhouse Productions

This frame strikes me as a brilliant example of the blocking for a fight scene within a dimly-lit confined space.

Source: Daredevil (2015-2018), © Netflix

I’d love to pay tribute to this iconic frame in Five Stars. I’d have the silhouette of the protagonist gaze at the house dwarfing him before he walks in with his food parcel, immediately conveying a sense of intimidation to the audience before a single word is uttered.

Source: The Exorcist (1973), © Hoya Productions

1. What drew you to this studio? What you think this studio is and what are you interested in exploring?

Around two years back when I had tons of free time and an insatiable appetite for underappreciated films, I stumbled upon a slate of Australian movies that were all entrenched in Australian culture yet resonated with me over 4000 kilometres away. This dichotomy of films that were coloured strongly by their native place while still maintaining global appeal stood out as a defining trait of Australian cinema. I sought to delve deeper into its catalogue, thus beginning a fascination that eventually led to this studio.

‘LONG LIVE AUSTRALIAN CINEMA’ to me represents an exploration of the idiosyncratic titular industry – breaking down its foundational aspects and the logistics of making films for a regional subset of audiences. Anyone trying to make an English film away from the Hollywood hegemony is fighting an uphill battle, but seeing numerous Australian filmmakers still persevere undaunted reveals the immense passion that resides within the industry. Through this studio, I aim to garner inspiration and expertise from the arduous odysseys of such driven filmmakers. My country, Singapore, has a fledgling filmmaking scene, but a common problem my peers there face is the ebbing faith that they’ll be able to make an impact in cinema despite having the odds stacked against them. I hope to invigorate them using the lessons I’ve learnt here while adapting some of the industry improvement ideas discussed back home.

I’m also thrilled to bring my perspective as an international student to the studio’s discussions. In the spirit of collective learning, I aim to share how Australian films are perceived from a detached foreign perspective, giving my local peers valuable insights in matters of global appeal and marketing. In turn, I would love to gain a deeper understanding of the Australian zeitgeist and values I might have glanced over before, allowing me to enjoy the country’s films in a more involved manner. Overall, this studio seems like an excellent opportunity to expand my cultural purview through cinema as a conduit.

2. Two Workshop Activity Reflections

1. The Australian Movie Name Game

The game we played on the first day of the studio, where everyone in the class named an Australian film they’d watched until they ran out, was the perfect introduction to Australian cinema’s vast catalogue. Prior to this activity, I prided myself on having watched a handful of seemingly ‘obscure’ Australian movies, like Candy and Chopper. It’s only after those two films were named early on in the game that I realised that I had barely scratched the surface. As some of my peers relentlessly named film after film, it began to dawn on me how expansive the industry is here. Though I had to abide by the rule of the game and control my eagerness to search up some of the more intriguing titles, the names alone painted a picture of a uniquely kaleidoscopic film industry.

For example, the recurring mentions of the ‘Kath and Kim’ films and the hoopla they elicited suggested a local cultural darling of some sort, while the fact that even peculiar titles like ‘He Died With a Felafel in His Hand’ garnered many nods of familiarity showed the surprising level of receptiveness Australians have for offbeat films. Even more surprising was the revelation that a few films I adore deeply are actually Australian in origin. Movies like Last Night with The Devil and The Lego Movie have made significant waves internationally, and to know that they call Australia home made me feel a newfound sense of reverence for the industry I previously perceived as slightly insular.

By the time the game had ended, I was dumbfounded not only by the extensive list of titles, but by the amount each of my peers had watched. Hailing from Singapore, where the local film industry is looked upon with contempt and mockery by even the local film buffs, it felt heartwarming seeing my classmates supporting films from their home country so fervently. Shooting off names is one thing, but the level of excited discourse that occurred throughout the game showcased the extent of enthusiasm they had for Australian cinema and their desire to nurture it going forward. What began as a simple exercise to construct a class watchlist ended up being a succinct crash course into the eclectic world of Australian cinema and a showcase of the love the locals have for them, despite pessimistic online chatter constantly stating otherwise.

2. Camera Familiarisation

The camera familiarisation activity wasn’t my first time handling film equipment. I had worked with the exact setup in my previous studio and have utilised myriad other equipment throughout my diploma studies. But the one crucial difference this time was the level of confidence and interest I displayed. The thing is, I’ve never been an enthusiast about the technical aspects of filmmaking. Cameras, lenses and rigs always left me feeling overwhelmed, and I’d trade them in for a notepad and pen any day, having a major penchant for writing instead. Even in the aforementioned trysts with equipment, I recall feeling out of my element, solely focused on fulfilling my assigned tasks without error.

What made this particular camera familiarisation so fresh was my team. The people I’ve worked with previously were all highly talented and far more experienced than me with cameras. Thus I naturally slipped into a more passive role instead of contributing equally. This time around, my entire team all had the same level of familiarity, which in turn encouraged equal participation.

I surprised myself with the level of agency and experimentation I was displaying in the B-roll shots. A particularly memorable example was when I wanted to shoot a truck shot with nowhere near the level of equipment required for it. Undaunted, I simply laid on the floor with the camera and requested my teammates to pull me along, turning myself into a rudimentary trolley rig of sorts. The others in my groups attempted shots of their liking as well, and I readily lent a hand whenever I could.

The entire exercise stood out as a testament to the spirit of confidence. In the absence of apprehension, my artistic sense flourished. It showed me that a lot of the insecurities I have regarding filmmaking stemmed from a fear of being perceived as incompetent, and I could enjoy a whole other paradigm of the craft I love if I overcame it. Even after returning home that day, my mind was abuzz with ideas and I was completely charged up to helm the camera again at any given opportunity. Editing the footage and seeing it take shape into an interview video was the icing on the cake. What I initially perceived as merely another camera practice ended up as a delightful undertaking that laid the foundations for future teamwork with my peers and reinforced my eroded self-confidence regarding cinematography.

3. Video Essay – How did The Castle (1997) triumph against all odds, and can current filmmakers replicate its success?

As ‘Shock! A New Horror!’ draws to a close, I can’t help but be bewildered at how much my purview of the horror genre and cinema as a whole have expanded in the last three months or so. I had an extremely narrow view of films previously, perceiving cinema solely as a means of entertainment and considering any film that attempted to convey deeper meaning as unpalatable. Repeatedly watching, studying, and most special of all, making post-horror cinema throughout this studio served as the perfect antidote for such a closed-minded outlook. In this reflection, I’ll explore my learnings and key takeaways from the module.

The journey from hearing about Date Night Jinx as a seed of an idea during a random interaction with my friend Sam, to witnessing an esctatic audience applauding for it during the studio exhibition was an incredibly gratifying one. Right from its pitch, the film stood out to me for having the complete opposite vibe to the bleak gloominess associated with post-horror films. Sam’s vision for a movie that aesthetically pays tribute to the horror films of yore while incorporating the delicate storytelling of the modern subgenre was incredibly convincing to me. I sincerly hope that this converging approach makes the film the perfect springboard into post-horror’s expansive world for newcomers. It seeks to convey that post-horror films aren’t all pensive slow burners, and that they’re simply horror films that have embraced nuanced storytelling through devices like metaphors and atmosphere. They absolutely can be fun, loud, and resplendent. While Date Night Jinx might not register as ‘pure’ post-horror, it belongs to the same unique, stylised group of films as Don’t Breathe and mother!, which (Church, 2021) categorises as horror films that blend post-horror’s characteristic claustrophobic ambience with more divergent elements like quick pacing.

Date Night Jinx’s strength lies in its tactful subversions of regressive horror tropes. Maddy, the lead character, always maintains agency and doesn’t just gleefully remain oblivious to the malicious intent of Jesse, the antagonist. This stems from a deliberate effort the entire team made to abstain from the exploitive, sadistic viewpoint that contemporary horror films tend to adopt towards women (LaRue, 2023). Furthermore, Sam’s idea to relay the issue of women regularly facing predatory men on dating apps through a horror lens, without ever overtly mentioning it echoes the subtle and creative exploration of women’s concerns seen in films from the feminine horror subcategory (Lowenstein, 2022). But the film definitely isn’t flawless. I for one personally think that its horror elements could have been more pronounced. Though post-horror does encourage more grounded threats, Date Night Jinx might have been strayed too far from anything supernatural, leading it to feel more like a thriller at times. Though it gingerly flirts with paranormal themes, it could’ve leveraged them more to amplify the scare factor while adding depth to its characterisations.

In fact, if work were to continue on ‘Date Night Jinx’, I’d love for the characters and milieu to be expanded on. A world where the jinx curse is actually effective, a catastrophic volcano eruption is casually forecasted in the news, and a killer with an uncanny ability to forge new identities exists is uniquely whimsy and ripe with opportunities for further exploration. I’d love to continue writing and filming scenes that delve into Jesse’s backstory and motivation. Even the choice of props strewn around his house was consciously ideated by our team to evoke an intriguingly sinister vibe. A well-crafted backstory that explains his motivation and methods could not only improve the narrative value, but also provide a larger canvas for allegories and parallels.

Now, I’ll focus on the studio as a whole. Every class of ‘Shock! A New Horror!’ was tremendously educative and I learnt a lot throughout, be it the intricacies of effective horror or the general machinations behind cinema. But the most impactful knowledge I gained from the studio have to be the skills to intricately analyse media. As mentioned earlier, this studio helped mature my perception to look beyond outward themes and examine factors like motifs, subtext, and allegories to sift out the ‘deeper’ messages imbued in the work. Even the circumstances the work was produced amidst can give us a more insightful look at intended themes. A strong example would be 1954’s Godzilla, where the titular monster is intended as a representation of the nuclear devastation that parts of Japan had sufffered less than a decade before the film’s release (Yam, 2020). This level of intricate perception is sure to aid me a ton with comprehending the media I consume and strengthening the ones I create.

As for group work, beyond the usual learning points like communication and interpersonal skills, working with such a talented and dedicated team taught me that an overflow of helpful suggestions is a real concern. Every discussion between us would result in an astounding amount of new ideas. While it was tempting to implement every single one, we soon realised that doing so would lead to a bloated film that loses all of its deftness. Thus, we had to hone our discretion and strongly evaluate each suggestion, foreseeing its effect on the final product. It wasn’t easy, but eventually I got the knack of strictly only following through with ideas that would heighten the thematic and narrative elements, no matter how enticing they were.

Overall, Shock! A New Horror! was an enjoyable studio that unveiled a new face of one of my favourite genres. It was a really conducive environment for learning thanks to the measured pace of lessons, diversity in assignments, passionate classmates, and a knowledgeable lecturer. It has inspired me to continue experimenting with post-horror and ideate new combinations with other styles and genres to result in uniquely potent permutations. I’m very grateful for how the course has enhanced my taste towards films as a whole, and I definitely feel more equipped to evaluate more elevated forms of cinema now.

References

Church, D 2021, Post-Horror : Art, Genre and Cultural Elevation, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh

LaRue, I. (2023, November 7). Violence toward women in horror genre: Victimization, sexualization and objectification. The Arkansas Traveler. https://www.uatrav.com/opinion/article_720e5f20-7dc9-11ee-8288-73b1568b0e1d.html

Lowenstein, A. (2022). Horror film and Otherness. Columbia University Press.

Yam, K. (2020, August 9). “Godzilla” was a metaphor for Hiroshima, and Hollywood whitewashed it. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/godzilla-was-metaphor-hiroshima-hollywood-whitewashed-it-n1236165

Link to film (Date Night Jinx) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee8XYtsbHgo

Link to paperwork folder – https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/personal/s4096543_student_rmit_edu_au/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fs4096543%5Fstudent%5Frmit%5Fedu%5Fau%2FDocuments%2FDate%20Night%20Jinx%20Documentation&ga=1

Links to the four blog posts –

Pre-production

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2024/10/20/shock-a-new-horror-reflection-1-preproduction/

Shoot : Day 1

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2024/10/20/shock-a-new-horror-reflection-2-shoot-day-1/

Initial Assembly and Shoot : Day 2

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2024/10/20/shock-a-new-horror-reflection-3-initial-assembly-and-shoot-day-2/

Post-production

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/mohamed-azman/2024/10/20/shock-a-new-horror-reflection-4-postproduction/