In Assignment 1, I stated that “My desire for this studio is to contribute to the creation of a fictional film that resonates with my peers, friends, and family as an Australian story.” Without knowing what that would look like at the time, I feel I can confidently say that this desire has been satiated. Elkington and Van Hemert (2025) studied the habits of Australian filmgoers and found that 57% of responders “indicated a ‘lack of films that interest me’” was the main deterrent from watching local productions. With my research into Australian Coming of Age films, the goal of Sweet Slow Rot was to be a short film that was relatable primarily for a young Melbourne audience. I felt a sense of accomplishment watching the film at the screening; a communal setting is what the film was intended for, and having an audience laugh — albeit a decent part of them acted in the film — at the gags Jazz and I constructed filled me with joy. We weren’t quite sure if the gags were too fast to notice, but it seemed that the content resonated with the viewers. Luke Buckmaster (2022) said in his review of David Easteal’s film The Plains (2022) that “there is no “right” or “true” motion picture experience – only different scales of convention and experimentation.” I know Sweet Slow Rot is not a motion picture per say, but this inference filled me with the faith that a visual film, lacking a clear plot, could resonate with audiences affectively.
To me, the film’s visual style and cinematography were the most successful elements within the film. The visual style and cinematography really communicated the quirky aesthetic we were going for, even if the story did not at times. Watching the completed film back, it is evident to me that visuals were prioritised at the expense of the story. For example, a few people did not understand that Georgia’s monologue was her addressing the group on the couch, or that Georgia, Ollie and AJ were roommates. This does not entirely bother me, as I had always pitched a film with a focus on form over content, but I would consider it the most problematic aspect of the film given that it minimizes the film’s potential to connect to broad audiences. The film resonates with me because I have so many links to it, but I am concerned that it would feel lacking to someone objective; outside of our studio, our friends, or anyone without an explanation.
The film feels rushed, and I believe it could have been more expansive if we had prepared for another shoot or moved away from the improvisational approach in favor of scripting more scenes. I don’t think the film is as immersive or “fly on the wall” as I had initially envisioned. We might have achieved this more effectively with a more extended shooting schedule. We stuck closely to our shot list and only had to cut a few planned shots due to time constraints — something Tim had cautioned us about. In hindsight, I wish we had captured more coverage, which would have given us greater flexibility in the edit. As it stands, most of our scenes play out from a single angle, and we had to rely heavily on B-roll to cover cuts or break up long takes. This resulted in a final product that feels rougher and less visually dynamic than I had hoped for. Given the opportunity to continue developing Sweet Slow Rot, I would focus on shooting additional scenes, gathering more varied coverage, and capturing more B-roll. These steps would have allowed us to fully realise the immersive, visually driven storytelling approach we set out to achieve.
Working on Sweet Slow Rot was honestly the most productive group project I’ve ever been involved in. I’ve never pitched a film by myself or directed a film before, and I do think that that role inherently requires more contribution from one than it does from other group members, but this really wasn’t the case with Jazz. I was grateful to have Jazz on board so early on, and I think having written the script and storyboards together made all aspects of working collaboratively easier; Jazz was just as much a part of the film’s origins as I was. I do think this level of collaboration made singular roles more complicated on shoot day, and I feel that during points of the shoot I lapsed at giving cast directions while Jazz accelerated at this. Throughout the shoot, Jazz and I worked very closely together, making sure we both liked every shot, adjusting the lighting and directing the cast. It felt like we always had the same vision for the film, which made every element of filmmaking easier.
A key takeaway from my learning in this studio, and my specific interest in the Coming-of-Age genre, has been how important varied representations of a nation are in the media. This quote by Therese Davis (2014) led my first assignment and encompasses my entire drive through this course in terms of research and intent with filmmaking; “Transnational studies of Australian Film have tended to focus on large-scale, mainstream, international production arrangements and economic benefits to the nation, with little attention paid to textual or social issues”. In making Sweet Slow Rot, I wanted to contrast against the stereotypical nature of popular Australian coming of age films and focus on everyday human scenarios that are widely experienced. If Sweet Slow Rot is effective as a film, it is because it is written from a place of personal experience; it is not dramatised for appeal and does not rely on stereotypical Australian imagery or references to connect to audiences. My main lesson with this production is that creating from experience will yield a sincere product that people can relate to, and I hope to continue making content I feel connected to, in aims of connecting with others.
Sources
Buckmaster L (2022) The Plains review – a three-hour film set almost entirely in a car – and it is extraordinary, The Guardian website, accessed 1 April 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/09/girl-asleep-review-rosemary-myers-bethany- whitmore-harrison-feldman
Davis T (2014) ‘Locating The Sapphires: transnational and cross-cultural dimensions of an Australian Indigenous musical film’, Continuum : Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 28(5), 594-604, doi: 10.1080/10304312.2014.941972
Elkington R and Van Hemert T (2025) How much do we support Australian-made cinema? Maybe we should take a lesson from French cinema. QUT website. accessed 25 March 2025. https://www.qut.edu.au/news/realfocus/how-much-do-we-support-australian-made-cinema-maybe-we-should-take-a-lesson-from-the-frenchLinks to an external site.