imogenbarlassblog

[imogenbarlassblog]

I recently completed a short video making intensive at the Australian Film, Television and Radio school where I created a short film on the wildlife of Sydney's Centennial Park. This course which ran over the course of a week involved constructing the concept of a short film in pre-production, to shooting footage in production and finally editing it together in post-production. This course solidified my technical skills using Sony 4K film cameras and other related video and audio software. This was achieved through the shooting of a variety of footage including B-roll and several individual interviews. The footage was then edited together in the Premiere Pro software system where I performed colour grading, adjusted gain and created transitions and animations. As well as incorporated various other editing techniques to enhance the overall quality of my film.

[imogenbarlassblog]

My internship at The Sydney Morning Herald significantly improved my personal and professional skillset in helping to prepare me for employment in the film and television industry following graduation.

At the organisation I worked as a video and audio intern where I got to develop my videography skills by using the Sony FS7 film camera as well as a variety of other complex recording equipment which expanded my knowledge of the technologies. Using the equipment, I created a variety of videographic content including shooting B-roll footage of local commuters, public transport, traffic on the harbour bridge, and hotspot areas in the North Sydney area.

Following the capture of video footage I then used the Premiere Pro editing software system to learn how to edit clips, graphics, audio, transitions, animations, apply LUTS and use a variety of other editing techniques to achieve my desired look. These clips were then be used for online news stories for the company and also provided a great pathway into developing my video editing skills. Furthermore, it allowed me to further appreciate the production process from beginning to end and have creative autonomy over the work I had produced.

By completing this internship, I became more confident in my cinematography skills and how to edit footage in a way that delivers the best possible result. In addition, I had the opportunity to socialise with other video and audio producers in the department which allowed me expand my professional network circle, and create connections that will be beneficial for future employment opportunities.

[imogenbarlassblog]

This is the fourth and final short film I made during my degree called Pendulum, a short experimental dance film that showcases the tension between an adult female and a red-gloved entity who tries to control her in a dark and paranormal abyss.

For this film I was the production designer so I had the responsibility of gathering and making a variety of props and stage scenery, as well as creating the lighting, applying making, styling hair and selecting the costuming. Additionally I assisted with the cinematography where I oversaw the setup of the camera and the capturing of various shots within each scene.

[imogenbarlassblog]

This was the first ever short documentary I made during my degree, called Fire Film, a short piece about the 2019-2020 NSW bushfires. The flames which tore through almost 500,000 hectares of land destroyed more than 300 homes including the small town of Braidwood. The fire hit not only my friends rural farm but also her uncle's land as well, destroying their belongings and sense of belonging. This film aims to capture the monstrosity of the fires and its devastating effect on the residents of the Braidwood community.

[imogenbarlassblog]

This was the third film I made during my degree called Snowy Labour which is a short documentary that captures the personal story of Carlo or "Charlie" Salvestro as he relives the highs and lows of working in the tunnels of the Snowy Hydro Scheme.

My role on this documentary as the production designer involved organising the interview setup shot, the costuming of our interviewee, the lighting, props and organsing various other visual design elements.

Please find attached below an individual statement from our films director that summarises the essence of the documentary!

Being from the Snowy Mountains in rural Australia, I grew up on stories of the brave men of the Snowy Hydro scheme, bravely digging away to secure our nations infrastructure. So, when I moved to Sydney for university, I was shocked to discover that most people my age knew barely anything about Snowy! This was what compelled me to create a documentary chronicling the hardships and triumphs of the Scheme, from the perspective of my Nonno, Charlie Salvestro, who dug tunnels and worked as a brakeman. This film is very personal to me because it taps into a deep family connection and shares stories passed down through the Salvestro family over the last 70 years. Getting my Macquarie University student crew down to Cooma to film this was a logistical challenge, and turned into a near nightmare once we lost half the crew to covid in the week before the shoot. But we persevered, and I hope that you enjoy this story of how bloody hard working on the Snowy was, but ultimately why it was worth it.

Snowy Labour also won several awards, these include:

Macquarie University MMCC3012 Documentary Unit Screening night

Sydney, NSW  Australia  June 9, 2022  Australian Premiere  Winner: Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor/Subject

Far South Film Festival 2022

Merimbula, NSW  Australia  Official Selection

Short+Sweet Film Festival Illawarra 2022

Wollongong, NSW  Australia  Winner: Best Australian Film

Student World Impact Film Festival 2023

New York, NY  United States  North American Premiere  Honourable Mention

Canberra Short Film Festival

Canberra, ACT  Australia  ACT Premiere  Official Selection

[imogenbarlassblog]

This is the second film I made during the course of my degree called Portent, an experimental horror dance film that showcases the abject nature of low-self esteem suppressed in the subconscious. The film reflects the shadow-self of the protagonist as a challenging and complex part of her being.

For this short film, my role as the production designer involved creating the props, adjusting lighting, applying makeup, styling hair, selecting costuming and helping to choreograph a dance style and frequency. I also assisted with cinematography in capturing a variety of different shots at various angles, and prepping the camera in pre-production for shooting.

[imogenbarlassblog]

Introduction

Hi there! My name is Imogen and I have recently graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Media and Communications majoring in Screen Practice and Production. I am career focused in film and television production including cinematography and production design; and am experienced in the wide use of a variety of digital creative platforms. This blog aims to reflect my artistic processes through examples of my work and who I am as an emerging filmmaker. Please follow along this journey with me!