FILMMAKING: Reimagining Stories

Age group: Juniors (Grades 3-6)
Class Size: 14 max

A 2-Day Filmmaking Workshop with Abbey Hastings

What if Little Red Riding Hood was a horror film? Or Goldilocks and the Three Bears was a laugh-out-loud comedy?

We all know the classic stories. But what happens when we turn them upside down, change the genre and tell them in a completely new way?

Across two creative, hands-on days, young filmmakers will explore the art of storytelling and adaptation with filmmaker Abbey Hastings, discovering how changes to a script, camera angles, shot selection and overall mood can completely transform the way an audience experiences a familiar story.

Working in small production teams, students will choose from a selection of well-known tales and put their own creative spin on them. Will their story become a spooky thriller, a hilarious comedy or an action-packed adventure? The choice is theirs!

From rewriting the script and planning their shots to directing, performing, filming and editing, students will work together to bring their reimagined stories to life on screen.

Along the way, they'll explore how filmmakers use genre, character, pacing and visual storytelling to shape an audience's experience, discovering that even the most familiar stories can be told in extraordinary new ways.

A fun, collaborative filmmaking experience where classic tales meet big imaginations!

Open to both new and returning YAS Studio students in Grades 3–6.

Teacher: Abbey Hastings

Abbey Hastings is a Melbourne-based writer, director and film programmer working across narrative film, documentary and short-form storytelling. She wrote and directed the short film Bub and was awarded Groundbreaking Women in Film at the 2026 Young Australian Film Festival (YAFF).

Alongside her filmmaking practice, Abbey works as an Event Coordinator at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and is a film programmer for the Geelong Pride Film Festival, where she champions diverse voices and independent cinema. She is currently developing a comedy series and short animation project as a writer and producer.

Passionate about storytelling and nurturing emerging creative voices, Abbey brings a wealth of experience across filmmaking, film festivals and the wider screen industry to YAS Studio.

Dates: Thursday 14 & Friday 15 January (2-day workshop)
Time: 10am-2pm both days
Age Group: Juniors (Grades 3-6)
Cost: $300 (incl GST)
What to bring: Please bring some lunch, snacks and a water bottle.