FILMMAKING: Make a Short Film (Group 2)
Age group: Juniors (Grades 3-6)
Class Size: 12 max
Can you turn a creative brief into an original film?
In this hands-on two-day filmmaking workshop, young creatives will work together to develop, shoot and perform in an original short film inspired by a creative brief revealed at the beginning of the workshop. Guided by award-winning writer, actor and director Ra Chapman, students will discover how filmmakers transform a simple idea into a compelling story through collaboration, imagination and creative problem-solving.
Working in production teams, students will experience every stage of the filmmaking process, from brainstorming ideas and developing characters to directing, operating the camera and performing on screen. Along the way, they'll explore visual storytelling, shot composition, teamwork and how every creative decision helps bring a story to life.
Designed especially for junior filmmakers, this workshop encourages curiosity, creativity and confidence while giving students a fun, practical introduction to the exciting world of filmmaking. By the end of the two days, they'll have created an original short film and experienced the magic of bringing an idea from concept to screen.
Teacher: Ra Chapman
Ra Chapman is a multidisciplinary writer, actor and filmmaker whose work spans film, television, documentary and theatre. Informed by her Korean adoptee background, she creates cross-cultural work that challenges existing narratives around identity and explores underrepresented perspectives.
Having recently been selected for Screen Australia’s Talent USA: NY and recognised as one of IF Magazine’s 2024 Rising Talents, Ra garnered a 2025 Australian Writers’ Guild (AWGIE) Award nomination and was shortlisted for the prestigious Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting for her TV comedy series White Fever, which she created, wrote and starred in. Ra was Artist in Residence at Malthouse Theatre, and her play K-Box debuted on the main stage in 2022 to critical acclaim.
Ra’s other notable work includes the SBS digital horror anthology Night Bloomers and the documentary series Adoptee Voices: Women of Melbourne. She recently secured a Director’s Attachment with Nina Buxton on the ABC Series Separated at Birth.
Ra’s acting career began on stage in London, playing Celia in the Jacobean classic Volpone. Since then, she has won Best Actress at the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival for her role as Therese in David Williamson’s film adaptation of Face to Face, and was nominated for an IF Award for the same performance. Ra has filmed five seasons of Wentworth as prisoner Kim Chang, stars alongside D’Arcy Carden and Will Forte in the recent Stan series Sunny Nights (Stan), and can also be seen in Dear Life (Stan).
Dates: Thursday 1 & Friday 2 October
Time: 10am-2pm both days
Age group: Juniors (Grades 3-6)
Cost: $250 (incl. GST)
Class size: 12 max
What to bring: Please bring some lunch, snacks and a water bottle.