The NSW Department of Education is a strong supporter of arts and initiatives that allow our students an opportunity to work beyond the classroom in order to accelerate excellence.
In this project, Intersection: Beat, we have compiled sections from four of the original ten scripts we commissioned with ATYP from young writers across Australia. Our cast, with no screen acting experience, adapted with incredible maturity and ability, from rehearsing online, to working with the camera and finally to blocking using the safe COVID practices of the time. No audience. No ensemble and sometimes with no set at all.
We attempted to use different strategies in each film such as green screen, location, studio, splicing and editing actors into the space as well as cover different styles of plays. We have accompanied these with interviews and resources that cover our pivot, process and product.
To our cast and to the rest of the 2020 NSW Public Schools Drama Company who were a strong support of the entire project, thank you for your grit and grace in these challenging times.
A huge thank you also to Fraser Corfield from ATYP and filmmaker and editor Leigh Richards at the staff at The Arts Unit for your tireless work, especially digital content producer and documentary maker, David Todd.