Kia ora Charlie! What made you choose to leave Gisborne and move all the way to Wellington to study?
Wellington seemed like a good spot because it’s a creative, small city. It’s not too big or too scary like Auckland. Massey was my first choice, so it all kind of lined up very easily. I was lucky in that I knew what I wanted to do off the bat, which I feel like a lot of my peers didn’t.
What was it about Massey that made you choose to study with us?
The screen arts course seemed to cover a lot more ground, and it was universal in the way it taught things. I wanted to do animation, but I’m also super interested in film, and those two are so closely linked within the industry.
We have access to industry-standard technology, which is awesome. You have the autonomy after playing with this tech to go off and make stuff on your own, which I think is important. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to figure things out as you make stuff. It’s nice to be trusted with expensive gear.
The Bachelor of Screen Arts isn’t all theory-based. If you want to make films, there has to be some practical skill.
Massey prides itself on having a down-to-earth culture. Has that been your experience?
Yes, for sure. Especially in third year, I’ve found myself becoming closer to the lecturers and the teachers themselves and knowing and connecting with them on a better level. They feel more available. It has been really nice to slowly build up those relationships with them because they’re all fantastic at what they do.
I recently sat down with one of my lecturers for a couple of hours. He was just so full of knowledge as he has experience in the animation industry, which works so differently from live-action. Since then, we’ve kept in touch, and he connected me with a whole bunch of people in the industry.
You were recently awarded funding from NZ On Air for an animation project – congratulations! How are you managing to fit that project in around your studies?
I was really nervous about this semester because of having to balance both of these big things, Massey and the project. I talked to Professor Karen Loop, and she customised my major project to something that fits into the production.
For example, I have to work out what animation software we’re using for my show, so I’ll create a research paper around that. It will be a document I can bring to NZ On Air and the production that will help it. I was able to marry the two things together, which was a relief.
What has been the highlight of your Massey experience so far?
The mates, the collaborative efforts and the university life. The collaborative things are always fun, however fraught they may be at moments! It’s fun working with friends. Working with other people who are my age and like-minded is the best.
