screen worlds education kit
TRANSCRIPT
EDUCATION KIT Teacher Notes
Contents Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................1
Australian Centre for the Moving Image ........................................................................................1 Screen Worlds: The Story of Film, Television and Digital Culture ............................................... 2
Making the most of your visit to Screen Worlds .............................................................................. 3 Pre-visit information ...................................................................................................................... 3 Opening hours ................................................................................................................................. 3 Education tours ............................................................................................................................... 3
On the Day ........................................................................................................................................... 5 ACMI Education programs .................................................................................................................. 8 What is Screen Worlds? ...................................................................................................................... 9 SECTION ONE: EMERGENCE ............................................................................................................. 10 SECTION TWO: VOICES ..................................................................................................................... 13
Representing Australia ................................................................................................................. 14 Spotlights ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Australian Showcase ..................................................................................................................... 17 Dreaming In Colour ........................................................................................................................ 18 Community Voices ........................................................................................................................20
SECTION THREE: SENSATION ...........................................................................................................21 Games Lab ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Kids Space ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Pyramid .......................................................................................................................................... 23
Screen Worlds Introductory Tour ..................................................................................................... 24 BEFORE YOUR ACMI VISIT ............................................................................................................... 24 AFTER YOUR ACMI EXPERIENCE .................................................................................................... 25
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INTRODUCTION
Australian Centre for the Moving Image A globally unique cultural institution located in Melbourne's iconic Federation Square, ACMI
celebrates, explores and promotes the cultural and creative richness of the moving image in all
its forms.
Through a vibrant annual calendar of award-winning exhibitions, film, festivals, live events,
creative workshops, education programs and screen culture resources, ACMI provides a wide
diversity of audiences with an unsurpassed range of ways to engage with the moving image.
As one of Victoria's major cultural, tourism and learning attractions, and a national centre of
screen culture debate and innovation, ACMI has an international reputation as one of the
world's leading moving image centres.
ACMI’s stunning permanent gallery, Screen Worlds, charts the history and future directions of
the moving image in all its forms - film, television, videogames and digital culture. In addition,
the Australian Mediatheque, a partnership between ACMI and the National Film and Sound
Archive (NFSA), is a unique national cultural resource centre providing public access to a wealth
of Australian and international screen culture history spanning film, television, digital culture,
video art and sound materials.
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Screen Worlds: The Story of Film, Television and Digital Culture Screen Worlds offers a permanent and unique teaching resource, enabling schools to develop
stimulating experiential programs that support all three strands of the Victorian Essential
Learning Standards (VELS) at all levels of schooling, along with VCE, VET and VCAL. This kit
provides teachers and students with information and resources to help plan a successful visit
to Screen Worlds.
In particular, Screen Worlds supports the Discipline-based Learning domains of English,
Humanities (History, Geography), The Arts and Science; the Physical, Personal and Social
Learning domains of Personal Learning, Interpersonal Development and Civics and Citizenship;
and the Interdisciplinary Learning domains of Communication and Thinking Processes.
In today’s world (and arguably the worlds of the past and of the future), the moving image
offers a varied and exciting form of expression critical to understanding and successfully
navigating increasingly connected societies. Screen Worlds provides the opportunity to
understand, to think critically about, to create and to manipulate the moving image,
recognising and acknowledging all the ways in which it is integral to our lives in the 21st
century.
In addition to ‘Introduction to Screen Worlds’, ACMI Education offers a number of programs
with accompanying education kits drawing upon the exhibition. Teachers can select from the
following programs to explore one or more key themes in depth:
Conflict History and Memory Screen Technologies Identity Storytelling Australian Heroes Aussie Stereotypes Producing the Moving Image
All groups wanting to come to Screen Worlds as part of an education tour must book their
visit in advance.
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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT TO SCREEN WORLDS
Pre-visit information
Opening hours Screen Worlds is open from 10am – 6pm each day excluding Christmas Day. It is open from
1pm-6pm on ANZAC Day.
Education tours Teachers may elect to lead their students on a self-guided tour of Screen Worlds, or book an
educator-led tour. Educator-led tours are designed to provide students with background
knowledge to help them engage with elements of the exhibition in order to conduct thematic
or focussed investigations.
Please note both self-guided and educator-led tours must be pre-booked (see below).
Self-guided tours: Teachers can create their own unique experience for students that focuses
on key themes explored in the exhibition. Cost: Free!
Educator-led tours: A member of ACMI’s Education team will provide an introduction for your
group outlining key aspects of the exhibition and to provide some background information that
will enable students to engage with activities included in the Student Kit (supplied on the day).
Cost: $5 per student.
For more information or to make a booking please visit www.acmi.net.au/education.
Student numbers and supervision Student supervision remains the responsibility of teachers at all times. However, ACMI
reserves the right to ensure that students adhere to a standard level of conduct. Throughout
your visit, duty of care of the students remains with the teachers.
Education groups must adhere to the following guidelines:
> Maximum 30, minimum 10 students per tour group. Teachers and supervisors are admitted
free at recommended ratios of 1:3 for pre-school groups, 1:5 for primary groups, 1:10 for
secondary groups, and 1:20 for tertiary groups.
> Food and drink may not be consumed in any of ACMI’s exhibition spaces (Screen Worlds,
Galleries 1 and 2), nor in the ACMI Studios. Photography (without a flash) and filming is
permitted within the exhibition, however some work cannot be photographed so please check
the signage. Sketching with pencil is also permitted.
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> Upon arrival at ACMI, teachers will be directed to the dedicated Schools Entrance and asked
to sign their students in, indicating that they accept responsibility for their students while on-
site at ACMI.
> If possible, we suggest that teachers visit Screen Worlds prior to your excursion to become
familiar with its content and also the location of the Schools Entrance, exit points and toilets.
Booking Information Both self-guided tours, and tours with an introduction by an educator, must be booked in
advance, at least 14 days prior to your intended visit.
To book, please submit an online booking form at www.acmi.net.au/learn_education_bookings
One booking form is required for each group of students (max. 30 students per group).
Please note that bookings are subject to availability and are not final until you have received a
confirmation letter from ACMI. The letter will outline the date, time and terms of your booking.
Cancellation fees will apply for visits with an introduction by an educator.
Tour Times Tours can be conducted between 10:00am – 3:30pm. To avoid congestion within the exhibition,
self-guided tours are booked at 30 minute intervals and each group will be allocated 90
minutes for their visit. Teachers who require access to Screen Worlds for a longer period or at
an alternative time may enquire about this possibility when booking.
Contact information Website: www.acmi.net.au/education
Phone: 03 8663 2441
Email: [email protected]
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ON THE DAY
Arrival time Please arrive 5 mins prior to your booked time at the ACMI Schools Entrance (downstairs from
the Main Entrance). If you are delayed on the day, please let us know.
When you arrive, ACMI staff and volunteers will provide information about the location of
toilets, exits and any other needs requested at the time of booking.
Wheelchair access and special needs Wheelchair access is available via the ACMI Schools Entrance. There are also lifts enabling
movement between different levels of ACMI.
If your group has any special needs, please advise us when making your booking.
Bags and lunches As there is limited storage space available, we request that students do not bring school bags
to ACMI. Lunches and drinks can be placed in tubs in locked lockers located inside the Schools
Entrance. All bags left within storage at ACMI are done so at the owner’s risk. We do not
encourage students to bring valuable items with them.
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Map of Screen Worlds
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Structuring effective learning Contemporary research suggests that most young people will engage with and learn effectively
during a visit to an exhibition when the following principles, which build upon the Principles of
Learning and Teaching (PoLT) described by the Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development, are incorporated:
pre-visit activities and discussions uncover prior knowledge, stimulate thinking and reduce
misconceptions interest, wonder, puzzlement or curiosity is aroused key vocabulary and central organising concepts are introduced the program reflects learners’ needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests and they feel
a sense of control over the experiences and learning they engage in experiences encourage independence, interdependence and self-motivation the learning environment is supportive, productive and challenging learners are invited to develop deep learning skills, by discussing, questioning and sharing
the content they engage with the experience is connected meaningfully with interdisciplinary learning experiences prior to
and following the visit the experience is connected not only with school activities, but in a practical sense with life
outside school assessment practices are integral to the learning experiences students reflect upon and share their findings, thinking or further questions with diverse
audiences in authentic contexts, and using varied tools of expression and communication
Activities and resources provided in ACMI education kits are designed to assist teachers to
implement the above principles. Teachers are encouraged to select those that best meet the
needs, abilities and interests of their class.
Screen Worlds, Discipline-based learning and Interdisciplinary learning In addition to this Teacher Kit which provides a general introduction to Screen Worlds, a series
of kits will be developed to support discipline-based trails that explore the following themes:
Conflict History and Memory Screen Technologies Identity Storytelling Australian Heroes Aussie Stereotypes Producing the Moving Image
Each kit will focus upon one or two key areas of Discipline-based learning and will provide a
systematic interdisciplinary unit of inquiry that is guided by focus and contributing questions.
These questions will help teachers structure their visit and provide a scaffold to connect it to
in-depth studies in the classroom and beyond.
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ACMI EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Your visit to Screen Worlds can be supported and extended when you book your students into
one of the many innovative ACMI education programs. ACMI Education offers a variety of
hands-on filmmaking, digital arts and machinima workshops along with popular cinema
screenings and lecture programs. These include:
Filmmaking and Digital Arts hands-on workshops Studio 1 workshops offer exciting opportunities for students to create a film using virtual sets
and green screen and chroma-key technology to transport themselves to different worlds, such
as a fairytale land or Melbourne in the past. Older students might find themselves presenting
‘live’ on ACMI news and weather sets.
Studio 2 provides opportunities for students to engage with the creative practice of artists
including Len Lye, Sadie Benning and Daniel Crooks to then express their own ideas through
traditional art forms such as 2D animation or claymation, or through digital arts programs such
as ‘Scratch It!’
Screenings and Screening Lectures ACMI Cinemas are world class cinematic environments for film screenings and related
lecture/seminar programs. Using these spaces, ACMI Education offers a diverse set of
programs for both teachers and students from prep to VCE, University and TAFE.
These programs are connected to prescribed texts (as in VCE English) but are also designed to
help students utilise screen content across a broad area of the curriculum. The programs
examine the codes and conventions used to create meanings, genre, narrative structure and a
film’s themes and ideas.
Lecture programs can be connected to films but are also available in broader areas exploring
social media and the online world, portable media, ethics, contemporary media arts, and
curatorial practice.
For further details of ACMI Education programs please visit www.acmi.net.au/learn.
Teacher updates Sign up to receive teacher updates providing information about programs, special education
events and teacher previews. To subscribe, email to [email protected].
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WHAT IS SCREEN WORLDS?
Introduction Screen Worlds: The Story of Film, Television and Digital Culture is ACMI’s permanent exhibition
celebrating and exploring the moving image in all its forms: film, television and digital culture.
The exhibition spans 110 years of moving image history, charting the early beginnings of film to
the rise of television, games, the internet and the dominance of the digital age. From pre-
cinematic objects and forms through to the rich and enveloping immersive media we
experience today, Screen Worlds contains 220 screen-based displays, 30 hours of moving
image content (including newly commissioned works) and hundreds of original objects and
memorabilia.
Screen Worlds dynamically illustrates how each form of the moving image has emerged as a
creative medium. Within three core and conceptually connected sections; Emergence, Voices,
and Sensation. The exhibition explores the impact each form has had on our senses and
emotions and the role they’ve played in shaping our society, both from an Australian
perspective and in an international context. Other spaces include the Games Lab, Kids Space
and the Pyramid.
In addition, a focus on Indigenous moving image makers throughout the exhibition celebrates
the contribution of established makers such as Tom E. Lewis and Rachel Perkins, as well as
emerging talents like Warwick Thornton and Darlene Johnson.
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SECTION ONE: EMERGENCE The moving image has evolved over centuries; optical toys, shadow plays, eerie magic lantern
shows and other visual tricks led to the emergence of cinema in the 1890s.
Emergence provides an entry point to Screen Worlds by tracing the international evolution of
the moving image through an Australian lens, from its pre-cinema origins to speculations
about its future, ending with the question: where will the moving image go next?
The section takes a chronological approach to looking at how moving image forms have
emerged and evolved as mass media for art, communication, play and entertainment -
exploring the beginnings of each form, their relationship to and impact on prior forms, and the
turning points in their subsequent development.
Emergence highlights include: A Lumière Cinématographe from 1896, the rare camera/projector that marks film’s arrival The Rocket Clock from ABC TV’s Play School, plus Humpty, Jemima and other popular toys Ned Kelly armour worn by Heath Ledger in Ned Kelly An original Felix the Cat model Mechanical television interactive based on John Logie Baird's original from 1925 Drawings and models from Toy Story Early videogame consoles including the first home console, Magnavox Odyssey
The structure of Emergence Emergence comprises a series of tables, surrounded by a long, curving bamboo wall divided
into epochs that highlight events and tell stories linked to broad thematics in moving image
history.
Tables: The centrepiece of Emergence is a group of six freestanding, circular table displays,
each of which displays a central iconic object with a series of supporting objects, interactivity
and graphics. A circular banner above each table indicates its theme: Arrival of Film, Arrival of
Sound and Colour, Arrival of TV, Arrival of Satellite Broadcast, Arrival of Video Games and
Arrival of the Net.
Wall: Surrounding the table displays, the bamboo wall traces key moments and dynamics as
chronological epochs in moving image history. The wall houses a dense array of material:
screens, objects, interactivity, text and graphics and is connected visually through colour coding
to the table displays.
Stories: Wall displays are grouped into stories, each with an associated text panel, image and
set of exhibits, images, screens or interactivity. Each story uses a specific event to locate itself
within the chronological structure, but branches out to explain how this event relates to wider
themes.
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Epochs: The chronological structure of the wall is divided into epochs with large text panels
introducing key concepts. The structure is not intended to create decisive historical breaks
between epochs, but to help visitors locate themselves within the overall story. There are nine
epochs, each colour-coded to match the tables:
Pre-cinema The Arrival of Film (1895 – 1913) The Rise of National Cinemas (1914 – 1926) Realism and Escapism (1927 – 1944) The TV Age (1945 – 1965) The Global Village (1962 – 1971) The Electronic Age (1972 – 1990) The Digital Age, (1991 – present) The Future
Pre-Cinema Cinema emerged from a history of experiments with light, motion and vision. For centuries,
scientists used lenses to see things invisible to the naked eye. Entertainers, in turn, used the
lens to create and project images. One early lens-based device – the magic lantern – was used
to present both scientific lectures and supernatural illusions, and is on display in this section.
Arrival of Film, 1895-1913 On 28 December 1895, an image was projected onto a small screen to an audience of 33
spectators in a Parisian café. When the image began to move, the audience was thunderstruck.
The age of cinema had begun. The new medium spread quickly around the world and eight
months later, the invention arrived in Australia. By the outbreak of World War I, film had begun
to evolve into a serious art form and a multinational industry.
The Rise of National Cinemas, 1914-1926 US filmmakers moved from New York to Hollywood where the warmer climate allowed them to
shoot year-round. New studios were built which grew to dominate the global business of
cinema. In an effort to compete, filmmakers in Australia and the rest of the world developed
new styles and told stories relevant to local audiences.
Realism and Escapism, 1927-1944 Beginning with Alan Crosland’s The Jazz Singer (1927), marvellous new talking pictures drew
audiences in droves, but the initial box office boom faded as the Great Depression set in
around the world. Propaganda film also came into its own, with films produced to inspire
national pride and to build support for political causes.
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The TV Age, 1945-1965 Following World War II, factories turned their attention from military supplies to consumer
goods – especially television sets. In Melbourne and Sydney, despite its long delayed arrival,
television quickly became a fixture in everyday family life. Hollywood tried to win back
audiences with new gimmicks like 3D, but television had redefined the moving image forever.
Global Village, 1962-1971 On 23 July 1962, millions of viewers gathered in front of television sets in Europe and the US to
watch the first live satellite broadcast. That same year, media critic and theorist Marshall
McLuhan wrote that the interconnectedness of new technologies had created a ‘global village.’
Satellite broadcasts brought this global village together through shared moments such as the
first moon landing in 1969.
The Electronic Age, 1972 - 1990 Television was redefined by a series of innovations in the 1970s and 1980s, such as colour
broadcasts, videocassette recorders and the arrival of videogame consoles. While Hollywood
focused on blockbusters, increased public support for the local film industry sparked a boom in
Australian cinema.
The Digital Age, 1991 - Present By the beginning of the 1990s, a small number of corporations controlled most of the world's
media outlets. Computers and the Internet became more sophisticated and more accessible.
This digital revolution launched a period of technological change that has transformed every
aspect of the moving image.
The Future Around 1916, actor Charlie Chaplin described cinema as “little more than a fad”. In 1926, leading
radio pioneer Lee DeForest called television “an impossibility”. Today, we can carry mobile
devices that allow us to view, create and interact with moving image content anywhere,
anytime. No-one knows what the future holds for the moving image, but one thing is certain: it
will continue to change in ways both exciting and strange.
Microcinemas ACMI’s three microcinemas include a range of complimentary clip packages, which will extend
visitors' experience of the moving image. They include packages exploring the history of
Australian Children's Television, iconic Australian advertisements, and early short films by
leading Australian filmmakers before they became famous including Jane Campion, Geoffrey
Wright and Robert Luketic. A selection of artists’ films drawn from the ACMI Collection and
highlights from groundbreaking Australian documentaries are also on offer.
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SECTION TWO: VOICES
How have Australians contributed to the moving image and how has the moving image
influenced who we are as Australians? The Voices section of Screen Worlds highlights the role
of the moving image in representing Australia and Australians and in constructing national
identities.
This section offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative processes of Australian
moving image makers, celebrating their diversity and range, from digital effects wizards to
iconic stars, DIY heroes to Indigenous screen talent. It focuses on Australia’s screen output
from the mid-1960s through to the present.
At the same time, Voices reflects on the fact that not everyone has had a say in how they are
represented. Many individuals and groups have struggled (and continue to struggle) to gain
their own voice within a moving image context and to represent themselves within screen
culture. Voices explores the experience of Indigenous Australians who have rarely been
afforded the opportunity to control their own images and stories, until the recent ‘Blak Wave’
filmmaking boom.
The landscapes, characters and cultures of Australia offer limitless inspiration and provocation
to moving image makers. From the foreboding bushland in Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) to the
comic character of Dame Edna, Voices explores the nation we see on screen and its role in
shaping Australian identity.
Voices highlights include: A replica of the iconic Interceptor car from Mad Max (1979) Original canoe from Rolf De Heer’s Ten Canoes (2006) Yoram Gross’ original animation table used to produce Dot and the Kangaroo (1977) Geoffrey Rush’s sword and necklace from The Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) Costumes worn by Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth
(1998) Film and TV award statuettes, including Oscars®, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, AFI Awards and
Logies Costumes worn by Kylie Minogue and Dame Edna Everage Interactive Locations Map – a giant map that transports you to iconic film and TV locations Dexter the Robot from Perfect Match
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Voices comprises several distinct thematics: Representing Australia Spotlights Australian Showcase Dreaming in Colour Community Voices
Representing Australia Australia's unique settings and landscapes come to life through the moving image.
Locations Begin your experience of this section by engaging with the Interactive Locations Map. Select a
location, view moving image material filmed in that area and learn more from related
information presented as on-screen text. Then explore how the moving image has mirrored
Australia’s changing national identity over time and has shaped ways in which Australians see
themselves and how they are viewed overseas.
The Bush The Australian bush is not merely a backdrop in Australian film – it is often a character in its
own right, charged with emotions that range from fear to freedom. This section includes a
special exhibit examining the use of sound to evoke the bush in films such as On Our Selection
(1932), Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Wolf Creek (2005).
The Suburbs The suburban settings used in the moving image are far from a straightforward reflection of
Australian life. Spanning comedy and drama, The Suburbs explores representations of suburbia
in television soap operas Neighbours, Home and Away and The Sullivans.
The City Australia’s cities have played a key role in television history, especially in crime dramas. This
section explores the starring role played by Melbourne in Homicide, Bluey and Canal Road, and
Sydney in Wildside and East West 101.
Larger than Life Each of the personalities featured in this section have carefully crafted their public persona.
Kylie Minogue began her career on Neighbours, but reinvented herself as a pop princess. Is
comedian Paul Hogan a laid-back bloke in real life, or is that just the character he plays? Dame
Edna is clearly not the same as her creator Barry Humphries – she’s much more famous. Larger
than Life explores Australian characters who have become true archetypes.
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Sounds of Aus It was in the popular 1972 film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie that the titular character’s
exaggerated slang became a celebration of Australianness in cinema. Created in consultation
with the makers of the 2007 documentary Sounds of Aus, this multi-channel video installation
brings together clips from Four Corners, Summer Heights High and Fat Pizza to illustrate how
the Australian accent has changed over time and continues to evolve. It also illustrates how
moving image representations of the Australian accent have fed into and reflected wider
cultural and social shifts.
Spotlights Explore the making of the moving image through the life and work of fourteen fascinating
Australians. Spotlights, the largest section within Voices, includes filmed interviews with each
maker, giving viewers a peek behind the scenes into their creative processes, their career
trajectories and their personal journeys working in different areas of the moving image
industry in Australia. Each display also includes a filmography clip reel featuring broad
examples of work. These practitioners have been chosen not as representatives but as
archetypes of the breadth of craft and creativity that goes into the creation of Australian
moving image.
Cate Blanchett - Actor To date, Cate Blanchett has appeared in over 35 feature films, including Elizabeth (1998), Peter
Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003), Babel (2006) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). In 2004, Blanchett’s supporting role as Katherine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s
The Aviator (2004) won her an Oscar® (on display in the Australian Showcase).
Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin - Director and Production Designer The creative collaboration between director Baz Luhrmann and Oscar®-winning production
designer Catherine Martin has produced some of Australia’s most spectacular and visually
arresting films: Strictly Ballroom (1992), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and
Australia (2008).
George Miller - Director George Miller is one of Australia’s leading directors, responsible for some of our most
recognisable films. His savage take on Australian car culture Mad Max (1979) was a worldwide
hit. His work includes Mad Max II (1981), The Dismissal (1983), Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Babe (1995) and the Oscar®-winning Happy Feet (2006).
David Gulpilil - Actor An icon of Australian film, David Gulpilil Ridjimiralil Dalaithngu OAM was born in the Northern
Territory in 1953, and at 16 was cast in Nicholas Roeg’s Walkabout (1971) for his talent as a
traditional dancer. Gulpilil’s sense of movement and timing and mesmerising screen presence
has led him to star in a diverse range of memorable film and television roles, including Storm Boy (1976), Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) and Australia (2008). Gulpilil was awarded Best Actor by
the AFI for his role in The Tracker (2002).
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Rolf de Heer - Writer, Director and Producer Rolf de Heer is one of Australia’s most respected independent filmmakers. His award-winning
films include Bad Boy Bubby (1993), The Quiet Room (1996), The Tracker (2002), Alexandra’s Project (2003) and Ten Canoes (2006), the first Australian feature film to be made entirely in
an Indigenous language.
Christopher Doyle - Cinematographer Christopher Doyle is the man behind some of the most stunning images in modern cinema in
films such as Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), The Quiet American (2002) and Paranoid Park (2007).
His famous collaborations with Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai created a new cinematic
language for pan-Asian film across seven features including Chungking Express (1994) and In the Mood for Love (2000).
Jill Bilcock - Editor Melbourne-based Jill Bilcock has worked with directors as diverse as Phillip Noyce, Ana
Kokkinos and Sam Mendes. She has edited some of Australia’s most memorable films,
including Dogs in Space (1986), Muriel’s Wedding (1994), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Elizabeth
(1998).
Animal Logic - Visual Effects Animal Logic is a world-leading digital design, visual effects and animation company which has
created stunning visual effects for feature films such as Babe (1995), The Matrix (1999), Hero (2002), 300 (2006), Happy Feet (2006), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Australia (2008).
Yoram Gross - Animator Arriving in Australia in 1968, Yoram Gross created many iconic Australian animated films such
as Dot and the Kangaroo and Blinky Bill. At the height of his success, his studio employed over
200 production personnel including animators, technicians and artists, and used innovative
techniques that integrated hand-drawn characters into a live action background.
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Reg Grundy – Television Entrepreneur The Reg Grundy Organisation was formed in 1959 by one of Australia’s most successful
television moguls and entrepreneurs. After establishing himself in radio, Reg Grundy shifted
his focus to television and produced many of Australia’s most popular game shows beginning
with Wheel of Fortune. In 1973 he branched out into dramas and soap operas, which included
Class of ‘74, The Restless Years, Sons and Daughters and the international hits Neighbours and
Prisoner.
Krome Studios - Videogame developers Krome Studios is Australia’s largest videogame developer and a leading independent studio in
the worldwide games development community. Founded in 1999 in Brisbane by Steve
Stamatiadis, John Passfield and Robert Walsh to make surfing games, it has now expanded
into Melbourne and Adelaide. They are best known for their TY the Tasmanian Tiger™ titles, the
characters of which feature in the 3D Zoetrope on display in Sensation.
Chris Masters - Documentary Journalist Chris Masters is one of Australia's finest documentary journalists. Masters joined the flagship
ABC current affairs program Four Corners in 1983 and became their longest-serving reporter,
producing more than 100 stories over 25 years. He has received a Logie and five Walkley
Awards including the coveted Gold Walkley.
Tracey Moffatt - Artist Tracey Moffatt is one of Australia’s most influential artists working in photography, film and
video. Since her first solo exhibition in Sydney in 1989, she has had numerous exhibitions in
major cultural institutions around the world. Her acclaimed short film Night Cries: A Rural Tragedy (1989) was screened at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.
Sue Smith and John Alsop - Writers Multi-award winning duo Sue Smith and John Alsop form an enduring and successful
screenwriting team which has penned some of Australia’s most powerful television programs.
Smith and Alsop both began independently as writers in the 1970s before collaborating in 1991
on the much-loved and enormously successful ABC mini-series Brides of Christ.
Australian Showcase ‘Australian Showcase’ is a celebration of Australia’s creative scene, its artistry and its impact
on local and international stages. Works involving leading talents from across the screen
culture spectrum demonstrate how the moving image reflects and influences Australian
culture. Works have been selected because of their unique place on the Australian screen, for
the public acclaim they have received and the numerous awards they have won.
With objects on loan from a variety of people and productions – in addition to four interactive
touch-screen stations where visitors can access a database of Australian works – this display
only includes a small sample of Australian works that deserve public acclaim.
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In addition to the ‘Spotlights’, Screen Worlds includes a variety of clips and original artefacts
that celebrate the contributions of other key Australian moving image makers. Featured
objects include a plasticine model from Harvie Krumpet (2003) and the Oscar® awarded to its
creator Adam Elliot; the clapperboard used during the making of Bruce Beresford’s first
American film Tender Mercies (1983); cinematographer John Seale’s BAFTA award for The English Patient (1997); Geoffrey Rush’s annotated script from Shine (1996), as well as his
necklace and sword from Pirates of the Caribbean (2003); Kate Ritchie’s knitted doll from
Home and Away and her 2008 Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality; the musical score from
Fred Schepisi’s The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) and much more.
Visitors are also given an opportunity to present ACMI with their thoughts on this section and
to offer suggestions via a Twitter feed for material we should consider including in the future.
Dreaming In Colour
As well as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content exhibited throughout Screen Worlds, ACMI has commissioned a specific section devoted to Indigenous representation on
screen from the 1970s until today. This section has been curated by Indigenous moving image
practitioners.
Starting with an exploration of representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders by
non-Indigenous Australians in ‘Strangers with Cameras’, the narrative travels through the
personal stories of some Indigenous performers working in cinema during that time in ‘Subject
Speaks Back’ and ends with intimate interviews with a representative group of contemporary
Indigenous screen practitioners working behind the camera in ‘The Blak Wave’.
Strangers with Cameras Curated by Walter Saunders, a Gournditjmara elder, in association with the Koorie Heritage
Trust, ‘Strangers with Cameras’ charts the history of Indigenous representation on screen
through displays of early ‘Australian’ postcards to ethnographic films and television programs
of Indigenous Australians created by non-Indigenous makers.
‘Strangers with Cameras’ recognises that Indigenous people have expressed a strong desire to
control their own images and stories but throughout history they have rarely been afforded the
opportunity to do so. It explores how images of Indigenous people have often been staged,
stolen, stereotyped and/or uncredited.
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Subject Speaks Back This two-screen display investigates the representation and indelible legacy of Indigenous
Australians working in film and television, by pairing first-person accounts of five Indigenous
actors with clips from film and television in which they appeared.
Curated by Tom. E Lewis who played Jimmy Blacksmith in Fred Schepsi’s The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (1978), this section features specially commissioned interviews with Indigenous
performers including Tom E. Lewis, Aaron Pedersen, Rachel Mazza and Gary Foley. Their
personal experiences powerfully illustrate broader issues about how Indigenous people have
been represented on screen.
The Blak Wave Moving image representations of Indigenous Australians date back to the early days of
European settlement. However, it was not until the 1970s that Indigenous Australians were
able to control their own images and stories. Today, a new generation of Indigenous
Australians are telling their stories their way. The ‘Blak Wave’ of moving image makers is
winning recognition around the world for its talented directors, cinematographers, writers and
actors.
The ‘Blak Wave’ signals the emergence of a burgeoning, prolific and creative community of
Indigenous makers who have contributed significant film and television works. It celebrates
individuals and organisations that have paved the way, by showcasing six filmmakers from
across Australia: Richard Frankland, Ivan Sen, Rachel Perkins, Warwick Thornton, Darlene
Johnson and Bec Cole.
Curated by Kimba Thompson, this section features interviews with artists including Rachel
Perkins (Radiance, Bran Nue Dae), Darlene Johnson (Crocodile Dreaming, Gulpilil: One Red Blood) and 2009 Caméra d'Or winner, Warwick Thornton (Samson and Delilah).
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Community Voices Since the birth of the moving image, people have picked up cameras and created their own
work – outside the mainstream industry – for different reasons. This section explores a wide
variety of alternative pathways for moving image makers and celebrates sub-cultural
communities from surfing, skating and music to multicultural television.
Filmmaking by particular communities and sub-cultures is examined, as is the role of video
access networks and the development of community-based television stations. Finally,
‘Community Voices’ explores the unparalleled opportunities for making and distributing user-
generated content enabled by the Web.
This section explores work made by collectives and individuals who have strived to establish
their own, independent voices for both personal and political motives, including:
Video Access Networks - community TV from the 1970s to today Our Memories – focusing on ACMI’s Digital Storytelling programs Home Movies Through Time - short clips, including Super 8 and 16mm film Manyu Wana - a program made in Yuendumu, Northern Territory and created to teach
Indigenous children language, numbers and stories in their first language, Warlpiri Music – a look at Australian communities’ use of moving image to promote their bands SBS – an exploration of how SBS is uniquely Australian, reflecting diversity (particularly
through news broadcasts) Board Sports - surf movie culture from the 1970s through to skate culture of today Digital Identities - an introduction to makers behind different types of user-generated
content
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SECTION THREE: SENSATION
With little more than light and sound, how does the moving image so profoundly stimulate our
emotions?
The moving image is a sensory experience; it quickens the pulse, stirs the heart and inspires
the mind. Even after the cinema’s lights come up, the sound fades away and the illusion on
screen disappears, the magic still lingers in our memory.
Sensation includes displays that are structured using a palette of raw materials that make up
the moving image as a sensory experience. Each of these elements is explored through
experiential, interactive displays and activities allowing people a chance to better understand
the underlying concepts and (where appropriate) the historical tradition behind each element.
Hands-on activities, immersive displays and interactivity, historical exhibits and world-first
commissions by Australian and internationally acclaimed moving image makers explore the
sensations generated by the moving image through the following thematics:
Light and Shadow This section explores the psychological impact of projected light and of lighting effects. It also
includes a display focusing on shadow-play, a basic form of moving image that predates the
invention of cinema and continues to appeal to audiences today.
Colour and Abstraction Colour exerts an often unnoticed impact on our bodies and minds. Consequently, it can be used
in the moving image to create an emotional tone, to draw subtle mental associations between
scenes, or simply to evoke a sensory impact.
Sound and Vision This display considers the important and often overlooked role played by sound in constructing
the moving image experience, as well as continued efforts to make the 2D screen into an
immersive 3D experience. This section questions whether ‘moving image’ may in fact be a
misnomer, suggesting that the moving image is actually an audiovisual medium. It
demonstrates that what we see is often influenced by what we hear and vice versa.
Time and Movement The moving image is a time-based medium that can capture and reproduce lifelike movement,
or allow makers to create the illusion of inanimate objects in motion. It can manipulate
movement - stop it, slow it down and speed it up – and in doing so, appear to alter the passage
of time.
Interactivity Through interactive media we can navigate a videogame world, communicate with on-screen
characters, build virtual cities and wage battles online. As technology has improved, these
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forms of interactivity have blurred the lines between the real and on-screen worlds. This
section explores ways in which moving image can directly respond to or be affected by an
individual’s input, and how this can change the moving image experience.
Other Sensation highlights include: Timeslice: Inspired by the iconic 'bullet time' sequence in The Matrix (1999), this full-body
experience is a world first. After receiving your instructions from Hugo Weaving, get ready
to perform for 36 cameras. Your Timeslice clip can then be sent to your email address as a
keepsake. Ty the Tasmanian Tiger™ Zoetrope: As the lights go down and the strobe kicks in, see the
illusion of animation come to life in this stunning 3D zoetrope. More than 200 models are
used to create the illusion, starring Krome Studios' Ty the Tasmanian Tiger and his friends. Pong vs Tennis: Play videogame graphics across time in this interactive experience. Player
One uses a retro-style paddle, while Player Two uses a full-motion sensitive wireless
controller. The Faulty Fandangle: Look through the peephole in this exciting new commissioned work
by Oscar®- nominated Anthony Lucas (The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello) combining animation with mechanical illusions and shadow play.
You and I, Horizontal (II): Step into a dark, haze-filled room to interact with the raw illusion
of the moving image. Transforming a beam of light into a three-dimensional sculpture,
Anthony McCall's You and I, Horizontal (II) (2006) is an Australian premiere. Sound and Vision Room: The power of sound and vision to create the space of a film is
amplified in this dazzling three-screen environment, made with the collaboration of
directors Baz Luhrmann (Australia), Phillip Noyce (Dead Calm) and Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers).
Flip Book: create a 40-frame flip book ‘animation’ starring yourself and some of your
friends, then have it printed upstairs at the ACMI Store. Shadow Monsters: Phillip Worthington evokes childhood memories of the telling of ghost
stories in the dark in this playful real-time interactive that casts creatures on a screen
formed from your silhouette. The City of Chromatic Dissolution (1998): the work of Melbourne legends Arthur and Corinne
Cantrill will be screened digitally for the first time.
Sensation transforms the everyday magic of the moving image into experiences that heighten
the power of its beauty and illusion, affecting our senses and gripping our hearts and minds.
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Games Lab
ACMI has been a champion of games and games culture since 2002 and became one of the
world’s first major arts institutions to present an annual program dedicated to games in a
cultural context. Explore different genres through a curated selection of playable titles and
watch live game play on the big screen. Games include: Quake, Tetris, Lemmings, Sensible Soccer, Pro Evolution Soccer, Civilisation, Spore, Project Gotham Racing, Little Big Planet, Mario Kart and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Kids Space
There will always be something fun and free for kids in this space. Located inside Screen Worlds, imaginations will run wild with hands-on activities and awesome animations all day on
the big screen.
Pyramid
Just near the entry to Screen Worlds, is the Pyramid, the starting point for school visits to
ACMI. For the rest of the time, it’s the perfect spot to watch some great work from the ACMI
collection.
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SCREEN WORLDS INTRODUCTORY TOUR BEFORE YOUR ACMI VISIT
1. Brainstorm key vocabulary that might relate to an exhibition titled Screen Worlds. Discuss
and record the meanings of each word as a class.
2. Work in small groups to create a concept map representing your understandings about the
moving image. You might create a large poster, PowerPoint presentation or other form of
visual representation that may include some or all of the following key triggers:
film documentary director games television art Internet identity representation Hollywood propaganda animation
3. As a group, share and explain your concept map with the class. Invite students to question
and discuss your representation.
4. Use a whiteboard or butcher paper to record key points or questions that arise during each
presentation and display these prominently in the classroom.
5. Refer to words from the earlier brainstorm along with some or all of the following words and
phrases. Set up a class wiki and develop a Screen Worlds glossary, recording meanings of the
words or phrases; along with discussions and reflections about later learning experiences.
exhibition, interactive, film, television, digital culture, media, screen, cinema, pre-cinematic, technology, epoch emergence, senses, sensation, cinematography, icons, voices, spotlight, identity, representation, propaganda
6. In pairs, explore the ACMI website at http//:www.acmi.net.au and in particular the Screen Worlds section.
7. Screen Worlds comprises three key sections: Emergence; Sensation; Voice. In groups, choose
one of the section titles and create a concept map showing what your group predicts might be
included in that section. As a class, share and discuss expectations shown on the concept
maps.
9. Create a class list of key questions you hope to find answers to, while engaging with Screen Worlds.
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AFTER YOUR ACMI EXPERIENCE
1. Create a class graph that shows each student’s favourite aspect of Screen Worlds.
2. Refer to words from the earlier brainstorm and the class wiki set up prior to the visit to
Screen Worlds. Build upon the Screen Worlds glossary, recording meanings of the words or
phrases.
3. Use photos taken at the exhibition to create a quiz for your classmates, based on your
discoveries about moving image.
4. Use photos taken at the exhibition, to create a photo story that will encourage your parents
to visit Screen Worlds.
5. Write a media release that will encourage your parents to visit Screen Worlds.
6. Work with a partner to develop a trail guide and question sheet that will help other students
engage with Screen Worlds, for next year’s class, or to send to the ACMI Education team for
them to share with other teachers.
7. Work with your group to review the concept map created before the visit to ACMI so that it
incorporates your new understandings about the moving image.
8. Write a review or an evaluation of the exhibition and your tour. Send it to the ACMI
Education team to help them improve future learning experiences.
9. Visit the ACMI Screen It website found at: http://www.acmi.net.au/screenit. Investigate the
themes, entry requirements and other information provided. Use what you have learned about
the moving image to help you to create your own film or game to enter into the Screen It
competition.
10. Investigate the ACMI website to find out what types of school and holiday programs are
offered that you might like to participate in.