In 2020, Mr Roderick MacKay (99-03) debuted his first feature film,鈥�The Furnace, as part of the official selection for the 77th鈥疺enice Film Festival.
We sat down with Mr MacKay when he came back to the College to speak to students during Arts Week, to find out how he got started on this journey from a 脱裤吧 graduate to an esteemed film director.鈥�听
What听are some of your听memories听from your time at 脱裤吧?
If I鈥檓 honest,听I听remember struggling academically in a number of subjects outside of听Visual听Arts and听Media听Studies. I听only听scraped听through my tertiary entrance exams to get into Visual Arts School at Curtin University.听听
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at 脱裤吧.听When I first arrived from South Perth Primary School in Year 8, I remember being aware that I was about听to听attend an incredibly听prestigious听school. Quite remarkably, I am still very close with a number of friends that I made as a student听at 脱裤吧.听听
Was there a particular moment at 脱裤吧听when听you discovered your passion for film?
Funnily enough, my desire to be a filmmaker didn鈥檛 arrive until shortly after my time at 脱裤吧. I was actually one of my year鈥檚 top Visual Arts students, so I was quite intent on pursuing that as a career as Media Studies was quite different when I was a student. For one, the filmmaking tools were far less sophisticated and the whole notion of being a filmmaker felt very out of reach, especially growing up in Perth. Where you鈥檙e about as far away as possible from screen industry epicentres in the United States or the United Kingdom. 听
While I was quite adept visually, I didn鈥檛 have the best English grades, so the thought of writing scripts was also quite intimidating. But that began to change when I was lucky enough to have听Mr听David听Ashton听as my English teacher听for my final years at听脱裤吧. He really听helped me find my voice and boost my confidence as a writer. Now as听screenwriter听and听film听director, I still听sometimes听contemplate how important a role Mr Ashton played in starting me on this journey.听
Beyond that, it was sometime during university听when听I realised filmmaking was听this kind of 鈥榰ltimate鈥� art form,听harnessing an unparalleled breadth听of听mediums, skillsets and technologies, all for the shared purpose of telling a story.听听
Once that penny drops, and you realise the scope and power of filmmaking, there鈥檚 no going back!听
What did you do after leaving 脱裤吧?
I completed a Bachelor of Arts听in听Visual听Arts with a few additional film school units and independent research projects.听听
Bizarrely, after听I graduated from university in 2007, I pursued an IT start-up,听which听involved a听couple听of听former 脱裤吧 classmates. The IT start-up听was designed to provide听online turnkey business infrastructure for听artists and creative industry practitioners, from a range of disciplines.听The project actually got quite far, but the 2009 global financial crisis made it impossible to raise investment for a high-risk digital arts platform, so we put the concept听to bed.听听
From this,听I learnt a huge amount听about听pitching and raising money, which would go on to serve me well听as a听filmmaker.听I then听spent the rest of my 20s focussed purely on filmmaking. In 2009,听I made my first short听film on听a听shoestring budget听with a fellow听Old Collegian,听David Stephens听(93-03),听which听demonstrated听we knew what we were doing and put us on the radar of the听Western听Australia鈥檚听screen agency, Screenwest.听听
My next short film was shot in 2013 and received some funding support from Screenwest. Six years later in 2019听I married my wife Tessa, and听as a result of a lot of hard work,听started shooting my debut feature film,听The Furnace.听It was a pretty gruelling six-week shoot on Yamatji Badimaya country in Western听Australia鈥檚 remote听Mid-West听region. Once completed, it was the听only Australian film accepted into the 2020听Venice听Film Festival听鈥榦fficial selection鈥�, which Tessa and I听managed to听physically attend, even during a听global pandemic. So,听you could say filmmaking is very much about playing the long game!听
What lessons did you learn from your parents that you feel impacted your career journey?
My parents have always gently encouraged my brother,听sister,听and I to follow our passions, pursue meaningful work and think outside the box. This mantra has led us on some challenging but incredibly fulfilling life journeys.听
From your experience,听how has COVID-19 impacted the film industry?
It鈥檚 hard to know where to begin in summarising just how dramatically COVID-19 has transformed the global screen industry. I would love for audiences to continue to experience听my films听in听cinemas,听but听that dream听no longer听feels听sustainable听for听relatively low budget听independent titles such as听The Furnace. The economics of the theatrical release model were already听antiquated,听and the industry has been complacent for some听time in the face of a shrinking cinema audience,听increasingly听drawn to听online听streaming.听听
COVID-19 greatly amplified and accelerated those听issues.听Like most filmmakers, I am now setting my mind toward creating content for streaming platforms. The cinema is still the gold standard viewing experience, but I have reached a point where I听would听rather people saw my film in a home cinema, on a听computer screen听or even their听bloody听phones,听versus not seeing it at al!听
What is your best piece of advice听for a young听media student听hoping听to get started in the听world of film?
Filmmaking is incredibly difficult and hyper competitive. You听have to really want it. Also, there is听so much听content being made听and听much of it is听mere听entertainment and escapism, which听is perfectly valid and we need that sometimes. But I think artists are obliged to create meaningful and explorative work that attempts to offer some unique insight or experience to an audience.听听
Any subject matter听can be made interesting or boring. What matters is听how听you explore it听and bring it to life听and that all unpacks out of the clarity and specificity of your voice.听So, I would really encourage any aspiring听filmmaker to delve into the craft of screenwriting as much as the technicality听and philosophies听of filmmaking.听听
Most importantly, be bold, honest听and authentic听and tell听the听stories听that听you love.听Live life and remember听you are a student of human observation.听It鈥檚 a hard road, but don鈥檛 settle for mediocrity!听
Subscribe to 脱裤吧 News & Events