Alumni Showcase: http://knowing.swinburne.edu.au/post/148666186774/making-an-impact-through-film

Making an impact through film Trigger warning: This story makes mention of sexual assault.

Movies are about more than entertainment for Swinburne Film and Television graduate Isabella Wright, they’re about social change too, and her role at Madman Entertainment is allowing her to influence and educate using the power of film. Isabella currently works as an outreach coordinator at Madman Entertainment. It’s a role you may not have heard of, but one that’s becoming increasingly important in the constantly-changing world of film distribution. While completing her Bachelor of Film and Television with a co-major in journalism, Isabella was able to score an internship working on That Sugar Film, an Aussie documentary produced by Madman Production Company. Since then she’s been part of the Madman Entertainment family, working on a number of their projects. By pairing film and television study with a journalism co-major, Isabella was able to learn interviewing and writing skills too, skills she now uses in her role at Madman Entertainment. “Within my degree I was able to not only able to study producing, but also cinematography, editing, sound design, and directing. Having this vast knowledge of how each role works is crucial knowledge when working for a company like Madman.” “Producing requires the ability of adapting skills to a wide range of scenarios. I’ve been able to adapt what I’ve learnt in a plethora of ways to make the greatest impact with each film we work on,” says Isabella.

Breaking new ground

Making sure each film she works with at Madman has a social impact is Isabella’s end goal, and it’s something she’s striving for with The Hunting Ground Australia Project, a documentary and supporting campaign that looks at the personal stories of students who have been sexually assaulted on American university campuses. “It’s incredibly important to Australian students. We are only just beginning to scratch the surface in starting a nationwide discussion about sexual assault, harassment, consent and disclosure in Australia.” On top of hosting screenings of the documentary at Australian universities, Isabella is working within The Hunting Ground Australia Project team, organising Q&As with experts in the field and working with partners to facilitate a nation-wide survey helping to fill gaps in knowledge around sexual violence on university campuses. “This is then followed by the development of a model for universities for reporting policies and procedures, topped off with ethics and consent training.” How’s that for making an impact? The Hunting Ground will be screening across Swinburne’s Hawthorn, Croydon and Wantirna campuses this August followed by a Q&A session.