A SHORT road safety film, due to be released later this year, is on track to deliver an important message thanks to the fresh ideas of a Footscray Victorian University student.
Arts student Paddy Macrae’s ideas recently impressed judges of the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Make a Film, Make a Difference competition and have earned him the coveted opportunity to create a short film on road safety.
As one of three winners of the annual TAC competition, Paddy, 19, has been given a budget of $20,000 and access to industry professionals to help make his film ideas a reality.
This year there was a change in the competition guidelines to focus on seeking out real concepts to help young drivers be safer on the roads, instead of previous film ideas exploring what influences attitudes towards taking risks.
The film ideas had to make young people feel it was OK to speak out among friends when faced with risky situations, a topic close to Paddy’s heart.
Paddy and his friends have been touched by road trauma, and their situation is not unique.
“Safety on the roads is a very important thing for me. Being in this age group you can’t help but be around road tragedy, it is so prevalent in our society.
“The fact that this could possibly help someone out or get some ideas across was just such a great extra motivation for me,” he said.
The teenager puts his success down to being inside the target demographic, but after just a short conversation with Paddy, it is clear the budding film maker will do more than just talk about making a difference.
Paddy’s original synopsis for his film, The Price of Friendship, included scenarios about issues surrounding dangerous driving.
“I drew upon my own experiences as a 19-year-old riding in cars with friends. The ideas are simple, as it is important that the script is good enough so that you don’t have to think about it when you see it,” he said.
Paddy’s film concept centres around a well-written script without a dependence on special effects and fancy shooting.
“I really focused on snappy dialogue and then found a storyline to set it apart. What I have is a simple storyline with a twist,” he said.
It took Paddy about four hours to write and edit his script, and once he had the idea he tailored it to meet the competition criteria.
“A lot of kids don’t think it could be them, and when I submitted this I honestly thought I had no chance, but you’ve just got to give it a shot,” he said.
Paddy encouraged other budding film makers to submit their ideas to competitions to help build a portfolio.
“As a young person who wants a career in film and stage, a leg up like this is never a bad thing. The exposure is fantastic,” he said.
Paddy has a small team of dedicated professionals who will soon begin the process of making his film ideas a reality on the big screen. The short film is expected to be seen in cinemas throught the country later this year.
