Indro alumnus and filmmaker Caitlin Soennichsen aimed her camera into cyberspace to create her second-year project for the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) during the recent Melbourne COVID lockdown.
"I actually collaborated with peers in Queensland whilst I was in Melbourne and directed my film over a Zoom call," Caitlin (nee Leahy) says.
"My film, Clear History, is a 'desktop film', so it's set entirely within a computer screen and takes place through text message conversations and Facetime calls.
"It's a dark comedy that follows Bonnie as she communicates with her conceited friend and an incompetent assassin she has hired to kill her cheating boyfriend. There will be an online screening of our films on the 17th of December, but we're yet to have a link to share."
Caitlin, who graduated from Indooroopilly State High School in 2015, is studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television at the VCA and plans to enter her five-minute film into festivals.
"It's a really amazing achievement to have been selected at this school as they accept only up to 15 students a year," she says.
"Studying Film at Indooroopilly helped me realise that my passion was in writing and directing for the screen and it motivated me to pursue study in this field.
"Indro gave me some great skills and I left with a strong short film that I could use to apply to interview-based universities. I initially studied for a year in Sydney at the Australian Film Television and Radio School before finding my place in Melbourne and being accepted into VCA.
"I've made quite a few short films since leaving high school and have learnt so much with each production."
Caitlin is looking forward to returning to Brisbane in January to catch up with family and friends for the first time since lockdown in March. Her dad is the cartoonist Sean Leahy.
"I come from a creative and supportive family and was very grateful that Indro was so supportive of The Arts," she says.
Images: Above, Caitlin Soennichsen in The Best Film Ever, a musical comedy by Isaac Haigh. Top, a scene from Caitlin's new film, Clear History, and Caitlin behind the camera.
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