The biennial festival, open to filmmakers and animators from all over Australia, included Poco Talks, an expert speaker panel featuring SAE senior lecturer and filmmaker Dr James Thompson who shared his insights on the role Artificial Intelligence (AI) should – or shouldn’t – play in preparing students for it and the importance of regional film events.
SAE University College Australia senior lecturer and filmmaker Dr James Thompson set out to answer a big question in his presentation to the Poco Short Film Festival in Ballarat this month – where does AI fit into filmmaking education?
An educator of over a decade, Dr Thompson summarised AI as a “tool but not a replacement for hard film skills” in his presentation to industry members and students.
Reflecting on the presentation, he said AI shouldn’t be relied on by students or teachers as a foundation.
“If you have AI do everything for you, it’s kind of like you want to be an athlete, but you don’t want to go to the gym,” he said.
SAE University College is a leader in creative media education, and Dr Thompson said tackling changing technologies within the industry is one of the things the organisation does best.
He said individual creativity will always be at the heart of the filmmaking process and must always be the priority, but AI should also be integrated.
“The creative voice is as important as ever, and in some ways, AI might enhance that, in that it’ll create new economies of nuance,” he said.
“Some content might become AI-generated, sure, but that will actually drive a need and a want for human created content.
“One of the most important assets that a student can have as they go into their career is their voice and their ability to be creative. That can’t be replaced by technology.”
He advocated for the inclusion of AI and emerging technologies in education.
“It’s a tool, it’s here to stay,” he said.
“Learn how to use it, try to understand where it fits in the scheme of the industry but fight hard for your voice and practise your voice.”
In a practical sense, he said students need a full set of hard skills as a priority.
“It’s really important to teach students the old school step-by-step routine of post-production with an editor,” he said.
SAE support future talent in the regions
Dr Thompson presented his AI analysis as part of a panel of industry experts at the Poco Film Festival, alongside acclaimed filmmakers Noora Niasari and Mark Molloy.
The regional festival is supported by SAE University College as a major sponsor. The SAE Best Short Film prize was this year awarded to Marunka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black), a powerful film directed by Matthew Thorne and Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch.
The film follows Derik’s road trip back to Country (Aputula), as memories from his childhood return. A journey from the oppression of white city life in Adelaide, back home to his remote Anangu community to seek spiritual healing and to perform on sacred Inma ground. Inma is a traditional form of storytelling using the visual, verbal, and physical. It is how Anangu Tjukurpa (myths) have been passed down for over 60,000+ years from generation to generation.
Dr Thompson said in supporting the festival, SAE is supporting the future of the industry and its students.
“I think festivals like these are massively important for generating the next generation of film professionals,” Dr Thompson said.
“There are students that come to SAE from places like Ballarat and when those students see their town engaging in Australian film culture, it gives them agency and makes them feel that those industry doors, which often seem to be closed, can be opened.”
The Poco Film Festival’s goal is to foster new and emerging talent and build a community for creative minds to share, collaborate and inspire. This year Poco received more than 250 entries, all in contention for a total of $12,000 prize money.
