Trainee cinematographers in the film and television hub of Sydney will benefit from equipment upgrades thanks to a $149,998 investment in state-of-the-art camera equipment at TAFE NSW Randwick.  

The upgraded equipment is part of the NSW Government's $100 million, state-wide upgrades, asset renewal, and maintenance at 126 TAFE NSW campuses.

Due to the recent boom in film and television projects being launched in New South Wales, spurred in part by a $175 million investment in screen production through the Made in NSW fund1, there’s been an increased demand for talented and skilled labour in cinematography.

TAFE NSW Head Teacher of Screen and Media at TAFE NSW Randwick Huseyin Turem said the arrival of film industry standard camera equipment will help supply the booming screen industry with a pipeline of skilled and job-ready graduates.

“Two industry-standard ARRI Alexa Mini cameras have been delivered to TAFE NSW, to help us train the next generation of camera operators and assistant cinematographers,” said Mr Huseyin.

“This equipment upgrade will be critical to allow us to train students using the tool they will find on a professional film set. They’ll have the opportunity to learn how to set up the camera for production, practice menu structures and the use of various lenses as focus pullers and data wranglers.”

The ARRI Alexa Mini is considered to be one of the finest cinema-quality cameras on the market and has been used in the production of Oscar winning films including Green Book, 1917, Moonlight and The Shape of Water.

Mr Huseyin said that TAFE NSW had also recruited two industry-leading cinematographers to enable training with this new equipment.

“With 56% of the Australian screen industry employed in NSW, we’re committed to delivering for the future of the Australian film industry by ensuring our graduates leave TAFE NSW with all the skills they need to do the job.”

Students interested in a career in cinematography can learn the skills they need through a range of Screen and Media courses focused on film and television production at TAFE NSW. For more information about studying at TAFE NSW, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

Media contact: Emma Woodward, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, emma.woodward15@tafensw.edu.au, 0409 618 291