MAGIC HOUR

Welcome to Magic Hour: a podcast about Screen Culture. Makers. Doers. Thinkers. Hosted by Academic, Screenwriter and Musician, BEN MICHAEL. Coming at you from the VCA, Australia’s oldest film school. Part of our mission at the Victorian College of the Arts is to share information with the public. The Film and TV school, over its 50-year history, has nurtured Alumni who have gone onto amazing careers. Often we are recording talks with them as well as other film industry professionals who come by and visit to our students.

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Episodes

Monday Jan 06, 2025

Writer/director Luke Rynderman’s visually dazzling debut feature film; The Speedway Murders, is a top ten most watched film on Hulu in America.  It has just been released on Netflix in Australia where it also made the top ten.
Luke is a graduate of the Masters of Screenwriting at the VCA. He spent ten years writing projects that got so close to being made it would break most people. Not Luke. He kept writing.  To make money, he used his graphic design skills to became part of the art department on many feature films. This gave Luke an intense uncompromising eye for visual details. He knows exactly how he wants each scene to look and he will make it happen – no matter what it takes. 
He has fun industry horror stories that will blow you mind.
But most of all he will inspire you to never give up, and when you finally get that big first break to be 100% hardcore to get your vision on the screen.

Wednesday Aug 07, 2024

WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS REFERENCES TO SEXUAL ABUSE
Director Shannon Owen and Producer Dr. Donna Lyon talk about the trials and tribulations of "Left, Write, Hook" a feature-length documentary about seven women who responded to a call-out to participate in an 8-week experimental recovery program. The program supports survivors of childhood sexual assault by addressing both the physical and emotional impacts of trauma through a unique combination of boxing and creative writing. What begins as an 8-week program soon becomes much more as these survivors build bonds with one another and with their coach that lead to transformations they could only have dreamed of.

Thursday Dec 21, 2023

Associate Professor Nicolette Freeman skillfully delves into the Hollywood career of VCA Alumni, Alethea Jones, unraveling the directing journey behind renowned works like Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Mrs. Davis, and Fun Mom Dinner, offering invaluable insights, tricks, and tips that resonate deeply with aspiring film students.

MAGIC HOUR - with Roman Coppola

Thursday Oct 19, 2023

Thursday Oct 19, 2023

Hollywood royalty, Roman Coppola, stopped by VCA Film and Television whilst in Melbourne and spoke with producer Stephen Luby and a cohort of students about wide-ranging topics such as screenwriting, producing, making music videos, Wes Anderson, wine, theme parks and decentralized film financing. Tune in!

Thursday Oct 12, 2023

VCA Alumni and "born writer" Gabriel Bergmoser speaks about his career as an award-winning screenwriter, playwright and novelist to Ben Michael - they cover topics such as ability to be prolific, his work ethic, adaptations, Hollywood, and being a published best-seller.

Thursday Aug 31, 2023

In this episode, five film industry insiders give their perspective on the future of film funding.
VCA Alumni, writer/director Goran Stolevski - "Of an Age" (2022) and "You Won't Be Alone" (2022)
VCA Alumni Caleb Ribates - Lakad (2022)
Producer Emma Roberts - VR project Gondwana (2022)
Dr Kirstin Stephens - Lecturer in Arts and Cultural Management
Dr Duncan Caillard - Culture and Communication

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023

VCA Alumni, Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw is interviewed by Assoc. Prof. Annabelle Murphy.
Adam Arkapaw is an Australian cinematographer. He is best known for his work on the television series Top of the Lake and True Detective (Season 1), for which he has won two Creative Arts Emmy Awards. He is also known for his collaborations with director Justin Kurzel, whom he worked with on Snowtown, Macbeth, and Assassin's Creed.

Tuesday Jul 18, 2023

Magic Hour host Ben Michael interviews documentary director Brett Morgen about his career culminating in the 2023 release of the David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream

@The University of Melbourne

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