Recently OLMC were privileged to host Hannah Samuel, a past student of OLMC who graduated in 2012. Hannah is a successful screenwriter and she outlined her journey after leaving OLMC and then graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Art: Screenwriting. Hannah is now a successful screen writer who has written for Netflix, having been part of the writing team for the third series of Heartbreak High as well as Wentworth. She has also written for a number of children’s television programs for the ABC and other networks.
Hannah led a writing workshop for a group of Year 10, 11 and 12 students for Learn a New Skill as part of the Pastoral lesson. Hannah was an engaging and inspiring presenter. She worked with students to think of a character. She asked a series of unique questions to help develop their character’s traits and create a backstory. Many had not considered the range of ideas that go into the creation of a character to ensure that they are multi-dimensional and believable whilst also being interesting. Students gradually added to their character as a result of the provocations designed to encourage students to reflect on their relationships with others and their thoughts and emotions. Students were invited to share their responses and Hannah was very impressed with the richness of their thinking and descriptions.
The Creative Writing Club meet every Tuesday lunchtime and encompasses up to thirty students from all year levels in the school. They were very excited to participate in a Q and A panel discussion facilitated by OLMC’s very own Ms Salamone, a friend and contemporary of Hannah Samuel. As they explained to students, their lives intersected when they met for the first time as Year 7 students beginning their OLMC journey together.
Hannah was asked about the factors that contributed to her becoming a screenwriter and the decisions that she made as a student at school that shaped her career. She explained that there are challenges working in a creative industry but that they are far outweighed by the benefits of working collaboratively in an exciting field where no day looks the same. She encouraged students considering working in a creative industry to prioritise that rather than thinking that they would pursue something else 'just in case' the creative job did not come to fruition. She reminded them that if something is important, it needs to be the focus of their ambitions.
Hannah outlined the creative processes involved in writers’ rooms and the need for writers to be open to direct feedback. She explained that tv production works extremely quickly and people in the industry are used to working long days and having to think quickly and find solutions to complex problems. Students asked Hannah some thought-provoking questions and valued her good humour and candour. We hope to have the opportunity for students to work again with Hannah in the future.
Anne Morrison
English Learning Area Leader
Anna Apfelstedt
Learning Commons Coordinator
