TALK: By the pricking of their thumbs
Writing horror and thriller for the stage
With no editing suite, or the special effects that are widely used in horror films, what does it take to scare the pants off a patron sitting at the theatre? Reflecting on her own experiences, playwright Carrie McLean will discuss the restrictions and the opportunities that a live theatre setting can provoke in creating a horror or thriller play. She will also discuss how the Tasmanian landscape has contributed to the dark and mystical side of her work.
TIME: 2 pm - 3 pm, 18 February
LOCATION: Peacock Theatre - Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart
COST: Gold coin donation
BOOKINGS: Not required but please RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends.
Carrie Maclean is a freelance writer, director, actor and mother of four based in Launceston. Only after writing her latest play overnight for Mudlark’s inaugural One Day Project - where several plays are written, rehearsed and performed in 24 hours - did Carrie realise that five out of seven of her produced plays feature ghosts. A theme perhaps?
For Mudlark, of which she is a founding member, Carrie has written Beautiful: A Ghost Story (2011); Strange Fruit as part of Dancing Back Home (2010), an epic continent-wide collaboration with JUTE Theatre in Cairns; Mind the Gap (2011), The Fools of Fire (2008) and Danger #31 (2006) for the One Day Projects; and Cafe, which toured Tasmanian schools and colleges in 2007. She has also written and directed the short film New Skin, awarded a WiFT Award for Emerging Artist. Most recently, she wrote Chasing a Sound Like Rain, a collaborative youth theatre project for SSYT.
TALK: Nightmares in Yellow
A discussion about Giallo films
‘Giallo’ is an Italian sub-genre of horror cinema, full of lurid violent imagery, disorienting camerawork, obtuse dialogue, groovy soundtracks and a dream/nightmare-logic. These films are psychedelic murder-mysteries and trippy ‘whodunnits’. Matt will discuss the origin of these films, prime examples, the various traits inherent with them and the influence they have had on wider horror cinema. He will also discuss examples of typical and atypical female roles seen in these films with special focus on Dario Argento’s Deep Red (Profondo Rosso), a key-work of the genre.
Matt suggests the following titles that would be helpful to watch before this discussion, particularly Deep Red.
Deep Red (Profondo Rosso) - Dario Argento, 1973
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage - Dario Argento, 1969
The House With Laughing Windows - Pupi Avati, 1976
The Short Night of Glass Dolls - Aldo Lado, 1971
A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin - Lucio Fulci, 1971
TIME: 4 pm - 5 pm, 18 February
LOCATION: Peacock Theatre - Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart
COST: Gold coin donation
BOOKINGS: Not required but please RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends.
Matt Warren is a Hobart-based electronic media artist, musician, curator and writer. He is also Gallery Coordinator at INFLIGHT artist run intiative and has taught electronic media at University of Tasmania’s Centre for the Arts. In 2009 Matt completed PhD research in time-based media at University of Tasmania. Matt has exhibited, produced sound works and had screenings in Vancouver, Montreal, Tábor; Czech Republic, New Zealand, USA and throughout Australia. He has held residencies with Jean-Yves Thériault in Montreal, Canada, with Damo Suzuki in Köln, Germany, at Raw Space in Brisbane as well as multiple residencies at CESTA (Czech Republic).
As an active musician, he performs solo ambient/drone music under the name mumble(speak) and solo power-electronics as Broken Tiny. He is also part of industrial metal duo M.0.1.0, the dark improv duo Untermorast and electronic improv trio TRIAD. He has also performed as part of the Damo Suzuki Network and the Hobart Improv Collective.
Matt has had a long investigative interest in cinema with horror being an early passion and with particular interests in its formative influence; German Expressionist Film and Giallo.
MASTERCLASS: Blood, bites and all things nice
Low budget horror special effects make-up
Co-presented by Wide Angle Tasmania
This two-hour session run by Mel Cooper will explain how to create basic (and not so basic) low budget makeup effects for your next horror film. Mel will cover effects ranging from latex wounds suitable for zombie films through to a slit throat for the ultimate death scene. The class will also cover questions of cost, planning and on-set logistics. Numbers are limited, as participants will have the chance to obverse up close and ask questions throughout the class.
TIME: 2 pm - 4pm, 19 February
LOCATION: Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart
COST: TBC
BOOKINGS: Email now to reserve your place. You will be contacted once tickets go on sale to confirm.
Mel Cooper is passionate about special effects make-up. We were all put on this planet for a reason - Mel’s is her crafted ability to create convincing makeup effects. With an eye for detail she particularly enjoys creating horror, creature, fantasy and sci-fi effects. She has worked on a number of local short films and has done extensive work for local theatre and television commercials.
Mel was recently accepted to study the Advanced Diploma of Special FX Make-Up via correspondence through a school in the USA. On completion of this diploma she will be able to offer an even broader range of skills to theatre and film production in Tasmania.
TALK: Genre and gender in our own landscape
From Australian ‘dark weird’ to Tasmanian Gothic
Fantasy author Tansy Rayner Roberts talks about Australian writers who find the horror, fantasy and ‘dark weird’ in the Australian landscape, as well as her own experiences writing about magic, female protagonists and monsters in Tasmanian settings. Tansy’s talk will be followed by a Q & A about writing, grant applications and getting published in speculative fiction (horror, science fiction and fantasy).
TIME: 4 pm - 5 pm, 19 February
LOCATION: Peacock Theatre - Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart
COST: Gold coin donation
BOOKINGS: Not required but please RSVP on the Facebook events page and invite your friends.
Tansy Rayner Roberts is the author of The Creature Court trilogy, and Love and Romanpunk and lives in Tasmania.
Tansy’s writing blog - tansyrr.com
Crunchy SF feminist podcast - galacticsuburbia.com
Pendlerook Designs, Tasmanian hand-painted Dolls - pendlerook.com
Follow Tansy on Twitter
