(Transcript with notations)
Soft sombre piano track fades in.
VISUAL: RMIT Introduction Slide reads “I Belong at RMIT”. Body text reads “I Belong is RMIT’s dynamic approach to inspiring and building tertiary engagement with secondary students.”
VISUAL: Softly lit school hallway with students and teachers walking around
Young Male Voice #1: When you get to university I assume it’s going to be very difficult to manage work, or relationships or family.
VISUAL: Looking out through windows in a corridor. The corridor is softly lit, there are 7 male students wearing white school shirts, they are standing around in a circle talking.
VISUAL: Looking in through doors there are a male student and female student sitting side by side. In the background on the left of the students on a white & green brick wall there is a cabinet with notices.
Young Male Voice #2: I think university is the time where you have to find your path for your future and all that.
VISUAL: Cream coloured school lockers, some with padlocks locking them, there are white pane doors with glass in the background, there is a student exiting the doors and is walking towards the camera.
The camera pans in towards the locks as another student walks in front of the camera.
VISUAL: Outside looking through a chain-link fence there are gumtrees and a small group of 5 female students in various school uniforms. They are playing volley ball with another group of students, not seen on camera. In the background there are classrooms, the camera pans slowly.
Young Female Voice #1: I think you’d have a lot more freedom.
Young Female Voice #2: I think the pressure… I think it would be a lot bigger but you wouldn’t really have so much to rely on.
VISUAL: There is an empty classroom with desks and chairs set up in it; it is dimply lit with light pouring in from small wooden windows to the left. The camera pans to the right.
VISUAL: The camera pans to the left over light blue topped desks and red school chairs.
VISUAL: Close up of female student #3 speaking to the camera
Young Female Voice #3: Yeah, basically for me, like, high school's like the most important thing for me… finishing… I want to be able to set a good example for my younger sister who's going into year 10 next year and say to her, like, “well, I finished year 12 so I guess you can finish as well”.
VISUAL: Now at RMIT’s City campus. Looking up into the green leaves of a tree and the sky the sun is shining down.
Across the centre of the screen is the text: “RMIT’s I Belong programs invite selected secondary students to explore a range of careers and discover what is possible through tertiary education”.
VISUAL: The camera pans to the top, the light from the sun fill most of the screen.
VISUAL: Wendy, a teacher from Mt Erin College is in a corridor speaking to the camera
Wendy: We have some really big issues trying to get kids to do further education. It's really hard for them to, sort of, see themselves beyond that Frankston sort of world.
VISUAL: The camera is looking at green trees. It pans down and focuses on the Emily MacPherson Building.
Across the centre of the screen is the text: “In November 2014, Year 9 and 10 students from Thomastown Secondary College and Mount Erin College spent five days at RMIT’s city campus learning skills in photography and video making”.
VISUAL: Lena, a teacher from Thomastown Secondary College is in a corridor speaking to the camera
Lena: Their knowledge of education and experience at a tertiary school or a university is quite limited.
VISUAL: Montage of various students who took part in the program sitting in a classroom smiling at the camera
VISUAL: A photographic studio. Jessie, an RMIT photo imaging tutor, sits on the left. Janelle, an RMIT photo imaging tutor, sits on the right. In the background we can see the equipment for a photo-shoot.
Jessie: The definition of this program for these students is to look at education outside of high school. The week with us is like a mini diploma
Janelle: Mh-hmm
Jessie: It's a little kind of sample of what they would do if they studied here for the two years.
VISUAL: Students walk towards the camera that looks down at an angle at them.
Wendy (VOICEOVER): This program kinda makes kids have an accessibility to something that they just wouldn't even know exists in the world.
Upbeat piano track fades-in in the background.
VISUAL: Looking down Swanston Street at the Latrobe street intersection. People are crossing the road and a tram is crossing the intersection moving towards the camera.
VISUAL: Looking at sign for Building 8. Trees cover the top and bottom of the sign and the number 8 and an arrow pointing left is visible.
VISUAL: 4 female students sit on the steps of the State Library of Victoria they are talking to the camera; one of the girls in the background is giggling.
Female Student #3: On Monday we arrived and I was like "woah, there's more than one RMIT building! Like really!"
VISUAL: Three university students walk away from the camera in a university building, in the distance to the right hand side are cream coloured lockers.
VISUAL: Jessie and Janelle talking to the camera
Janelle: So the week's divided up - on location and in studio - pretty much how it is in studying the Diploma. A lot of the stuff we plan for the Monday is around just making them feel comfortable.
VISUAL: Four high school boys are walking away from the camera in a university hallway towards an exit.
VISUAL: A high school student is standing looking at a something to the right of the camera; he motions for a group of people to move together more.
VISUAL: The camera turns to look at a group of students he is taking a photo of, they move closer and two students in the centre pose like they are about to start a boxing match which 3 students on either side of them line up and pretend to look on.
Upbeat piano track increases in volume
VISUAL: The student takes a photo and we see the flash go off, the camera pans to look at Jessie and Janelle standing in the background watching the students.
VISUAL: The camera looks on as the students’ hand presses the preview button on the camera; we are able to see the full photo of the two students pretending to fight as others look on.
VISUAL: A person is holding a yellow plastic martini glass filled with M&M candies, the have a piece of paper on top and flip the glass upside down, losing some in the process. They hold the martini glass to the paper as they put it onto the desk.
VISUAL: The camera is focused on Janelle as she is talking to various people around her who we cannot see.
VISUAL: A high school student lowers her head to look through the view finder of a digital SLR camera on a tripod.
VISUAL: The camera focuses on a student arranging M&Ms, jawbreakers and a bowl of gummy snakes.
Upbeat piano track decreases in volume
Jessie: The Monday brief is a still life exercise so we give them a variety of props, plates, cups, coloured paper and a whole lot of sugar.
VISUAL: The camera pans down from a student talking to Jessie who is holding a digital SLR camera towards his arrangement to focusing on the arrangement – a blue upside down martini glass filled with coloured M&Ms layered in an arrangement of pink, orange and then a mix of blue and yellow. On the base of the martini glass in three snakes hanging over the edge held in place by a white jawbreaker candy.
Jessie: The first day, which is kinda exciting for them, ends with a lolly shoot.
VISUAL: We see the student taking a picture of the arrangement from behind
VISUAL: There are three students holding an A3 cardboard background in place while another student uses a digital camera to take a photo as a student looks on to the left and Janelle and Jessie look on to the right. The student looks through the view finder and Jessie shifts the camera.
Female student voice: We set them up, we put them in different angles we use the camera different angles and took photos with the lollies.
VISUAL: Two students, one standing and one crouching take photos of bricks as a pedestrian walks past them and the camera and looks on at what they are doing.
VISUAL: Jessie and Janelle are sitting talking to the camera.
Jessie: On the Tuesday and part of the Wednesday we take them out and they just photograph around the city.
VISUAL: Camera pans in through a student’s arms as they hold the camera out to take a photo of something.
VISUAL: A student holding a short selfie stick uses it to look down on themselves as we look up and pan up towards the sky capturing bright and colourful business signs.
VISUAL: Sunlight fills an alley way. Students stand around pointing a camera up into the sky while they guide the camera-man’s arms.
VISUAL: A black lantern held up by steel rods running from one building to another it has Asian characters cut out of it.
Janelle: So we have half of them in studio and we have half of them out in the city taking photos with guides.
VISUAL: Jessie and Janelle are sitting talking to the camera.
Jessie: With the goal of getting at least one shot that they can then exhibit for the end of the week.
VISUAL: People walking around and arranging tools as we focus on a makeup set on a short table.
VISUAL: Students stand around in small groups of three, the camera focuses on one group of students with a large brush and makeup, the student on the right most brushes the brush into the makeup and blows on it removing excess.
Female student voice #4: We get dressed up; we do makeup if that's what people want
VISUAL: A student applying blue eye shadow to another student’s eyelid.
VISUAL: Focus shifts to the student applying makeup, as she is working she speaks to the camera. She looks at the camera as she speaks.
Female student voice #5: I'm colouring in her eyes to stand out against a black mask to match her blue corset
VISUAL: A student enters the modelling area; there is a large white background and light panels arranged around lights, other students look as a student walks past the camera.
VISUAL: A student is taking a photo of the student who entered the modelling area. The focus shifts to the student who is modelling as she poses.
VISUAL: Student looking through viewfinder aiming and directing the camera as Jessie stands to her right looking on at what she is doing, the student takes a photo and the flash goes off illuminating the area.
VISUAL: The camera pans over a student using a camera to a modelling area where a student is seated holding a soft toy bear. To her left is another student wearing a top hat and simple black masquerade mask, they pose like they are having a discussion.
Janelle: They get to experience both, I guess, and what it really is like working in Studio environment and what it's like having pressure outside, with a brief and time and all of that kind of thing.
VISUAL: Montage of students taking photos at various locations around Melbourne.
VISUAL: Pans out to the two students recording a video of a student exiting an elevator.
VISUAL: Looking over students shoulder as they play back the video they just recorded.
VISUAL: Looking up at students as they focus on what is on the screen of the phone.
VISUAL: A student is standing talking to the camera.
Male Student #1: It felt like a normal class but more interactive and more… you can communicate freely. Other than just sit down and focus you can just be loose and be creative
VISUAL: Three girls aim a phone on a stick up at a glass door with a white wooden frame.
VISUAL: Colourful business signs, in the left corner we see a student using a phone to take a photo of the business signs.
VISUAL: Three students sit in front of a black brick wall talking the camera.
Female student voice #1: The last few days in the city made me consider if I should be a photographer… it's actually fun.
VISUAL: Jessie and Janelle sitting talking to the camera.
Jessie: For the Thursday it's just in the lab.
VISUAL: A person is using a keyboard and mouse it pans out to the top right corner of a computer screen, a short video plays back.
Female student voice #5: It was pretty interesting because we've never really done much editing. That was the biggest highlight.
VISUAL: Montage of students who took part in the program
VISUAL: Two students use computers, the student on the left leans over to look at what the student to the right of her is doing. She moves her chair closer and leans in to the right.
VISUAL: Montage of students editing videos and photos they captured.
VISUAL: Five male students, as before speak to the camera.
Male Student #2: When I first went into the room they put us onto Photoshop, the ins and outs of it
Jessie: And the basics and stuff that we're gonna be able to use throughout the week
Male Student #2: I've had a fun time playing around with it and learning new skills
VISUAL: Close up of Lena speaking to the camera.
Lena: In such a short time they were able to create something extraordinary where normally they wouldn't have had that opportunity
VISUAL: Montage of students watching various clips put together by peers
Lena: Starting with nothing and ending up with something… whether it's a film or some fantastic photographs.
VISUAL: Jessie and Janelle sitting talking to the camera.
VISUAL: Montage of students working collaboratively to create videos during their time on the program
Janelle: Our very first lot of students we taught in 2011. I met three of them and they are applying come back to RMIT to study our course and the higher ed course.
Students jeering and making noise in the background
Lena: If we actually had to charge what this would cost as a program to run, outside of being fully funded by RMIT…
VISUAL: Close up of Lena speaking to the camera.
Lena: …there's no way that we'd be able to get the kids that are here today, here.
VISUAL: Montage of students working collaboratively to create videos
Lena: It's such an amazing thing to be able to give kids the opportunity to come in, to have a real insight not only into to what university life is like but also to what city life is like
VISUAL: Two students from the program talk to the camera.
Female Student #4: I didn't know what to expect coming in but it was actually really fun.
VISUAL: Montage of photos and work created by students during their time on the project.
Male Student #1: I actually might do photography in the future. It's very interesting.
Female Student #5: I've always wanted to go to University to see how things work and I've already learned a lot.
VISUAL: Two students from the program talk to the camera.
Female Student #6: I would definitely see myself coming to this uni or any other RMIT, TAFE
VISUAL: Montage of photos and work created by students during their time on the project continues.
VISUAL: 4 female students sit on the steps of the State Library of Victoria they are talking to the camera
Female Student #4: I was actually kinda scared about uni, but now I'm actually kind still scared but I'm okay.
VISUAL: Montage of photos and work created by students during their time on the project continues.
Female Student #5: I've changed my mind about uni; yes I probably could see myself coming to uni
Female Student voice #6: Before, I was very sceptical about how things were going to work out, what I was going to do… this definitely changed
VISUAL: Two students from the program talk to the camera.
Female Student #6: This experience has changed my mind a lot; I want to come to uni now
VISUAL: Video fades out to white screen, in the centre the text reads: “Thank you to the participating teachers and students from Thomastown Secondary College and Mt. Erin College”
VISUAL: In the centre the text changes to read: “For more information about I Belong contact the Equity and Diversity Unit (03) 9925 3181 equity@rmit.edu.au”
[ENDS]
