ABOUT

Melanie is a writer and director who has worked in Canada, the UK, India and Australia. In addition to running her own Adelaide-based production company, Free Cake Films, she also worked as a Segment Producer on the TV program ‘Totally Wild’ for Network Ten, as a Producer for Adelaide-based production company 57 Films, and in various production office roles across feature films and television series for companies such as Beyond Content, Epic Films, Matchbox Pictures, Seven Network and the ABC.

In 2017 Melanie received grant funding (with producer Gilbert Kemp Attrill) for a short film she wrote and directed titled AQUAPHOBE. The film screened at noteworthy festivals including the Adelaide Film Festival in 2020 and Flickerfest in 2021 and was nominated for three South Australian Screen Awards in 2020. In 2022 she was awarded grant funding (with producers Poppy Fitzpatrick and Lisa Bishop) for a short film titled DRAGON’S BREATH, which she wrote and directed in January 2023 and will premiere in 2024. Melanie was also selected as one of twelve filmmakers from around Australia to participate in AFTRS National Talent Camp 2022 in Sydney.

Melanie grew up in Canada but spent several years living and working in the UK and India before permanently settling in Australia. She has a BA in English (Carleton University) and MA in Comparative Literature and South Asian Studies (University of Toronto). She is currently undertaking a PhD in Film Studies at the University of Queensland, and works as a casual academic and tutor in Film Studies at UQ.

Currently available for directing TVCs, music videos, shorts, web series, etc. Open to script collaborations and would love to work in a writer’s room! (Writing samples available on request.)

Please get in touch HERE.

CV

Filmography

Director/Writer
DRAGON’S BREATH (11 mins, 2024)

Director/Writer
AQUAPHOBE (14 mins, 2020)

Writer/Field Producer
TOTALLY WILD (Network Ten, 2017-18)

Director/Producer
Izera - Theresa Music Clip (2019)

Director/Producer
Izera - Snakes and Ladders Music Clip (2016)

Director/Producer
Izera - Strange Games Music Clip (2016)

Director/Producer
Submerge - Last Words Music Clip (2016)

Director
KEYED UP (Short documentary, 2016)

Director/Producer
NOTHING LEFT TO BURN (20 mins, 2010 - Vancouver DSLR Film Festival)

Film

Assistant Location Manager
NEVER TOO LATE (Feature, 2019)
Chainbreakers Productions
Producers: Antony Ginnane & David Lightfoot
Director: Mark Lamprell

Production Coordinator
A SECOND CHANCE: RIVALS! (Feature, 2019)
Glen Pictures
Producer/Director: Clay Glen

Television

Segment Producer/Field Producer
TOTALLY WILD (Network Ten, 2017-18)
Executive Producer: Drew Jarvis
Series Producer: Jane Adcroft

Production Secretary (Additional)
WANTED (Matchbox Pictures & Seven Network, 2018)
Executive Producers: Rebecca Gibney, Richard Bell & Amanda Higgs
Producers: Tom Hoffie & Peter Salmon

Producer
57 Films (2016-17)
Assisted with TVC production and pre-production on assorted TV series including CHEF EXCHANGE SERIES 2 (2017) and SPEED (2017).

Production Runner
CATALYST (ABC, Episode: How Food Works, 2019)
MASTERCHEF AU (Endemol Shine, 2018)
FAMILY FEUD (Fremantle Media, 2017)
HOUSE RULES SERIES 5 (Seven Network, 2016)

Other Industry Work

Program and Jury Coordinator
Adelaide International Youth Film Festival (2019)
Selecting/communicating with youth jury members, arranging accommodation, activities, etc. Festival programming and scheduling.

Assistant Artist – Stories Without Borders
Carclew (2018)
Assistant Instructor for Carclew’s Stories Without Borders program, which teaches Smart Phone/iPad filmmaking to young people from culturally diverse communities.

Teaching Assistant – Film & Television
PQA Amersham (London, UK. 2013-14)
Assisted with Film & Television classes at children’s drama school.

Film & TV Training

  • AFTRS National Talent Camp – AFTRS (2022)

  • AFTRS Talent Camp South Australia – AFTRS (2022)

  • Notetaking and Script Coordinating Workshop – Alli Parker (2020)

  • Springboard Program – Media Resource Centre (2017)

  • The Art of Documentary Storytelling – Open Channel Course (2016)

  • Producers Workshop – Media Resource Centre (2016)

  • Introduction to Directing – AFTRS Short Course (2015)

  • The Director’s Journey – AFTRS Online Course (2015)

  • Digital Video Production – TAFE SA Short Course (2015)

Skills & Certifications

  • Current driver’s license and vehicle

  • DCSI Clearance for Child Related Employment

  • White Card accredited (Construction Induction)

  • Video editing (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve)

  • Speaks conversational French