End of Year Exhibitions

Introduction/Context

 The Curtin Razor screening is a high profile and prestigious event that showcases Screen Arts students works and programs to the local screen industry and wider community, in Perth, Western Australia. The event is designed and purposed for graduating students to meet, connect and generate network opportunities with local industry professionals and stakeholders in the screen industry. Razor offers learning and teaching opportunities to engage students in the skills of professional etiquette, communication and networking through role-play and simulation tasks.

Summary of Activities 

Curtin Razor showcase has been running since 2000 and progressively grown in prestige and audience reach. For our students, staff and university management it is a big deal. The event enjoys high status on the university calendar and is well resourced as this 2022 Post COVID promotional video demonstrates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArYkr_G4zB0. Prior to the showcase, industry and community stakeholders are invited to join the students and staff for refreshments and drinks in a pre-screening VIP event. The primary goal is to provide networking opportunities for students as they launch into their careers after completing the Screen Arts Major. In recent years the graduating student numbers have varied from between 40-50 students with over 100 industry and community representatives attending the VIP event. The student films are developed and produced in the Major Projects capstone unit which runs over two semesters in third year.

To better prepare students for the event we conduct interactive workshops to assist them in being able to network and communicate effectively with industry professionals. Drawing on social etiquette techniques, roleplay and theatre games we practise conversation starters and closers, and the dos and don’ts around topics such as self-promotion ‘without the BS’, active listening, and alcohol consumption in a social situation in a professional environment. We aim not to censor or stifle but emphasise these events can be challenging for everyone. Theatre games and playback role plays are a lot of fun and acting out ‘the worst thing that could happen’ is a favourite skit. Letting students role-play the ‘industry rep’ is empowering and assists in demystifying the mystique of the VIP guests. On the night staff help facilitate introductions and exchanges between students and guests. This safety net is welcomed by our students knowing ‘we have your back.’

Promotion of successful alumni is a critical strategy in raising status and getting people along to Razor. A guest alumnus who’s a recent graduate having had a degree of success (i.e. employed in the industry, received film funding) is invited to make an address to the students and invited audience. We privilege recent graduates to reinforce the perception that success is achievable and within reach.

Curtin Razor 2023 [Image: Ezra Alcantra Photography]

Challenges

Despite the success of Razor, it faces a number of challenges: ever increasing costs to run an event of this scale within ever threatened university budgets; engaging industry and community in a competitive tertiary environment; managing student expectations; relevance to students who do not have a vocational interest in the film industry.

The internal funding process is highly competitive, and we need to argue successfully for how it meets the School’s KPIs and marketing priorities in relation to the university’s strategic plan agenda, improving student experience, and demonstrating industry engagement being key priority areas.

As our student cohort becomes increasingly more diverse one of the questions that has emerged is Razor’s perceived value by students who do not have a vocational interest in the film industry or are not graduating yet. The event is conducted as a graduating event but as the degree has become increasingly more flexible due to increasing HECS, housing and cost of living pressures students more than ever before are needing to undertake employment whilst studying. Hence, not all students will be graduating at the same time. To address the issue of relevance we put a lot of emphasis on transferable skills such as networking, social communication, understanding the protocols of a public awards event, preparing and delivering a speech to an audience – skills that could be applied to a range of situations and contexts.

Outcomes/Impact

Razor offers the opportunity for graduating Screen Arts Major students to exhibit and promote their best work in a public forum in front of a wide audience that includes their peers, families, local communities, screen industry, education and media professionals.

Other benefits and outputs:

1. Creates opportunities for conversations between students and the wider community that facilitates social and professional networking.

2. Encourages personal contact, ongoing conversations and relationship building between Curtin students, staff and local industry.

3. Markets the creative works of Screen Arts students as new, emerging and unique voices of the next generation future storytellers and content creators.

4. Creates a special experience – promotes a fun, entertaining and meaningful one-time only event in a social setting where people can enjoy and participate in a shared experience.

5. Increases the visibility of the Screen Arts program to the screen industry and wider community.

Final Reflection and the future

At the centre of the Razor showcase are the films and the students. Intended to be a launching of their career profiles to the local industry via the invitations sent to local production companies, film bodies and government agencies and others in the local screen industry, Razor is also an opportunity to showcase the quality of the School’s Screen Arts and Creative Arts programs to the local screen community, including our tertiary competitors, who participate as invited guests.

Despite the ever-increasing infrastructure costs and need to justify and argue for internal funding, Razor continues to grow with an increasing focus on inclusion and diversity to reflect the increasing diversity of the student cohort. The feedback we receive (anecdotal and formal correspondence) is overall consistently positive and constructive, and the event is well patronised with an average of between 250-350 industry and community attending. We conduct a detailed report and critical appraisal of what worked well and what did not that informs the following years planning and aim to meet our agenda of improving the student experience and culture building by making the event an inclusive and entertaining celebration for all. Students get the opportunity to dress up and present themselves in a different light. The staff get the opportunity to see them looking very different, out of class and in the social world – it is wonderful to see them shine!