Film producer and technologist Audrea Topps Harjo delighted us by sharing her career and passion
for the entertainment and film industries and using this to draw younger people from diverse backgrounds into creative industries.
for the entertainment and film industries and using this to draw younger people from diverse backgrounds into creative industries.David Barnes reports.
Audrea has almost 30 years in the entertainment business, mostly in the US, and has had several stints in Wellington working with Peter Jackson and Weta Workshop.
Originally from Washington DC, Audrea graduated with a Masters in Fine Arts from Harvard University and has worked in independent feature films, visual effects, animation and gaming. Andrea spoke to us about Inclusionfx.com, The goal of this programme is to promote diversity and inclusion through cross-cultural learning experiences between diverse tertiary students from both the United States and New Zealand studying STEM and design subjects.
Students will get to virtually meet over a six week period and will be exposed to Immersive Media, VR Project Development, Software and Visual and Audio Tool Sets. They will also meet with industry leaders and get to ask these leaders about their experiences as a person of colour working and progressing in these industries. In Aotearoa, groups especially targeted for this programme include Maori and Pacific students, as well as ethnic minorities. By the end of the programme, participants will come away with a 2-3 minute collaborative of their own.
Participants can apply and be admitted to this programme through interviews every two months.