Charlie Faulks knew right away that he wanted to tell stories with screen arts. So, he made the trek from his hometown of Gisborne to Massey’s Pukeahu campus in Wellington.
“Wellington seemed like a good spot because it’s a creative, small city,” Charlie told us.
He came along to study Screen Arts at Massey’s Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, which offered him the flexibility to explore a broad range of interests. “I wanted to do animation, but I’m also super interested in film.”
Massey’s campus on Pukeahu is perfect for eager rangatahi looking to join the creative arts. Charlie has loved meeting other people fascinated by visual storytelling.
He explained that the collaborative efforts and close-knit community that defines university life in Wellington have been his favourite parts of study.
“The collaborative things are always fun, however fraught they may be at moments! It’s fun working with friends. Working with other people who are my age and like-minded is the best.”
Massey’s Screen Arts qualifications are designed to make jumping straight into the industry simple. Courses are hands on with “industry-standard technology” and deep connections between lecturers and industry leaders.
“You have the autonomy after playing with this tech to go off and make stuff on your own, which I think is important. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to figure things out as you make stuff. It’s nice to be trusted with expensive gear.”
Study Screen Arts
Whether you dream in film frames, animation loops, epic scripts or game levels, the Bachelor of Screen Arts (BSA) is your backstage pass to a career in the world of screen storytelling.
Like many students in screen arts, Charlie was ambitious. He received funding for an animation project with NZ on Air during his last year of study. Massey’s courses are flexible, so Charlie and his lecturers found a way to combine his course work and NZ on Air funding into one.
“I was really nervous about this semester because of having to balance both of these big things, Massey and the project. I talked to Professor Karen Loop, and she customised my major project to something that fits into the production… I was able to marry the two things together, which was a relief.”
Charlie leaves Massey with practical skills, industry connections, but best of all, great relationships.
Studying screen arts has connected him to likeminded collaborators for the future and helped him build relationships with the current leaders in the Aotearoa visual arts industry.
“I recently sat down with one of my lecturers for a couple of hours. He was just so full of knowledge as he has experience in the animation industry, which works so differently from live-action. Since then, we’ve kept in touch, and he connected me with a whole bunch of people in the industry.”
