Actor Myles Pollard teaches Geraldton students the art of filmmaking

Potential future film stars and makers were treated to a masterclass from a pro at Champion Bay Senior High School this week.

Actor and filmmaker Myles Pollard took a class of students through the stages of creating a film on Tuesday.

Pollard has acted professionally for more than 25 years and has appeared in films and television programs, including McLeod’s Daughters, Home and Away, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Underbelly and Packed to the Rafters.

Pollard said the day was about giving the kids the tips, tricks and inspiration to make their own films.

“We’re just sharing some of these techniques for these kids to show them its not a pipedream to be able to sit down, with modern technology and tell stories through filmmaking, and become more confident,” he said.

Students from three Geraldton schools were given the task of creating a short film worked through making scripts, shot listing, filming and editing to make their works come to life.

Pollard said it was a joy to share his experience with the next generation and to see the creativity they had.

“Its been a great marriage, being able to act, being at the coalface of the industry, and then coming back to share those skills as a teacher with the community,” he said

“Some of them actually have quite a bit of experience, all these kids are exposed to TikTok and all these social media platforms, so they understand video. . . so they have a real natural instinct towards storytelling and filmmaking in general.”

Jo Corlett, head of arts at Champion Bay Senior High School, said it was fantastic to see the students meet someone with decades of industry experience, and the kids had a blast.

“They started off not really knowing what they were doing, but through Myles’ guidance and professional wisdom, they created some magic,” she said.

Pollard came to Geraldton to promote the Cinesnaps Short Film competition, an opportunity for regional high school students to showcase their own original short films.