Ep47: Matthew Phillips, Media Producer

Today my guest is Matthew Phillips, a Media Producer. Matthew shares memories of growing up along the coast of tropical North Queensland and his early enthusiasm for cameras, photography, boats, and sailing. Matthew reflects on his diverse range of professional experiences and roles working as an apprentice Sailmaker, a Soldier in the Australian Regular Army posted on peace-keeping exercises in Namibia, north-west Africa, as a police officer, and more recently as a media producer and film-maker. Matthew outlines his most recent role as Producer of “The Wild One”, a micro-budget short film currently in final post-production, set on the North Queensland coast in the mid-1800s. The film tells the story of British shipwrecked sailor James Morrill rescued by the Indigenous Birri Gubba people, with whom he lived for 17 years before reconnecting with European culture. Matthew outlines some of the practicalities of producing a short film, with insights into to protocols and on-the-ground interactions with local Indigenous people relating to actors, approvals, locations, and crew, as well as content, language and translations to ensure story accuracy and authenticity. Matthew emphasises the importance of engaging with the broader understanding of historical events, such as actively exploring Indigenous perspectives and points of view when expressing history on the screen. Matthew offers further insights into the importance of trust, connection to the land and to people, and the creative and practical dynamics between a Director and Producer. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-phillips-745b5138/ https://triggermediapro.com.au/ https://twitter.com/triggermediapro THE WILD ONE Trailer (2022) True Survival Story https://youtu.be/cib3UECU3cY https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-03/james-morrill-film-focuses-indigenous-rights/101030328?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web