Student members of the New Zealand Writers Guild flash their membership cards. Front from left are Matty Larsen Pomana, Jason Cayless, Jake North, John Norris, JD Mitchell and Jonathan Taylor. Back from left are Kim Buckley, Michael Parkes, Mathew Watkins, Maurice Beckett and Harvey Godwin. (Not pictured card carriers are Shannon Campbell, Mikaere Keil, Tipene McIlroy, Kyle Powell, Ben Sail and Matiu Scott.)

Murder, mayhem, thrillers, documentaries, romance, comedy and action – EIT screen production students will be exploring a wide range of movie genres in short films they are making for their major second-year assignment.

Project-based, the EIT programme requires each student to write and direct a short original film.

The class recently pitched their Short Film Treatments to lecturer/producers Chris Verburg and Claire McCormick.  All 17 students got the green light and are now working on full screenplays for their eight-minute films. 

“This is a huge step in any scriptwriter’s development,” says Claire, “and to acknowledge this all students were presented with a year’s student membership of the New Zealand Writers Guild.”

The trade union represents script writers in the fields of film, television, radio, theatre, video and multi-media, and students – busy checking the guild’s resources – are really appreciating the  support.

“The more students understand the job of scriptwriting,” Claire says, “the better their chances of surviving and thriving.”

Student Jason Cayless is among those delighted to get the guild card.  “I’ve never had anything like this before,” says the former soldier, who served with the New Zealand Army in Afghanistan and Iraq.