about us
People at OPEN CHANNEL
Directors
Administration
Marketing
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Training and Professional Development
Equipment and Facilities
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Board
- Ms Leslie Wood (Chair)
- Mr Lyndsay Neilson (Treasurer)
- Mr Chris Ryan (Secretary)
- Mr Daniel Marks
- Mr Michael Agar
- Ms Julie Belle
- Mr John Hipwell
- Ms Caroline Waters
- Ms Dea Morgain
To contact the Board, please email info@openchannel.org.au
Directors
Martin Renaud, Executive Director
Martin Renaud is a multi-disciplinary artist and arts management professional. Recently arrived in Melbourne, he was previously managing VIDEOGRAPHE Video Production Centre in Montreal, Canada, where he co-produced over 50 short films and multimedia installations. Martin was also one of the principal organisers of the 2nd International PURE DATA CONVENTION 2007 (Montreal) based on the Free and Open Source Software Pure Data and presenting installations, performances, workshops and conferences by 65 artists/developers from 12 countries.
In 2004, Martin founded the multi-disciplinary art production company P: MEDIA ARTS with sound artist Philippe Pasquier. P: MEDIA ARTS has produced multimedia theatre/dance projects in Melbourne at DANCEHOUSE, and in Quebec City at MOIS MULTI. Martin was General Manager of QUEBEC ART CITE in 2005 where he produced 9 public art performances and festivals with over 150 artists including the 2005 Quebec City Annual Celebration. During 2003-2004, he was General Manager of L’Ilot Fleurie, an outdoor artist-run initiative/sculpture park, presenting art events and performances. Martin is an active member of BUS Gallery and Via-N in Melbourne. He has produced numerous performances in venues and festivals in Melbourne in 2004 and 2006, such as the Next Wave Festival, LOOP bar, and (defunct) Foundry, and is the recipient of a number of grants in support of his performance-based and project-based work.
Contact: business@openchannel.org.au
Producer
Marc Gracie, Producer
There are only a handful people in the Australian Film and Television industry with Marc Gracie’s experience. Marc was the principle of theatrical production company Foster Gracie Productions through out the late 1990's being a major producer of live comedy and theatre entertainment touring acts. Over two decades Marc has managed to produce across many styles and genres including Drama, Light Entertainment, Sit Com, Sketch Comedy and Feature Film. In the last ten years Marc has produced and had wide release of 4 feature films; and created hundreds of hours of primetime television.
Contact: producer@openchannel.org.au
Administration
Shiv Patil, Accountant
Shiv Patil has over ten years experience as an accountant. He has worked for small to large size organisations in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. His expertise lies in setting up new systems to streamline accounts processing. With his core competencies and skills in cost and management accounting Shiv is implementing streamlined account operations at OPEN CHANNEL, while pursuing his CPA studies and keeping abreast of new developments in the field of accounting and taxation.
Contact: accounts@openchannel.org.au
Rachel Singleton, Receptionist / Membership Officer
Since 2006, Rachel has worked as a crew member, Camera Operator and Audience Coordinator for Chartbusting 80s on Channel 31. During 2007, Rachel worked as a Location Scout and Manager on VCA Graduation films (Jess Leski's “Songs for Running Away” & Katie O’Neill's “Red” ). When not volunteering on film shoots Rachel worked as a Ranger, Receptionist, Customer Service Officer and Functions & Events Officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Prior to this Rachel was Manager at Blockbuster Video for four years. Being an aspiring filmmaker Rachel hopes to produce and direct her first short film.
Contact: info@openchannel.org.au
Alex Castro, Marketing & Development Manage
Alex Castro has worked in various marketing and programming roles in film exhibition and distribution for the last 11 years. He is the founder of Melbourne Filmoteca: Latin American, Spanish & Portuguese Film Group, a role which led to a stints as publicist with Cinema Nova, Twentieth Century Fox and film PR company CLPR working on promotional campaigns for limited-release theatrical release films.
Alex moved into exhibition working as Assistant Manager at Lumiere Cinemas and later as General Manager at Palace Westgarth and Palace Cinema Como. Along the way, he set up and ran the Melbourne Latin American Film Festival (MLAFF) until 2007. Just before coming to Open Channel Alex was the coordinator of talent-camp program Accelerator for Melbourne International Film Festival.
Contact: marketing @openchannel.org.au
Training and Professional Development
Daniel Schultheis, Vocational Education and Training Manager
Daniel has over 20 years experience in film and television production on over 35 productions in a variety of crew roles. He has produced a number of short films and music video clips which have been broadcast and screened at numerous festivals. He has worked as production manager on two 35mm short films, Kieran Galvin's The Burning Boy and Phil Joseph's Inheritance, the VCA film Melbourne 1896, and produced the 2004 16mm short horror Blackout. Daniel has also worked as location scout and manager for clients including Southern Star's Murder Call, a production assistant for Working Dog and Exit Films, and worked as a P.O.W. extra in the Miramax war film The Great Raid (where he also met his wife). Since then, Daniel has developed, and lectured in, screen curriculum for TAFE in Queensland, and co-ordinated accredited training for Victoria's screen industry development organisation OPEN CHANNEL. In 2007 and 2008 Daniel managed research into screen industry skills needs through Reframing the Future funded programs.
Contact: training@openchannel.org.au
Elise West, Professional Development Manager
Elise West is Professional Development Manager at OPEN CHANNEL, where she also teaches. She studied History at Melbourne University before working with community groups in Europe for several years. She fell into documentary making in Guatemala, whilst volunteering for a forensic anthropology institute, and spent the next years in Latin America making stories for film and television. Her feature documentary The Siege was nominated in 2008 for two AFI awards.
Contact: shortcourses@openchannel.org.au
Equipment and Facilities
David Ashton, Equipment and Facilities Manager
David Ashton studied Film and Television at Curtin University in Perth before moving to Melbourne in the early 1990s. He has spent twelve years working for SBS and three years at the ABC, but has also worked on low budget short films, music videos and programs for Channel 31. David also composes music for films.
Contact: hires@openchannel.org.au
Ben Usher, Equipment and Facilities Officer
Ben Usher completed an Advanced Diploma of Screen (Film & Television) at RMIT University in 2006. While at RMIT, where he produced his final year production ‘Turning 25’ (a television comedy pilot), he was awarded with Best Script, Best Actor, and Best Film at the end of year Awards Ceremony. Since studying he has worked in various Television Production roles, with TWI for the Commonwealth Games in 2006, and the Nine Network for the FINA World Swimming Championships in 2007. Most recently Ben celebrated over a year at sea, traveling the world, and working for Princess Cruises as an On-Board Videographer. Ben is also a keen musician, and hopes to continue recording with his band 'The Eleanors' very soon. Ben assists with the co-ordination of OPEN CHANNEL'S equipment and facilities bookings.
Contact: hiresdirect@openchannel.org.au
Board
Ms Leslie Wood (Chair)
Leslie Wood, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Social Science. She is a Community Development Consultant and Lecturer at the Centre for eBusiness and Communication at Swinburne University. Leslie is also a former councillor and Deputy Major for the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Leslie currently serves on the Adult, Community & Further Education Board. Leslie has served on the OPEN CHANNEL Board since February 2004, having previously been involved with OPEN CHANNEL as a consultant and project advisor.
Mr Lyndsay Neilson (Treasurer)
Lyndsay Neilson is a consultant in public policy and management. He has been Secretary of the Victorian Department of Infrastructure and the Department of Sustainability and Environment, and has many years experience with the Commonwealth Government. He is Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Canberra, and has also worked as a consultant and adviser on management in Australia and overseas. He joined the Open Channel Board in 2009 and is Treasurer.
Mr Chris Ryan
Chris Ryan is a 30-year veteran of the communications industry. He served 10 years in television at Channel 7 in Sales and Commercial Production overseeing the segment and commercial coordination of the unique experience that was World Of Sport! A further 20 years followed in film as Advertising and Publicity Manager at Greater Union. This involved the gamut of tasks in the running of cinemas combined with the choreography of star tours and the design and management of advertising and marketing campaigns. His activity with Open Channel began in 2004 as a volunteer and he assumed a Board position in 2006. He is currently Secretary to the Board.
Mr Daniel Marks
Daniel Marks is a Lawyer and Project Manager specialising in large scale commercial litigation. He also has a long held interest in the Arts, both as a consumer and creator. Daniel has a small, but not insignificant body of work as a writer, actor and photographer, and as a legal professional, has a strong focus on media, contract and human rights law. As such, Daniel brings to the Board, knowledge capable of assisting bridge the gulf between artistic endeavour and commercial sensibility. Daniel previously held the position of Director, Open Channel, from 2005 – 2008.
Mr Michael Agar
Michael has been in the film and television business for 17 years, working from 2000-6 as the Melbourne director of screen events organisation, popcorn taxi. He has also produced many short films, documentaries, animations and a feature film. Through film production, popcorn taxi and his work as a production accountant, Michael has had a close working relationship with OPEN CHANNEL and most of the government film agencies, going back to the early 1990's. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has been a board member at a number of arts bodies, including the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Gertrude Contemporary Artists Spaces, GongHouse and ATOM (Vic). He is currently a board member at the Wantok Musik Foundation and is chair of Barking Spider Visual Theatre. Since leaving popcorn taxi, Michael has been writing a book about the last decade of Australian low budget feature filmmaking.
Ms Julie Belle
Julie Belle has worked in the film and television design business since 1976. Her work covered a wide variety of productions, though her expertise is concentrated in the drama production area. She has worked both in Australia as well as overseas as a designer and art director. She trained and worked as a designer in Sydney, where she was Head of Design at the ABC. In 1995, Julie resumed her work as a senior production designer, and moved to Melbourne for a six month long production. After leaving the ABC in late 1996, she freelanced in Melbourne as a production designer and designed a children’s drama series and many television commercials both for local and overseas production companies. Since 2001, Julie has been teaching interior design and screen design in Melbourne.
Mr John Hipwell
John Hipwell is acknowledged by the film and TV industry as one of Australia’s leading film producers. Trained at the VCA (Swinburne Campus) in film/TV production, his rites of passage were founded on the early iconic films such as Alvin Purple, Snap Shot and Mad Max. As an executive producer, producer and writer/director/writer John has completed literally hundreds of film and TV productions including recently produced Sci Fi thriller, Cryptopticon. John has extensive producer credits on Australian and international documentaries, feature films and international co-productions. He has received various film and TV awards for his documentary and feature film productions and his New Media work is collected by public institutions. John has just completed producing the Australian/Canadian co-production Sci Fi feature film Arctic Blast and the documentary KoHoNas which screened on SBS in November.
Ms Caroline Waters
Caroline Waters has worked for twenty years in film and video production - seven years in the UK and 13 years in Australia. Her work has included many varied production roles on short and feature films, TV series and documentary. Her teaching roles include Production Management at Melbourne University Summer School, OPEN CHANNEL, and Wide Angle Tasmania, and she’s also a Supervising Producer for Screen Tasmania.
Ms Dea Morgain
Dea is the Program Manager of Workplace Supports at Social Firms Australia. She has worked as a non-profit manager for more than 15 years including holding the position of Executive Director of Open Channel at one time. Dea has extensive experience in project management within the community and arts industries and has held numerous Board positions. Dea has studied media arts at RMIT, has a BA in psychology and Graduate Diploma in Employee Relations.
