Combining research and filmmaking for a PhD

The benefits of undertaking creative practice as part of a PhD program include increased opportunities for funding, access to resources and, most importantly, the guidance of experienced supervisors.

Waŋgany Mala is documentary film and accompanying thesis that explores ties between Indonesia and Australian First Nations – amplifying stories and culture and presenting an opportunity for a new mode of international relations in this space. Waŋgany Mala: Mobilising the Makassan narrative as part of an aesthetic turn in international relations explores the pre-colonial Makassan connections to the Australian continent, and how they can challenge dominant ideas about this period in history.

Why did Will, as a filmmaker, decide that a PhD was the right path for him?

Will was in the early stages of producing a documentary in Indonesia when staff at the Australian Consulate in Makassar suggested he contact an academic at Deakin who was making a similar documentary.

'In the early months of the pandemic I set up a 45-minute Zoom call with Dr Simon Wilmot – and about three hours later we were discussing the pros and cons of making my film as part of a research by creative practice PhD,' says Will.

How do filmmaking and the PhD experience fit together?

Making the documentary as part of a PhD opened new opportunities in the filmmaking space, such as access to funding and equipment, and gave Will the opportunity to hone his creative knowledge under the guidance of academic supervisors who are also experienced filmmakers.

A shared passion for documentary film between Will and his co-supervisors Dr Wilmot and Dr Martin Potter was a driving force behind the PhD. 'The fact that the three of us have a lot of the same interests and strong opinions has made the past three years a lot of fun,' says Will.

'My two supervisors have been an enormous help throughout the PhD. They got me involved in some other projects happening across the university, which gave me some valuable new perspectives,' Will tells us.

'The most important contribution from Simon and Martin was throughout the editing stage of the film, when they would (relatively often) tell me what was not working,' he says. 'Sometimes they would suggest solutions, but sometimes they couldn’t, and I was forced to piece apart the problems. It sounds painful (it was), but it’s the kind of pain that makes you learn – and results in a better film.'

Filming a documentary with the support of Deakin provided Will access to valuable resources, such as the postproduction team at the School of Communication and Creative Arts and allowed him to work with some of Melbourne’s best sound mixers, re-recording specialists and colour graders.

'I cherish the connections that have been made in that space – and most of those linkages have been directly or indirectly a result of the PhD program.'

Working within an academic framework also gave Will the opportunity to collaborate with Knowledge Holders across Gumatj and Anindilyakwa country, connections that greatly enriched his filmmaking experience and PhD journey.