Dominion Post staff, including graduate Greer McDonald (2nd from right). Photo: Grahame Cox

Media Arts graduates had a successful evening at the annual Qantas Media Awards on June 11th. 

Greer McDonald (Bachelor of Media Arts – Communication) was a finalist in ‘Junior Newspaper Feature Writer of the Year, finalist in ‘Junior Newspaper Feature Writer – Arts’ and won ‘Junior Newspaper Feature Writer – Sport’ for a feature on ultradistance runner Lisa Tamati. Judges commented that ’McDonald has a lovely turn of phrase and writes with skill and lightness. She captured beautifully the story of this remarkable athlete.’ Click here for a story on Greer and other successful Dominion Post workmates. Greer will be a guest at Spark in August. 

Ben Stanley (National Diploma in Journalism) won ‘Best junior Feature Writer (Arts)’ with ‘a story about grass-roots film making told with considerable skill and obvious enjoyment’ and was a finalist in ‘Best Junior Feature Writer - Crime/justice’. Karla Akuhata  (National Diploma in Journalism) was a finalist in ‘Best junior reporter – human relations’. Both Karla and Ben work for the Waikato Times. Natalie Akoorie (Certificate in Media Arts) was nominated with Nicola Boyes for ‘Best newspaper story’, also writing for the Waikato Times –  click here for the Waikato Times story on all their winning staff. 

National Diploma in Journalism graduate Jonathan Marshall, now at the Sunday Star Times, was nominated for ‘Senior reporter – general’. 

Bachelor of Media Arts (Photography) graduates also featured highly. 

Christine Cornege was a finalist in ‘Best portfolio (six photos)’, ‘Best breaking news picture’ and won ‘Best sports picture (junior)’. The judges said many readers would react to such an image, “almost feeling the brunt of the impending impact”. 

Kent Blechynden, working at the Dominion Post won ‘Photography senior – arts’. Judges said, ‘Blechynden’s skill in seeing images and the ability to technically capture them in unusual ways creates a dynamic selection of different, powerful work’. Sandra Mu, now at Getty Images, was a finalist in this category too.

Kent was also a finalist for Photography Senior (Best Lifestyle picture), Photography Senior (portrait); and Photography Senior (object), along with fellow graduate Tom Gasnier (NZ Auto Car Magazine).

Media Arts staff also featured in the awards – Editor-in-Residence Steve Braunias was a finalist in the ‘Best Columnist’ and ‘Humour/satire’ categories for his Sunday Star Times column, and both former Editors-in-Residence Julie Starr and Venetia Sherson were among the judges. 

Read the full list of Qantas Award winners, plus judge comments, here.

Greer's blog

Fairfax Media, publisher of Stuff.co.nz, has appointed Media Arts graduate Greer McDonald, a respected journalist and blogger, as its first Social Media Editor. McDonald has been a news reporter at The Dominion Post for the past two years.

McDonald’s blog Greer 2.0 on Stuff.co.nz has grown significantly in this time. A finalist in the 2009 Qantas Media Awards, the blog attracts thousands of readers each month.

Fairfax’s Group Digital Editor, Sinead Boucher, said the social media editor was an exciting and important new role within the editorial team and recognised the growing importance of social networking and the huge part it played in people’s lives. The appointment is part of the group’s wider social media strategy.

McDonald completed her Bachelor of Media Arts at Wintec, where she majored in journalism and received the Waikato Times ‘Excellence in journalism’ award.

McDonald said she was excited about the opportunities the new role offered. “Social media is about conversation and I’m looking forward to increasing that dialogue with readers of both Stuff and Fairfax’s other newspapers and websites,” she said. “Developing a social media strategy is just as important to media companies as it is to those who consume news. It’s mutually beneficial and something that isn’t going to fade away any time soon.”

McDonald starts the new role in February.

Samantha with her winning 'Metro' cover entry

I am currently a designer at Brandish Advertising, predominantly working in print. This involves working with clients to figure out what they would like done for their business, whether it be re-branding, advertising to create public awareness of their services or online web based solutions. Clients that I have worked with include CSML (ITM400), Montana Catering, Perry Foundation, Crestline Interiors, Sudano (Home-style Desserts), Waikato Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton City Council (the new Waterworld brand) and People Publishing (Magazines – Weekend, Auckland City Central and Explore Australia). The work varies from corporate literature such as brochures, booklets, pamphlets and stationery to promotional and ‘Point of Sale’ projects such as newspaper and magazine adverts, billboards, store signage and packaging. The work that I most enjoy is the Weekend magazine in which the girls in the design department work together to complete each season.

Since I have begun working at Brandish, some of the highlights have been getting to meet people in a range of different businesses around Hamilton and Auckland, and creating artwork and advertising media to suit their request. I have also been lucky enough to go to events like the NZ Breakers basketball games and the Tua v Cameron Fight of the Century as Brandish sponsors these. The most recent highlight, for me, was winning the Metro Magazine Best of Auckland Awards Cover design competition. I was given the brief on a Thursday. I came up with a few concepts over night, went in to work on the Saturday after stopping off at the lotto shop for a bit of research and developed the scratchy idea from there. I thought it would be a good idea to have something that the reader could interact with. Something more than just aesthetics. A week after submitting the idea I received a phone call from the editor of Metro Mag. There were a few complications with the cost of the design as they needed to print five layers to create the effect so they worked closely with the printers to complete the job. I had a bit of a sing and dance around the office and we all went out for lunch to celebrate.

The boss bought a few hundred copies to send out to clients. Obviously I am quite stoked with this accomplishment. Winning this competition has given me the chance to move up in the industry and be recognised for what I love to do.

Studying at Wintec was a great experience for me as I got to work with and around people who had the same interests as me. The friendly environment and enthusiastic tutors helped to build up a decent portfolio over the three years of study. This portfolio helped me to get the job with Brandish just a few days after my last semester finished. I feel so lucky to be where I am today and it is all thanks to the support of my family, friends and of course the teachers who put up with my constant questioning. Thanks guys!

Previous illustration work by Gary Venn

Gary Venn, a Bachelor of Media Arts (Honours) graduate, has been shortlisted for the inaugural Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for Children’s Book Illustration.

The judges for the award are Gavin Bishop, Crissi Blair and Alan Gilderdale from Storylines, and Jenny Hellen, Deputy Publishing Director at Random House New Zealand. The judges said they were delighted by the quality of the entries and by the broad range of media and creative approaches that illustrators took, with the selected shortlist of six all of a very high standard and very diverse. To see the shortlist and examples of their work, click here.

In addition to a $1,500 monetary prize, the winner of this award will receive mentoring and support from celebrated children’s author and illustrator, Gavin Bishop, and may also receive an offer of publication by Random House New Zealand. The winner will be announced at the Storylines Margaret Mahy Day in March 2010.

Gary Venn is a freelance illustrator. His work is mixed-media, often featuring ink drawings combined with acrylics and collage. More of Gary’s work can be seen at his website.

After graduating from the Bachelor of Media Arts (Moving Image) in 2000, Kent Briggs has established himself as a director, editor and writer of films, and also a musician, designer and painter.

Kent is currently editing the feature length version of the ‘7 Worlds Collide’ international music documentary, featuring members of Radiohead, Wilco, KT Tunstall, Johnny Marr, Neil Finn etc. He is also cutting 12 L&P comedy ‘webisodes’ for the internet, writing scripts for TV shows, music videos and films for the future, and working on his own music/mystery based video blog entitled “The Magic Show”.

A recent career highlight for Kent was directing the 6 part TVNZ series “Rural Drift”, screening on TV2 in Feb 2010. “It’s based in the far north and was a hilarious experience.” Other highlights have include working with Neil Finn and trading editing services for recording time in his studio, watching hours and hours of international musicians writing and recording songs for ‘7 Worlds Collide’, and meeting and working with Wayne Anderson. Kent’s Youtube showreel is below, featuring a selection of work.

Kent’s thoughts on the Media Arts degree: “Studying at Wintec was the one of the most creatively free periods of my life. The combination of time, facilities, education and lifestyle were an intoxicating cocktail for someone like me who has a brain full of burning ideas. The fact that I was able to work on my ideas as assignments without compromise was killer. I think the balance between relevant theory and actually getting to make art was the massive benefit of studying at Wintec.”

Profile of Kent on The Big Idea

Ingrid Berger

Ingrid graduated from Wintec’s Bachelor of Media Arts degree  in 2008, majoring in Graphic Design, and crossed the ditch with dreams of landing a design job. Futago, a boutique design company who work in web design, print and environmental design in Hobart, offered Ingrid an internship which resulted in a permanent position. “Futago has been great in allowing me to grow as a designer, and work on exciting projects,” says Ingrid. “The artwork in the photograph was made for a Catholic school, and we took the inspiration from a quote relating God to nature (which features in the work). We used imagery of native Australian trees and foliage, and manipulated it into a contemporary artwork.”

“The Media Arts degree provided me with a great understanding in different mediums – photography, art theory, moving image, painting, design – which has made me a more rounded designer.” Ingrid is now also making and selling her own jewellery, and her aspirations are to “continue creating!”

Ingrid helped create this public artwork (photo: Jonathon Wherrett)

When Greer McDonald started at Wintec, she had no idea that by the end of her training she would step in to the newsroom of one of New Zealand’s largest newspapers.

“While completing my Bachelor of Media Arts, majoring in journalism, I spent time learning my craft from a fantastic team of tutors who maintain strong links with the industry,” says Greer. “Their contacts opened doors for me to complete a six-week internship at the Dominion Post in Wellington, where I worked alongside award-winning journalists in a high-pressure environment.”

Wintec tutors then liaised with the newspaper to extend the internship to an on-the-job interview and Greer signed her contract with Fairfax before the Media Arts degree had finished, becoming one of the youngest journalists at the paper. Her round currently covers online issues, and she has also reported on breaking news stories like the Tongariro canyoning disaster and the Gisborne earthquake. She has also interviewed politicians, business leaders and All Blacks, among others.

Hannah Pipe Graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Media Arts, majoring in Graphic Design.

“After graduating from Media arts I got a job straight away working as a graphic designer for Stretton Clothing and Publishing (designer of the Anna S clothing label) my job involves photographing ranges and beauty products for use in-house and for Pink Magazine’, magazine layout and advertisement design.

I learned invaluable skills during my three years at Waikato Institute of Technology. The Media Arts programme enabled me to gain knowledge and skills in disciplines outside of my major, like PR and advertising, which gave me a better understanding about the context and process in which things are produced in the creative industries.

I also took the internship paper which gave me job placements for the Fieldays Exhibitor, Avanues Lifestyle Magazine and Ultimate Design company. This gave me a better understanding of working in the industry so that when I applied for the job at Anna S I had more confidence and experience.”

I found the Media Arts course to be totally in line with industry standards, making it an easy transition from classroom to workplace.

Tripod Creative Ltd, a fashion and graphic design pod, which produces the fashion label Nyne, is going from strength to strength.

The Hamilton-based company was established two years ago by Jacob Scott-Simmonds, Miranda Dawson and Tina Patrick. Miranda and Jacob both completed a BMA from Wintec, majoring in Graphic Design.

When she graduated, Miranda worked in the design industry for a year before moving to Wellington where she worked for Wellington-based fashion designer Andrea Moore. In April, 2004 Jacob and Miranda headed back to Hamilton to join Tina in establishing the business.

The company has a small graphic design client base, but their main focus is their clothing label. Nyne focuses on upmarket casual wear for men and women. Each collection has a theme. The clothes are now stocked in 26 stores throughout New Zealand.

“We are happy with our progress, but do not want to become complacent. We’ve established a solid wholesale business and now want to grow the label with our retailers,” says Miranda.

Luke Thompson’s music career has gone from strength to strength since graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Media Arts (Commercial Music), focussing on songwriting. His debut single ‘Morning Light’ was released in late 2005, and enjoyed 11 weeks in the NZ Radio Top 40 chart. Debut album ‘Here on the ground’ (2008) received critical recognition, including kudos from renowned music reviewer Graham Reid: “Here on the Ground announces the arrival of a major Kiwi talent.” In 2008 Luke supported OpShop on their ‘Big Energy in A Can’ Theatre Tour.

For more news and information, see Luke’s website www.lukethompsonmusic.com