SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER

Time: 10:20 – 11:20am | Location: Lecture Theatre | Moderated by: Jen Taunton

Leading film music supervisor Jemma Burns shares insights into her creative process. Using examples from past projects, she will unpack how briefs evolve, how creative decisions are made, and what makes certain music or composers stand out. Moderated by music supervisor Jen Taunton.

Time: 10:50 – 11:50am | Location: Cinema | Moderated by: Caitlin Yeo

Join Bluey composers Joff Bush and Daniel O’Brien for an inside look at how they craft the music for one of Australia’s most beloved series. Through a live deconstruction of a Bluey cue, they’ll share their creative process and reveal how orchestration, structure and collaboration come together to create music that captures the heart and imagination of audiences worldwide. Moderated by award-winning screen composer Caitlin Yeo.

Time: 12:20 – 1:20pm | Location: Lecture Theatre | Moderated by: Walter Bienz

Composers Lydia Davies and Joshua Crispin deconstruct cues written for major film and TV trailers, including Pinocchio, You and Apple: Friday Night Baseball. Moderated by trailer creator Walter Bienz, the session dives into live project sessions to reveal stems, workflows, and creative decisions – exploring how collaboration, speed, and storytelling shape the music that drives emotion and impact in trailer scoring.

Time: 12:50 – 1:50pm | Location: Cinema | Moderated by: Angela Little

Join composers Montaigne, Yon, and Dan Golding for an inside look at the world of non-linear, adaptive music for games. Moderated by Angela Little (Honor of Kings 2.0), this session blends discussion and audio-visual examples to explore how music evolves with player choices and gameplay, featuring insights from Stray Gods and Untitled Goose Game.

Time: 2:40 – 3:40pm | Location: Lecture Theatre | Moderated by: Dale Cornelius

A vital deep dive into the complex legal and business landscape facing screen composers today. Our expert panel of working composers and entertainment lawyers will dissect current key issues, offering practical insights and strategies for successfully negotiating your position and protecting your creative rights.

Time: 3:00 – 4:00pm | Location: Cinema | Moderated by: Alex Olijnyk and Thomas Rouch

Join composer Cornel Wilczek for a deep dive into the sonic architecture of fear. In conversation with collaborators Alex Olijnyk and Thomas Rouch, this session unpacks cues from recent horror films including Talk To Me, Bring Her Back and Together, exploring how conceptual “rules” and meticulous design make the genre come alive.

Time: 4:30 – 5:30pm | Location: Lecture Theatre | Moderated by: Alison Cole

While films are products of their cultural and technical moment, they need not remain frozen in time. This panel explores the practice of re-scoring existing films—examining why artists undertake this work, how new music transforms audience experience, and what it means to reimagine the sonic landscape of established and classic works. Join composer Dr Paul Mac (The Sentimental Bloke), Chiara Costanza (Vampyr), and Miles Brown (The Narcoleptor) as they discuss their creative processes and the cultural implications of giving classic cinema a new voice. Moderated by Dr Alison Cole.

Time: 4:50 – 5:50pm | Location: Cinema | Moderated by: Sally Aitken

Composers Caitlin Yeo (The Dark Emu Story, Playing With Sharks), Helena Czajka (Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, Yurlu Country), Rhyan Clapham pka DOBBY (Winhanganha, Erotic Stories), and James Henry (Freeman, The Giants) take a deep dive into their scores for documentary film. Moderated by acclaimed filmmaker Sally Aitken (Playing With Sharks, David Stratton: A Cinematic Life, Every Little Thing), this session offers a rare glimpse into the creative minds and processes of these composers, exploring how they approach writing for documentary through practical, technical, and artistic lenses. They’ll share how they collaborate with filmmakers to craft the scores behind some of Australia’s most compelling non-fiction screen productions. For many screen composers, non-scripted commissions are the backbone of a sustainable career. This session is a must-attend for any composer seeking genuine insight into the Australian documentary screen industry.