Screen media graduate transforms passion into producer success | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Claudio always knew he wanted to be part of the entertainment industry, but never knew “what exactly.” Born in Italy to an Italian dad and Hungarian mum, and raised between Italy, Hungary, Dubai and finally Australia, Claudio had plenty of adventures growing up to draw from.

“When I was 14, I visited my uncle's post-production studio in Budapest, Hungary, and got a glimpse into the magical world of film.

Throughout his teenage years, whenever Claudio thought seriously about entering the film industry, he was never sure what he wanted to do – outside of directing.

“Everyone wants to be a director, but just watch an entire credit screen at the end of a movie and you'll see there are hundreds of roles," he said.

“But I didn’t have much exposure to those roles, so like everyone else, I decided to pursue directing.” 

Claudio enrolled at UniSC to study a Bachelor of Creative Industries, majoring in animation and visualisation design. In his second year of study, determined to get a foot in the door, Claudio approached one of his professors to see if they had any contacts he could reach out to.

Ever since falling in love with the film industry, Claudio had remained focussed on working as a director. He’d directed various short films, music videos, and corporate documentaries, but said it “just wasn't clicking.”

One serendipitous day, Claudio was given the opportunity to work alongside a “very talented” 1st AD (assistant director) as his 2nd AD, which introduced him to a “whole new world in film” called ‘production.’

“It’s where your assistant directors, production managers, production coordinators, and producers work… logistics, financing, contracts, scheduling, literally the foundation and pillars of every film starts here, grows here, and ends here.

“I fell in love immediately.”

A couple of months later, in the middle of the night, Claudio received a phone call from the 1st AD he’d worked with at Pluggas, asking him to drive eight hours north to help him 2nd AD a feature film. Of course, Claudio said ‘Yes!’

One thing led to another, and Claudio landed his first role as a full-time producer at SPRY Films in April 2023, while finishing his degree at UniSC.

“I’ve had the opportunity to produce some amazing work both nationally and globally, including producing commercials for Ladbrokes, Chemist Warehouse, and international commercials for clients in The United Arab Emirates and England,” he said.

“Each project is different and must be tackled with a different mindset, though it is very rewarding to see my work on screen after many weeks of hard work.

“Every day on the job seems too good to be true at the moment.”

Dr Phoebe Macrossan lectures in screen media at UniSC, and said Claudio is a "great example of how hard work, determination and a willingness to try anything can get you far in the screen industry."

"Like Claudio says, if you want to be a writer or director that’s great, but you can also play to your strengths in practical business and organisation skills in a wide range of production roles," Dr Macrossan said.

Now, having graduated from UniSC and continuing to work as a producer with Spry Films, Claudio has some advice for students who want to enter the industry.

“Let go of your ego and start networking, because as hard as it is to admit, there are people out there better than you and with more experience.

"Use this as encouragement to meet new people and start collaborating and working under them. You’ll be surprised where you can get to in just six months.

“Finally, the right time doesn’t exist, start now. I worked part-time, studied full-time and still found time to drive to Brisbane/ Gold Coast to get industry experience on small jobs.

“It won’t find its way to you magically, but people want to help people – all you need to do is reach out.”