Variety and JMC Academy Team Up to Share Industry Insights on New Podcast Series

The series offers a unique insight into the media and entertainment industry, featuring candid conversations with industry experts and successful creatives. 

First up, listeners can go “Behind the Lens with Jeffrey Walker”. Walker, the Australian director extraordinaire, spills the beans on what it’s like to helm some of the biggest projects in film and television, from “Modern Family” to “The Artful Dodger”, “Lambs of God”, “Riot”, “Dance Academy: The Movie”, “Jack Irish”, and “Ali’s Wedding”.

The episode was filmed at JMC Academy Melbourne in November with a live student audience. 

The group of lucky JMC Academy students in Entertainment Business Management, Film & TV, Audio Engineering, and Acting were invited to not only watch the recording session, but become part of the Variety Australia podcast crew. They had the chance to rub shoulders with Walker and gain real-world experience and skills producing, recording and editing the episode, enhancing their current studies at JMC. 

Throughout the episode, Walker shares his personal journey from child actor to director (yes, that was him on the weird and wonderful Aussie childhood show, “Round the Twist”) and reflects on the milestones that have shaped his career. 

He offers invaluable advice to aspiring creatives, like the shifting landscape of the film industry, storytelling techniques and how to balance a career between Australia and the United States. 

Knowing the homegrown talent is already here, he envisions a future where Australian cinema gains international recognition and mass consumption, with financing opportunities opening doors for more original ideas and grand-scale productions. 

Answering questions from students in the live audience, Walker also addresses the issue of burnout, the importance of pacing yourself and finding gratitude in the privilege of being part of the filmmaking world.

“It’s overwhelming gratitude. All you guys want to do it, so all I have to do is think about you guys and how much you want to do it, and I’m doing it,” Walker says. “I’m so lucky, I can’t believe it, so you don’t get burnout, you are tired, but you’re so lucky to be doing it.” 

For JMC Academy, the Variety Australia Podcast partnership is a big moment to showcase not only the Academy’s standout facilities but the integral opportunities and connections it creates for its students in the industry that help take their budding creative careers further.

Applications are now open for students keen to take their education to the next level. Explore JMC Academy’s range of creative courses here, including the unique Master of Creative Industries Postgraduate program where students can learn how to turn their original idea into a commercially viable project.

If there’s one thing to take from Reid’s conversation with Jeffrey Walker, it’s that learning from the best in the business is a sure way to fast-track your career – and with dedication, anything is possible. 

Stream the Variety Australia Podcast hosted by Poppy Reid below or anywhere you get your podcasts.