TEDxNewy Speaker Jason Van Genderen: “Connecting An Idea With An Audience”
Image courtesy of Vigilant Futures
Born from the simple thought of wanting to share with the world the clever and creative side of Newcastle, TEDxNewy will be staged this coming Saturday. The brainchild of proud Novocastrian Siobhan Curran, TEDxNewy is an independent event that discusses ideas worth spreading.
Comprising professors, storytellers and artists contributing to the vast potential that is Newcastle’s future, the daylong event is the first of its kind for our city. The theme for TEDxNewy is ‘Shock of the New’ - new thinking from Newcastle and new ideas for the world.
Urban Insider had the chance to catch up with one of the speakers for TEDxNewy, Jason van Genderen.
For Jason, his life of creative problem solving was seeded by 20 years hard labor in the advertising & design industry, before turning his hand to short films. His reputation for quick thinking under challenging circumstances saw him carve an early niche, being a four time winner in the 24 hour ‘Shoot Out’ filmmaking festivals.
Here is our interview with Jason…
What make you decide to leave the advertising & design industry behind and pursue short films?
It’s not so much leaving the industry behind (I still work within a commercial studio), it’s more a migration to the opportunity to work outside of client’s briefs and budgets in an uncontained, freely creative way. Short films are a creative release for me, like an athlete running a marathon. As a story-teller, I love connecting an idea with an audience, it’s a truly magical and inspiring experience rolled into one.
How important is it to break the rules?
You need to understand the rules before you break them, that’s the art. Creativity doesn’t like being contained or templated, yet with filmmaking it’s part creativity, part craft. My take on this is to not be focused on rules as a whole… it’s all about the content and how I shape the story into a film. Discovering how to break a rule and get away with it is much more fun than sticking to one. It’s like being a rebellious teenager with permission.
What has been your proudest achievement to date?
I guess I have several. I’m proud of my 2008 film (Mankind is no Island) because it was one of the first mobile-phone films to crack a global film market, winning Tropfest NY and also an IF Award back home, along with numerous others. It really taught me the power in great problem solving, and focusing on ability not inability. My other notable moment would have to be the film I made this year about my dad dying of cancer (The Unspoken). It started as a video letter from me to him, then ended up coming runner-up at Tropfest Sydney this year plus winning awards at Aspen Shortsfest, San Francisco Short Film Festival and has also been selected to close the night at the upcoming Bondi Short Film Festival this month. To think I made that film (originally) for an audience of one (my dad) and it’s now gone on to reach out and touch so many. It’s really humbling.
What is your favourite quote?
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
What is your favourite thing about Newcastle?
Newcastle will always be the birthplace of my creativity. Working under the creative mentorship of the legendary Art Ryan for 13 years, learning the ropes of filmmaking whilst participating numerous times in the Newcastle Shoot Out film festival. There’s many happy memories for me, finding inspiration in a strong cuppa at Goldbergs on Darby Street.
What do you think events like TEDxNewy mean for Newcastle?
TEDx Newy represents a celebration of the creative thinking spirit, shared with like-minded people who will be the city’s future shapers. Change starts with one clear, succinct, awesome idea. If TEDx Newy can help inspire just one Novacastrian to achieve something groundbreaking & tremendous, or even start that process, isn’t that a wonderful gift to our city?
For those of you who want to be a part of the day, but missed out on a seat at The Playhouse, the talks will be screened live at an overflow venue in City Hall’s Mulubinba Room from 9am. Alternatively, anyone with the internet can watch the talks via the live webstream at the TEDxNewy website.
Read about other TEDxNewy speakers Bernie Curran, Liz Mullinar, Peter Saul & Julie Baird.
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