Colin Schumacher
Adjunct Senior Lecturer
Colin Schumacher
Bio
MA - UNSW Theatre and Film Studies
BEd - Deakin University - Theatre, Film and TV
- Director of Making Meaning OnScreen Pty Ltd Sydney
- Author and presenter of Screen and Drama programs and professional development programs for K-12 teachers
- Director of physical theatre and text-based theatre productions
Presenting and Teaching experience:
- AGQTP Masterclass in Film and TV Production, North Coast NSW, Sept 07
- Rajabhat University, Thailand. Screen Performance and Production, 1992-07
- Educational Drama, Princess Sukhumabinan Thailand, 1988-07
- DET workshops in Broken Hill, Wagga Wagga, Armidale, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour, Deniliquin, Albury, Orange, Dubbo, Moree, Bathurst, Griffith, 2003-08
- Making Meaning OnScreen K-12 Teachers workshops, Sydney 2003-08
- Boston University - Sydney Campus, Adjunct Profession 2003-06
- Australian International School, Singapore 2005
- HTV Vietnam (National Broadcaster) Ho Chi Minh 2004
- Hanoi Film and Theatre Academy, Vietnam 2004
- Taiwan Disney 2003
- MTV (Maldives National Broadcaster) Maldives 2001-2002
- Kantana Studios and Siam Studios, Thailand 1997-98
- Colin has directed and taught screen performance and production at the National Institute of Dramatic Art; The Actors Centre; The Actors College of Theatre and Television, Sydney Universit; Charles Sturt University, the McDonald College of Performing Arts; Bond University; Macquarie University; Griffith University and the Sydney Institute of Technology, East Sydney Campus
Screen Industry Experience:
- Script writer - Playhouse Disney and Disney Channel 2002-05
- Executive Production - "Kokkomenge" - The Maldives 2002
- Screen Performance consultant for Drama, News and Current Affairs departments 7 Network 1997-2001
- Script writer Gladiators 7 Network
- First Assistant Director/Director: Sons and Daughters and A Country Practice
- First Assistant Director, Film Australia's Norm and Ahmed
Theatre Directing:
- Reality: Dreams - Rajabhat University of Performing Arts, Bangkok 2006
- Sorry.. I Love You - New York International Fringe Theatre Festival in 2004
- Sahasadaysha - Patravadi Theatre Company, Thailand 1997
- Colin has directed over 80 productions from Shakespeare to Rock Opera for the Griffin, Ensemble Riverina, U25, Theatre South, Young Vic (London), Salle Malesherbes (Paris), La Boite, The Queensland Theatre Company, and Nouveau Teatro Compagnie Somprasong Foundation and Patravadi Theatre Company (Thailand)
Conference Presentations:
- IDEA International Hong Kong (2007), Making Meaning OnScreen
- UNESCO World Creative Arts Conference, Portugal 2006
Screen Literacy and Paedagogy in NSW Schools
- ETA State and National Conferences: Screen Literacy and Screen Production and Acting for Screen 2002-07
- Drama NSW State and National Conferences: Screen Performance, Screen Literacy and Screen Production 2002-07
Publications:
Making Meaning OnScreen - A Student Handbook (2007) Creating the Seamless Screen Story - planned for 2008.
Documentary Making - A Primary Handbook - planned for 2008
Boards and Committees: Actors Centre Australia board member 2006-08
His Making Meaning OnScreen workshop program has trained over 1600 K-12 teachers across the cirricula keen to learn the new skills in video production and those who are preparing HSC students for English, Visual Arts, Drama, Dance, D&T and IT videos projects. He presented his paper to the His Making Meaning OnScreen. Workshops have also recently been presented in Singapore and Bangkok and soon to be presented in China in March 2007.
His secondary Making Meaning OnScreen - A Student Handbook will be published in2007.
After presenting his conference paper at the Asian-Thai Theatre Conference in Bangkok he met Thai delegate Princess Sukhumabinan who became his mentor/producer for the next 18 years. During this time he directed six main stage productions and trained over 1300 Thai primary and secondary teachers in Western theatre techniques and classroom drama strategies, simultaneously translated by Princess Sukhumabinan. He also specialised in devising and directing cross-cultural physical theatre productions in Thailand. In 1993, he received a professional development grant from the Australian Council for the Arts, and undertook twelve months study in Cuba, New York, London, Paris and directing enqagements in Thailand. Earlier he worked in Australian television including Sons and Daughters and A Country Practice and Film Australia's screen treatment of Norm and Ahmed; and is a performance consultant with Australian Television Networks in Drama and News and Current Affairs. Colin has a real passion for teaching drama for primary and secondary teachers and students, and presents regularly at metropolitan and regional centres throughout New South Wales. He is keen to share the changing dynamics and new techniques in classroom drama and performance.
