Student film collaboration: The east–west dilemma

Abstract

Abstract This paper outlines the results of a study examining student collaborative practice in screen production courses in Singapore and Australia. Of particular interest, is how the Australian curriculum, originally designed for graduates of a Western liberal higher education system, would translate to a culturally diverse group of students in Asia. The study was informed by the hypothesis that students in Asia would adopt an Eastern collective collaborative style and students in Australia would adopt a Western individualistic collaborative style. The survey was based on a US film-making questionnaire, which used Bilby's Wheelbook, a tool for assessing screen production personality types. The survey results demonstrated strong similarities in the collaboration styles of the two cohorts, revealing that a majority of students from both Australia and Singapore display traits of individualism, but acknowledging the importance of collaborative skills. The similarities suggest that globalization has had a significant impact on film-making practices, and that future curriculum planning should more clearly articulate these collaborative practices helping students to manage deadlines, resolve conflicts and sustain team dynamics.