Graduate Achievements
George Gavalas
Degree: Film and TV
Now: Production Coordinator for Sunrise, Channel 7
"I always wanted to be a cinematographer so Curtin was an easy choice as it had great facilities and some of the best industry people in WA. All my friends were studying there as well.
I found out about the job at Sunrise through the weekly newsletter that is distributed to the 'Sunrise Family'. My sister was a member and in one newsletter it had a job advertisement. I applied for the job and started three weeks later.
Thanks to my degree, I know my way around a studio and I know what everything does. The difference between me and the other applicants was how comfortable I was in a studio environment. I only have this sort of comfort level through being immersed in a studio environment while I was at Curtin.
My job at Sunrise is so diverse I find it hard to define exactly what I do. My role includes greeting guests, which means looking after them when they arrive and making sure they are on set when they need to be, making sure everything runs smoothly in the morning and solving problems. We have a team of producers who work during the day to organise segments for the show and I make sure these segments run smoothly.
My career aspiration is to be the next great producer of Australian film and television. I want to develop our own talent her in Australian rather than in the US.
I think what makes Curtin different to other universities is the people. This includes the lecturers, tutors and students. Everyone is passionate about what they are teaching, learning and putting into practice."
