RMIT Advertising grads keep the creativity alive while searching for full-time opportunities

Creativity needs to be practiced. It’s not something you can close the door on as creatives. However, the gap between uni and landing a first job leaves some junior talent without a creative outlet.

How do you feed the creative bug when you don’t have an outlet?

Art director Jackson Sharpe and creative producer Chelsea Addison are two advertising graduates from the 2023 RMIT Advertising cohort. Sharpe was the art director of RMIT’s 2023 Pitch Night, and Addison was the creative producer of RMIT’s 2023 Hungry Talks. Now they are looking for their first full-time opportunity in the industry. Like many others in their position, they’ve applied to many roles, sent countless cold emails into the void that is adland’s inbox, and chatted briefly over many coffees. They’ve worked together closely for several years, including on a shortlisted campaign for Cannes Future Lions 2023.

PUNCHLINE is their next project – an independent short film co-written by Sharpe and Addison with Sharpe as director and Addison as producer. It’s a dark comedy that tells the story of an unfortunately named man, Jeffery Dahmer, grappling with bringing honour to the family name as he pursues the love of his life, Kylie Minogue.

Says Addison: “This is first and foremost a passion project for us both. Jackson and I worked together as a creative pair through much of uni, and so it’s only fitting we’ve rejoined in this producer and director duo now. We’re really hoping this project will be a great piece for our folios as we continue to apply to full-time roles.”

The gap between uni and your first gig is hard to navigate. Agencies want to see folios full of fresh and evolving work, not stale assignments from years passed. It’s a daily challenge as a junior to keep the creative muscles strong and hold onto hope in the face of unreturned emails, low rates of junior positions, and a slow start to the year in the industry.

Says Sharpe: “It’s so important to me that I can stay creative in my off time – which I currently have a lot of. This definitely isn’t a complaint though, I’m so happy we finally get to make the passion project Chels and I have been talking about for so long. I love advertising, it scratches the creative itch, and this project will carry me through until I hopefully land a gig. I also love making weird stuff, and ‘weird’ is definitely an apt way to describe this short film.”

The pair have committed to paying their 36 cast and crew amounts ranging from agreed stipends to industry rates in an effort to make the production viable and positive for other juniors in a similar position.

The PUNCHLINE crew commence filming next Friday 21st June 2024.

To help junior talent and support the independent film industry, you can donate to their Pozible kick starter or follow along on Instagram @punchlinefilm

Says Sharpe and Addison: “We sincerely appreciate any and all support towards the project – be it a share, follow, or donation.”

Contact producer Chelsea Addison on chelsea.addison19@gmail.com or 0476 255 211 with any queries.