by Damien Spiccia
More than 70 keen local film practitioners descended on Perth’s screening venue The Backlot and independent studio space Raz Studios last week for a series of workshops designed to introduce and unpack two of the industry’s essential on-set roles: Video Operator and Digital Imaging Technician (DIT).
Delivered by Toothfish Digital and supported by Screenwest and the WA State Government, the workshops aimed to upskill local crews ahead of the opening of Perth Studios in early 2026. “We’re excited to host these important workshops for West Australian filmmakers,” says Ian Hale, Managing Director of The Backlot, where the first sessions were held.
The first workshop, The Things They Didn’t Teach You in Film School, focused on the kind of practical, real-world advice that Toothfish co-founder Brendan Dee says he wishes he’d received when studying film in WA. “I was really trying to stress the importance of networking,” Dee explains. “Those interpersonal skills are often far more important than the technical ones – there’s a whole bunch of different ways to get into the industry.”
Having worked across some of the biggest sets in the world, with recent credits as Video Operator, DIT and On-set Workflow Engineer on films such as the Avatar sequels and Furiosa, Dee returned to Perth to personally lead the workshops and help prepare local crews ahead of Perth Studios’ launch. “I was sceptical [about Perth Studios] when I first saw the plans,” says Dee. “I’ve seen a lot of studios built in Australia and New Zealand that haven’t worked out. You’ve got to have the people, you’ve got to have the gear, the incentives, and all the other pieces that bring projects in, but [ScreenWest] recognise those issues, and they’re putting money behind building crews and the infrastructure here.”
Beyond training, Dee says that the workshops are also about establishing Toothfish’s presence in WA and addressing a national skills shortage, where visibility of the DIT role is a key problem. “DIT is quite a senior, well-paid role, and people build up to it, but people who are just starting out in the industry, they don’t see that. We can’t fix it everywhere, but we thought at least here in WA we can fix this. So, we’re doing [the workshops] to get a whole bunch of people in, show them what the role is and what the tools are, see who’s interested and letting them know that this is an actual career path unto itself.”
The second workshop, The Science of Digital Imaging offered a deep dive into the maths and physics of digital cinematography. “That’s the one I was most excited about,” Dee says. “All the maths and science behind the imaging process and how the cameras work!”
This workshop was followed by a three-day intensive masterclass on on-set workflow and the DIT role, hosted at Raz Studios. The 150sqm space gave attendees plenty of room to work with Toothfish’s cutting-edge, professional carts and gear in a proper studio setting.
We attended the final masterclass and found a refreshingly diverse studio floor that included a mix of emerging crew talent, seasoned screen professionals looking to expand their skills, and even curious Year 11 students from Mercedes College. Professional DIT Sam Winzar [above], who helped Dee present some of the sessions, noted that expanding diversity in the field is long overdue: “I’ve always said the only diversity we see in DIT is neurodiversity… workshops like this aim to change that.”
After lunch, attendees split into two groups around the two DIT carts on the floor. “The gear’s a bit simplified,” said Dee, “so people can see how it all fits together.” Dee’s cart focused on recording and editing, while Winzar’s cart handled colour correction. The studio, swamped in pink and blue light, doubled as a live set, where local filmmaker David Vincent Smith (He Ain’t Heavy) [below] directed actors Alexandra Nell and Noah Skape in a tense sci-fi scene. As a variety of coverage came through the monitors, participants were invited to roll up their sleeves and test Toothfish’s digital imaging tools in real-time under the guidance of Dee and Winzar, who fielded any questions thrown their way.
Judging by the participation in this final session and comments from attendees, the workshops accomplished their goal of demystifying the DIT role and its complicated functions in an accessible, hands-on style, giving participants a rare chance to work with advanced equipment under the guidance of industry professionals. “The only way to normally get a chance to use these tools is to be on really big films and progress up through departments for a while before you’re entrusted to touch any of the gear,” says Dee. “With these workshops, we don’t care if they mess up.”
