Costas Thrasyvoulou

Studying Film helped Costas develop hands-on experience and critical analysis skills that he now passes on to younger learners.

I studied Film and English Literature at the undergraduate level. During that time, I could share my love for film by writing an occasional film column for Salient and creating my own film review blog—I couldn’t get enough of it! Film is the whole of life rather than a side interest. I find the making and critical analysis aspects of film fulfilling and am now passing on those unique skills and perspectives to younger learners.

I decided to go into teaching mostly for the satisfaction of feeling as though I was doing something worthwhile. I have never been especially motivated by big money and would prefer a job where I am able to mix with a lot of different kinds of people and help guide young people towards their future. I currently teach English and Media Studies at Whanganui Collegiate School. It was always my plan to bring the expertise I gained from Film back to my hometown despite the fact there were fewer jobs in my specific subject areas.

Having a Master’s degree from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington gave me the ‘x-factor’ when I was transitioning into my teaching role at Whanganui Collegiate and I’m convinced it was one of the reasons I was appointed. This is because my Master’s thesis was centred around creating a short film focused on grief, and how men express their feelings of loss. It is called Brothers and takes four friends, one of whom dies, and shows how the other three deal with his death. I developed a lot of skills that I now use to help my students—hands on as well as thinking and analysing. Every student is different and will have their own way of approaching a task. This is something my supervisors at the University understood when they worked with me and it’s fantastic to be able to take on that mentor role myself. It’s so gratifying to watch a student conceive of an idea and then watch them see it through to completion.