As scriptwriter for hit television shows Offspring and The Wrong Girl Claire Phillips has plenty of successes to proclaim.
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The Dubbo College graduate’s career is on the up with a growing list of broadcast credits.
But her recent achievements have come after a decade-long slog to make her way in a competitive industry and it’s that story she shared with Dubbo students.
Phillips reflected on the journey since school during her speech at the Dubbo College presentation on Wednesday night.
The honest account of making her way in the world included the topic of failure.
Phillips, who graduated from the Australian Film Television Radio School (AFTRS) in 2012, said she started working on a speech after receiving the invitation from Dubbo College.
“As I started to write it out I realised there was this really glaring theme, which could be helpful, which was just about 10 years of stumbling and falling and falling over and being rejected,” she said.
“I just remember when I was that age and leaving school, you’ve worked so hard to get to this point and it’s kind of the next step.
“It’s not going to be easy, but it’s definitely very rewarding.
“I wanted to be uplifting, but also if you get a knock-back don’t take it personally because it happens to everyone.
“Across all fields, I don’t think anyone has not failed at something.”
Since graduating from AFTRS, Phillips has worked in the script department of various television productions, including Offspring and Gallipoli, before making her one-hour drama debut as a writer on Channel Ten’s The Wrong Girl.
“It’s been really fun and really different experiences,” she said.
“Offspring has been a full journey for me because my first job in TV was on Offspring, in season five.
“I started as a script coordinator which is like a baby in the script department, I was doing all the photocopying and putting out all the amendments and sending out emails and taking notes.
And then to come back and to be able write on season seven was really special, especially because the people in that team have been so supportive to my entire career.”
The Wrong Girl was a completely different experience because she was there from the start.
“It was really creating a show and building a world and casting it from the start and getting to be involved in all those decisions that kind of built it to a show,” Phillips said.
“It was a really really different process.”
Phillips is currently in development on numerous film and television projects.
On Thursday Phillips returned to Dubbo College, where she completed her secondary education in 2004.
She spent some time with Year 12 student Brooke Andrews, who has an interest in the industry.
“It’s really cool to meet someone with the same origins and has the same passion as you,” Brooke said.
“It’s awesome.”
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
