An interview with Sati Öcal

Winner of the TAC’s 2023 Split Screen Competition, I interviewed Sati on her experience with her debut film and what it’s like to be an aspiring filmmaker.

Sati on the left and the runner-up on the right at the awards night. @TAC

Gadgets - The winning short film

Transcription of the interview

Georgie McColm:

Hello everyone and welcome back to Radio Monash. Today we have a very special guest with us coming all the way into the studio from Broadmeadows. It's Sati Ocal who is a 22 year old student studying screenwriting at the Victorian College of the Arts and is a 2023 winner of the TAC's Split second competition with a short film gadgets. This is her debut short film, which will now be playing in cinemas for two months. So Sati, welcome to Radio Monash. How are you today?

Sati Öcal:

I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having me.

Georgie McColm:

No problem. So to start off, do you wanna tell us a little bit about yourself? Like, who are you? What do you do on the side? Do you have any hobbies?

Sati Öcal:

Oh no I hate this question. Every time I just forget who I am. Right. Well, I do have a few hobbies actually, I'd love to do ballet. I do horse riding.

Georgie McColm:

You see, just like how you were shocked that I study chemistry, I'm shocked that you’re also into horse riding.

Sati Öcal:

You are, yeah.

Georgie McColm:

To horse riding, I would not have pictured that. That's amazing!

Sati Öcal:

Am a horse girl.

Georgie McColm:

There's no shame in that. We actually also have another horse girl here at Radio Monash. So you're right, you're right at home. So I guess let's get a bit into about, like, creating films, for example. So this short film gadgets, I believe it's only around 45 seconds, 40 seconds.

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, 45 seconds.

Georgie McColm:

But it's really stylized, especially when compared to TAC’s other stuff. Would you mind telling everyone how you came up with the idea?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, for sure. A lot of the other ads I do recall are quiet. Graphic and intense and I think because the youth are able to apply for this competition, it's like 18 to 25 year olds I think humour is sort of what gets the message across to us a bit more. It's a bit more digestible and entertaining as opposed to like scaring.

Georgie McColm:

Cause I must admit the TAC's previous approaches with ads are now let's just show people being, like completely run over by cars is like, Oh my God. That's so scary, so to everybody listening, I highly recommend going to check out the video, which you can find on TAC's YouTube channel, but it will also be linked on our social medias and our website. But one of the things I really loved about it though, was the accents. Like these guys speak so posh. It's kind of like a James Bond film that has an Aussie spin and is very, I don't know. I I thought it was so great and so creative. So do you feel really proud of what you've created like, Oh my God, I made this. This is so amazing.

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, of course, I feel proud of it. It's funny that you mentioned the accents because in the auditions that was such a crucial, like criteria for them to have that accent. But also like the new James Bond, he's got like his earrings in. I mean, he's he was only 22. He's not like who you'd usually think of or associate with as James Bond. Like, not the rugged typical or so yeah, we wanted to give it a fresh spin.

Georgie McColm:

Which was really, really cool. And so I really like how you kind of crafted that. But not only did you write the script, you also directed it as well, which is 2 really large like responsibilities to have. Was this your first time directing?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, I mean, directing on that scale for sure. I've directed my own like short, like VCE high school kind of stuff where you just have friends and family. So the stakes are a lot lower. This was it was quite scary, I must admit. But I did have a mentor with me, Max Barden. And he was incredible. He had. Yeah. He had such a wealth of knowledge of. Just how like the ad world works? And you know, if I ever kind of struggled in a moment, he would, like, help me give a direction to the actors. So I felt like I had the support that I needed.

Georgie McColm:

So did you have to work on like a big set and stuff?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, we shot in film works, which is like quite a professional big studio. And we also got to have that beautiful BMW in there. And we had like the actual rear view projection, which is like very old timey, so it just felt like the real deal.

Georgie McColm:

Well, did it, especially after coming from, you know, shooting your VCE films and whatnot. How did you feel stepping onto such a big production set?

Sati Öcal:

It's scary. It was. I was so nervous. I'm coming into it. But then you know, the nerve, the nerves kind of fade away and you kind of just, yeah, fall into it. Yeah, it felt it felt surreal, really.

Georgie McColm:

Hmm. And with like, how did you hear about the competition?

Sati Öcal:

So the competition is quite quiet. Like I had a teacher when I was back at RMIT two years ago, who I think maybe three years ago he was like you should apply. No one did. But I did and I didn't win the competition that year and I was kind of bummed out. Then I applied again and I didn't get it that year. And then this year, I kept, you know, hustling third times the charm I think is what they say. And yeah, I was lucky enough to win this year.

Georgie McColm:

That's amazing. But still, I mean, that's such a great story, though, like perseverance. You kept trying and you finally succeed. And when you did get in you won it! That’s amazing!

I think that is so, so cool. And like, how did you find the experience overall? Like, is it something that you're really happy you did get to experience?

Sati Öcal:

Oh my goodness, I feel so lucky to have had this experience. I feel there should be even more competitions for young, you know, aspiring film makers. I feel like it. Yeah, it was just such a rare opportunity and working with industry professionals was incredible.

Georgie McColm:

Yeah, definitely. And since this whole competition is, I believe, only for people aged 18 to 25, it really is a great opportunity to get younger people in to actually show their talents. Do you think that this or these types of opportunities are really important? Like, are there other opportunities outside of this or is it really such a niche, I guess it like industry, especially in Australia that having opportunities like these really can put younger people in the forefront of creative media.

Sati Öcal:

Oh, for sure, I think it's. It's quite difficult because the industry is quite hard, like it's notoriously known to break into the industry, especially here in Australia, and it's a bit.

Georgie McColm:

Dry here.

Sati Öcal:

It is a bit dry, yeah. So it's it's hard like they only want people that have like tonnes of experience and are actually older. So they don't really kind of take you that seriously when you're young here -  

Georgie McColm:

That's so sad.

Sati Öcal:

-they're like, come back 40 years later or something. I had a lecturer that actually had that experience. Yeah. Whereas in like Canada or America, they they love it. They love it when you're young like you like this fresh little chock or something. They find that interesting.

Georgie McColm:

Do you think that's a symptom of Australia's like tall Poppy syndrome? It's just as soon as it's like, Oh my God, someone young and inspiring, wanting to do something quickly, cut them down. Which is really really sad. But do you think that with this experience, like have you gained more connections after it that you're hoping to, you know, go and do other films and other stuff.

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, I met so many incredible people and I feel like I'm quite well connected now, like after we finished the film. There were like like I had someone DM me yesterday who was. He runs an ad company and he's like, I saw your ad. Do you wanna, you know, have an internship. So which was insane. And I also got an internship with taboo, which is the advertising agency. And even sweet shop was like, Yep. Come in anytime if you have, like, a film idea. I even got my friends in on it too. And they're like coming in and submitting ideas.

Georgie McColm:

That's fantastic. That’s really great to hear. And actually speaking of working with like a production company, I know you mentioned how it was to go on set for the first time, but was it kind of crazy to see just how many people can be involved in these kind of things, especially when you know, it's just like you maybe a couple Of friends and shooting some stuff?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, they had someone for every job. Like I I had to get like Panadol at one point and there was someone designated to like be my assistant, like it was unreal. I felt very special.

Georgie McColm:

So after winning the competition, do you have any scripts in the back catalogue just waiting to be pulled out or do you think you'll be writing  anything new or what do you plan on doing after this?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, I mean, I think every writer has like a little script bank or there where we sort of store our ideas. I do have a lot of things written up and I find it hard to to send them off. Maybe I'm a bit of a too much of a harsh critic and they say I'm being a good writer actually is rewriting and having people like you know, give you constructive criticism. That just makes you a better writer. But I'm sort of just focusing on my studies at the moment and heading into my final year.

Georgie McColm:

Wow, congratulations. Final year, that is exciting. Speaking of though, the whole writing process, how do you take constructive criticism? Because I know that for - I remember when I was 9 and I wrote my first little story and I got my grade back from English. I'm like, oh, you didn't like it. Oh, my gosh. How do you deal with criticism?

Sati Öcal:

I think as as long as it's the right person and you know that they have your best interest at heart. Also, we actually were taught how to give feedback. There's there's a special way to do it. It's like a sandwich. So you sort of have the. Yeah. I think everyone's kind of maybe heard it where you have the, the, the good bit at the top and the constructive bit that you could do better and then you finish it off with something good so you know the person feels good about themselves at the end of the end of the day. But yeah, I think it's just having a bit of a thick skin as well and knowing that you're going to be a better writer after that.

Georgie McColm:

I think it's definitely a learning experience because I know a lot of people can. Still, I think I still struggle with criticism and I know a lot of my friends and other peers do as well. So it is kind of great sandwiching it in that positive sandwich and positive negative positive. It can really help break things up. And the other thing I kind of wanted to talk about today is unfortunately the TAC has released its recent statistics.

On road deaths for people aged 18 to 25, and it's unfortunately up by 34%. When crafting a message for how you wanted to kind of warn younger people of the dangers of road safety. How did you make sure you implemented that into the writing process for this short film?

Sati Öcal:

Hmm, I think it was more thinking what would appeal to younger audiences. And I thought humour is something that's quite funny and even like James Bond, you know, you see him and you've already kind of got that association of who he is. And he is someone that's on the road and known for being kind of reckless and dangerous. Yeah. And kind of just, like turning that on its head. And switching it and instead making him someone that's that value safety and is responsible so. I I think also it it does feel like it comes from a place that a young person wrote it, especially the second runner up who was Ammon Metha his his idea, I think. Even appeals more to the youth because his one it was, it was like a an innuendo of like get “Get your car checked” and having to yeah, two people in there and like using that as like a metaphor which was really cool.

Georgie McColm:

Hmm, but I think the thing I like about your gadgets short film is that even though, yes, it does target a younger demographic, it is still quite enjoyable for all ages. Like you don't have to have a unique Tik Tok sense of humour to be able to understand it like, especially since this is going to be going out into cinemas, it's quite broad in terms of who it can appeal to, which is good. Like for some reason I can see a bunch of elderly people watching a James Bond moving going haha, that is funny, and that's amazing. So even though it is intended for young people, does it make you happy to kind of know that everyone can kind of enjoy it?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, it's always great when you have that wide audience and you know it can kind of be appreciated by just not that one target. So yeah, that is pretty incredible.

Georgie McColm:

Amazing, so I guess it kind of finish up. Do you have any future aspirations or goals or where does Sati plan to go next?

Sati Öcal:

Oh well. I do identify myself as a storyteller and I think. If I can do anything that I can sort of continue doing that in any aspect, I'll be pretty happy. I do sort of love like kids TV and I know in Australia that's like kind of like the hot thing. If you either get into the industry.

Georgie McColm:

Are you a secret Bluey Fan?

Sati Öcal:

Actually, I haven't seen too much episodes of Bluey, but I'm like, thinking more back of like ABC3.

Georgie McColm:

Yeah, I could go on a whole nostalgic rabbit hole of ABC3.

Sati Öcal:

We had the best shows growing up.

Georgie McColm:

Yeah, we did. We did and it was always so interesting cause like, do you remember the first day it broadcasted? I think it was like Christmas Day or something and some of the programming that came out of those. Tt's you can't replicate it like even when you go and look at Nickelodeon or Disney and they're very Americanized kids TV shows, Australians we just did it differently.

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, I mean, we have, we definitely have the ability. It's just, yeah, we don't, I don't know, we just it hasn't been happening that often now I mean we do have great things like Bluey. That's all I can kind of name, I don't know.

Georgie McColm:

Do you remember any of the other shows from ABC three that you really liked growing up?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, I loved Nowhere Boys, which actually my university lecturer wrote it, which is, I love that.

Georgie McColm:

That's that's so cool. There's a real full circle moment. I'm trying to think because I remember there's like, blue water high. I mean, I was I was a huge H2O kid. I know that was on channel 9.

Georgie McColm:

But like, if someone's like, OK, what are you most proud of as an Australian export? I'm like, OK, yes, we have the Hemsworth’s. Yes, we've got Margot Robbie, but check out H2O.

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, and it's insane how it's like, gone through to like, Americans like they love it, they enjoy it.

Georgie McColm:

They do, which is so cool. So that is really cool. Hopefully you can end up writing a children's series. That'd be amazing. We really do need more Australian kids TV, especially if you wanna prevent the American accents from making their way into young kids vocabulary, which would be very, very interesting. So anyway, I hope you've had a lovely time here at Radio Monash, and thank you so much for coming in. To finish off, is there any place that people can go and find you and check you out and see what you're up to?

Sati Öcal:

Yeah, I'm a little bit active on Instagram. That's like the only social media I have so you can follow me if you like. It's @dJ.sati.

Georgie McColm:

Amazing and thank you so much for your time to everybody at home, don't forget you can check out the short film on TAC's YouTube page or you can also check it out on our website and social media pages. Thank you so much for listening. Have a great one.