Dr Lisa Dethridge

Research

Lisa has conducted research across a wide spectrum of electronic communications media. She has worked as a research analyst for the United Nations Secretariat in New York, for NASA (US National Aerospace and Aeronautics Agency) in Houston and for Telstra and Telecom Australia. Most recently she has designed story worlds and scripts for the multi-user virtual environment Second Life for clients including Telstra Big Pond and ABC Television. She is a co-founder of RMIT’s islands in Second Life.

Dethridge has twenty years’ experience researching and writing for web, film, television, theatre, radio, print and telecoms in Australia and the United States. She produced and developed script and story material for major and independent studios and networks including Fox, Warner, Working Title, MTV, CBS, NBC, Ted Turner CNN, Granada, SBS, Dempa Japan, Conde Nast; the Australian Film Commission, the Film Finance Corporation, ABC Australia, Artist Services, 3RR Radio and TV New Zealand.

She has written for many news and lifestyle magazines including regular columns on film, architecture and travel for Vogue Magazine, The Australian, Cleo, Marie Claire and The Age. She is the author of Writing Your Screenplay, of numerous scholarly articles and of screenplays and stage plays including The War Against Short Trousers which was nominated for Patrick White Playwrite’s Award.

As a multimedia artist, she has exhibited in New York City in the commercial Gallery Sakiko and at the Pratt Institute in New York; at the Sydney Biennale and the La Trobe Uni. Sculpture Trienniale. She also worked with electronic music ensemble “The Artificial Organs” who released the album “Momento Mori.”

Research and scholarship

• Author of Writing Your Screenplay, Allen and Unwin, Sydney 2003

• DSC Emerging Researcher Grant 2007, RMIT in Second Life

• Geoplaced Knowledge Research Grant 2009

• New York/Melbourne 2009 Dark Luminance Digital Exhibition

Research interests

• Digital, Database and Virtual Art

• Screen writing for film, television, web, mobile and convergent platforms

• Digital convergence and writing for interactive database narrative and networked screens

• How artists and scientists collaborate within virtual and artificial reality

• Machine and screen metaphors for the projection of self

• Viral culture, simulation and social networking

Research supervision

Supervision of Masters and PhD. by Research since 1999 (Students have gone on to win awards)

• DSC College Coordinator Creative Research Strategies

• Master of Creative Media Research Representative

• Supervisor, Masters and PhD by Research

• PhD Media Ecology, New York University, Communication Arts and Sciences

• M.A. Political Science, University of Melbourne

• B.A. (Hons.) Fine Arts and Literature, University of Melbourne

Professional interests

• Coordinator of Industry Advisory Committee Masters of Creative Media Program, Members inc. Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Australian Film Commission (Screen Australia), Penguin Publications, National Gallery of Victoria, E Services Interactive; Film Victoria and Cinemedia.

• Regular contributor to radio 3RRR

Accomplishments/achievements

• Script Editor on AFI Best Feature Screenplay Winner, Chopper

• Script Editor on AFI Best Short Award Winner, The Beneficiary

• Script Editor on Best International Documentary, Real Film Festival, Anthem

• Nominated for Patrick White Playwright’s Award, 2003

Media experience

Twenty years’ experience researching and writing for web, film, television, theatre, radio, print and telecoms in Australia and the United States.