Sarah Jayne Portelli

Sarah Jayne Portelli Zagreb, Croatia OVERVIEW – Producer / Writer / Director 2019 + Freelance review writer for The Soundview: Independent Film Digest – https://www.soundviewmediapartners.com/thesoundview/ 2013 + Company Owner, Producer & Director – https://www.nexusproductiongroup.com/ 2013 + Freelance and blog writer – https://misssarahjayne.wordpress.com/ 2013 - 2016 Assistant Director at the Made In Melbourne Film Festival – https://www.facebook.com/groups/- EDUCATION 2019 Character Based Improvisation – Director Mike Leigh’s techniques taught by Robert Marchard 2013 New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) Certifcate in Business Practices 2009 Interior Design and Decoration Diploma – NMIT Preston EXPERIENCE Film Review Writer The Sound View (2019+) The Soundview: Independent Film Digest Tasks: ● ● ● ● Screen Independent flms, write critical 275-350 word reviews and add a rating. Edit reviews for grammar, spelling errors and readability before sending off to the editor for publication. Follow the editor's guidelines and rating system format. Work autonomously towards a set deadline and manage my own time. Achievements: ● ● Secured a pay raise from the editor after writing my frst three reviews due to naturally understanding the requirements and was praised for my unique and captivating writing style. Developed a solid routine and system which allows me to complete reviews effciently. Producer/Director/Writer Company owner Nexus Production Group (2013 +) Tasks: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Produce and direct various feature and short flms under the Nexus Production Group banner. Write press releases, YouTube scripts, newsletter, marketing and website copy, flm synopsis, scripts and flm outlines, advertisement copy, cold email copy, flm industry related blogs. Design, build and maintain the NPG website and blog on Squarespace and implement SEO. Creatively design media kits, all social media marketing materials, handling the art direction and designing of marketing materials and sponsor desks for NPG flms using Canva Pro. Compile and write rehearsal notes, story beats and character breakdowns for actors. Manage and NPG Creatively Connected YouTube channel and design the banners. Research the current market trends Run social media advertisements for flms and upcoming courses Lead online NPG courses on the topic of indie flm and micro-budget flmmaking. Write the NPG course outlines for publication on various sites such as Indie Film Hustle and Udemy. Create flm festival spreadsheets and other information based sheets. Actively network and build relationships with peers and industry professionals and represent NPG at festivals, interviews and special events. Achievements: ● Actively produced and directed feature length documentary Cats of Malta (2023). Set to be ● ● ● ● ● ● released theatrically in Japan and broadcast on PBS across America. Successfully raised $15k AUD to cover post-production costs for Cats of Malta by running a fruitful crowdfunding campaign which gained support from 200 backers worldwide. Built relationships with two Maltese companies and Malta Tourism Authority, which led to secured paid sponsorship for Cats of Malta screenings. Raised $5k in PBS Underwriting for the Cats of Malta PBS broadcast. Sold Cats of Malta to Israeli TV Station YesDBS, secured distribution deals for the flm within the US, Europe and Japan. Negotiated fnancial deals with festivals and independent companies to screen Cats of Malta publicly throughout the US, (including Hawaii) and Korea. Researched and wrote the script for, directed, co-produced and cast Daughter (2016), a short flm and awareness project tackling gendered violence and victim blaming inspired by true events, starring Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why). Secured funding for the production through the Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund and organised a public screening with 180 people in attendance including suitable speakers. Later I toured across Victoria, hosting events around the flm and booked qualifed speakers. Writer/Journalist/Blogger Freelance (2011+) Tasks Undertaken: ● ● ● ● Pitched several personal and opinion pieces to various Magazines in Australia, the US and Europe. Conducted interviews and delivered written articles for Temple Magazine Malta and Times of Malta’s Circle Magazine. Built, designed and wrote for a couple of personal blogs over the years using Wordpress and Blogger. Journalistic reporting and writing for independent alternative underground events magazine TrashBaggery in Sydney Australia between-. ● Wrote a feature spec script titled To Hold the Moon and the short flm script for Daughter. ● Ghostwriting for independent website blogs and utilising SEO keywords. Achievements: ● ● Successfully had my personal and opinion pieces published in The HuffPost, Feminartsy (AU), Daily Life Magazine (AU), Cattitude Daily and WHAM Malta. Secured an acknowledgment from the HuffPost editor who featured my personal article “Men are Not Attentive to Girls Who Wear Glasses” on the website's front page. Content writer (remote) BBSA Marketing, London (Jan 2021–Jul 2021) Tasks Undertaken: ● ● Re-writing and editing of start-up business plans, invitation letter templates, company emails, write website copy, brochure content including full client service testimonials for brochures for various clients. Editing pre-existing resume biographies for clients. Assistant Director/Administrator/ Marketing Made In Melbourne Film Festival (2013 - 2016) Tasks Undertaken: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Assisted the festival director in conducting admin tasks leading up to, during and on the festival week such as booking venues, watching flms, selecting flms and organising volunteers. Wrote press releases for the upcoming festival and handled marketing across various social media platforms. Researched the industry and wrote emails for distribution to press sites and potential sponsors. Drafted templates for and sent out acceptance and rejection emails to the flmmakers. Maintained the MIMFF Squarespace website, updated the news section regularly and utilised SEO. Art directed the yearly poster design. Hosted and liaised with the sponsors and judges prior to and on the event days/nights. Collected and managed more than 1000 names for the festival’s MailChimp newsletter. Worked with the festival director to launch MIMFF’s Script to Screen initiative. Achievements: ● ● Secured funding from the City of Melbourne after writing successful grant applications. Oversaw MIMFF’s Script to Screen Initiative, which supported local indigenous writers. I worked with the small festival team to choose the winning script HALF, produce the flm and organise the premiere event which opened with a traditional Indigenous Ceremony. The poster featured my photograph taken on set. PROGRAMS / PLATFORMS ● ● ● ● ● ● Mailer Light/ Mail Chimp to run various flm focused monthly newsletters for NPG stand-alone flms. Google Suite (Mail, Docs, Sheets, and Forms) for everyday use. Canva Pro to design various marketing materials for social media and events. SquareSpace for website building including SEO integration for NPG’s websites and flms. Trello for NPG day-to-day task organisation. Wordpress, some familiarity with the basic setup of a website