This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

How To Be Incredibly Creative: A Podcast

The journey from a single idea to a feature film, Emo The Musical
Emo The Musical is proof that Aussies do musicals in a very different way to Hollywood.
Neil Triffett
Emo The Musical is proof that Aussies do musicals in a very different way to Hollywood.

It's never an easy journey when you come up with a 'great idea' and you must navigate whatever moves you can muster, to turn that idea into a reality. If it's a reality that ends up as an award-winning film, even better.

But sometimes the more creative your idea the more challenging the ride.

Melbourne film director Neil Triffett came up with an idea for a film that revolved around a high school gang of Emos, including the moody, Ethan, who falls in love with a Christian called Trinity.

Neil Triffett wrote, directed and composed the music for Emo The Musical
Neil Triffett
Neil Triffett wrote, directed and composed the music for Emo The Musical

Triffett was thinking about his own high school and clashes between the Emos and Christians there. Then, amazingly, he picked up his ukulele and started composing music at the same time he was writing the screenplay.

Emo The Musical began as a short film and was one of only three films to receive funding from Screen Australia, after the 15-minute short was a huge hit at the Berlinale International Film Festival.

Some of the young cast members of Emo the Musical
Neil Triffett
Some of the young cast members of Emo the Musical

Now it's a feature film length and HuffPost Australia chats to 27-year-old Triffett about his creative journey. We also spoke to two of the young cast members, John Prasida and Ben Bennett who treated us to a live version of a song from Emo the Musical, 'If You Leave'.

Jon Prasida as he appears in Emo the Musical
Neil Triffett
Jon Prasida as he appears in Emo the Musical
Ben Bennett in Emo the Musical.
Neil Triffett
Ben Bennett in Emo the Musical.

This film brings in a lot of serious themes and issues that kids are dealing with at high school -- and it enables conversations that many find very difficult to have. It's sometimes easier when you're talking about tough issues like suicide, broken hearts and depression through film.

Emo the Musical
Neil Triffett
Emo the Musical
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