Academy of Interactive Entertainment plan next stage of Watson High School site redevelopment

"The ultimate goal is to be able to direct the big $300 million blockbusters," he said.

"Since I came out of the womb that's practically all I've ever wanted to do."

Mr Steele is one of eight students from Adelaide making use of a temporary LED wall, before a multimillion dollar big screen is built at Watson.

The Academy of Interactive Entertainment plan to begin the next stage of redevelopment at the former Watson High School site next year, with a state-of-the art sound stage and virtual production studio.

Chairman and CEO, John De Margheriti likened Canberra's future campus to the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts complex in Los Angeles.

"It's not like a normal campus, it's a combination of education and industry, with 20th Century Fox soundstages where students are working on commercial projects," he said.

"Plus they're right in Hollywood."

A six-metre high, 30-metre wide screen will be the pièce de résistance of the film campus, using technology film makers say has revolutionised how movies are made.

Pioneered by Disney, the LED screens have replaced green screens during filming of high-budget productions, including the Star Wars' television series The Mandalorian.

Actors are able to inform in front of a set, as it will look on camera, rather than backdrops being added post production.

Film teacher, Dan Sanguineti said each day on set can look like a new location, limited only by the imagination of the crew.

With students flying in from Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney over the last six weeks, the screen has been heaven, a road, a forest and space, Mr Sanguineti said.

"That's the magic of what we can do," he said.

The ACT government is co-investing in the new Watson studio in the hope of attracting high-quality film and television productions and build the local industry.

Film makers have labeled Canberra as an ideal location for shooting international and domestic movies. ACT bushland, usually agreeable weather, wide streets and Parliamentary buildings all working in their favour.

A shortage of backstage crew has been identified in the ACT and across Australia.

The ACT's investment aims to generate jobs here and tap into the $90 billion creative industries economy.

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Canberra graduates were recently involved in visual effects work on the shooting of horror film Sissy, shot at several ACT locations.

Mr Sanguineti said they'd struggled to find skilled crew, who had all been booked out on other productions.

"As a school, having facilities here for the projects we want to get into production means we can keep the costs down," he said.

"It also means we can upskill a lot of crew that are here so you don't have to pay people to come from elsewhere.

"That'll attract bigger productions, who then bring experience and provide opportunities for locals to work with them."

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