Thomas Ryan - making stuff you can watch
My Works
On this page you’ll be able to view an evolving selection of works I've contributed to under my own name. This section also features details on when and why they were created, the roles I played in the production of each piece, as well as the details of each film.
2025
This Here Then Now
This Here Then Now is a project that was conducted by Arts Upper Hunter in 2024, in which three Upper Hunter regional museums were selected to work with resident artists. These artists and museums were Sophie Cox at Scone Museum, Helene Leane at Dungog Museum and Todd Fuller at Tocal Homestead.
I was approached by Arts Upper Hunter to create three short videos documenting each of their artists and their processes. Those videos were released in early 2025.
2024
The People of Tin City
The People of Tin City is a short documentary video that was produced by a small team of 3 as a part of CMNS2900 coursework in 2024, that I directed.
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The documentary examines the bizarre world of Tin City, a small settlement of off-the-grid shacks nestled in the Stockton Sand Dunes. While most documentation on Tin City focuses on the history of the location, we opted to angle our project more towards the unconventional stories of the people that lived there during the settlement's golden age.
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Our goal was to illustrate a picture of the community that is Tin City in the most poetic way possible, with the residents' stories flowing and weaving together. All matter of subjects were discussed, such as surviving the harsh weather, growing up there, building and recovering sunken huts, living without power, celebrations, etc.
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The documentary later went on to be selected as a part of the Short+Sweet film festival's Sydney lineup in 2025.
2024
The Funny Man
The Funny Man is a comedy short that was developed as a part of CMNS3999 coursework in 2024, that I wrote and directed. The assignment required us to develop the short in 4 parts, each with separate criteria. These criteria included dialogue-free, inclusion of basic compositing, dialogue in ADR, and multi-camera.
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The film follows a popular author who has spent almost a decade working on his latest and final novel. As the book gets closer to seeing the light however, doubt begins to set in for Wyatt in the form of mysterious hallucinations mocking every minor inconvenience he comes to face.​
2023
Anamnesis
Anamnesis is a short sci-fi thriller film produced as my degree's final project in 2023, that I directed and edited.
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Anamnesis follows the character of Oliver, who wakes up in a room surrounded by people he doesn't know, as well as no memory of who he is. Oliver also has to deal with his own, suspiciously conflicting thoughts, as well as an injured foot to boot. Clearly, something is wrong, further demonstrated by his supposed family who seem to be acting bizarrely. As Oliver's growing suspicious of them however, they're most definitely growing suspicious of him.
2023
Hey Lenny!
Hey Lenny! is a music video developed by a small team of 6 in collaboration with local band, Hey Lenny. This video was created as a part of CMNS2040 coursework in 2023 over the course of a week, with every waking moment spent of production. Hey Lenny! eventually went on to win the Best Music Video award at the 2023 Newbie Awards in Newcastle, Australia.​
2023
Out of This Town
Out of This Town is a music video developed by a small team of 6 in collaboration with local artist, Shyanne Irwin. This video was created as a part of CMNS2040 coursework in 2023 over the course of a week, with every waking moment spent on production.
2022
Spoons
Spoons is an absurdist comedy-mockumentary short produced for (which eventually went on to win) the secondary category of the 2022 Blue Heeler Film Fest. I co-directed, wrote, edited and shot the film.
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Spoons follows Jenna, head of marketing at Little Spoons Inc, which thanks to her, is currently at war with a rival spoon company. Jenna has been working from home for quite some time now, so her boss decides to send over a few other employees to check on her, to frankly disastrous results.
2022
Terrace Tenpin Promo Suite
This is a series of 2 promotional videos I created for Terrace Tenpin in Raymond Terrace as a part of CMNS1240 coursework in 2022.​
2022
Terrace Tenpin Viral Promo
This is a promotional video I created for Terrace Tenpin in Raymond Terrace as a part of CMNS1240 coursework in 2022. Unlike the previous promotional, the criteria for this one was completely free-form, with the only goal being to create a fun, "viral" advertisement.​
2021
5:15
5:15 is a short comedy film developed by a small team of 6 as a part of CIND1004 coursework, which later went on to win the inaugural Goldfish Film Fest in 2021. I was both the director and editor of the film.
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The film revolves around a man who is stuck in a time-loop in which he's supposed to be meeting his date at 5:15. Every loop, something stops him from doing so successfully, and he must figure out how to avoid each obstacle and make it there in time.
2020
Dinner at the Dumpertons
Dinner at the Dumpertons is an absurdist comedy short film developed as my major project for coursework I undertook in 2020. The project was developed primarily using Adobe Character Animator, which is a piece of animation software I have since utilised heavily in future animated projects I've developed under different brands/names.
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Dinner at the Dumpertons follows a family of sentient trash as they attempt to have a refined, civil dinner. The omnipresent narrator of the film has different ideas however, as they're determined to ensure the Dumpertons follow every single rule, no matter how niche.
