Ben Howling: on screen for a creative adventure

Since graduating with a Bachelor of Multimedia in 2004, the acclaimed filmmaker has forged an eclectic professional career spanning film, television, advertising and marketing.

“One of my first jobs in the industry was making green slime to dump on Zac Efron for the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles in 2004,” recalls Ben. “The experiences have only been wilder ever since.”

They include working on major advertising campaigns; short films and feature films; squeezing every cent from low budgets to revelling in the freedom of lavish ones; and diving into the hectic world of TV via programs that include one of his first gigs on a frenetic children’s game show to Big Brother, X Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, The Project and Drunk History Australia. He has also travelled widely for very different production roles.

“In all of that, I credit my Southern Cross University degree for being more than influential in my career. It has been essential to it. It helped get me into the industry in the first place and, 20 years later, it is still of value and credibility.”

Ben’s appreciation is all the more meaningful given his initial university experience in Sydney.

“In high school, I was drawn to advertising and multimedia. Unfortunately, when I started a university degree in Sydney, it just did not click with me. I felt more like a number, a tick in a box, and the subsequent sense of detachment was difficult.

“The change came when I discovered that Southern Cross University had the course I wanted at Coffs Harbour. The question was, could I leave Sydney? I just was not sure because it was such a big step.

“Anyway, I enrolled, drove up the east coast and settled in. I still cannot believe how comfortable I felt so quickly. The course, the campus and Coffs itself were on my wavelength. Best call I ever made.”

Suitably in sync with his studies and surroundings, Ben decided to elevate his degree with extra learning.

“There was a television and photography offering at the Lismore campus and it made sense to do it. About five of us took it on. We would jump in the car and drive up to Lismore every week,” he says.

“It was really beneficial because it added to our understanding and skills. Our professional repertoire, if you like. On the drive back to Coffs, we would discuss ideas. All of us in that group have gone on to successful careers. No Oscars yet, but hey …”

Ben says he also responded to the degree’s hands-on, skills-based learning. Rather than being theory-focused, the course encouraged creativity via technology relevant to an industry rapidly changing with the almost endless scope of the internet and the rise of apps.

“There was one TV program I worked on in 2004, almost right out of university. It was called Go Go Stop, a children's game show, and it featured an entire bank of electronic screens driven by an app called Macromedia Director,” says Ben.

“I had been employed as a show runner, basically the production errand boy, but I had used the app at Southern Cross and was one of the few people on-set able to help out with it. That got me noticed. In fact, it was my first real exposure in the industry and was an important step for a young bloke starting out.”

The value of versatility and flexibility is clear when pondering Ben's career.

In 2012, he co-directed a short film, Cargo, a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller which premiered at Tropfest and became the most viral short film in the 30-year history of the event.

Six years later, Ben and collaborator Yolanda Ramke co-directed and won international acclaim for their feature film reprise of Cargo – the first Australian Netflix original production– starring British actor Martin Freeman of The Office, Fargo, Sherlock and The Hobbit fame.

In 2019, the success of Cargo led Ben to an international contract for The Haunting of Bly Manor, again teaming with Ramke – this time in Vancouver – to co-direct two episodes of the follow-up series to the mega-popular The Haunting of Hill House anthology series. At the time of writing, he had a television show set in Canada in development and another feature film in the works. When he is not on a project, he is writing.

“I look for characters who are born from their environments, but who refuse to be defined by them,” he says, perhaps unwittingly describing himself in the context of his own journey, including his time at Southern Cross University.

“All these experiences have shaped my creative perspective. As for my dream project, it changes every day, although I do like the low-budget film space. I like being hands-on, being on the tools, and I think that relates to my studies.

“It was not just the content of my degree that was important for me. My Southern Cross University experience was cathartic. I was living independently, working creatively, and soaking up the learning and skills that continue to drive my aspiration and serve me well.”