For South Australian cinematographer Michael Tessari (BCreatArts (Screen Production) ’12, BCreatArts(Hons) ’12), the spark to capture moments in time started early. “One of my earliest memories of photography was playing with Dad’s little SLR camera,” he says. “I was at the zoo and taking photos at six years old… I’ve still got those photos.”
That early fascination eventually collided with natural ability. It was during a conversation in a Screen studies class at Flinders where Michael shared that he could easily visualise shots with clarity, and discovered this is a great advantage in his intended profession. “Although I’m not great with books and essays, I feel I can hold onto and recreate images from memory.” That ability became a cornerstone of his cinematography practice. That ability became a cornerstone of his cinematography practice.
Finding His Path at Flinders
Michael was accepted into the Screen program at Flinders straight out of high school – something he still describes as a defining moment. “It was quite a small class back then, and you had to do an interview and create a portfolio for the application process. I was only 17 years old when I was accepted and I remember thinking, ‘maybe I can actually do this.’”
His years at Flinders remain some of his favourite. “Uni was one of the best times of my life. I was young, there wasn’t too much stress, and I was hanging out with people who wanted to make movies on the weekend,” he says. One standout memory was making a web series with a friend. “It was massive. We wrote the scripts and directed episodes. Achieving that felt really cool.”
He still collaborates with Flinders graduates today. “Every second person I meet on a film set is a Flinders grad,” he laughs. And he gives back to the next generation of film makers whenever he can. “I do mentoring and some guest lectures and I always encourage people to reach out. When I was starting out, I really appreciated the people in the industry who replied to my emails.”
Before launching into film, Michael briefly considered photography more seriously. But the social, collaborative side of cinematography ultimately won him over. “Photography felt too isolating for me. Cinematography has this team aspect and camaraderie that really suited me.”
Straight out of uni, he became a 2nd camera assistant. “I worked on anything I could get onto, paid or not much pay,” he says. He worked his way to 1st camera assistant while shooting small projects on the side.
Eventually, he faced the leap every DP (Directory of Photography) must take: stop assisting and commit fully to shooting. “You take a hit to the income and just hope for the best,” he says. Still, he’s grateful he started young. “I didn’t have people relying on me at the time. That made it easier to take risks and go into freelancing,” he says. But freelance life can be stressful, “when I’m working it can be tiring and stressful and I want some downtime, and when I have downtime I want to be working because that’s what pays the bills, but I really wouldn’t have it any other way”
Shooting Across SA and Beyond
South Australia remains one of Michael’s favourite places to work. “There are so many advantages – the locations and the crew are amazing,” he says. “We’ve got such a variety of landscapes. The last horror film I shot was set in Utah, and while we took some drone footage in Utah, we shot most the film in a pine forest in SA.”
Small towns especially leave an impression. “People have been so generous in letting our film crews into their houses and streets,” he says. “I forget how unique it is to do what we do until I see people gathering on their lawns to watch the filming.”
Tough shoots are part of the deal, sometimes brutally so. He recalls one location where “it rained and rained and rained,” while filming nights in winter. “It was 3am, I’m wearing three jackets, a beanie, gloves, gum boots, and trying to walk through mud. It’s crazy what we do.”
Despite long hours, tough conditions, and creative pressure, there’s one moment that always hits hardest: the premiere. “The first time an audience sees a film you’ve shot is the most rewarding and terrifying experience,” he says. “I’ve probably seen the film 100 times in the edit and colour grade. But watching it with an audience? Nothing compares. But I’m not as terrified as I used to be. Over time I’ve learned that audiences aren’t scrutinising my work, they’re just there to enjoy the story”
Proud Moments and What Comes Next
For Michael, who has already won a swag of awards for his work, the biggest accomplishment isn’t a single film, it’s being able to shoot feature films at all. “Features are a hard circle to crack,” he says, and every project still feels meaningful. “They’re big days, sometimes months in the middle of nowhere, braving weather, stress, long hours… getting through that with a decent film feels amazing.”
Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers
His advice to future Flinders students, and anyone starting out, is simple: slow down. “You’ve got time,” he says. “There’s a mindset now of needing to jump straight into the deep end. But a career in filmmaking is a long process. Hone your skills, be a good person, build relationships, work on as many projects as you can. Persevere and it will come.”
In 2025 Michael won four gold and a silver award in the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards SA and WA. He was also awarded a Distinction in the National Awards in the category of Feature Films Under $3M for his work on the film With or Without You.
Read more about all the Flinders ACS Award winners.
Interested in a career in film? Studying Film and Television can lead to a variety of jobs. These include cinematographer, production assistant, video editor, multimedia designer, film festival programmer and film/television critic.