Accessible filmmaking & screen media · Gold Coast

Find your voice. Tell your story. It takes a village to make a film.

Play Pictures is an inclusive, accessible filmmaking program that gives NDIS participants and young people from age 7 the tools, coaching and real-world opportunities to express themselves on screen — and be seen.

Enquire about enrolment → Watch participant work
Showreel · 2026

Awards: Best Producer at the Focus on Ability Film Festival out of 283 finalists across 26 countries. Top five for the Impact Award and Judges Choice. Two-time Vimeo Staff Pick. Screened at HOTA and the Gold Coast Film Festival.

About

A platform for expression — and a voice on screen.

Play Pictures is the accessible filmmaking and screen media arm of Lume Creative, founded by John Cavallaro — a filmmaker with 25 years of screen media experience and credits that stretch from national campaigns to festival-winning documentary.

We created Play Pictures because the NDIS space needed a program that treated participants as creators, not audience. Every session is coached by working industry professionals. Participants learn the craft properly — cameras, story, edit, sound, design — and their work gets finished, screened, and recognised.

"Play is the highest form of research." — Albert Einstein

Our participants produce short films, documentaries, music videos, promotional content, animation, vlogs and design. They pitch ideas, run productions, credit their crew, and premiere their work at the end of each year to family, friends and industry guests.

We challenge limitations. We build skill. We make sure the work ends up somewhere real.

Play Pictures is a proud partner of Special Olympics Australia — a shared commitment to inclusion, capability and what people can achieve when given the chance.

Portrait of John Cavallaro, founder of Play Pictures
John Cavallaro Founder · 25 years in screen production
Partners & supporters
Programs

Two tracks. Same craft-first approach.

Weekly sessions of 3–4 hours, maximum 12 participants per group. Each year builds towards a final project screened to family, friends and industry. Open to anyone aged 7 or older with a mild to moderate disability or ASD — with a focus on participants living with intellectual disability.

Play Pictures participants in a stop-motion LEGO session
Program 01 — Mobile & AI

Mobile-first filmmaking & AI

For creators learning to tell stories on their phones — and using the latest AI tools to push those stories further. Fast, practical and confidence-building from day one.

  • Camera fundamentals on iPhone & Android
  • Story, shot lists and interview craft
  • Mobile editing (CapCut, LumaFusion)
  • AI tools: Kling, Veo 3, Seedance, Suno, Claude & Gemini
  • Vlog, short doc, music video and AI-generated outputs
  • End-of-year cinema screening
Participants in an editing session with timeline on screen
Program 02 — Industry Standard

Industry-standard production

The full professional workflow — from idea to screen — in an inclusive environment. Participants step through every stage a real production does.

  • Preproduction: scripting, storyboarding, shot lists, scheduling
  • Production: camera, directing, lighting, location sound
  • Post-production: DaVinci Resolve & Premiere, colour, sound design
  • Motion graphics, stop-motion and 2D animation
  • Festival-ready final projects
Selected Work

Made by participants.

Every piece here was produced in a Play Pictures session — written, shot, edited and finished by participants alongside their coaches.

Short film

Participant film

Produced in session · finished for cinema screening

Short film

Participant film

Produced in session · finished for cinema screening

Award-winning short film

Life Haack

Best Producer · Focus on Ability Film Festival

Who it's for

If the following sounds like you or someone you support.

01

Ages 7 and up

Programs welcome participants from age 7 — primary school through to adults. School-age participants, teens and adults are all welcome.

02

Mild to moderate disability

Including autism spectrum disorder and a strong focus on participants living with intellectual disability.

03

A creative spark

No prior experience needed. A curiosity about cameras, stories, editing, animation or design is enough.

NDIS

Fundable under your NDIS plan. Play Pictures typically sits under Capacity Building — Increased Social & Community Participation. We work with self-managed and plan-managed participants. Not sure? Ask us during enquiry.

Start enquiry →
Locations

Based on the Gold Coast. Mobile across SEQ.

Headquarters

Mudgeeraba studio

Our home base on the Gold Coast. Fully kitted edit suite, shoot space and stop-motion rig.

Regular weekly groups plus our fortnightly teen stop-motion LEGO program.

  • Southport Weekly workshops Gold Coast
  • Robina Weekly workshops Gold Coast
Mobile programs

We come to you

Play Pictures is fully mobile and equipment-equipped. We run 1-hour, 2-hour and 4-hour interactive programs at your school, venue or community space — anywhere across South East Queensland.

Request a location →
End of year awards night group Play Pictures session Participant work Play Pictures participants and crew at HOTA

"A cohort. A crew. A community of people making the work they want to see."

Play Pictures Gallery
Enquire

Start the conversation.

Tell us a bit about the participant. We'll come back to you within two business days to book a studio tour or a chat with John.

We'll never share your details. Used only to respond to this enquiry and coordinate a tour or session.

Thanks — we'll be in touch.

Your enquiry has been received. Expect an email or call from our team within two business days. In the meantime, feel free to browse our participant work.