Meet The Crew
DIRECTOR - Jake Robb has enjoyed a career in film and television spanning 20 years. Noted for his ability to craft memorable and compelling visual narratives, Jake’s work has earned numerous prestigious international awards, including the Yellow DA&D Pencil, the Asia Spikes Golden Spike, and the coveted Golden Mobius Award in Los Angeles, highlighting his exceptional skill in film craft and direction.
Robb is known for his impressionistic and cinematic style, often bringing a nuanced, emotionally charged perspective to his projects. His unique perspective has established him as a leading figure in the industry, renowned for creating deeply resonant and visually striking work.
WRITER - Melissa Zhēn Zhū Riemer draws from being Chinese/German while navigating an intriguing worldly landscape. Her script was a top finalist in the Landed Entertainment script writing competition. Former senior editor for Terroir magazine, which focused on the artistic process of working Hollywood actors, she is also a freelance writer for 987.com based in North America with ties to Live Nation.
Selected as part of the 2024 cohort for the prestigious writing intensive Scripted Series Lab led by Netflix showrunner, Michael Maclennan, Melissa brings experience from North American writing rooms and sets. She is also currently a judge for Vancouver’s Short Film Festival 2024 & GEMS festival 2025.
IMDB
PRODUCER - Danielle Singleton has a Master of Producing qualification at VCA Film & Television. Her passion for storytelling and an interest in the human condition has gained her production credits across the film, tv and commercial space. Notably a producer on Ch 10's Advancing Australia, Ch 9's The Healthy Cooks, web series The Chef’s Secret and field producer for Animal Planet’s Whale Wars in Antarctica.
The narrative short films and music videos she has produced were selected by film festivals globally winning countless awards. Her biggest goal is to create positive change in the mental health and wellbeing space.
CINEMATOGRAPHER - Matthew Wood has been working as a cinematographer for over 19 years. Having studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, Matt won gold at the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards in 2003 amongst numerous other awards. He has worked on a youth project funded by Mornington Peninsula in 2006 and has lensed 3 short films centering around alcohol use and violence, where teens shadowed crew. For over a decade Matt was a guest lecturer at the Footscray Film & TV school, as well as a shoot supervisor on student films. He has also worked with Sudanese students, teaching filmmaking.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER - Das Patterson creates environments for audiences to experience through film, theatre and installation. His early credits include working with Green Room Award winning Four Larks Theatre, London’s Secret Cinema and The Other Cinema. Das has been an art department assistant on Australian feature films “The Dressmaker” and “Holding the Man”. Das’ production designed the feature film “The Legend of Ben Hall” and was nominated for best “Set Decoration for a Feature Film” by the Australian Production Design Guild awards 2017. He has also guest lectured at VCA on “Designing on a shoestring budget”.
COMPOSER - Steven D Griffiths is an award winning pianist, composer, and electronic musician based in London, UK. Working alongside various featured artists, his music combines classical piano composition with modern electronic production sounds to create both instrumental and vocal pieces, often with an ambient-pop vibe. Alongside work released under his own name, he also produces for a variety of other musicians and bands.
Other credits include soundtrack work for clients such as Volkswagen.
PRODUCTION MANAGER - Heidi Atkins graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Media (more than a few moons ago). She has over 20 years experience in film production, from television commercials to pilots and music videos and has travelled throughout Australia and the world ensuring projects are delivered on time, budget and safely. An advocate for crew wellbeing, Heidi is also a yogi and meditator, surf/ nature addict, music lover and sourdough baker. With two teenage daughters and a recent Dip Ed completion and four years running a Northern NSW community preschool bush kindy, she understands without social emotional wellbeing and positive mental health outcomes - nothing else is really possible.
1st AD - Jess O'Farrell is an accomplished 1st Assistant Director and video/VR producer based in Melbourne/Naarm, with a strong focus on socially impactful projects. With a career spanning over a decade, Jess has worked across commercials, short films, music videos, and virtual reality productions.
Known for her expertise in managing complex shoots and fostering creative collaboration, Jess has contributed to projects for high-profile clients like Nike, Maybelline, and Bonds, while also supporting independent films and community-driven initiatives. Her passion for storytelling, combined with her organizational precision, ensures that each project is both meaningful and memorable.
Location Info
The Salty Project completed principal photography in Mornington Peninsula, November 25 - 29th 2024, amidst stunning Aussie beaches and landscapes.
Address
Gunnamatta Beach, Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Film Dates
November 25 - 29th
