Bio
André Castaldi - Company Director - Producer/Director/Editor/Designer andre[at}conversemedia.com.au
André Castaldi graduated from the University of Sydney with First Class Honours in film studies in 1996. Following Uni, André produced and directed short films and low budget film clips before working professionally as a production manager, first assistant director and producer. At this time, André completed courses at Australian Film Television and Radio School in Production Management and Legal and Business Essentials For Producers.
Between 1997 and 1999 André worked as a producer for Limelight Media, managing a large scale multli media presentation and stage-show for Australian telecommunications company Optus. In 1999 André joined Firelight Productions. From 2000-2002 André wrote, directed, filmed and co-produced a 4 x 1/2 hr series for ABC TV and APTN Canada - Dreamtime to Dance - an observational documentary series on Australia’s premier indigenous dance college, NAISDA (Screened ABC Australia July 2002, Dec 2006). During this period he also worked as production manager on the 1hr documentary and website Little Dove Big Voyage for Firelight Productions.
Between 2001 and 2003 André worked as a content producer with CFour Communications, delivering more than one hundred streaming videos for Australian Telecommunications company Telstra. In 2003, André established Converse Media with Richard Gillis. Composer Braedy Neal joined the company in April 2003 and remained as a director and partner until mid 2007.
Converse Media has produced more than two hundred video projects. André has produced and directed videos with leading entertainers and their management including: Dr George Miller, Missy Higgins, Powderfinger, Jet, Pete Murray, Ben Lee and Midnight Oil; sports starts including Craig Wing, Duncan Armstrong, Phil Kearns and Susie Marony, and Australian business leaders including the CEO’s of Australia’s largest corporations and Federal Government Departments, Members of Parliament and Local Government Leaders.
Design has become one of the major services at Converse Media. Some of André’s achievements as a designer include, overall design and production for the APRA Awards, in store video displays for NRMA Motoring + Services, logo animation for the Australian Export Awards, DVD menu design and brand design for the Italian Australian Film Festival. In 2007 and 2008 André has developed concept design and oversaw production for both the APRA Awards and the inaugural Song Summit Sydney ‘S3’ for APRA.
Some of the other organisations and companies André has delivered projects to include: the promo for Australianscreen for Screen Australia (formerly The Australian Film Commission), The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Austrade, Business Club Australia, Catholic Healthcare, The Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, NRMA Motoring + Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sydney West Area Health Service, Stryker, Telstra (for CFour Communications) and Zurich (for Eletta).
As a result of a diverse background working professionally as a writer, director, producer, editor (with more than ten years experience with Final Cut Pro) and designer, André is a multi-skilled media professional with a highly developed understanding of technical, management and creative techniques. When André’s skills are applied through Converse Media, clients benefit from a high quality, creative, cost effective and fast response service.