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The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Excel at spreadsheets. There's a competition for that?
Who truly excels at Excel? At the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships, enthusiastic spreadsheeters compete to see who will be the global star of a computer program that many love to hate. Melbourne-based filmmaker Kristina Kraskov followed six teenagers on the road to the 2023 edition of the competition in Florida, for her first feature documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. It's been billed as a "heartwarming tale of formulas and friendship". It's certainly a quirky subject for a low-budget documentary and Kraskov says it's ultimately a lovely human story. "We find out what can happen when you just allow yourself to love what you love and you really go for your dreams, despite what everyone else thinks," she said. Spreadsheet Champions had its world premiere at SXSW in the US in March and will screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. The filmmaker travelled the world to interview Excel national champions in the USA, Greece, Guatemala, Cameroon, Australia and Vietnam. For some of them, winning in the US equals life-changing offers of jobs, scholarships and better housing. Australia's entry, Queensland high school student Braydon, openly admits he didn't do much training before taking out the national titles. "I kind of just winged it, then won it," he said. His campaign for the global title involved a week of practice. The laid-back 17-year-old says he wouldn't describe himself as a nerd or a geek because he believes there's too much negativity about people who are good at technology and computers. "It's important to recognise that the people who call others "nerds" or "geeks" really just aren't able to do what they want with technology themselves," he said. So for those like Braydon who have the ability, what does it take to become global champion of the cells? As well as building spreadsheets, competitors were also tested on their ability to find data hidden in documents - and remember the dates of important program updates. While even an accountant might only use about 20 per cent of Excel's capabilities, those vying for spreadsheet glory also need to know almost everything the program can do, Kraskov explained. "They're solving different problems and they're being marked on speed and accuracy, so they have to be really fast. They can't make mistakes," she said. Kraskov, 31, has worked for various Australian television productions including Emergency (Nine), The Dog House Australia (Ten) and Dancing with the Stars (Seven). Experienced at capturing the action for these shows, she filmed Spreadsheet Champions with a two-person crew and gear that would fit in a backpack - only to discover the challenges of filming in tropical humidity in Vietnam. "I was a bit freaked out at how much my lens would fog up ... it was just me on the camera, so I had to not panic and get it done." The production received Screen Australia and VicScreen funding and support from the MIFF Premiere fund but the filming was self-financed. The full program for the Melbourne International Film Festival is out in July. Two dozen titles revealed so far include the Australian premiere of Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc, the US composer's live score of the classic 1928 French silent film that will be performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre. There's also the world premiere of When the World Came Flooding In, an immersive installation and virtual reality documentary about life following a natural disaster. Spreadsheet Champions screens on August 12 and 22 at the Australian Centre for Moving Image and the Melbourne International Film Festival runs August 7-24. Who truly excels at Excel? At the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships, enthusiastic spreadsheeters compete to see who will be the global star of a computer program that many love to hate. Melbourne-based filmmaker Kristina Kraskov followed six teenagers on the road to the 2023 edition of the competition in Florida, for her first feature documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. It's been billed as a "heartwarming tale of formulas and friendship". It's certainly a quirky subject for a low-budget documentary and Kraskov says it's ultimately a lovely human story. "We find out what can happen when you just allow yourself to love what you love and you really go for your dreams, despite what everyone else thinks," she said. Spreadsheet Champions had its world premiere at SXSW in the US in March and will screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. The filmmaker travelled the world to interview Excel national champions in the USA, Greece, Guatemala, Cameroon, Australia and Vietnam. For some of them, winning in the US equals life-changing offers of jobs, scholarships and better housing. Australia's entry, Queensland high school student Braydon, openly admits he didn't do much training before taking out the national titles. "I kind of just winged it, then won it," he said. His campaign for the global title involved a week of practice. The laid-back 17-year-old says he wouldn't describe himself as a nerd or a geek because he believes there's too much negativity about people who are good at technology and computers. "It's important to recognise that the people who call others "nerds" or "geeks" really just aren't able to do what they want with technology themselves," he said. So for those like Braydon who have the ability, what does it take to become global champion of the cells? As well as building spreadsheets, competitors were also tested on their ability to find data hidden in documents - and remember the dates of important program updates. While even an accountant might only use about 20 per cent of Excel's capabilities, those vying for spreadsheet glory also need to know almost everything the program can do, Kraskov explained. "They're solving different problems and they're being marked on speed and accuracy, so they have to be really fast. They can't make mistakes," she said. Kraskov, 31, has worked for various Australian television productions including Emergency (Nine), The Dog House Australia (Ten) and Dancing with the Stars (Seven). Experienced at capturing the action for these shows, she filmed Spreadsheet Champions with a two-person crew and gear that would fit in a backpack - only to discover the challenges of filming in tropical humidity in Vietnam. "I was a bit freaked out at how much my lens would fog up ... it was just me on the camera, so I had to not panic and get it done." The production received Screen Australia and VicScreen funding and support from the MIFF Premiere fund but the filming was self-financed. The full program for the Melbourne International Film Festival is out in July. Two dozen titles revealed so far include the Australian premiere of Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc, the US composer's live score of the classic 1928 French silent film that will be performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre. There's also the world premiere of When the World Came Flooding In, an immersive installation and virtual reality documentary about life following a natural disaster. Spreadsheet Champions screens on August 12 and 22 at the Australian Centre for Moving Image and the Melbourne International Film Festival runs August 7-24. Who truly excels at Excel? At the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships, enthusiastic spreadsheeters compete to see who will be the global star of a computer program that many love to hate. Melbourne-based filmmaker Kristina Kraskov followed six teenagers on the road to the 2023 edition of the competition in Florida, for her first feature documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. It's been billed as a "heartwarming tale of formulas and friendship". It's certainly a quirky subject for a low-budget documentary and Kraskov says it's ultimately a lovely human story. "We find out what can happen when you just allow yourself to love what you love and you really go for your dreams, despite what everyone else thinks," she said. Spreadsheet Champions had its world premiere at SXSW in the US in March and will screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. The filmmaker travelled the world to interview Excel national champions in the USA, Greece, Guatemala, Cameroon, Australia and Vietnam. For some of them, winning in the US equals life-changing offers of jobs, scholarships and better housing. Australia's entry, Queensland high school student Braydon, openly admits he didn't do much training before taking out the national titles. "I kind of just winged it, then won it," he said. His campaign for the global title involved a week of practice. The laid-back 17-year-old says he wouldn't describe himself as a nerd or a geek because he believes there's too much negativity about people who are good at technology and computers. "It's important to recognise that the people who call others "nerds" or "geeks" really just aren't able to do what they want with technology themselves," he said. So for those like Braydon who have the ability, what does it take to become global champion of the cells? As well as building spreadsheets, competitors were also tested on their ability to find data hidden in documents - and remember the dates of important program updates. While even an accountant might only use about 20 per cent of Excel's capabilities, those vying for spreadsheet glory also need to know almost everything the program can do, Kraskov explained. "They're solving different problems and they're being marked on speed and accuracy, so they have to be really fast. They can't make mistakes," she said. Kraskov, 31, has worked for various Australian television productions including Emergency (Nine), The Dog House Australia (Ten) and Dancing with the Stars (Seven). Experienced at capturing the action for these shows, she filmed Spreadsheet Champions with a two-person crew and gear that would fit in a backpack - only to discover the challenges of filming in tropical humidity in Vietnam. "I was a bit freaked out at how much my lens would fog up ... it was just me on the camera, so I had to not panic and get it done." The production received Screen Australia and VicScreen funding and support from the MIFF Premiere fund but the filming was self-financed. The full program for the Melbourne International Film Festival is out in July. Two dozen titles revealed so far include the Australian premiere of Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc, the US composer's live score of the classic 1928 French silent film that will be performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre. There's also the world premiere of When the World Came Flooding In, an immersive installation and virtual reality documentary about life following a natural disaster. Spreadsheet Champions screens on August 12 and 22 at the Australian Centre for Moving Image and the Melbourne International Film Festival runs August 7-24. Who truly excels at Excel? At the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships, enthusiastic spreadsheeters compete to see who will be the global star of a computer program that many love to hate. Melbourne-based filmmaker Kristina Kraskov followed six teenagers on the road to the 2023 edition of the competition in Florida, for her first feature documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. It's been billed as a "heartwarming tale of formulas and friendship". It's certainly a quirky subject for a low-budget documentary and Kraskov says it's ultimately a lovely human story. "We find out what can happen when you just allow yourself to love what you love and you really go for your dreams, despite what everyone else thinks," she said. Spreadsheet Champions had its world premiere at SXSW in the US in March and will screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. The filmmaker travelled the world to interview Excel national champions in the USA, Greece, Guatemala, Cameroon, Australia and Vietnam. For some of them, winning in the US equals life-changing offers of jobs, scholarships and better housing. Australia's entry, Queensland high school student Braydon, openly admits he didn't do much training before taking out the national titles. "I kind of just winged it, then won it," he said. His campaign for the global title involved a week of practice. The laid-back 17-year-old says he wouldn't describe himself as a nerd or a geek because he believes there's too much negativity about people who are good at technology and computers. "It's important to recognise that the people who call others "nerds" or "geeks" really just aren't able to do what they want with technology themselves," he said. So for those like Braydon who have the ability, what does it take to become global champion of the cells? As well as building spreadsheets, competitors were also tested on their ability to find data hidden in documents - and remember the dates of important program updates. While even an accountant might only use about 20 per cent of Excel's capabilities, those vying for spreadsheet glory also need to know almost everything the program can do, Kraskov explained. "They're solving different problems and they're being marked on speed and accuracy, so they have to be really fast. They can't make mistakes," she said. Kraskov, 31, has worked for various Australian television productions including Emergency (Nine), The Dog House Australia (Ten) and Dancing with the Stars (Seven). Experienced at capturing the action for these shows, she filmed Spreadsheet Champions with a two-person crew and gear that would fit in a backpack - only to discover the challenges of filming in tropical humidity in Vietnam. "I was a bit freaked out at how much my lens would fog up ... it was just me on the camera, so I had to not panic and get it done." The production received Screen Australia and VicScreen funding and support from the MIFF Premiere fund but the filming was self-financed. The full program for the Melbourne International Film Festival is out in July. Two dozen titles revealed so far include the Australian premiere of Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc, the US composer's live score of the classic 1928 French silent film that will be performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre. There's also the world premiere of When the World Came Flooding In, an immersive installation and virtual reality documentary about life following a natural disaster. Spreadsheet Champions screens on August 12 and 22 at the Australian Centre for Moving Image and the Melbourne International Film Festival runs August 7-24.
Perth Now
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Excel at spreadsheets. There's a competition for that?
Who truly excels at Excel? At the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships, enthusiastic spreadsheeters compete to see who will be the global star of a computer program that many love to hate. Melbourne-based filmmaker Kristina Kraskov followed six teenagers on the road to the 2023 edition of the competition in Florida, for her first feature documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. It's been billed as a "heartwarming tale of formulas and friendship". It's certainly a quirky subject for a low-budget documentary and Kraskov says it's ultimately a lovely human story. "We find out what can happen when you just allow yourself to love what you love and you really go for your dreams, despite what everyone else thinks," she said. Spreadsheet Champions had its world premiere at SXSW in the US in March and will screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. The filmmaker travelled the world to interview Excel national champions in the USA, Greece, Guatemala, Cameroon, Australia and Vietnam. For some of them, winning in the US equals life-changing offers of jobs, scholarships and better housing. Australia's entry, Queensland high school student Braydon, openly admits he didn't do much training before taking out the national titles. "I kind of just winged it, then won it," he said. His campaign for the global title involved a week of practice. The laid-back 17-year-old says he wouldn't describe himself as a nerd or a geek because he believes there's too much negativity about people who are good at technology and computers. "It's important to recognise that the people who call others "nerds" or "geeks" really just aren't able to do what they want with technology themselves," he said. So for those like Braydon who have the ability, what does it take to become global champion of the cells? As well as building spreadsheets, competitors were also tested on their ability to find data hidden in documents - and remember the dates of important program updates. While even an accountant might only use about 20 per cent of Excel's capabilities, those vying for spreadsheet glory also need to know almost everything the program can do, Kraskov explained. "They're solving different problems and they're being marked on speed and accuracy, so they have to be really fast. They can't make mistakes," she said. Kraskov, 31, has worked for various Australian television productions including Emergency (Nine), The Dog House Australia (Ten) and Dancing with the Stars (Seven). Experienced at capturing the action for these shows, she filmed Spreadsheet Champions with a two-person crew and gear that would fit in a backpack - only to discover the challenges of filming in tropical humidity in Vietnam. "I was a bit freaked out at how much my lens would fog up ... it was just me on the camera, so I had to not panic and get it done." The production received Screen Australia and VicScreen funding and support from the MIFF Premiere fund but the filming was self-financed. The full program for the Melbourne International Film Festival is out in July. Two dozen titles revealed so far include the Australian premiere of Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc, the US composer's live score of the classic 1928 French silent film that will be performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre. There's also the world premiere of When the World Came Flooding In, an immersive installation and virtual reality documentary about life following a natural disaster. Spreadsheet Champions screens on August 12 and 22 at the Australian Centre for Moving Image and the Melbourne International Film Festival runs August 7-24.
West Australian
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Excel at spreadsheets. There's a competition for that?
Who truly excels at Excel? At the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships, enthusiastic spreadsheeters compete to see who will be the global star of a computer program that many love to hate. Melbourne-based filmmaker Kristina Kraskov followed six teenagers on the road to the 2023 edition of the competition in Florida, for her first feature documentary, Spreadsheet Champions. It's been billed as a "heartwarming tale of formulas and friendship". It's certainly a quirky subject for a low-budget documentary and Kraskov says it's ultimately a lovely human story. "We find out what can happen when you just allow yourself to love what you love and you really go for your dreams, despite what everyone else thinks," she said. Spreadsheet Champions had its world premiere at SXSW in the US in March and will screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. The filmmaker travelled the world to interview Excel national champions in the USA, Greece, Guatemala, Cameroon, Australia and Vietnam. For some of them, winning in the US equals life-changing offers of jobs, scholarships and better housing. Australia's entry, Queensland high school student Braydon, openly admits he didn't do much training before taking out the national titles. "I kind of just winged it, then won it," he said. His campaign for the global title involved a week of practice. The laid-back 17-year-old says he wouldn't describe himself as a nerd or a geek because he believes there's too much negativity about people who are good at technology and computers. "It's important to recognise that the people who call others "nerds" or "geeks" really just aren't able to do what they want with technology themselves," he said. So for those like Braydon who have the ability, what does it take to become global champion of the cells? As well as building spreadsheets, competitors were also tested on their ability to find data hidden in documents - and remember the dates of important program updates. While even an accountant might only use about 20 per cent of Excel's capabilities, those vying for spreadsheet glory also need to know almost everything the program can do, Kraskov explained. "They're solving different problems and they're being marked on speed and accuracy, so they have to be really fast. They can't make mistakes," she said. Kraskov, 31, has worked for various Australian television productions including Emergency (Nine), The Dog House Australia (Ten) and Dancing with the Stars (Seven). Experienced at capturing the action for these shows, she filmed Spreadsheet Champions with a two-person crew and gear that would fit in a backpack - only to discover the challenges of filming in tropical humidity in Vietnam. "I was a bit freaked out at how much my lens would fog up ... it was just me on the camera, so I had to not panic and get it done." The production received Screen Australia and VicScreen funding and support from the MIFF Premiere fund but the filming was self-financed. The full program for the Melbourne International Film Festival is out in July. Two dozen titles revealed so far include the Australian premiere of Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc, the US composer's live score of the classic 1928 French silent film that will be performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre. There's also the world premiere of When the World Came Flooding In, an immersive installation and virtual reality documentary about life following a natural disaster. Spreadsheet Champions screens on August 12 and 22 at the Australian Centre for Moving Image and the Melbourne International Film Festival runs August 7-24.
ABC News
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Do Not Watch This Show! Andy Lee's new family series premieres on ABC in July
Andy Lee's new animated series Do Not Watch This Show premieres at 6am on Friday 4 July on ABC iview, based on Lee's best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book . Families will be delighted to defy Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a TV show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to answer the ultimate question – why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? They will discover ridiculous, outrageous, limitless reasons why. The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. Always free and Always entertaining, watch all of your favourite Family programs on ABC iview now. Production credit: Do Not Watch This Show is a Lee Bones Production for ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with ABC and VicScreen. Directed by Leo Baker. Series Producer Patrick Crawley. Written by Andy Lee, Jason Marion, Katie Westcott, Melanie Bracewell and Ray Matsen. Art Directed by Heath McKenzie. Producers Andy Lee and Greg Sitch. International Sales Lee Bones/Frank Worldwide Sales. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
