Arlo first wrote a short piece for the alumni section in the 2024 edition of the Salamander: 

"Since leaving Freyberg, I've been studying film at Massey University, working towards a Bachelor of Screen Arts with a major in Film. What I really enjoy about the course is that it's 90% practical. You still cover the essential theories, but you actually get to make things. One of my first projects at Massey was a music video featuring fellow Freyberg alumni: Isaac Ekins as the production assistant, Will Thompson starring, and music by Eric Nahu. This video ended up winning the 'So DIY' category at the Reels Music Video Awards this year. Another film, The Empathiser, for which I was lead writer and director, was nominated for Best Directing at the New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) last year. Thanks to that, I was even featured in a promotional video for NZYFF this year. 

This year, I pitched a short film idea for our major projects at uni. Although it received a lot of initial support, it ultimately wasn’t green-lit. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it allowed me to take on a range of roles across multiple projects. I got to try everything—from co-producing and production sound mixing to working in the art department, playing a monster in an animation, and even portraying a judge in a 1940s-style noir. It’s been an incredible year of trying new things and having a lot of fun along the way. 

On top of all that, I finally completed my fan film series, The Tripods, earlier this year. Most of the series was filmed while I was still at Freyberg. Now, looking back, you can see many familiar Freyberg faces throughout the project, plus a cameo from the room under the stage in one episode. 

Looking ahead, this is my final year at university, so I’ll be graduating next year. I don’t have a specific film job lined up just yet, as that's not exactly how this industry operates. Next year will be a bit of a film break for me, though I do plan to make the film that wasn’t green-lit this year over the summer, co-directing with my friend Phoebe Smalley. Beyond that, who knows? There will definitely be something—I have plenty of ideas. And, for those in the know, keep an eye out for Geoffrey Beaver!"

Six months later, and some things have changed...

"Such is the nature of being in film - nothing always goes to plan. Unfortunately, we didn’t end up making that film over the summer, but there are still plans to do it sometime in the near future. However, there are a number of my own projects on the go at the moment. Re-edits of films made for university that we want to put forward to film festivals, skits that should materialise on YouTube and other social media platforms in the coming months and of course, Geoffrey Beaver is slowly making his way back into the limelight (pictured below). This character was originally created for a Drama Academy film project at Freyberg, but has now gained a life of his own. Fellow Alumni Student Keenan Turner and I, have been cooking up a number of outings for this character. But what will those be? You’ll just have to wait and see.

Former students Nina Kereama-Stevenson and Keenan Turner (as Geoffrey Beaver) in an upcoming Geoffery Beaver Short Film

As well as my personal projects, three months after I finished my last paper I was contracted to do a film job as Junior Compositor. This meant I was doing visual effects for an upcoming TV show! It was brief, but awesome while it lasted. And hopefully it will open a few doors for me in the future. On top of that few weeks ago I officially graduated (Hooray!) I actually have my Bachelor’s degree!

Now that I’ve completed my studies and I’m technically in the ‘real world’, I do often think back to my time at Freyberg. I had such a good time there and I particularly missed my high school days in my first year of study. I never had a proper chance to acknowledge my time had come to an end, until it was already over.

I attended Freyberg High school from 2017 - 2021 and while I was already on my own film pathway when I started high school, there’s no denying the influence that my Freyberg experience has had on me and on my creative work. Some of my favourite, and most influential, subjects were Media Studies, Drama, History and Photography. Even in Years 12 and 13, what I learnt in Media Studies and Drama influenced my end-of-year art boards for Photography. The things that I learnt in these classes influenced the way I see the world and my understanding of it and, as I say, a lot of my creative ideas.

What was also awesome looking back was how encouraging a lot of my teachers were about my film work. I remember Mrs Cook in Social Science talking about the documentary that I had made about plastic and playing it to the class when it was finished. And later on in Social Science with Mrs Littley whenever I made a new video we’d always watch in class and that kind of encouragement made me want to keep making things. In my later years at Freyberg the encouragement and knowledge that I gained from Stacie Nicholls, Fiona Gledhill, Anna Sullivan, Charlene Purcell and Tina Bell was invaluable. A lot of them came to support me at my premiere of Season 2 at the Globe Theatre in 2022.

Even the friends I made at Freyberg had a massive influence on me and their willingness to help with my silly film projects astounds me so much looking back on it (and astounds me even with the projects I’m working on now). It's something that I will be forever grateful for. I still keep in touch with a lot of them and there’s quite a few of us who have moved to Wellington as well, so its extra easy to keep in touch.

Joining the alumni community will be great because it will allow me to keep in touch with those that I haven’t managed to stay connected with and also meet former alumni from different generations. My Freyberg lineage goes back a lot further than 2017, some of my cousins attended Freyberg in the 2010s, my mum went there back in the day as well as my grandad, Rodney Holm, who was a History teacher and then counsellor for a few decades.

Two of my most favourite memories come from performing a scene from the play: Boys at the Beach in Year 11, with fellow alumni Will Thompson, Kaleb Morris and Kaea Rakatairi-Paul. Because we just had such a silly time in the rehearsals and performing it. One of the stand out memories was during one of the dress rehearsals when Kaleb tried to kick his towel away but instead managed to kick his jandal out the window. And then performing in our Year 13 production of The Three Penny Opera - while it was really stressful at the time I look back on it with fond memories now. There were so many fun moments putting it together and I think it was a fantastic experience as an actor because it really pushed me as a performer and was my first proper time playing a lead character. And also it just looked fantastic. There was so many lines that we’d quote after we’d finished the show and some that we even say to this day.

While at Freyberg I was also part of two musicals in 2018 & 2020, Drama Academy, Filmmakers Club, Junior Council, Senior Council, took singing lessons and briefly some guitar lessons in Year 13. I also made quite a few videos for the school while I was there like sports day highlights and Leavers Videos.

If I was to say one thing to my High School self it would be “Just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t worry about it because things will be alright in the end.”

While my time at Freyberg wasn’t always smooth sailing (what High School experience is?), there were so many great moments, memories, learning opportunities and friends that I made along the way. I will never forget my time at Freyberg."

Arlo's Year 9 Core Class - 2017