Madeleine Gottlieb loves every minute of her job as producer's assistant at Goalpost Pictures - whose film credits include The Sapphires, Holding the Man and Clubland.
Part-way through an arts/law degree at the University of Sydney, she was offered a much-coveted internship at Goalpost. "I genuinely don't think they would have looked at me twice had I not done so well in the HSC," she says.
The former Moriah College student, who came first in HSC English Extension 2 in 2010, fifth in English Advanced and 10th in English Extension 1, says studying the film Orlando, a then-HSC English Extension 1 text, inspired her to study film at university, which in turn led to the career she's pursuing.
Gottlieb's success is by no means linear, but it shows how good marks in one subject can help set up a student for life-beyond-the-HSC study and work.
Her tips for success in the English exam? "Immerse yourself in the world you're trying to study, read the books, if there's films or theatre, go and see them live."
She says that immersion gave her a way to approach each question from a range of perspectives. "Having a deeper, more profound understanding of the text will set you apart from everyone else."
