The 2007 Australian Idol finalist has spent the past three days camping out at Maitland Gaol filming his first feature piece to spread his artistic wings.

And it’s all a world away from Ben’s time on the small screen.

“Australian Idol seems so far away,” Ben, 17, said.

“And now I’m onto something else. I still want to sing but I figure I’m only 17 so I’ve got plenty of time to work out want I want to do . . . I’m just going to try everything.”

Ben, who lives on the Central Coast, started writing his film – a psychological thriller titled Submerged – during his time on Australian Idol.

“I’ve always been interested in film making and this particular piece is a real thriller with art house elements . . . it’s almost surreal,” Ben, a student at the Hunter School of Performing Arts, said.

Submerged tells the tale of a young boy who witnesses his mother’s murder and grows up to become a killer himself.

“I decided to film the piece at Maitland Gaol because it’s such a wonderful place and I had a sleep-over here for my 16th birthday so I knew it would be perfect.”

But film making isn’t all Ben’s been up to since his Australian Idol hopes were dashed late last year.

“Ben’s written 12 songs since Idol finished and he’s in the process of recording a CD as well,” Ben’s mother, Lyn McKenzie, said.

“I guess Ben is one of those hyperactive kids who has to be doing something all the time and he knows what he wants.”