They are a trademark of the Islamic State terror group. Slickly produced propaganda videos, filmed with high definition cameras. Now it has been revealed that an Australian university student is behind many of the packages broadcast around the world, which often feature barbaric threats to Westerners. In an interview with The Australian newspaper, an unnamed former electrical engineering student from Sydney said he had witnessed beheadings during his time working for the Islamic State. But he described his life as fairly typical. 'I have a job, I live in a HQ, eat, sleep, work, hope an airstrike gets me so I can be Shaheed (martyred). Pretty typical life,' he told the newspaper. Australian militants are in front of the camera and behind the scenes: Abdullah Elmir, 17, from western Sydney, has featured in IS propaganda videos and it was revealed today an unnamed Sydney man is working behind the scenes to produce the terror group's packages . Slick production values: The Islamic State has shown a penchant for producing high-quality propaganda videos, often featuring HD cameras and elaborate costuming . It is unknown who is responsible for this video, which featured former western Sydney resident Abdullah Elmir, who headed to Syria after reportedly telling his mother he was 'going fishing' Fled overseas: Bassima (centre) and Issam El Baf, the parents of (from L to R) Taha, Hamza, Bilal and Omar from Yagoona in western Sydney, have released an image of their four sons in an effort to locate them . The man was quoted saying video editing was 'kind of a hobby at first back in Australia... mostly cheap little film effects.' He stopped when he attended university, but it became a valuable skill working for the militant group in the Middle East. The young man is one of more than 70 Australians who have left for the Middle East to fight for the militant organisation. Many wannabe militants have failed to make it over there, with the Federal government cancelling more than 100 passports. One Australian militant who featured in the group's videos, so-called 'Ginger Jihadi' Abdullah Elmir, 17, declared in a propaganda broadcast in October that Islamic State would not rest until 'the black flag is flying high across every land'. The teenager vanished in June, reportedly telling his mother he was 'going fishing' - only to turn up in the propaganda video months later, surrounding by Islamic State fighters chanting loudly. Zakaria Raad, 22, also from Sydney, appeared in a recruitment video in June but died in an ambush in Syria shortly thereafter. Australian militant Zakaria Raad (left) appeared in an Islamic State propaganda video in June . Raad was killed shortly afterwards in an ambush in Syria . Professor Greg Barton, a terrorism expert from Monash University, told Daily Mail Australia it was 'quite chilling' to think many Australians living relatively ordinary lives had joined the terrorist group. 'It's all abstract, until the kid in the next suburb over is involved in doing that,' he said. Prof Barton said there has been no indication the number of citizens heading to Syria or Iraq has slowed recently. Four brothers from a western Sydney family vanished in November after telling family they were going on a trip to Thailand. They sent a text message to their sister saying: 'we will see you in Paradise.' Acclaimed German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer, who recently spent 10 days embedded with the terror group in Mosul and Syria, said he was surprised by the hundreds of foreign fighters who have arrived from all over the world. In a detailed post on his Facebook site this wek, Todenhöfer wrote: 'The West underestimated the risk posed by IS dramatically. 'The IS fighters are much smarter and more dangerous than our leaders believe. 'In the Islamic State, there is an almost palpable enthusiasm and confidence of victory, which I have not seen in many war zones.' Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week warned security agencies have picked up 'heightened terrorist chatter' since last week's siege at the Lindt cafe in Martin Place. Abdullah Elmir was only 17 when he fled Australia to join Islamic State fighters .
Australian university student is behind some Islamic State propaganda videos .
Terrorist group is known for its slickly produced propaganda packages .
Video producer told a newspaper his life was fairly typical .
'I have a job, live in a HQ, eat, sleep, work, hope an airstrike gets me so I can be martyred'
They are a trademark of the Islamic State terror group. Slickly produced propaganda videos, filmed with high definition cameras. Now it has been revealed that an Australian university student is behind many of the packages broadcast around the world, which often feature barbaric threats to Westerners. In an interview with The Australian newspaper, an unnamed former electrical engineering student from Sydney said he had witnessed beheadings during his time working for the Islamic State. But he described his life as fairly typical. 'I have a job, I live in a HQ, eat, sleep, work, hope an airstrike gets me so I can be Shaheed (martyred). Pretty typical life,' he told the newspaper. Australian militants are in front of the camera and behind the scenes: Abdullah Elmir, 17, from western Sydney, has featured in IS propaganda videos and it was revealed today an unnamed Sydney man is working behind the scenes to produce the terror group's packages . Slick production values: The Islamic State has shown a penchant for producing high-quality propaganda videos, often featuring HD cameras and elaborate costuming . It is unknown who is responsible for this video, which featured former western Sydney resident Abdullah Elmir, who headed to Syria after reportedly telling his mother he was 'going fishing' Fled overseas: Bassima (centre) and Issam El Baf, the parents of (from L to R) Taha, Hamza, Bilal and Omar from Yagoona in western Sydney, have released an image of their four sons in an effort to locate them . The man was quoted saying video editing was 'kind of a hobby at first back in Australia... mostly cheap little film effects.' He stopped when he attended university, but it became a valuable skill working for the militant group in the Middle East. The young man is one of more than 70 Australians who have left for the Middle East to fight for the militant organisation. Many wannabe militants have failed to make it over there, with the Federal government cancelling more than 100 passports. One Australian militant who featured in the group's videos, so-called 'Ginger Jihadi' Abdullah Elmir, 17, declared in a propaganda broadcast in October that Islamic State would not rest until 'the black flag is flying high across every land'. The teenager vanished in June, reportedly telling his mother he was 'going fishing' - only to turn up in the propaganda video months later, surrounding by Islamic State fighters chanting loudly. Zakaria Raad, 22, also from Sydney, appeared in a recruitment video in June but died in an ambush in Syria shortly thereafter. Australian militant Zakaria Raad (left) appeared in an Islamic State propaganda video in June . Raad was killed shortly afterwards in an ambush in Syria . Professor Greg Barton, a terrorism expert from Monash University, told Daily Mail Australia it was 'quite chilling' to think many Australians living relatively ordinary lives had joined the terrorist group. 'It's all abstract, until the kid in the next suburb over is involved in doing that,' he said. Prof Barton said there has been no indication the number of citizens heading to Syria or Iraq has slowed recently. Four brothers from a western Sydney family vanished in November after telling family they were going on a trip to Thailand. They sent a text message to their sister saying: 'we will see you in Paradise.' Acclaimed German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer, who recently spent 10 days embedded with the terror group in Mosul and Syria, said he was surprised by the hundreds of foreign fighters who have arrived from all over the world. In a detailed post on his Facebook site this wek, Todenhöfer wrote: 'The West underestimated the risk posed by IS dramatically. 'The IS fighters are much smarter and more dangerous than our leaders believe. 'In the Islamic State, there is an almost palpable enthusiasm and confidence of victory, which I have not seen in many war zones.' Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week warned security agencies have picked up 'heightened terrorist chatter' since last week's siege at the Lindt cafe in Martin Place. Abdullah Elmir was only 17 when he fled Australia to join Islamic State fighters .
group. Slickly produced propaganda videos, filmed revealed that an Australian university student is fairly typical. 'I have a job, I live in a HQ, eat, sleep, work, hope an airstrike gets me so I can be Shaheed (martyred). Pretty typical life,' Islamic State fighters .