Far From Home 26/09/2011
 
I have a great job ....

I have the opportunity to work with some pretty incredible people - on both sides of the camera, and I get to play with new gear like RED's Epic which certainly lives up to the RED induced hype.

I also get to do a little traveling.

A recent job for Ford Global for the release of their new Ford Ranger - took me to some of the most remarkable places in our country.  Traveling with us were a variety of agency staff, producers, clients, and a director and his right hand man from the USA.  It was an interesting trip for them as Australian virgins .... I'm not sure they saw any of the usual Australian attractions, but what they did see would be a highlight for most locals I'm sure.  I know it was for me!!

On a trip that started in Melbourne, went to the snow in Falls Creek, then to Adelaide for a quick trip down the border track and through the Ngarkat National Park, to Cairns - well ore precisely 600km west of Cairns to an extraordinary cattle station where fish, crocs (salt and fresh), brahman bulls and every other variant of Australian fauna live and ultimately to Shark Bay in WA, and on to Dirk Hartog Island.  Not one area that looked like any other - and a massive eye opener for those of us who live in this country.  I can only imagine how Aion, John and Jackie felt as visitors to our shores experiencing such true remoteness!

From the vehicle's perspective - it handled ALL the conditions incredibly well.  It's worth checking out www.fordrangerchallenge.com.au to see what the guys put the trucks through, and what extrordinary country we have available to us.

It was an interesting job and one that I wont ever forget ... just don't mention the snow mobile!!

So whilst my own adventures often take me away - another good friend is away from his home a little more than me - and we tried to portray a little of that in his new music clip.

Colin Hay has released Far From Home, the second single from his Gathering Mercury album, and the clip was cut together using vision that I have shot on a number of different trips to the US and his tours in Australia.  It's come together really well and I'm incredibly proud of it.  Colin's work ethic is incredible - and having the privlidge to tour with him to see how his hard work is paying off is humbling.  I don't know of anyone else that works harder to get his music to his fans ... apart from Ace Baker!

You can checkout the clip through my website here or view it on youtube here.

Take a look around my sight ... and enjoy!!

And if you're an Australian based Colin Hay fan, you might want to keep an eye on your diary for February!
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It has been a little while since I last put finger to keyboard and allowed the stream of consciousness to prevail .....

It's been busy.

There has been a trip to the US to shoot a music clip for Colin Hay, and continue the journey on my documentary with him.  It was an incredible trip - once again traveling to some terrific parts of the US, but again being greeted by an ever growing fan base of Colin's work.  The doco is getting closer to conclusion - the story has started to emerge, and I can now start to see the finished project!  Watch this space - hopefully there are some developments to talk about soon!!

There has been a few TVC's around too - it was great to work with Matt Bird on a spot for Toyota in conjunction with the Nine Network show The Block.  It's a neat idea that hopefully everyone will like!!  I also had the pleasure of working with Dean Codrington again too.  We worked on a couple of projects a number of years ago, and it was great to do it all over again with him!

Check out the Music Video section and you'll see the fun clip created by director Chad Fischer for Colin Hay's new single - Send Somebody.  Chad is a tremendously talented guy who not only directed this clip, but co-produced Colin's new album Gathering Mercury (the one that includes a few images of mine too!)  Chad was fantastic to work with given his self proclaimed inexperience - although, those that know him from his band Lazlo Bane will recall that he has fronted a number of music videos himself - so clearly there is more expertise there than he lets on!  

I have also once again teamed with my very good friend, and director Matt Weston on a variety of different projects.  A music video for Kate Alexa - which you can view shortly on this website, or checkout a couple of stills I took at the shoot here, along with a great commercial for Thirsty Camel that not only starred the director himself, but after a number of screenings was promptly banned!!  I was assured that it wasn't due to performance - but a quick re-edit has seen it back on our screens.  Have a look at the original and you can make up your own mind.  Matt has also been busy on a documentary project that I have been shooting with him - and I can guarantee that when this gets released you'll hear about it.

Finally I have placed the producer's hat fairly and squarely on my head and taken on what is probably one of the greatest thrills, and biggest challenges ever - a book option.  I never believed that I would be a producer - there was never enough money in the world - but having produced a live DVD for Colin Hay, produced the documentary that will conclude soon, I figured I may as well jump into the next challenge.  It has incredible potential - and I am a long way from having anything firm to deal with - apart from the option contract, but if you are interested at all this blog may very well chart the course of success or failure with this project.  I'd suggest you watch this space ......

Oh, and by the way the Mets beat the Braves at Turner field, so I'm pretty content right now.


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