THE DARKNESS

Been spending the week sitting in the dark, colour grading guys sitting in the dark. Most our conversation about the grade has been about how 'dark' we can make 'the darkness'. I wrote  a few months ago about how black a mine really is and I know if we were grading for 'cinema' we could perhaps go a sniff  darker than we have. But as Beaconsfield is for broadcast we have to take into consideration that people may watch the film, heaven forbid, with a light on or even wierder, they may not be watching the film on a 'broadcast calibrated monitor'.

Regardless, I'm really happy with the direction the grade is heading and it feels great to be on this side of a long production schedule and to be almost 'finished'.

REED-CORE

Spent some time in Sydney over the last week with Stephen Rae who is composing the soundtrack for Beaconsfield. Being a story that takes place predominatley underground, early conversations were about 'elemental' and 'organic' sounds. The sound of rocks, air and water and music that forms in and out of the environment. For the past few weeks (amongst our discussions about cameras, watches and motorbikes) we have been working through demos and musical sketches and these ideas are now becoming more defined. Through Stephens sonic explorations we have settled on the clarinet as one of the key instruments. I must admit I've never been drawn to the clarinet, I tend to steer clear of  'reed instruments' in general, (except I'm quite fond of the oboe), but  the way Stephen is using it is really different. Then I realised there is a whole album I love that uses the clarinet in a beautifully textured and ambient way. So I'm really looking forward to see how it all keeps progressing.

Below: Sydney mid afternoon storm, recording studio flowers and Peter Jenkin (lead Clarinet of the Sydney Opera) recording clarinet sounds for Stephen to compose and edit with. 

Queanbeyan

CCP EXHIBITION

I've had four images selected for the Documentary Photography Award exhibition at CCP (Centre for Contemporary Photography) here in Melbourne. The four photographs selected are of some skate kids I met in Vladivostok, Russia last year. From the CCP invitation...'The CCP Documentary Photography Award is a biennial showcase of contemporary Australian documentary photography. Since the inaugural exhibition in 1997, this event has grown in profile and significance. It represents a unique, national initiative in support of documentary photography, providing a rare opportunity to assess the themes, styles and ideas that characterise this fascinating genre. This year's exhibition demonstrates the breadth of contemporary approaches to documentary practice from traditional black and white narratives through to vibrant colour recordings, all of which have been achieved without digital manipulation. Themes range from the effects of war on US Marines through to dog shows, roller derby and the annual Miss South Sudan Australia pageant.'

For anyone who'd like to come along, the opening night is this Thursday the 27th of October at CCP, 404 George Street, Fitzroy. Exhibition details and more here...

I found the shots below buried in my Aperture files of the sorting process back when I was submitting the work.

Canberra

Travelled to Canberra this weekend to see my wife Natalie dance in a show, which was great. Arrived after the seven hour drive from Melbourne at the venue to find a metal kid, an 80's thrash kid and a skin head kid drinking beer together directly in front of where I parked. I looked around thinking there must have been a photo shoot taking place or a film being made near by. These kids were styled so perfectly. Got to love Canberra!

HERE AND THERE

BEACONSFIELD. Again, Again.

Spent the weekend back down in Beaconsfield shooting pick-ups for the film. Locking off the cut this week...

Dear Photograph

I do love a good picture of a picture. And I do love this Tumblr site Dear Photograph. The visual mix of the past and present and the simple written thoughts create wonderfully whimsical and sentimental moments. I'm such a sucker for this stuff...

Thanks Dylan!

BOBBY D

Thanks to the cool guys who stuck these B/W photos of Bob up in their front windows in Carlton. I saw them as I walked past and they made me go home and listen to Dylan records.

DRIVE BY SHOOTINGS

They have been around for a while, but I'm still loving these seemingly random photographs of drivers by Andrew Bush. You can see all 66 Drives here.

IF NOT HERE, THEN WHERE?

HAIL RAISER

Congratulations to Amiel and team for their film Hail has been selected to screen at the Venice Film Festival next month. To help raise some much needed funds to get some of the essential cast and crew over to the festival they have organised an exhibition and fundraiser to be held in Melbourne this Friday night at Goodtime Studios from 6pm.

Photographs by me and Director of Photography Germain McMicking taken on set during the shoot will be on sale. (The prints look beautiful, are 30x20 inches and printed on archival paper. Limited to 5 editions each at $350 each. Bargain!) There will also be some poetry readings by star of the film Daniel P. Jones and music by The Midnight Juggernauts. Full details of the night are here...

BEACONSFIELD, WEEK 5 'Wrap!'

Wrapped the shoot last Friday! Our final week took me back again to Beaconsfield, Tasmania. This was my 4th trip, but this time I had some cast and (a reduced) crew in tow. As well as shooting some key sequences in the streets of Beaconsfield, we were most importantly able to shoot 400 meters below ground in the real Beaconsfield mine as well as some other scenes on the 'brace', the area underneath the now iconic triangular poppet head of the mine, including a recreation of the famous footage of the boys coming out after fourteen days trapped below ground.

I think overall we have done very well. From the start we approached the script like a feature film, even though we only had a 'TV' budget and schedule. In most parts I think we have succeeded and if we haven't it wasn't from not trying as hard as we could.

I'm so impressed with the crew that I have had around me. I'm looking forward to the time I can work with each and everyone of them again. On all levels they have delivered above and beyond what was expected. It's been a gruelling schedule to say the least and I know I could not have  made it through the shoot without a bunch of guys and gals around me who worked as hard and as fast as they did while still maintain a high level of creativity and craft. Thanks to everyone on the crew, from the production office, to the unit boys, right through and up to the heads of department!

Now into the edit... more fun and games...

GHOSTS FOR SALE

Saw these baby ghosts for sale during the week...

BEACONSFIELD, WEEK 4 'THE 925'

We have spent the last week shooting on sets built in a huge warehouse in Yarraville. The main set is 'the 925', which is the name of the drive (925 meters underground) that collapsed on Todd and Brant in the Beaconsfield mine in 2006. Even though we shot in a real mine, we could never create a 'collapsed mine' in a mine, so we had to build it. I've never really shot on sets, in fact I've made a point of not shooting on them, but I've learnt so much watching The 925 develop from inital recces and research, to rough sketches, to drafted plans and ultimately construction.

Production designer Jon Rhode has done an incredible job not only designing but also stretching our very small budget a very long way (over 50 meters end to end!) on this set and all the other smaller ones. Standing on the set of the 925 when it was lit and dripping with water felt alot like being in a real mine, I kept feeling like I needed to put my hard hat on.

A few more snaps after the break...

Just a sample of the bucket loads of fake rocks that had to be moulded, sculptured and painted...