The Shoot

I have completely disappeared from writing, and I will admit that things have been put on hold due to living in a world of filming 24/7.

The only thing I can really say about working on the shoot for the past 4 months is that its been an overall incredible experience. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on the project, and can't wait to see the finished product.

The Last 5 Months

I remember the exact moment I decided to apply to work in Sydney. It was late at night, and Richard and I were reading before bed. I saw the job posting on the DLF mailing list and thought “Naw, I won’t apply, it’s in Sydney…that would be crazy”. After thinking for a minute longer, it changed to “O what the hell, it can’t hurt”. The next morning I was called by a recruiter, and within 2 weeks I had started working at FOX. It was a complete whirlwind. Over the next few months I had always questioned that moment and decision, second guessing whether or not it was the right thing to do because of living away from Richard, the cats, stress, money, the challenge of staying in touch with family and friends overseas, the crazy Sydney weather and bugs, starting over in a new city somewhat isolated, etc. 

5 months later, I can say with absolute certainty that taking the job in Sydney was absolutely the right decision. Its been a really fun, challenging, and positive work experience, and I’ve learned a hell of a lot. I have met and worked with some fantastic people, and have had the chance to live and explore in a world famous city. It’s gotten me back on track for working out here which is really exciting. 

I have been lucky enough to work with some incredibly amazing people on different film crews/post houses, but no matter how many times I have to say good bye to people when the project comes to an end, it never gets easier. Working 10-12+ hour days means that these people become your family, and you often see them more than other halves and family. 

I came into work last Monday expecting to wrap Friday, and by the time the week concluded, I was presented with the opportunity to stay an additional 3 1/2 months for the shoot. It’s going to be crazy pants, but I’m really excited for the next phase. 

For Pops

This first post of 2014 is dedicated to my Pops.

I have been in Sydney for almost 3 months and am really enjoying work and the city, and I've met great people here. I have found that people living in either Melbs or Sydney tend to mock the other city claiming their city is superior, it's totally the equivalent of Angelinos vs. San Franciscans. Ultimately, both cities are so different and there are pros & cons to each. 

Sydney has so many charming older beautiful areas brimming with terrace style houses, and the stretch of land along the bay is gorgeous. The shopping in Sydney is incredible, it's seriously a shopaholics dream. There are so many restaurants...so much good food and so little time! I've only been to 1 museum thus far and am looking forward to exploring others. Apparently the zoo is supposed to be great as well. I've been dying to go to the Hunter Valley, and will be doing a tour with the other half next weekend!

Sydney is evil when it comes to the humidity, my hair is a constant ball of frizz fluff. The bugs are no bueno, and the spiders here are especially terrifying. Because it's more tropical here, the variety of birds are a bit different. I love hearing kookaburras on my ride into Fox. There are so many Ibis everywhere which are the most intriguing looking birds, kind of a cross between a Turkey and a Crane? After being mocked by coworkers, I learned that Aussie's highly dislike them because they're stinky and the equivalent of rats in the US. 

Getting out of work around dusk means that I get to see the nightly fruit bat migration from the Botanical Gardens up to Centennial Park, which is where Fox is nestled somewhat in the middle of. Looking up to the sky and seeing hundreds of fruit bats is unlike anything I've seen before. Like other Australian animals, they're quite loud and make an adorable chirp bark noise. My commute to my apartment is under many of the trees that they're doing their business in, so I'm really hoping to avoid getting pooped on during my time here...

Forgotten Blog Post from November 2013

As I have written previously, 2013 has been quite challenging because of job hunting in Melbourne (Aussie nickname = Melbs). About 3 weeks ago, I was offered the opportunity to coordinate the previs department for a feature film shooting in Sydney on the Fox lot. I've been wanting to go back to working on a lot since I left Sony, and I jumped at the chance. The first 2 weeks whizzed by, I've learned so much and am really excited about the project. It simply feels amazing to be working again.

It would be an absolutely perfect situation except for the fact that Richard is in Melbs. Sydney is about an hour flight or an 8 hour drive. The current plan is to commute back and forth on weekends which is somewhat reasonable price wise. I got very lucky finding a studio in Paddington (Aussie nickname = Paddo) which is about a 10 min. bike ride/25 min walk. 

It's exciting to be in a new city and have the opportunity to do some exploring. The Sydney Opera House is something I've been so excited to visit, and seeing it for the first time was simply incredible. I'm also really happy to have access to both theatre scenes in Sydney & Melbs. 

Crazy story to end on. My first night here, I ended up running into a friend from high school that I hadn't seen in 11 + years (since Tabor graduation). It was some random side street, Richard almost had us turn to walk another way to dinner, and suddenly it was like holy crap! The chances of running into the 1 person you know in a city of 4 + million is insane! And now we live just a few blocks away from one another:)