GLASGOW / WEST END SPIRITS

SPOTTING OTTERS

We spent the weekend exploring part of the remote Scottish west coast. Ring Of Bright Water, one of Natalie and my favourite films was shot around here and we were lucky enough to spot a pair of Otters playing along the coastline. So beautiful. 

MAGIC HOURS

Soft powdery light hangs for hours as night slowly but surely falls over Glasgow. It's not 'dark' until around 11:30pm at the moment. Love living in and around this extended crepuscular light.

ARGYLE TREE OBSESSION

For weeks Sam and I tried to shoot this single lone tree on Argyle Street, Finnieston. We planed it, drove past it, stalked it for weeks. But we needed it to be wet and have no leaves (as in the photograph I took in pre-production below) as we were shooting Glasgow for 'winter'. It became a bit of an obsession for us but we never got to shoot it.

In a few short weeks, much to the joy of the Glaswegians, Glasgow went from being a cold bleak place to a warmer, sunnier and much 'leafier' place.  The shoot is over and we missed it. But I still walk past that tree everyday as I walk to and from the edit suite. I'm still obsessed with it and I'll continue to photograph it. I really love that creepy lonely tree but I can't help but think it's laughing at me, taunting me, as each day its branches swell a little more with new summer leaves. 

BTS

I could watch films about the making of films all day long... 

SCOUTLAND

I have moved to Glasgow for part two of The Cry shoot. We spent 5 weeks shooting in Australia and now a few weeks pre and then another 5 weeks of shooting here.  I will edit and do all the post here in Scotland. Around 6 months all up.

Glasgow is a great city to be based. So much to explore in and around the city. It's been a dream to spend days scouting scenic back roads and mountain passes. So much beauty and drama in this landscape. Can't wait to get shooting again! 

Close up and a wide to complete.

DOP Sam Chiplin and the city of Melbourne both finding the light. 

THY WORK BE DONE

I've always been interested in the wonderfully grey area between factual and fictional filmmaking. It's what get's me most excited as a filmmaker and as an audience member. Eugene Richards is one my favourite photographers (now turned filmmaker) and this seems like such an amazing way to go about making a film. Yes please!

SAFE HARBOUR ON AIR DATE ANNOUNCED

SAFE HARBOUR will premiere Wednesday the 7th of March at 8:30pm on SBS. 

I took this photo of Phoebe Tonkin during the first couple of days of the shoot. DOP Sam Chiplin and I were still exploring what the series might be visually and tonally. This image quickly became a visual touchstone for us both, but also an image that confirmed to me that we were making a very special story and I was surrounded by people who were committed to bringing their very best.

I'm really looking forward to this series getting out there!

THE CRY

My new project The Cry was announced today. Beautifully written for the BBC by Jac Perske who I made Seven Types Of Ambiguity with and Produced by UK based Synchronicity Films with Producers Claire Mundell and Brian Kaczynsky. It's intense subject matter and I can't wait to dig deep into this story and these characters.

I spent two weeks in Glasgow late last year in early pre, recce-ing locations and getting a feel for the place. Although we will be shooting in summer when I was there it was cold and the light was stunning. The sun hung low on the horizon. Like it was sunset, all day! 

2017...2018

Often we get to the end of the year and it feels as though it's "gone quickly...". But this year seems to me to have taken a long time to pass. I squeezed just about as much into it as I could. Commercials, A four hour TV drama and began pre-production on a new series that will be announced in the new year. Oh and house renovations and I made a book too, but I just haven't found the time to get it out there yet...! 2017, was a big year for me. And I have the feeling 2018 is going to be even bigger. Bring it!

Below, a few shots from our annual two day pilgrimage north from Melbourne to Tamworth.

SEARCHING

SEVEN TYPES OF AWARDS

Seven Types of Ambiguity was recently nominated for 9 AACTA Awards including BEST TELEVISION MINI SERIES. We won 5 on the night and a huge congratulations to winners Bonnie Elliot for Cinematography, Rodrigo Balart for Editing, Jac Perske for her wonderful writing, Hugo Weaving won Best Actor for his heartbreakingly beautiful performance and finally I was pretty chuffed to pick up Best Direction. Seven Types was a really special project, special thanks to Matchbox Pictures producers Tony Ayes and Amanda Higgs for letting me explore it!

FIRST LOOK / SAFE HARBOUR

SBS has released a first look at Safe Harbour. The 4 x 1 hour mini series will go to air in Australia sometime early next year. So looking forward to getting this out there! It's amazing work by so many great people. From pre-production right through to post-production, everyone has put in incredible effort to make the series as good as it can be. Which as a director is all I can ever hope for!