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Well folks,

Its been a bit of a long time coming, but at last I have gotten my act together to write. I am really sorry for the long silence, but there has been a lot going on and a lot to deal with. Long story short, I am fine and things are going ok. For those of you who have not heard, James and I have parted company. While things are not how I would like them to be, you don't always get what you want. Of course, I miss James a great deal but there is nothing to be done about it right now. So I am doing my own stuff, getting on with my life and enjoying the things I can do something about.

The biggest thing right now is the HUGE career change that I have started working on. No more IT for me right now, I have headed back to school and am at long last pursuing a career in film. Last year I did a short course at Open Channel in film and some night courses in photography at RMIT and at the end of the year applied to the Victorian College of the Arts Film School here in Melbourne. And I got in, actually I got in twice since I applied to two courses. After a bit of soul searching I decided to do the Post Graduate Diploma in Producing. So that the plan, I am intending to try and become a producer. Here's hoping.

The school is really supportive, plus the fact that we are a/ post grad and b/ producers (and therefore responsibility oriented) so we are trusted to do our stuff with out the sort of supervision and controls the bachelor people or even the grad dips get. According to Ros (the Producing lecturer) the school views the course less as a degree per say and more of a professional mentoring program. Its hard work, but the people in my course are great and we have a good time in class. They are all strong willed leader types, but somehow we all manage to work things out. The lecturers actually comments on the short class piece we collectively wrote, shot and edited, that we were the most relaxed and collaborative group they had seen in a long time. I think someone commented that if it had been a group of directors, there would have been blood on the floor. So I guess we were doing something right.

This is one of the other producers Kylie, preparing for some disaster or other.

Looking to the future I am trying to focus my efforts on an area that will use both my experience and enthusiasm to their best advantage, so I have been working towards specializing in post production and visual effects. There is some irony in this, but after a lot of soul searching I am certain that its the right thing for me and not influenced by outside forces. I have been in touch with a number of post houses and am talking to them about doing some "attachments" or internships later this year or early next year. All up its looking positive, even though the market is pretty depressed/competitive. As I pointed out to someone from Weta the other day, while there may be a lot of people who want to get into post, not many of them have the international experience I do, nor the experience handling very large budget projects, so hopefully my IT experience is going to come in handy.

School is taking up a lot of my time, but its not been everything.

I have been working on and off in a Restaurant that my friend Lisa introduced me to. Its been a juggle to balance how much work I can do before I effects my Austudy (government support for students), but some careful research has let me figures out how to maximize the income stream. That and my savings and I am looking ok for the year.

The restaurant is great to work at. Its not fine dining but its a great looking place, the customers are down to earth and generally pretty nice, and the owners Lew and Ali are great to work for. Lew is a really character, in a 50 something, Scorpio, ex-competition power lifter, big-o-queen kind of way. He is crazy as a cut snake at times and really feeling the change of moving from a professional career as a corporate lawyer to working in his own business in hospitality. He is a good guy and really appreciates the work that I put in and the effort that all his staff are making to make his business a success.

And its getting there, he and Ali really deserve it too. So its a fun place to work, mostly low stress and while there are some long days, I can leave it behind when I walk out the door - which I LOVE. And its like 5 hours of cardio, which is great too.

This is me, John (aka Trudy) and Lew in the kitchen.

 

At the start of the year I moved into my own place in Armadale. Its a pretty small one bedroom, but not the smallest place I have ever lived (Hong Kong gets that distinction), but its home and I am comfortable and happy. This is not a year with a lot of money in it, but I am really glad to say that its not having an effect on my happiness. The picture below is the drive way into the building and as you can see, its green and leafy.

 

 

 

 

 

I have even managed to frame some of the photos I did last year and hang them. I am no Ansel Adams, but I like having my own work around, its encouraging.

 

 

 

I have been away a couple of times this year to see friends and catch up. I went to visit my Mother on the Gold Coast earlier in the year, its been really great being back close to her and getting to talk a lot more. Some of the things about moving home have been difficult, but the stated aims of seeing more of family and getting on with career goals have, for me at least, been really well achieved.

This is my Mother (on the left) and her friend Yutta at a cafe on the beach.

I also went to Sydney around Mardi Gras, but didn't go to the party itself. I am not in the mood for big parties this year, but it was good to see some old friends. I even caught up with my ex, Steve. He and I haven't had a lot of contact over the years, so it was good to see him. He is well and happy it seems and its good to get to talk to him again. Sydney is as beautiful as ever and it was great to see people like Mitch and Kathryn again.

One of the biggest additions to my life in the last year has been the super pooch - Saxon. He is just over a year old now and is a really wonderful dog. The choice of a Giant Schnauzer is completely Geoff Rudy's fault, but I have no regrets on it. Right now he is shared between James, James mother Marie and I, but once I get a larger place (at the end of the year) he will be coming back to me full time.

Life here in Melbourne has been pretty hectic, I have been working or at school 6 or sometimes 7 days a week plus trying to get to the gym doing study at night and seeing and ENOURMOUS number of films, but I have been getting out and socializing a bit.

Some old friends, and some new friends which is great. My friend Billy even came over from LA and spent a few days. Melbourne, as you can see, can be a bit gray in the winter, but we warmed it up by shopping for sunglasses for Billy (after an event in St Croix, I have been designated Billy's personal sunglasses shopper).

So that's about all for now. I am happy, well and busy with some exciting things going on. I would love to hear from you if you have time to write, and hopefully I will get to do some travel next year so I can see you.

 

For right now, all the best,

Love

R

PS Brave Creatures is my production company (such as it is). I will be getting more personal stuff up in time but right now this will do.