The Pitch:



It's a story about a tree, a beech tree, and everything that surrounds it.

You sold? Neither were our markers. But we ain't giving up yet. I think we got so bogged down in explaining our two story lines and how they interlaced that we completely neglected the fact we needed to win the audience over and make them want to hear more. Apparently we had a Hughie and Doughy act going on, but we were in too much of passionate spiel about our break-through style that we missed the mocking-potential.

But honestly, think of the new light we can shed on a mundane tree. Aerials, abseiling, fibre-optics, pole-cams, microscopes, cells, time-lapse, graphics and animation, music and a complicated story for something so simple! I'm completely prepared to become a raving tree-hugger, even though both of us are more animal-inclined. Look out Bot.Soc., you're about to be hit with a whole heap of fresh enthusiasm!

NOTE TO SELF: These notes to self are damn annoying.

So it's been yeat another 3 weeks of blogging-neglect - surprise surprise. I am going to attempt to give the ultimate summarised recap yet.

Choosing a film partner - emotions went a bit like this:
> no worries mate
> am I the only one not coffee-dating anyone?
> hmm only one day left to find someone - the most intense panic attack (especially not being in the know about whose hooked up with who)
> had a chat with Sarah the night before the deadline for choosing - shocked at how identical our goals are
> had a chat with Dwayno the next day but was nervous to be blunt about having chosen Sarah for a partner.
> read Sarah blog the next morning and stoked that she's just as happy

two weeks later and we are hear in the zoology dept. preparing our final film pitch.

What we both want:
> to make something mundane become captivating
> its all about the post-production
> think stylised, think graphics, think unique communication
> charasmatic creatures is just the easy way out - we want a challenge
> it's all in the way the story is told - think festival audiences, not Joe-Six-Pack

*FINGERS CROSSED WE DON'T GET SHOT DOWN*


Other key points to the past 3 weeks
> learning to drive a manual! Chris left his car here while he heads out to sea for 8 weeks and I need to master it before working with DOC in November on long-tailed bats.
> Design design design - its been a waterfall of assignment handins and they just keep coming. Finished a council rubbish bin made from old bikes (and since I'm a girl I had to 'leave the workshop for a few mintues as this cutting tool can be very noisey' and 'get a boy to help drill those holes in the frame' - I found this funny as I have more power tools at home than most I know my age)
> Christchurch is the place to be, even if you don't ahve time!

Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand. Where all your natural history filmmaking and communication dreams begin.

WARNING: the following post is intended to answer comments posted recently enquiring about what this course looks for in its applicants. My apologises for its highly formal approach

Before applying for this course, I was studying for a BSc majoring in Ecology. I also studied for a BA majoring in Design Studies and found out, along with both of the Heads of Department, that they aren't exactly compatable in terms of cross-crediting or lecture timetables. But both departments helped me out alot by making 'special acceptances'. My favourite part was seeing how similar tehy both actually were, in terms of communicating idea. Ecology had the complex theories and Design helped to voice those ideas. Design and Environment was extremely applicable and I found the readings to be something I wish Ecology would look into to help push some of their points.

Anyway, I don't wan to get too distracted from the point of this post. I found out about the course in my 1st year of studying in 2003 and got in touch with Lloyd Davis via email to see if I was on the right track for applying in the future. He recommended I do a couple of Film and Media Studies papers. So now Film and Media Studies is my minor for my BA simply because I fell in love with it. Its nothing to do with practical work at all, it is simply the concepts that underpin everything to do with film and media (e.g. the political economic approach to mass media). It was a huge eye opener in terms of understanding the issues I would face if I got into filmmaking.

Mark McGuire from the Design Department used to be a huge part of this course and was very encouraging when I spoke to him about applying, saying that my design background would give me an extra something to offer for the course. Photography, painting, dancing, etc. are all just as creative and prove that your mind can think outside the square of science. Yet the pre-requisit of a science degree guarenteed that all applicants had at least some understanding of how to be objective when necessary.

If you are hoping to apply for this course all I can say is that your passion and determination will be the most valuabe things to tap into. Don't forget work experience is a massive bonus (from scientific field research to media related jobs). Check out the courses website and maybe send an email to one of the coordinators to see if you are on the right track in terms of what they are looking for, especially since they are just as human as the rest of us and are still learning what works best.

All the best and good luck! I feel everyone can have something to offer to the world of natural history filmmaking.

WARNING: the following posts are an attempt to recap the last 3 weeks. Be aware postings are a rough ride due to lack of sleep before this backdating fiesta. But you can rest assure that lengths vary to suit a variety of attention spans.

NOTE TO SELF: There comes a time when sub-standard living conditions are no longer a novelty.

15th August - when the tenant calls for a flat inspection

*Leaves in the hot water first thing in the morning - actually metal flakes from deteriorating pipes.

*A weather-vain hot-water cupboard door that dramatically opens to give the lounge fresh air from the slightest breeze - acts as ideal indoor-outdoor access for local wildlife.

*A power bill that leaves you wondering how long you can cut back on food for until malnutrition kicks in - also directly related to how much winter wind is blowing past the hot water cylinder.

*Black mould on the roof of the bathroom due to unventilated showers and a dryer - a favourite of any asthmatic.

*Sinking foundations that are the perfect way to make everyone seem drunk at all hours of the day by simply walking around and having to adjust to the slant - furniture has to be arranged according to the slope to avoid falling off the couch, lack of blood to the head whilst asleep or not wanting those precious 21st wine glasses to topple of your shelves.

NOTE: This is the only photo of my flat that hopefully won't inflict nightmares - the open draws are thanks to the novel slope.

*Household appliances that can no longer fight the slant such as a contorted oven that cooks the wallpaper on one side and a freezer door that can help you choose what to have to dinner without even opening it (but that’s not a problem as the fridge and freezer is the warmest part of the entire flat).

*Sun - we know its out there, we just never see it from 9am onwards in the months of March through to November which ties in perfectly with time we are actually in Dunedin

*Rent - it doesn't matter how long you are planning on living in your flat, you pay for the whole year. 01/01 to 31/12.
BUT we were clever chickens! We came down in February to find a flat, saving two months of pointless rent. For some reason that evaded us, this flat had been empty since August the year before. They even said no rent until 21st of March! Bonus! It made the fact that the rent they were wanting was still above the norm not so bad if you did the math. No so bad for the end of summer that is. It wasn't until our first flat warming party that we starting to see and hear warning bells. The stumbling began from the moment people hit the slant but the psychodelic carpet was able to disguise all spills. Yet the peeling paint in one of the bedrooms still haunts its occupant after a story from our neighbour about the previous tenants drug dealings.

Anyway, the point of this was that I finally took things into my own hands and tried to let our woes be heard by the real estate agency we have to communicate to our landlord through. It’s been three weeks. At least the warmer spring breeze is a welcome one in our lounge. If you plan on coming to Dunedin for this course, just be aware that there is pretty clear line between expensive places with good heating, and not-so-budget places who believe in 'character building' conditions.

17th - 21st August - the folks come to town

Its time to lose that graduation virginity. Never again can I be an undergraduate. I don't know anyone who does the graduation ceremony because they want to. Its all for the parents. Three years away from home and one day to prove it wasn't just because you were sick of the whole you-are-living-under-MY-roof ordeal. My parents were incredible. They went all out, its-your-first-birthday style. Mum baked! Dad smiled! We all had dinner together and even went to Thursday night jazz at the Robbie Burns!

But school doesn’t stop just because your loan has reached its limit and you have to cash in your papers so far for a graduation certificate with a photocopied signature of approval – oooh no sirry! Friday was the day we were all waiting for! The day of wind-swept hair and an entourage of camera’s capturing every embarrassing expression you throw their way. We were going to Victory Beach. Kat and Jint have the most comprehensive run down of the day’s antics in the form of a short film they secretly made. 8am until 9pm and it still felt like it wasn’t enough. I had an inner-battle when it was time for us to jump into action when we came across a Leopard Seal slowly dying on the beach. It was us and our camera-manic enthusiasm versus a seal to weak to scare us away. It was interesting to see where people’s boundaries were.

On graduation day I introduced Mum to my refined disorganisation and went shopping for a dress and everything that’s goes with it one hour before the gathering of the polished nerds (NOTE: apparently sneakers and what I wore the day before don't make the cut). Tensions were high, shop assistants in a frenzy and promises of a cup of tea at the end. It was perfect.

One key factor that saved the day was Pip's prep-shopping the day before in our lunch break. It was one of those scenarios where you fear for you life for the first ten minutes as the whirlwind that is "Speed shopper Pip" hits every dress store in a 1km radius. She sniffed of a collected of options and the strange was I liked them all. After that I was stunned, numb and rendered me a vegetable for the afternoon camera class. If you need something to wear in a hurry, Pip is your gal. I still get a kick from seeing the shop assistants duck down behind the counter when she walks by their window.

Had a bit of a problem identifying what photo-of-me-shaking-the-chancellors-hand was mine thanks to the make-Mum-proud makeover but I had my mind on the cherry on top finale. The all you can eat dinner. Sushi, nachos, salads, samousas, chicken, soups, apple crumble, mouse, and an ice-cream machine that could make you weep at the sight of it. Blah blah blah big party at our flat afterwards but ALL YOU CAN EAT! Best weekend ever! Thanks Mum and Dad.

Ecology Graduates 2006 - NOTE: we are just part of the botany department. If you're not a real subject then you don't have a real department.

21st August - choosing a topic to lose myself in.

©DOC Te Papa Atawhai/R Cole


Sue Murray is a godsend. She is a flowing fountain of knowledge and connections, especially when I went to see her about my native wood pigeon (Kereru) research. She feels closely affiliated with the course, as she has had a lot to do with helping the previous years. It sounds like she got to know them fairly well, so fingers crossed we can hold her interest too. For a whole hour we talked about every angle imaginable for the Kereru and I left with a new obsession. The best bit is finding that so many other people have something to say for them and are just as captivated. Go you goo thing GO!

Later that day, I had an inspiring interview with Visual Intelligence, Dunedin tattoo and graffiti artist. His enthusiasm was contagious. I felt as though I was cheating the course a bit by going for something arguably non-wildlife related. But this is a project I feel I want to do even outside of the course down the track. The Dunedin street-art scene. Its something we are all a part of down here as you can't escape it. It’s unique. It’s inspiring. It’s a free and heartfelt gift from its artists - and they don't let one or two complaints dampen their determination to share that gift. Encouragement and appreciation and inspiration come from far and wide. We are small town but we have something big in our midst.

Alas, a brief catch-up with Richard made me face the music and choose one track to follow for our research assignment. Kereru won. It was a fairly justified choice as Kereru connections would find me a range of wildlife experts and, like I said before, I plan to pursue the street-art story even without course encouragement.

21st – 25th - I love... pillow

After all the tension, excitement and having to share my room with a friend in town for a week finally got the better of me. Activities included bed, hot lemon drinks and constantly smacking the back of the TV remote to get that last bit of juice from those 8yr old batteries. But even the worst of flus couldn't stop me from going to Paul's camera class, if not purely to see people edging the chairs away from me throughout the day.

25th – 31st August - I don't care if I can't equalise, I'm going to the snow.

Think three determined poor students, think campervan in a motor camp, think snotty tissues appearing in the most unlikely of places. Can't imagine it? You don't need to. I'll be making a music video of it. Yup, the idea came to me in a flash whilst sitting in the Treble Cone car park on day four after popping my kneecap and clicking my tailbone once again. Well, the idea to make a video about the trip was always on the agenda - the blazer and cravat added to my role as a filmmaker with a camcorder on the slopes despite their impracticality. The music video plan was more of a way to slow my racing-heart beat when I texted Jint to ask when our music video assignment was due: 3 weeks... But how to get around the fact that its in home-movie style? (i.e. constant shaking, poor framing and no plot) Just you wait and see! (…And so will I)

1st September – Ranfurly

$3 toasties – 3 fillings and a pile of chips just because ‘we ain’t money hungry here in Raaanfurrrly’. I love you guys. Apparently they were taking pity of us having just come from Queenstown where the locals ‘have been ripped off their whole lives’. This is the type of town I want to call Kiwi. Shame it all burst into flames the following few days with the dry hot heat. Hope they are all ok.

2nd September – all hell breaks loose.

The day I realised our story pitch to the class were to happen on Tuesday. Sleep is no longer an option, as my mind feels compelled to think the same pitch points over and over. But what to pitch? Kereru? Bats? Rod Morris?
Over the next few days I do all three. Most of my effort goes into organising all my Kereru points and story angle. A couple of back-up sentences attempt to cover the other two topics.

5th September – to stutter and stumble and completely forget where the story is...

7 people gave their converting pitches to the class and 5 critiquers (Lloyd, Richard, Paul and Craig Meade) before me. I forget to take my glasses off so I can’t see the judging eyes and it’s all down hill from there. I lose the plot and find myself ranting for two minutes about how cool the pigeons are.

Even my “Illegal Tegal” story pitch slide fails to trigger the right response from my autopilot spiel. I cut my loses and move onto the long-tailed bat. The fact it’s a bat and (along with the short-tailed bats) is the only endemic terrestrial mammal we have seemed to have the foreigners sold but that didn’t stop my feedback from stating the obvious – where the hell are you going with all this? I didn’t want to embarrass myself further by giving a 3rd pitch (NOTE: everyone else was wise enough to focus their 3 minutes on one story). But I feel so passionately about it I want to share with you now.

The 3rd pitch: -disclosed for scrutiny for the first time
Seeling Wildlife - A look at the world of today’s natural history filmmakers - shattering that Attenborough Illusion.
I hope that doesn’t come across too pessimistic. We have so many incredible filmmakers right here in New Zealand. Not just the ones who go out into the field but those who sit at home and write, edit, do sound and colour balancing. The point I want to get across is that wildlife docos are moving away from what we grew up with – blue chip and Attenborough. It’s becoming fast paced, action packed and low budget. I want to share what it has been like to see this intriguing career from the inside, from eyes that were completely clueless prior to this course. Everyone who loves their job as a natural history filmmaker have reasons to love it – a reason I’m sure others would love to hear.

8th September – Shapeshifter makes it all worthwhile.

The week from hell is rounding to a close. Pitches, 1500 word magazine article, a 30+ page report on my research on Kereru and scrounging around for old bike bits to make a public rubbish bin from. Keep your eyes on the prize is what that little voice inside my head keeps saying (I’ll have to thank that wee voice on of these days, as I’m sure I would have had a meltdown by now - not from this course mind you, just the extra papers I dabble with on the side just for kicks). No need for a nap before this Friday nights shenanigans. It’s my all time favourite bands night to shine. I’ve watched they morph and grow since the first time I snuck in to one of their first gigs in 2002. Waiting until 1am in a seething mob of sweaty first-year students was one way to come to the realization that Jint and myself were quite possibly the only two people there running on natural adrenaline alone. 2½ hours and two encores later, all I want to do is go home and sit in a silent room and live inside my memory if their music. Thanks guys for giving me something to hang in there for.

Plans are underway to sneak up to Christchurch to hear them play with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Yet another light at the end of a tunnel!