How do you approach the creative aspect of making films?

This involves using your own interpretation and knowledge of the waves and of surfing, as well as the photographic side of things. Capturing good footage is a matter of trying to get in the right spot and at the right time - one of the trickiest things is trying to pre-empt where the surfers are going to be performing a manoeuvrer or pulling into a barrel. My preference is definitely shooting from the water, as I like to be close to the action. I shoot from a few different perspectives - land angles, from a boat - it will depend on the location and conditions. Shoots can involve treacherous conditions and you’re often thinking about sharks, so you also need to be prepared for that. I do a bit of training to keep fit, watch what I eat and don't really drink much (my partying days are thankfully over). You have to know all about your equipment, understand music and you need to be friends with really good surfers! Being in the water for long periods of time, with heavy gear, is also physically demanding and the strain on your legs and ankles from kicking in flippers is a one-of-a-kind activity. When I came back I started playing in a band pursuing another dream of becoming a musician, but the band broke up and I decided to return to television and my dream of producing surf films.Ī good filmmaker is someone who is prepared to work hard and is committed – you have to really love it and stick at it. I was stuck in a dark room with 25 television screens and so far removed from what I wanted to be doing, so I quit my job and went on a surfing holiday. I worked my way up to the role of On-air Presentation Coordinator, a role that I actually hated. I was at the bottom of the food chain but still pumped to be working in the industry. After finishing school I worked as a Videotape Operator at the local television station on the Gold Coast.

I was already studying Film and Television Studies, as well as surfing and watching a lot of surf movies, so I thought filmmaking would be a good career path.

When I was at school I wanted to be an architect but after failing Advanced Maths in Grade 10, engineering buildings was off the cards. How did you get involved in producing surf films? This was one of surfing’s most historical days and was captured in Thundercloud - an independent film directed, produced, filmed and edited by Director/Producer Talon Clemow. The event was called off but a devote few - including a host of big-wave surfers - paddled out anyway. In June 2012 a momentous swell coincided with the Volcom Fiji Pro event at Cloudbreak.

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