THE VAST PROJECT

When Qynn Beardman calls up and says...'I might have a project for you', we've learnt to sit up and listen...You can feel his passion over the phone as he attempts to explain. 'Mate...I've partnered up with Jae Laffer from 'The Panics' we've got an idea to take over the town of Cossack, not far from Karratha in WA, and fill it with 20 or so incredible musicians and visual artists. We're thinking camp fires, on site recording studio, cultural experiences, boats, Jae wants a chopper in the mix...We're gonna give them an inspiring Pilbara experience and watch them collaborate to produce an album, a film, and a variety of visual art forms, from sculpture to street art...What do you reckon mate? You wanna get involved?'....

I'll give it to Qynn, he's not one to shy away from the Big Ideas. Usually when I hear shit like this, (from others), I'm pretty reserved about it all...'Sure mate, I'll get in on that' (as we continue to lock in other work on the dates they've specified- Just in case).  I then more often than not, watch that idea quickly dissolve into nothingness, as radio silence deafens the airwaves for the months ahead. The demise of another project...

Somehow though the boys have pulled this one off. THE VAST PROJECT is happening (we'll see about the chopper Jae) and Farmhouse Films will be delivering a short film, documenting the entire process. Come September, that little historical town of Cossack is going to be one hell of an exciting place to be. There's an energy and an open-ness that the Pilbara affords and if you're ready to embrace it, only good things can come. We can't wait to get our hands dirty and see what eventuates...

ALL IMAGERY- ELEMENTS MARGARET RIVER

DEVASTATING BEAUTY-WAROONA FIRE CLOUD

Travelling back from Perth to Margaret River after a TVC shoot, I noticed an interesting cloud building up on the East side of Forrest Highway. It was late in the afternoon and I was keen to get home after a long day, but it's hard not to stop when you have all the camera gear you need and the light is starting to get good. I began searching for something interesting to place in the foreground and drove for another half hour before coming across this tree. 

I rushed to set up a time-lapse to capture the development of this tropical looking build up before the sun got too low. The time was about 6:30pm Wednesday 6th January. At the base on the left of the image I was thinking that it could have been a fire, but at this stage I'd heard nothing on the radio that alerted me to the fact. The formation reminded me of a time-lapse that Mike Fletcher had shot up in Arnhem Land during the filming of a TV Series last year and I simply thought it could be a similar system developing that was a little unusual to the area.

Mike Fletcher- Arnhem Land

Looking on the images now it's quite obvious that I should never consider being a weatherman...

It wasn't until the next day when I looked out the window and saw the haze in the air and received a call from my mother-in-law, that I knew about the fire in Waroona. I looked at the shots and realised that it was the early stages of it's development that I had captured. The fire that began with a lightning strike has since left several communities in the South West devastated by loss of life, income and property.

If you would like to support the Farmers who have been significantly affected by this fire, WA Farmers have set up a campaign so you can do just that.

Please click HERE to donate.

Dig deep to help those who now have to recover from this devastation.

-Darren McCagh

Farmhouse Films in Papua New Guinea

In November 2013 I was fortunate enough to re visit Papua New Guinea aboard the magnificent True North. This time the journey took us to the North Eastern Sepik river region then on out into the Bismarck sea to explore the amazing outer Islands that make up such a pristine tropical paradise. 

Stilt Village.

Once again I was overwhelmed by the natural beauty of this region as well as an amazing cultural experience the likes I had never imagined. Travelling up the Sepik river was like travelling to an ancient world virtually untouched for hundreds of years. We were privileged to be invited to visit the village which is bringing back the ancient tradition of the crocodile scarification where as part of an initiation to manhood young men would go through the painful process of cutting their skin to create a texture not unlike that of a crocodile. 

Crocodile Scarification.

We also snorkelled and dived on amazing coral reefs with their abundance of tropical fish and colourful corals as well as be enthralled by the local villages of these tiny Island as they entertained us with there traditional dance or Sing Sing.

Plenty of Pikinini's ready to pose for the camera.

I have put together this short video as a snapshot of what we experienced over 11 days. 11 days which I will never forget. It has got me wanting more from PNG and I'm already coming up with excuses to get back there next year when True North heads back. It truly is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.

For some details on the filming process, the whole edit was shot on the Canon C300 with the exception of the under water sequences shot by Oli Oldroyd on a Olympus OMD. Once agin the C300 performed amazingly in very hot and humid conditions and never missed a beat.

I used the following lenses. Canon 17mm f,4 Tiltshift, 16-35mm f,2.8, 50mm f,1.2, 100mm f,2.8 Macro, and the 400mm f,5.6.

Editing was done on Premiere Pro CS6

Live music was recorded through the C300 with Rode mics and the soundtrack was by XPURM from the album "PRUMX"

You can visit the True North here northstarcruises.com.au

Thanks to Mark Stothard and Craig Howson for the opportunity to travel again on the best boat on the water

Shark Bay Salt Water Stories: Yarning with Jimmy "Paddy" Poland

   That's Jimmy "Paddy" Poland, a senior Malgana man from Gutharraguada (Shark Bay). And that man lurking in the background looking admiringly on, is Michael Fletcher at the premiere screening of his recent documentary based on Jimmy's days growing up in Shark Bay hunting, droving, shearing and fishing. Now in the prime of his life, Jimmy has also become a renowned Aboriginal artist, proving that it's never too late to follow your passions.

150 people flocked to the Shark Bay World Heritage and Discovery Centre to share Jimmy's extraordinary life and the documentary that told his story so well.    

We'll let the imagery show you how the day/night unfolded...

Images by Darren McCagh

Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island

 In March 2014, Mike Fletcher was commissioned to create a short promotional piece for the owners of Capella Lodge on the pristine Lord Howe Island. 

 To state the obvious it was Tough! Really Tough!

 Lord Howe Island is approximately 600 kms off the East coast of Australia. It's a tiny island which hosts a population of only 400 locals and 400 tourists at any one time. Capella Lodge is the premiere resort on the Island which caters for every whim. 

 Getting talent to shoot this location was difficult considering the small population so Mike had to take his family along to be the talent. The male talent was to be sourced from the islands stock of suitable men but they were all too shy to go on camera so Mike had to set up and star in his own shots. 

 For eight days Mike battled through in difficult circumstances to gather the footage required to showcase this Island and the footage shows it's not a bad place to get shipwrecked if your ever going to have that happen to you.

 Two camera's were used in this production. The bulk of the footage was shot on the Canon C300 whilst a Lens Whacking 5D mk2 was used for the fill in stylised shots. Everything was cut in Premiere Pro.

 The owners of this resort also own two other boutique resorts. One is the Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island and the other Longtitude 131 at Uluru. Now if we can only convince them to renew their existing videos.

Visit Baillies Lodges here www.baillielodges.com.au

Boonderu Music Academy

  We recently travelled to Roebourne with Elements Margaret River, a town situated in the heart of the Pilbara and one which has received a pretty bad wrap over the years for the issues within the indigenous community. However... we were not there to focus on the negatives that so often fill our news broadcasts, but instead document the establishment of a new program designed to engage the school kids of Roebourne DHS and increase their rate of attendance....

Boonderu Music Academy 

    Run by a very passionate team, in it's short lifetime, the Academy has had great success using music to engage a genuine interest for the kids to learn and participate. If they don't attend school for the whole day, they don't get to bang a drum or strum a guitar, and as a result they have seen a dramatic increase in school attendance. They are literally beating the doors down...

   It was eye opening for us to be a part of it and we experienced a small insight into what life was like for these incredible kids, that we will never forget. There are a lot of obstacles to overcome and problems within the community that's for sure, but hopefully they will realise that they have a choice, and there's people like Boonderu who genuinely want to see them succeed and help them on their road to being able to 'walk in two worlds'.

Thanks to Qynn and Susie Beardman and Kendall and Marshall Smith for sharing this with us and all the people of Roebourne who opened their arms and let us in.  

Imagery: Elements Margaret River and Darren McCagh

Extraordinary Margies Moments 2015

   The Margaret River Pro has come and gone for another year and it's hard not to get caught up in the hype of it all. This year saw the best conditions I think it has ever had and from all accounts the pro's were pretty happy with the outcome, with continuous full days of offshore winds, solid swells and the fact that 'The Box' was heavily utilised. 

   While everyone scoured the cliff to watch the event at Surfer's Point it was our job to get a few crew and show them the region while they were here. Tom Carroll came along  for the 4th year running, along with past champion Barton Lynch and his family. We also enticed The Macaulay family, Stephanie Gilmore, and Bianca Buitendag into the mix. Acrobatic and scenic flights, 4WD beach boggings, classy lunches and some hidden local gems were some of the experiences on offer. After having this gig for the past 4 years it's surprising to me how much there is still left to discover in the region of Margaret River, and the added benefit of being able to show these guys what's on offer and to see the genuine stoke on their faces is priceless.

   We had to produce 4 edits over 8 days which meant a whole lot of long days with no sleep as the various hats were on constant changeover. Producer/Filmer/Runner/Editor/Tour Guide/Liason Officer....but by partnering up with Michael Fletcher and help from Surfing WA's  Mark Lane and Local Jake Paterson, we strung it all together to produce the clips below. A hectic week, but it just made the beers at the end of it taste all the better.

Tom Carroll thrives on the energy within the South West as he takes to the air for a thrilling acrobatic flight over the coast.

After recently suffering from a heart attack, Barton Lynch takes some time out to enjoy the South West with his beautiful family.

Barton Lynch, Tom Carroll, Stephanie Gilmore and Jake Paterson manage to escape on one of the few lay days on offer, during the Margaret River Pro.

Dave Macaulay and his wife Lorraine raised a family in Gracetown. Reaching a world ranking of equal 3rd in 1989, Dave earns his keep shaping surfboards.  2 of his 4 children, Laura and Bronte have followed in their father's footsteps touring with the WQS in hope of one day reaching the Championship Tour. When that tour does come to town, they love showing off their backyard to some of the girls who have stayed with them over the years, namely Bianca Buitendag.

One Ocean International

   Over the past few months Byron Based free-diver and waterman Joe Knight has re-located himself just up the road in Margaret River. An extraordinary person and teacher, who has lived his life based around his passion for the ocean.

   He formed his company One Ocean International to impart the knowledge he has gained over his many years of experience, to both the average human-being and also the elite amongst us, who can benefit from breathe hold and watermanship training.

   I have attended one of these courses, as have many from the region and I have to say it is life changing. Learning how to breathe properly is an essential part of who we are. After all..... we never stop for the span of our lives, so we might as well do it to the best of our ability. Through his courses I now have a confidence in the water that I've been searching for, for a long time. Knowing what you are capable of, in terms of breathe hold, and possessing the correct techniques for recovery and performance breathing when in the ocean is absolutely invaluable.

   If you are interested in finding out more  from Joe  in regards to the courses he offers please don't hesitate to get in touch with him- 

joe@oneoceaninternational.org

or visit his website

oneoceaninternational.org

It's something that could save your life and/or enable you to be more comfortable and confident in the ocean and surf to push harder than you have ever done before.

Australia's South West//Art, History, Culture

  I love living in this part of the world. An endless escape for adventure and creativity awaits those willing to venture out of the comfort of their offices and homes.  I was fortunate enough to move here a little over a year and a half ago after convincing my partner it would be a good move to get away from the busy city life. I'd like to say it's been a relaxing change, but to be honest, it's been more hectic than ever over the past couple of months. It's a different kind of grind though....for a change  you actually look forward to it.

   I was recently commissioned by Australia's South West to develop a series of clips to be released over the next 12 months to explore the different aspects that the region has to offer. This is the first....The idea 'to take a different demographic for a  weekend away, and do something that they wouldn't normally do in the South West'.

   I mean let's face it, who of us between the age of 20-35 would consciously come up with a plan to check out the Art, History and Culture of a region? Most of us would rather go surfing, fishing, camping, sky diving, wine touring or one of the many other aspects of a place that cures our primal craving for living life to the full. 

Fortunately though Ash and Jonny had an absolute ball doing what they did, and I have to say...so did I. It definitely opened my eyes to what else is out there in this magnificent region.

Shot with a Canon C300                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Edited in Premiere Pro CC                                                                                                   

Still imagery courtesy of Elements Margaret River

ARTIST: Out of HAND

Dunsborough based artist Dune Haggar was commissioned to create an epic mural in Mixtape Creative's space in Margaret River, the office in which Farmhouse Films resides. What started as a smaller piece at an agreed rate, across a section of the far wall has turned into a monster spanning the entire concrete panel. Due to the expansion, Dune officially became an "Artist Out of Hand", not wanting to contain his creativity and his vision for this space based solely on a pay cheque. 

Although our budget for the project has been reached, and Dune will gladly honour the initial monetary agreement and exposure, we know that something of this magnitude and effort is deserved of a little more fruit. So we want to open additional funding up to the hearts of the public. 

Help us to give Dune his just deserves, and pave the way to give value to the work done by such talented artists.

Please head over to the Pozible Crowdfunding page if you wish to contribute. Campaign runs until 11th March 2015

All Imagery below provided by Russell Ord