Punch the Air, it's Doco Season!

Every year - at about this time, I get hit by a barrage of documentary productions. Jobs that take me away from the comforts of my HQ and introduce me to wonderful concepts that I had never previously considered.

To date, I have documented the sounds for such topics as: crocodile nesting habits along the Tully River, life inspired architecture in Taringa, the madness of the bush turkeys in Maleny, toppling the racist past of white Australia, the the reminiscent tales behind the making of  Powderfinger's "Odyssey Number Five" and the Go-Between's "16 Lovers Lane", the urban Murri and the connection to tradition, what it takes to stage Havergal Brian's Symphony No.1 in D minor (or the "Gothic Symphony") in Brisbane, the philosophies of Australian artist William Robinson, indigenous road workers from Ipswich, the exploration of the American dream / identity (all over the USA), the mindset of self harm, the passions of those who study earthworms (all over the world), and most recently - the World Irish Dancing Championships and the Australian competitors who attended in Dublin.

These experiences are always challenging and completely eye-opening. I usually walk away after we finish filming a shroud of disbelief as I come to terms with reuniting myself to my life away from the sound kit. We always work in very small groups when making these productions, and they are always extreme bonding sessions with my fellow crew as we go through the processes of digesting our observations at the end of each day.

Luckily this year is going to go out with bang as I am called to record sounds for some Queensland based documentaries - and whilst they will take me away from home, I won't be SO far away as opposed to my past two years of doco season - which is a relief as I don't have to pack so much stuff (whew). Whilst I won't go into the subjects of these upcoming documentaries right now, I am really looking forward to bursting into observational film making action. I love the pressure of documentaries, as usually a lot rides on the sound recordist. Things happen so quickly, the "talent" is untrained and doesn't make allowance for technicalities and if I don't point my microphones in the right direction, or follow the right conversation at the right time, everything is lost. The challenge that makes the days go so quickly.

However, my eyes are bulging as I look at the scheduling calendar here in my HQ as I realise that I will only re-enter normal lifestyle operations in mid December!!! This is the one sacrifice that time and time again, I make for these jobs. And more than once, the personal ramifications for my mode of employment have cost me dearly indeed... 

...But I can't help myself - my job fills me with pride. I love learning through observation. I love meeting new people and making them feel comfortable about our film-making process. I consider myself to be the "Morale Officer" as I genuinely enjoy caring for my fellow shooting crew. These things fill my heart with energy, and then I expend that energy recording the sounds. The job that feeds itself, as when it's all over - I only suffer from a sense of time / social displacement and a few aching muscles. That's not too bad in the scheme of things, considering what I have endured in other modes of employment in the past.

So hear/read me cheering for documentary season. Let the good times begin. 

HUZZAH! HUZZAH! HUZZAH!