So, today I:
• woke up by myself in a strange city (no kids crawled into the into the bed this morning, but I woke up at the same time as if they had) • walked into Parramatta • took a ferry to Circular Quay • walked around and over Sydney Harbour Bridge • had Doyles chips for lunch • sat on the steps of the Opera House • trekked through the Botanic Gardens • went to a photo exhibition at the State Library • walked to the fountain in Hyde Park • watched old men play chess • browsed the 3 storey Apple store in George St • took 674 photos/videos on my new camera • took a further dozen photos for pairs of strangers who were otherwise taking it in turns to take photos of each other in front of Sydney landmarks • took the ferry back to Parramatta • walked back to the hotel • talked to Mel, Jessica & Benjamin on the phone (they’d had lunch with my Nan at McDonalds, and are off to see Toy Story 3 again soon) • spent an hour setting up my production equipment, recharging batteries, clearing cards, testing follow focus and monitoring, and getting ready for tomorrow’s first big day.
That I’m in Sydney on my own for the next 12 days and with $16,000 of production equipment in my hotel room hasn’t stopped feeling surreal, and I presume it will only really make feel real at 7:30 tomorrow. My first paid production job. From a major multinational. Who sought me out for the job based only on a video I made - with no money and for no pay - and have already started talking about further work after this project. It’s been a bizarre few weeks of preparing project plans, submitting estimates, sourcing equipment from around the world, setting up a business, booking accommodation, driving for 10 hours yesterday etc - all for a project that fell in my lap and has nothing whatsoever to do with my day job (at which I am about to clock up a ridiculous 20 years service this coming Wednesday.).
I am very humbled. And excited. And bemused. And (a little) anxious. But mostly I’m grateful. Incredibly grateful.
