writing
Part of the skill of the artist is knowing when to stand back and say "This is finished." And some stories simply work better in words than in shots. In the following cases, we're letting our prose tell the story, and leaving the rest up to you to imagine. Let the audience work for a change!

The Star Wars Seminars Reportage. 3,000 words. In August 2000 at Fox Studios, Sydney, four of the men behind the new Star Wars trilogy spoke to a room full of independent filmmakers during production of Episode II. They shed light on their crafts and careers, and the challenges of making the fantasy real. Read Rick McCallum - Producer Read Nick Gillard - Stunt Coordinator Read Ben Burtt - Sound Designer Read John Knoll - Visual Effects Supervisor
Dean Semler - Action Man Reportage. 4,000 words. Dean Semler A.C.S, one of Australia's most venerable cinematographers, has lensed some of the hardest-hitting action films ever produced. So when he shared his wit and wisdom with a bunch of fellow filmmakers in December 2003, we listened up... Read Dean Semler - Part 1 (1964-1990) Read Dean Semler - Part 2 (1991-2003)
John Ottman - The Music of Pictures Reportage. 1,000 words. When the unique composer-editor John Ottman (who worked on The Usual Suspects, X-Men 2 and Superman Returns) broke out of his cutting room in Sydney to have a chat with local filmmakers, he proved a "backroom boy" can be as entertaining as any star. Read John Ottman
An Evening with Dennis Hopper Reportage. 2,000 words. In November 2002, Dennis Hopper took time out from shooting his latest film here in Australia to rap with the local filmmaking community, sharing the insights he's gained, and the price he has paid, for his life as a true movie maverick. Read Dennis Hopper
On The Lot - Classic Blogs A collection of classic blogs and their associated comments, from the sadly missed "On The Lot" website. Here a community of international filmmakers gathered together to stroke egos and knock heads, creating far more entertainment value between them than the FOX reality show they'd come to audition for. Read Blog 1 - A Community Is Born Read Blog 2 - Five Minutes Of Fame Read Blog 3 - One From The Heart Read Blog 4 - Rage At The Machine Read Blog 5 - Phoning It In Read Blog 6 - Note To Self Read Blog 7 - Election Day Read Blog 8 - Personal Hero Read Blog 9 - Good Luck Opie Read Blog 10 - A Meeting Of Hearts And Minds Read Blog 11 - OTL Overview
On The Lot - More Classic Blogs More classic blogs from the "On The Lot" website. As the regulars got to know each other better, the banter in the comment threads reached new comedic heights (or lows, depending on your taste), relationships blossomed, and old word count records were smashed... Read Blog 12 - Creativity and Pain Read Blog 13 - Words to Live By Read Blog 14 - Notebook Ramblings Read Blog 15 - Let's Keep In Touch!
The Stranger on the Bus Detective thriller. 6,000 words. The streets of suburbia were quiet. Too quiet. The locals were dropping like Morteined mosquitoes, and Nick Shaw, the world-weary schoolboy detective, could tell it was going to be- one of those weeks. Read Episode 1 - Welcome To The Jungle Read Episode 2 - An Inscrutable Connection Read Episode 3 - The Grocery Store Read Episode 4 - Message For Shaw Read Episode 5 - One Kid Too Many Read Episode 6 - The Final Invasion Read Episode 7 - Triple Cross Read Episode 8 - Words Of A Dead Girl
Journey Across Australia Travelogue. 5,000 words. From the Snowy Mountain forests to the treeless Nullarbor, from the joy of an Adelaide pie floater to the mystery of a lunar eclipse, from the whales of the Bight to the dolphins of Shark Bay, we share the discoveries of one footloose filmmaker crossing Australia alone. Read Part 1 - East & South Australia Read Part 2 - Western Australia
Exhibitionist 750 words. A museum exhibit just stole Billy's life. Now he's stealing it back. Read This Story