In life you reach a point where you believe your life is going to go in one direction but then you meet people and experience events that take that direction into a place you never thought you would go.
1990
This was the year I decided I really wanted to be both a writer of books and a director of movies. The reason for this was my English class had to read “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. Afterwards we watched the movie. I really loved the book and I also really liked the movie. After reading “The Outsiders” I read her other books and watched the movies. I really liked the S.E. Hinton book “Rumble Fish” and the movie of the same name. Both “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish” were directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Looking back on both movies I think both the book and movie of “The Outsiders” reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting while the book and movie of “Rumble Fish” reminds me of graffiti on a wall. To watch a trailer of "The Outsiders" click here. To watch a trailer of "Rumble Fish" click here. This was also the year I got the interesting nickname of Ax Murderer from Rebecca Oxlade. This last detail will become relevant to the production of the animated trailer in 2011. Looking back I love that nicname now and for the record Rebecca Oxlade is a very decent lady.
1991 – 1992
I was taught Theatre by Neal Thomas (seen below) for my last two years at Capalaba state high school (now known as Capalaba state college) as well as taking film and television with another teacher. Several events from the film and television classes were placed in “Only In The Movies: Beginning”.
1992
Thursday, January the ninth The Making of “The Addams Family” is on television on channel ten at 7:30pm.
January the thirtieth an ad appears in the Courier Mail asking if anyone has a copy of “The Making of the Addams Family”. I called the number listed and spoke to Helen. To see the ad clearly click here.
Throughout the year Helen and I spoke on the phone and at the end of the year we met when she came to my end of year theatre production. We started seeing movies soon after that.
1993
Helen lent me a film production book and was the person that made me realize that I should consider film production as a career. I fell for Helen but she didn’t feel the same way. She wrote to me saying that we shouldn’t see each other for a while and I respected her wishes. At the end of the year I returned the film production book she lent me. In the first book “Only In The Movies: Beginning” a street is named after her.
1994
I met Amber at Hoyts Regent, fell in love with her but didn’t tell her how I felt because of what happened with Helen. When it came to Amber she was the one that taught me that my characters were too aggressive.
I also met future “Tenacity” actor Mathew Purcell while appearing in an amateur production of “The Pajama Game” which was done by the Savoyards Musical Comedy Society. I'm in the picture on the left wearing the bad tie. Mathew is in the picture on the right. He's the one with black hair.
1995
Circa early to mid 1995 I saw an ad for the Queensland School of Film and Television and did a two week course.
1996
I worked and saved so I could become a full time student at the Queensland School of Film and Television.
1997
I went to the Queensland School of film and television for a year. In the early days of film school I saw Helen one last time and we saw “Alien Resurrection” together. We fell out of touch after that and I’ve regretted not keeping in touch with her ever since. Helen was a really great friend and I sincerely hope that she’s happy and leading a good life. At the end of the year I decided to leave film school for two reasons. It was expensive and I didn’t want to go to film school, graduate and not end up making films. I wanted an audience and decided to get into writing.
1998
As I was no longer at film school and no longer doing shows with Savoyards I didn’t have that many friends and wanted to meet new people. That’s one reason I made the feature movie length video “Tenacity” and named a character after Amber. Prior to production starting I saw Angus Grant in a play written by my brother Tim called “Schoolies”. I offered him the lead role but ends up playing a small part instead. Mathew got into the spirit of things but putting up notices up at universities. It was because of those notices that I ended up meeting Natasha McDonald who has since become one of my best friends. Natasha is in the picture below with me during a trip to a Supanova Convention.
15-8-1998
Production begins on “Tenacity” and lasts for several weekends.
The ending and other aspects of the script was dissatisfying for me so I rewrote it but it kept on growing and it was difficult to find an ending. One of the cast members was Troy Mackinder from the Actors Workshop, Natasha McDonald and Angus Grant. High school theatre teacher Neal Thomas is also among the cast. The second reason I made it was I didn’t know if I was ever going to make a movie in my life so I wanted to have the experience of making one, so I made “Tenacity”.
1999
I showed “Tenacity” to my brother Tim in Sydney. I also Saw Amber and nearly give her a copy of “Tenacity” but changed my mind. I never saw Amber again after that. I did some additional shooting for “Tenacity”. Met and became friends with Mungo McKay.
Against better judgment I started to watch a show called “Breakers”. When it came to the cast itself I found one actress to be very interesting. Emily Perry. I honestly think she's a talented actress that I hope to work with one day but that's not the only reason I'm bringing her up. Emily Perry's career inadvertently taught me a lesson I wasn't expecting when it came to the production of the animated trailer but more on that later.
2000
In June I started a relationship with Tania Zvitan.
2001
I renamed the project from “Tenacity” to “Only In The Movies” and made a television episode of “Only In The Movies”. In other words I only shot forty pages of it to see if it could work as a television series. I got some more actors involved from the Actors Workshop. One of the actresses involved was Miranda Deaken. She went on to be reporter for Brisbane Extra and has been in numerous television commercials. The man featured in the picture on the left below is Jamie Gardiner. He's one of the voices in the animated trailer.
Mathew Purcell announces that he’s moving out of Queensland. A few scenes are shot with Mathew Purcell playing Simon one more time. In the middle picture below on the top row is future trailer narrator Sally-Anne Westendorf. The woman in the pictures on the left and right on the bottom or is Boyana Young. She is one of the voice actors in the animated trailer.
At the same time “Undead” was entering production and was also getting actors from the Actors Workshop. During production of “Only In The Movies” Natasha McDonald from “Tenacity” was an extra in the television movie “The Outsider” which starred Naomi Watts.
At the second picture below Natasha is on the far left.
“Only In The Movies” was never edited together because at the end I wanted to make sure that people wanted to see it and I wasn’t sure if people would want to at that point. I thought it would be better if I came up with something that would make people want to see it but I couldn’t think of anything at that point in time. For all the hard work that the actors put into “Only In The Movies” I really felt at this time, and still do today, they deserve an audience and at that time I couldn’t provide them with one.
After that I took a break of several years as I was sick of “Only In The Movies” as I didn’t have an ending and couldn’t actually think of one.
In November Tania Zvitan and I broke up. Natasha McDonald was there for me. Tania and I became friends and we’re still friends today.
2003
“Undead” starring Mungo McKay, Lisa Cunningham and Emma Randall (voices in the animated trailer) gets released at the Brisbane International Film Festival at Hoyts Regent in August and then released via Dendy cinemas in September. You can see the trailer for the movie here.
Late September started work at NFS Market Research and met and became friends with Felicia Timperley.
2004
I met future animated trailer actor Shane Schilko. Future animated trailer actor and composer Brett Hansen also started work at NFS Market Research. In the pictures below Shane is on the left and Brett is on the right.
I also met Paul Whewell at NFS who would play a part in the website eight years later.
24-10-2004
“Big Reef” starring Angus Grant is released on television which also starred Madeleine West. Angus Grant was also in"Tenacity".
I had a severe falling out with Felicia ending our friendship.
Emily Perry from “Breakers” makes her debut in “Home And Away”. The unexpected lesson I learned from her career when it came to the production of the animated trailer is coming up soon.
I became email friends with Diane Benson after ordering a copy of the independantly made movie "Chance" on dvd online.
2005
Still feeling guilty over the end of the friendship with Felicia I decide to finish “Only In The Movies” as a way of dealing with it. As per usual Natasha McDonald was there for me as she’s one of my closest friends. Also seeing the movie “Be Cool” and being amazed by how bad it was also is a motivator in wanting to finish the story off once and for all.
2006
I finally finished it and self published it as three books with Schuurs Publishing. For more information click here.
24-6-2006
I advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald. As it's too big to fit on the page clearly click here.
24-8-2006
I advertised for the first time in the Los Angeles Times. It will be nearly six years until I advertise for the second time.
Although I was appreciative of the work done on the original covers I felt they weren’t what I needed for the books. It was not an easy decision to make but I wanted to do what was best for the trilogy. Feeling dissatisfied with the original covers I decided to have them replaced. Due to the quality of the original covers I'm not going to be putting them online.
2-9-2006
Through a mutual friend I met artist Megan Thorn.
21-9-2006
Bottom half of book three cover completed.
2007
10-1-2007
Top half of book three cover completed.
Over time various emails have been lost but prior to the final cover being finalized the rest of the illustrations were obviously completed.
1-8-2007
The final cover is completed which is the cover for “Only In The Movies: Beginning”.
I decided to make an animated trailer after having no success with “Only In The Movies”. I met with Brett Hansen who was meant to be the animator but wasn’t able to do it as it would have taken a long time and he was also preparing to get married. Brett recorded the voice of Nick for the trailer.
In early December I went to New York City to see my brother Tim as he really wanted me to go. New York City is like Sydney on steroids. It’s amazing! You'll have to excuse the expression on my face in the second photo though. I'm not that great with heights.
I came home from New York City to find out that the Brisbane office of NFS Market Research had been shut down and didn’t have a job. In spite of this I shot a video of two friends doing the actions of the trailer as a way of storyboarding it for the future animator.
While making this video I also took a shot of a building I like in the Brisbane suburb called Highgate Hill which is used in the David and Jessica scene in the animated trailer.
2008
I got a new job and I'm not allowed to say the name of the company that I work for. I only had thirty-three cents to my name before getting paid for the first time. Future voice actor for the animated trailer Greg Stone is one of my supervisors.
Tania Zvitan records her lines as Eve.
Shane Schilko records his lines as Thomas, Peter, Colin and Simon. Prior to Shane coming to my flat after work to record his lines I had recorded the Thomas, Peter, Colin, first generation Simon, David and second generation Simon lines as a precaution just in case I couldn’t get Shane or anyone else to play those parts. Thankfully Shane came through.
Mungo McKay from "Undead" and "Daybreakers" came to my residence and did the narration work for the trailer.
Over time I became friends with people on facebook and naturally checked out their pages. Another friend’s page said she was an animator but she couldn’t do it. Introduced me to a friend of hers but he couldn’t do it but got me onto the person that could.
20-5-2008
I met the animator Michelle Hawcroft at the Three Monkeys café at West End and production started on the animated trailer.
24-6-2008
I got backgrounds for the first clip.
15-7-2008
I received the first clip from Michelle which was the Eve and Thomas clip.
29-7-2008
I received the second clip which was John in bush with a psycho.
2-10-2008
I received the Polish hotel explosion clip.
27-10-2008
I became friends again with Felicia Timperley which was a massive relief to say the least because I really missed her.
13-11-2008
Greg Stone appears in an episode of “The Strip” for the Channel Nine network in Australia.
7-12-2008
Prison scene completed. Polish explosion scene revised and completed.
17-12-2008
Today I got the background for the Vietnam scene.
Production on the animated trailer continues.
2009
In early January I emailed Neal Thomas about doing a re-edit of the trilogy.
22-1-2009
Vietnam scene is completed.
31-1-2009
The first book is re-edited.
11-2-2009
Greg Stone records his part as the detective in the trailer.
22-2-2009
Cannes film festival scene gets completed.
1-3-2009
The second book is re-edited.
8-3-2009
More artwork from the tunnel scene is sent.
5-4-2009
The third book is re-edited.
28-4-2009
Mushgrove tunnel scene gets completed.
26-7-2009
Thomas on horse scenes completed.
12-9-2009
Vanessa in space shot completed.
18-10-2009
Tidal wave scene completed.
4-11-2009
Angus Grant from "Tenacity" guest stars in “City Homicide” episode entitled “Dead Weight”.
2009 was also the year I started watching a show called "All Saints" which was cancelled the year I decided to get into it. Typical! While watching this show I became a fan of Virginia Gay. In addition to Emily Perry's career a professional decision from Virginia Gay was also inadvertently part of the lesson that I wasn't expecting when it came to the production of the animated trailer.
Production continues on the animated trailer.
2010
4-2-2010
“Daybreakers” starring Ethan Hawke gets released in Australia which starred Mungo McKay, Lisa Cunningham, Emma Randall (voices in the animated trailer) and Troy Mackinder from “Tenacity”. You can see the trailer for the movie here.
20-1-2010
Paris wedding clip completed.
3-3-2010
Simon and Isabelle in bed scene completed.
In May I took various pictures in the Balmoral Cinemas, Tribal Theatre and most importantly, Hoyts Regent for storyboarding use for the trailer.
This is a photo of the projection booth from the Balmoral Cinemas.
Inside Southbank Cinemas.
Inside the Tribal Theatre.
Inside the Regent Theatre.
26-5-2010
Peter and Colin scene completed.
13-6-2010
I went to the Hoyts Regent one last time to watch the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. I learned in an email that Felicia was actually there to see “Casablanca” in the cinema next door. To this day I’m still annoyed that we missed each other because it would have been great to see her.
14-6-2010
The Hoyts Regent closes.
23-6-2010
Simon and Nick clip completed.
15-8-2010
Lisa Cunningham from “Undead” and “Daybreakers” comes in to record dialogue.
12-9-2010
Emma Randall from “Undead” and “Daybreakers” comes in to record dialogue for the trailer.
30-9-2010
I emailed Virginia Gay’s agent Sue Muggleton about the possibility of getting Virginia Gay to be the second narrator of the trailer.
8-10-2010
I went to Bundaberg for the weekend and recorded the sounds of the ocean from Kellys Beach to be added for the tidal wave clip. A few days later the recording was deleted by mistake. Or so I thought as I discovered years later.
14-10-2010
I received an email from Sue Muggleton telling me that Virginia Gay will be unable to take part in the animated trailer due to a commitment which will last well into 2011. This was a little disappointing but it was understable. The commitment turned out to be the hit series "Winners and Losers".
20-10-2010
David and Jessica scene completed.
5-11-2010
I received a rough background for the ax murderer scene.
Early December I got in touch with Mat Purcell but only to learn that his name is now Mat Ford.
7-12-2010
I took the only copy left of “Tenacity” into Procam and had it converted to dvd.
8-12-2010
Mat Ford comes over to record dialogue for the “Only In The Movies” animated trailer playing the agent.
In the picture on the left is Mat and I back in the "Tenacity" days of 1998 and the picture on the left is obviously Mat and I now.
9-12-2010
I received new test footage for the ax murderer scene.
10-12-2010
I made a video during a break at work to send to Michelle to help her get the opening of an umbrella right for the trailer. The man holding the umbrella was Dennis Bishop.
12-12-2010
I watched some of “Tenacity” on dvd. It was painful to watch and I hope the animated trailer makes up for how bad it is.
Production continues on the animated trailer.
2011
6-1-2011
I received the ax murderer clip. If you look closely at the handle you can see the word Oxlade written on it. This is named after Rebecca Oxlade from high school who nicnamed me ax murderer way back in 1990. For the record I hold no grudge at all and look back on that nickname with friendly humour. 
11-1-2011
Floods seriously start to impact on Brisbane.
12-1-2011
The second day of the flood.
13-1-2011
The third day of the flood.
14-1-2011
The fourth day of the flood. The waters have started recede but the effects are still evident.
18-1-2011
I came along the trailer for the movie “Glorious 39” by accident and briefly considered asking Romola Garai (seen below) to be part of the animated trailer but as she lives in London it obviously can’t be done which is a shame because she is very talented indeed.
I read her bio page and found an amazing quote from her and decided to put that at the start of the trailer instead. You can see the trailer for "Glorious 39" here.
19-1-2011
I started back at work after the flood.
20-1-2011
I received new version of the first clip with Thomas holding a nugget of gold instead of a bag.
28-1-2011
I started to consider sending the animated trailer to the Cannes Film Festival.
2-2-2011
A category five cyclone hits the north coast of Queensland.
3-2-2011
I’ve just spoken to Michelle and have been blown away and touched by her dedication. She just told me that from the fourteenth to the eighteenth she’s taking leave from work so she can work on the animated trailer.
I called the Times in London to get an idea of advertising rates and ended up speaking to a man called Tim Robbins. I didn’t point out that it’s the same name of an Academy Award winner that also starred in my favourite bad movie “Howard The Duck”.
I received new shots from the still incomplete clip.
4-2-2011
I received another version of the gold clip.
12-2-2011
Felicia Timperley came and recorded her line for the animated trailer. After a nearly seven year absence from my life it was great to see her again. Before she left I told her that I missed her and that it was great that we are friends again. Thankfully she agreed and recorded her line as the female presenter.
17-2-2011
The second clip is finally finished and work begins on the Awards presentation scene.
3-3-2011
