Gidday Tim, why did you decided to work in our industry?

Like a lot of people in the industry I have a secret stash of films I made while growing up. Films which should never see the light of day, but have a lot of fond memories attached to them.

The process of making films with friends was pretty addictive and I did it as much as I could. I honed my skill of making things that I would eventually be embarrassed by during my time at Flinders University, and ever since I’ve been continuing to make things and progressively being less embarrassed by them. Part of that journey has been working and learning on film sets as a camera assistant, grip and anything else people might have me on board as. I quickly realised I enjoy being on set and being a part of making something with a team.

Tim gripping on Wanted Season 3 out in the Flinders ranges on top of the infamous Pugilist Hill. Photo by Tom Hoffie.

Who has had an influence on your career? 

There are so many DP's, Camera assistants, grips and gaffers who have been incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. Especially here in Adelaide, there’s a great community of friendly faces who want to talk about what they do. You just have to ask.

However, I wouldn’t have any kind of film career without Tim Hodgson. He brought me on to my first film set and put me forward for my first paid cam assisting gig. I also ended up stealing most of his assisting kit for my first couple of years on the job.

Then, Helen Carter and Michael Tessari were both instrumental in getting me to where I am today. The same goes for the generation of ‘Camera kids’ who were coming up around the same time as me, such as Claire Bishop, Kadison Noack, James Wire and Bonnie Paku, they are some of the most driven people I know.

Where do you think your future lies?

Like I mentioned before, I really like being on set, especially if it’s a passionate team making something together. I’ve found this happens more on smaller projects, and I was definitely radicalised while participating in the 48hr film project. Crew roles started meaning less and less as we were all writing, directing, performing, shooting and editing. The results are some of the most rewarding filmmaking experiences I’ve ever had. Definitely not the perfect way to make a film, but it’s definitely a method I find really enjoyable.

A few of us from that 48hr team started a filmmaking collective called ‘House of Spaghetti’ which has mostly been a co-working hub, but has also been a fringe venue and a mini studio, where we’ve been able to experiment with different shooting styles and formats. I’d like to continue making projects like this and seeing what we come up with.

Wilson Tran, Tim, Hebe Sayce and Kadison Noack making our 48hr film ‘House of Spaghetti’. Photo by Kristin Hamil.

Do you have any advice for other young people getting started?

 As Shakira says in the film Zootopia, ‘Oh oh oh oh oh Try Everything’. There are so many opportunities and pathways into the film industry, and while locking yourself into a role can be the right way to go, I think it’s just as important to see what else is out there. There are always things to learn in every department.

Pic: Focus pulling for Tim Hodgson on The Fritz in January this year. Significantly less hair! Photo by the director Conor McCarron.

Thanks Tim, a short but sweet profile. There's a recurring theme in many of our profiles and that is how so many of you enjoy the collaborative process of making films together and how generous SA crew from all departments are in sharing their knowledge. Good times!