The Arts in Wollongong – From the Grass Roots Up

1>Your full name; AK47
2>Your DOB; You’ll have to guess.
3>Your Current Career; Lawyer.
4>Your favourite Film and Play; I have two: Lawrence of Arabia and Zulu
5>Your favourite Book; Lord of the Rings. I would like to say everything that Salmon Rushdie writes, but that’s more than one book.

Interview Questions; (Being that Aaron is a Lawyer and has sparing time, I emailed him these questions and this was his reply.)

1.       Where did the idea for Metro Orion originate?

The idea came from watching news articles about Police in Columbia forming squads to go around and cull homeless people, especially kids, in order to try to cut down the number of them who were then filling up the streets. I thought of how it would be useful to actually have some sort of organisation that goes in and gets those kids out and to safety. And so that’s where the idea behind Metro Orion first began to form. It’s come a fair way since then.

2.       How long has the idea been forming for, when did it first form and how has it changed and developed over time.

I first started working on it when I was in uni but then slowly drifted away from it while doing other stuff. It wasn’t until I met up with some really creative people who supported it that I began to develop it into what it is now. It’s changed a great deal with more defined characters and the story arc has moved away from a humanitarian focus to a more character centric approach in which my main concern is a group of characters trying hard to do the right thing in difficult circumstances. A grace under fire arc.

3.       How did you personally get into performance? (acting, directing, writing)

I studied piano when I was a kid and so through that I kind of slowly developed into performance from there. From there I started doing stuff like rock eisteddfod and its a kind of one thing led to the other.

4.       How long have you been involved in performance in Wollongong

About 16 or so years I think. Pretty sure that’s right.

5.       What types of performance in your life have you done?

Anything I could try. Plays, musicals, I’ve even worked on dance stuff and straight concerts. Most recently I’ve been working on performances of some of my compositions for string quartet and that’s been really rewarding.

6.       Can you give me a brief history of your life in performance?

Nope. It’s really long I suppose and besides it’s not really my life. It’s more something I do while I’m not working or doing the stuff I regularly do. I guess the thing for me is that it’s a hobby, and a chance to relax and have fun. I have taken it seriously from time to time and I suppose sometimes you can get so involved that it becomes obsessive and you start worrying and arguing over details that ultimately mean little (if anything at all). So it’s been a very positive thing to step back and slow down a little and just take things as they come. One of the best things is to be involved in someone else’s project, playing in the pit band or just helping out and not having to worry about the whole thing. That’s really enjoyable and I think I probably enjoy that the most.

7.       How have you found filming in the Illawarra?

It’s an incredibly beautiful place, the sort of area where there’s so many different things you can point a camera at. From the mountains to the ocean and it all looks fantastic. We have a very diverse landscape all within close proximity so it’s been terrific.

8.       Is there much support available for up and coming directors in the Illawarra?

If you’re independent and don’t have a government grant I guess the answer is no. But I haven’t really tried to get support. The key support available here and it’s been available in a huge quantity, is the support that comes from people who volunteer to get involved and see through that commitment to the end. We have had up to 40 people working on the film at various times and although you lose people along the way (and you have to expect that will happen when you can’t afford to pay people), mostly everyone we started out with are still with us and still incredibly supportive. People gave over their homes and their properties for us to shoot on and use as a studio and it’s been fantastic to receive that support. It shows that community theatre might be in decline but community cinema is definitely starting to light up.

9.       How about in NSW?

Can’t really say on that.

10.   What do you prefer to act in movies or theatre?

Theatre – live audience is great fun, whereas acting for film is extremely disjointed and it is never obvious what the whole performance will be until months after you shoot. In the theatre, you can experience the whole of the performance and leave the venue each night, having experienced it from start to finish. That’s particularly rewarding.

11.   What do you prefer to direct movies or theatre?

Movies – the pace is much better and more conducive to making people have the time and environment where you’re not stressed out and the pressure is a bit off (in some respects). The process is incredibly creative and the opportunity to capture a performance, then try it again, a little bit more this or a little bit less that, gives you the chance to get the widest possible set of ingredients from which to mix together your final performance. I think that makes for a more thorough performance in the end.

12.   Could you recount for me your favourite moment in your life in performance

My favourite moment is whatever I’m working on at the moment. I guess that’s a bit of a cliché but I try really hard to look at what I’m doing rather than re-hash old stuff. I must say though there has been some hilarious things happen and it’s kind of always the moments where things go wrong, the bloopers, that are the best memories. I have a particular recollection of a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar that I directed years ago and I was standing in the back of the theatre watching the Hosanna scene that comes early in the first half. The whole company was on stage and everything was working perfectly and they were all singing their guts out. I was extremely proud of them and of the production and it was a moment that was really very positive. I guess it sticks out all the more so because the performance was a matinee which are often not the best performances for a variety of reasons. But on this occasion, the performance hit every mark and it just worked perfectly. But my best experience to date was watching the expression on the faces of some of the actors in Metro Orion as they watched an early teaser for the film and they were so happy with what they had achieved. I was really thrilled by that.