Late in 2016 I had the pleasure of being hired as a Brisbane DOP by Melbourne Production Company The Woolshed Company. These guys have done some amazing things to get their company to the level it is in such a short period of time. They work with a variety of Camera Operators and Directors of Photography like myself to get the most suitable footage for each job.
Paddy Mithen, a fantastic young Producer at The Woolshed Company contacted me about an upcoming shoot at the North Bundaberg Cricket Club in Queensland. After the devastating floods that destroyed so much of Queensland in 2013, Norths had to rebuild their entire club. Their story is one of intense community spirit and courage in the face of hard times. The ability that so many Queenslanders have, to pick themselves up and push through shines through this club, and a big driving force behind them is the history of the club itself. North Bundaberg Cricket club has been around for 120 years! With the spirit and energy in the place, I have no doubt it will be around for at least another 120.
Paddy and our Photographer Ben flew in from Melbourne on the Friday afternoon. I met them at Brisbane Airport after finishing an all day shoot there. In the 4 hours it took to drive to Bundaberg we chatted about our approach for the following days shoot. It was to be an early 4:30am start, 3 locations, 6 interviews and we had to be back on the road by 1pm so that the boys could make their flight from Brisbane back home to Melbourne in time. We opted for an early night, but not before enjoying some of Bundabergs finest Sugarcane Champagne (Bundaberg Rum). When in Rome!
We got cracking early with a few drone shots and establishers. As the day progressed, dark storm clouds began slowly forming above our heads. While they gave me a nice natural diffusion from the blaring sun, it doesn’t exactly give you that “sunny day of cricket” feeling, it also makes you work a lot quicker as to avoid a sudden, shoot ruining downpour.
After interviewing the cricketers, coaches and kids at the club, you start to get an idea of what it was truly like after the Queensland floods. Storage sheds were washed away, car bodies were left on ovals, the clubhouse was completely submerged in water. Floodwater is horrible. It stinks, and leaves sediment absolutely everywhere. The club officials explained to us that they had long discussions about them probably having to end the club then and there. It cost a lot of money to keep these places going under normal circumstances, let alone once the entire club and facilities have been destroyed.
Thank god for the Toyota Good for Cricket Raffle, one of Australia’s biggest grassroots fundraising campaigns. Toyota gives a club a car to raffle off and use the funds gained from the raffle to buy new equipment, rebuild and repair. Without the raffle, it may have been the end for the North Bundaberg Cricket Club, and all 120 years of foundation that went into it.
Midday came around, and we were all sweating profusely in the intense humidity under the now incredibly dark sky. We finished the shoot fantastic footage we were all stoked on, packed up all our gear and clambered back into the car to head back to Brisbane. As soon as we hit the highway, what I can only describe as a torrential downpour began.
The incredible amount of rain limited us to speed of 80kmh at best, and the visibility was no more than a few meters in front of our car. Halfway back to Brisbane, a Gum tree had come crashing onto the road, stopping all the traffic. A quick Google Maps session found an alternative route along some dirt roads running from the highway. As we took the roads it started to become clear that our new route wasn’t going to be much easier, trees and debris littered the road. At one point I was literally running along in front of our car in the pouring rain to push and pull branches and other debris out of our path. We finally got back onto the highway, and with the rain still bucketing down, continued to crawl back to Brisbane amidst incredible lightning strikes and more downed trees. With the flight time looming the boys made it to the airport with minutes to spare.
The whole time in the car I realised just how quickly the weather can change in Queensland, flooding frequently threatens towns just like Bundaberg, and the sports clubs and businesses that reside in them. I am grateful that with my camera, and filmmaking skills I can help tell the stories of people affected by these forces of nature, and the positive things like the Toyota Good For Cricket Raffle that can help them.
