The Northern Rivers Times
November 9, 2023
18 NEWS
“Leemo has views on just about anything”
‘THE CURLY HAIR & MANGO CHUTNEY CHAT’
It’s raining & a wee bit chilly to-day hence I’m snuggled up in favourite plush blue blankie wondering what time my next treats are due; I’m also pondering if I would perhaps look even more handsome with curly fur? Hmmm? I’ll ask ‘Mum Jane’ her opinion. (it’s ‘Leemo Cat’ here.) ‘Mumsie, I saw photos of cats with curly fur recently and was most taken with the ‘look’; SO, may I get curly fur please and if I don’t like it can it be changed back to my current (also most pleasing) fur style?’ CRIKEY, the look I got to my most elementary request was as if I’d asked her for the Moon. ‘Leems, you have frankly, as much chance of me agreeing to your absurd request as you have of catching lightning in a bottle. ZILCH! I am exceedingly busy making Mango Chutney for our CWA Branch right now, so if you wish to continue this discussion you can get right in here & peel some mangoes & do something useful.’ YUK POOH, mangoes are slimy & hard to hold in my paws & my razor sharp claws tend to combine the skin with the flesh of the mango and my coat and my paws get messy & I get in trouble from ‘bossy bat’ Mum. NUP, I’m not doing it! I wonder if there’s anything easier? ‘Mumsie, perhaps I could just be the official “taster” of your Chutney? I will let you know if I believe it worthy of contributing as a Christmas Treat (to go with Ham &
Turkey, Chook & stuff) to sell at your CWA Stall...whaddya’ reckon?’ The ‘old woman’ spoke, aaaargh! (LOUD VOICE!) ‘Leemo, are you aware of, as a supposed avid & intelligent feline follower of news, the discrepancies in the price of R2E2 mangoes right now!! If you think I’m wasting one weeny lick of this chutney on your ‘pretend’ culinary tasting skills you’re completely wrong. And, I do not wish to even spare one tiny thought for your wish to have a PERM, gottit?’ A PERM…what IS she talking about? Do mangoes get permed? Oh no; she continued. ‘Leems, I have been looking for reasonably priced mangoes recently. One shop wanted $6.99 for ONE mango? The next shop was $3.40 each. The third shop had the same mangos for $1.57 each? Go figure? AND, might I add, the cost of a PERM (which relates to your fur, not mangoes, you absurd cat) these days, for your fur length, is $150 to $180. So, you are not going to be a taster of the chutney and you ARE NOT getting a perm…gottit? Eeek, I STILL don’t know what a perm is but have figured it’s NOT mango related. Should I ask? YEP, I surely will. ‘Mumsie, WHAT’S a PERM?’ ‘Leems, I was born with & afflicted by CURLY hair. This was AOK for a couple of years in the late 70’s and early 80’s when ‘AFRO’ hair was most popular. But, in general, my curly thin hair has been a torment. I envied people with straight hair. What I found confounding Leems, was that some people actually WANTED curly hair so they had PERMS, which use strong chemicals to alter the natural shape of hair and texture. These chemicals cause long lasting damage to the hair (or fur) strand but provide temporary curls. SO, you’re not having a PERM and I’m going back to my chutney with or without your help. Gottit? Oopsie, time to quickly snuggle again in plushie blankie. Nitey for now, Leemo.
Local talent, global impact: Cameron’s Kia ad editing win As a film editor with a distinct music video style, successful SAE Creative Media Institute graduate Cameron Drew has collaborated with renowned brands like The Australian, Kellogg’s, Coopers, Asics, and a range of artists including Angus Stone, Tapz, and Chikazaza. Earlier this month, Cameron was recognised by the global SAE community for his outstanding work on the Kia Seltos international advertising campaign, winning Best Film & TV Production. Cameron discussed the creative process behind the award-winning project, the skills he learned at SAE, and how he’s made a meaningful career as a freelance film editor. The Kia Seltos advertising campaign, which featured the music of American rapper and singer Jack Harlow, was played globally at the start of 2023. The editing process, which took two weeks to complete, Cameron explained was far from straightforward. “It was a fun project to be a part of, but it was also the toughest job I’ve ever worked on,” Cameron said. “The director and I had about
Cameron Drew
60 hours of footage to go through, and it wasn’t scripted either. When you watch the ad, it has a cool flow to it, but it took a lot of time to get it down to under a minute. “The only original transition, from the creative treatment, that stayed in the final cut was where the camera flies out of the car window, and you have this big 3D segment where it flies around the car,” Cameron added. “We had a lot of cool shots and footage, and it was just up to the director and I to piece it all together.” On 12 October, the 18th annual SAE International Awards were held in Cologne, Germany. The awards celebrate the best alumni and student work from SAE’s 48 campuses around the world. With 16 categories and over 500 entries, Cameron’s editorial work on the Kia Seltos project was recognised for Best Film & TV Production, something which he was blown away by. “I had just finished boxing, and I checked my phone, and I noticed I’d received this email that said I’d won - I was super stoked,” Cameron enthused. “It’s
pretty wild and quite an honour to say I’ve been recognised by the SAE international community.” Looking back at his time at SAE Byron Bay, where he studied the accelerated two-year Bachelor of Film Production, Cameron explained how the degree prepared him for the industry. “The most important thing I got from my time at SAE, aside from the skills, was the body of work and learning business skills, like how to set up a website,” he said. “I still use the same domain I created at SAE, and that was what secured my first job.” After graduating in 2015, Cameron secured a role as an editor at Emmy Award winning creative production company, Infinity Squared, and in 2019 took the plunge to become a freelance editor. “To start with, it was incredibly tough, as the pandemic had just begun, but things started to pick up and I’ve been busy ever since. Over the years I’ve built some good relationships with directors, and they’re the ones that ultimately
employ you,” Cameron said. “Next week, I’m working with a director I’ve never spoken to, but I was recommended to him by another director I’d worked with, so there’s a lot of word of mouth that goes on in the industry.” With a unique music video filmmaking style, Cameron said that even though he’s not influenced by other creatives, he does like to expose himself to as much content as possible. “I spend a lot of time watching a lot of ads and movies and if I get a good feeling about it, then that may be something I use as inspiration down the road,” he said. Even though film editing can be a lonely business that involves many hours behind a computer screen, Cameron emphasised that there are some key traits any budding editor must have if they want to make it in the industry. “You’ve got to have a passion for storytelling. They can have simple narratives, but if you’re interested in changing the way people interpret the world, then that can be impactful.”
