RICHARD BLADEL BIOGRAPHY
It's kind of a long story...
I began my screen theory & production education in Sydney in the mid 1980’s at the University of Technology. My teachers were independent women filmmakers Sarah Gibson, Gillian Leahy, Erika Addis and Liz Jacka. These inspiring artists had a huge impact on me, both in developing an aesthetic sensibility, in terms of story education & technical training, and in practical terms, how to gain a foothold in the fast paced, competitive film industry of the 1980’s.
I’ve worked in multiple professional crew roles in features, short dramas, documentaries, TV advertising & music videos during my career, so I have a broad appreciation of the film making process.
My first professional film crew role was in 1987 as First Assistant Director for Director Geoff Bennett on 4 short drama films about racism for the TAFE Film Unit (Walls, Walkway, The Joker & Time Out) shot by Steve Arnold, ACS.
I went on to work on independent short dramas, documentaries, music videos, corporate and feature films, notably as a First Assistant Director for Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City) on large budget music videos for UK acts The Cutting Crew (The Scattering & Everything but my Pride), Colin Hay (singer, Men at Work) and with the Tower Creative Group on The Divinyls (Backs to the Wall) among others.
I worked as a Grip on 2 x 25 min dramas The Life Education Series directed by Sarah Gibson & Susan Lambert with DOP Joel Peterson (Red Heart Productions) and Aids & Youth, a 30 min drama doc for Health Media, directed by Kate Stone & DOP John Whitteron. In 1989 I was an Assistant Grip & 2nd Unit Gaffer with DOP Sally Bongers on Sweetie, Director Jane Campion’s first feature film.
While still in Sydney, I co-produced and co-directed various music videos, including for Louis Tillet (Carousel) and was DOP/Camera Operator on Died Pretty's music videos Winterland & Towers of Strength.
Back in Hobart in the early 90’s, I was a Grip and Assistant Gaffer on a number of TV Commercials for The Production House, The Image Designers and Ogilvy Mather & Mazengarb with DOP’s Chris Morgan and Russell Galloway.
In 2001 I was founding Artistic Director of Tasmanian Community Arts & Cultural Development company Kickstart Arts. Our work was focused upon the health promotion qualities of arts & cultural production. I produced, shot and/or edited a great many short films & promos about the communities and projects that Kickstart engaged. I also mentored many first time filmmakers to tell their stories. From 2011 to 2016 I was part of filmmaking & arts team on The Happiness Project that made 74 short films with 8 regional communities across Tasmania. These stories were inspired by creative processes that explored the true nature of happiness and what people value most in their lives. The films were created & screened in these local communities in a solar powered portable cinema, creating a statewide dialogue about values, happiness and positive mental health. The project was unanimously commended to have made a significant contribution to the positive mental health of rural Tasmanians by both houses of the Tasmanian parliament in 2004.
My other work in film during this time included as Producer, Co-Director with Andry Sculthorpe, videography & editing 4 short films for the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre's Land Management agency (milaythina pakana, Hummocky, The Bird Islands & preminghana)
I recently completed a feature length documentary called Illusion Farm, about Dorje Ling, Australia’s oldest Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre and The Walkout Step, a short film with pakana performer Aunty Cheryl Mundy about her family story connected to an artwork of the same name, which redefines the meaning of a colonial orphanage in St Johns Park, New Town.
