Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500189
82 M PS E . O R G my little sister's face but forgot to put Vaseline on her eyebrows and eyelashes! That was a short career. I wanted to be a fashion designer as Mum had industrial sewing machines. I would help her cut patterns and can still sew today, but I discovered the guitar and synthesisers. Music was my first real love and of course, I wanted to be a rock star or a luthier, but I became more interested in recording, so when offered the University job, I leapt at the opportunity. I started a company at 22 with my dear friend Dave Lowndes. Both our dads had passed away and our mum gave us a $10K loan each to get set up. In our first year, we earned the princely sum of $5,000. Needless to say, Dave pulled out after a couple of years, but I kept going. After working at the University, I really wanted to be a composer, but after all the years of music lessons, I still couldn't read music. I just used to listen to what the teacher played and copy it. That was a psychological heel for years for me and though I did write for film and television, I always felt somehow unworthy of the job. I'd think differently now and would still consider composing for a feature film. I started getting lots of offers for sound design and hey, presto. MC: I sort of answered this in the first question. It was a slow road of study for me until I had met the right contacts to get me into the industry. People say: "It's all about who you know," but the real key to that sentiment is that it's all about how you treat the people you know. Being an artist is all about people, the people you work with and the people who watch and support your art. I have been very fortunate that I have been able to earn a living as an artist. It was my life goal to be an artist, but it is constant work. You always need to be prepared for work to dry up and you always have to do things for free. At first, this is because you're trying to get work and need practice on student films, but even now, there are films that come along that have such heart, or are for a good cause, and you need to offer help to give back to the community of artists. What are your favourite projects Road trip in Milford Sound, New Zealand. Opposite, top: In Bluff, a town in the South Island, New Zealand.