I quit my Laboratory Technician job in Sydney in 1995 at 22 years of age, enlisted in the Australian Army and after initial training became an administration soldier. I was posted to the Royal Military College in Canberra at the end of '96. This role often required that I produce design tasks (flyers, posters etc) using MSWord (lots of WordArt), MSPaint and all the office tools of the late '90s that a non-graphics cell had available.
Being an army clerk in Canberra in the '90s; I was not required to be away from base often, irregularly or for long stretches of time and had regular access to computers, printers and the internet. At a bit over 3 years, my first posting to the ACT was the longest period that I had the same mailing address in my 14 1/2 years service.
In 1997 I started making a fanzine and by late '98, stumbled upon music sequencing and editing software as well as royalty free loops. I used audio rips for vocals, which allowed me to create themes or stories mixed over looped music compositions. Sometimes using samples from a single source or depending upon the track, from a variety of sources (movies, TV, documentaries, internet media etc ... my phone).
Basically, using memorable movie quotes or humorous lines and a gratuitous amount of explicit language for the samples over simple music tracks ... trying to make my mates laugh ... mostly.
Around this time, I picked up my first video camera. Which led to me capturing a lot more of my own, often very unique, audio/video recordings through encounters and travels.
Not Suitable For Work.
Explicit Language. Adult themes.
(Let's get pissed) A Good Thing (original recording 1999. Remix 2000. Video 2003)
Not Suitable For Work.
Explicit lyrics. Depictions of violence/combat
Fan Art - (Alternate videos - c 1999/2000).
Overdubbing of Machine Gun Fellatio's - Yankees, with the Vietnamese village aerial assault scene
from Stanley Kubrick's Apocalypse Now!
from Stanley Kubrick's Apocalypse Now!
With PC upgrades, I progressed onto the entry level video editing programs. I also purchased more computer music programs and 10s of 1000s of royalty free loops. Tracks recorded as Lacklustre and Nurse Ether have been included on radio 2XX (Electricity - Capital Beats) and 4ZZZ (Gizmo) produced compilation CDs.
In June 2000, I deployed to East Timor for six months and I have recorded a few hours of footage (in glorious 4:3, analogue Hi8) and have a few photos of this tour.I also took my PC and partial compositions (plus in-country vocal support from SJW77) to Timor with me and likely to have produced (some of) the first music in the democratically elected Free East Timor/Timor-Leste, recording as Voice of Dog.
Kate & me - (unknown photographer, Dili, East Timor 2000)
We redeployed to Australia in December 2000 and I returned to Far North Queensland. In 2001 I joined a local group who were DJing and promoting monthly outdoor rave/doof events. I started using Photoshop 7 and many unlicensed plug-ins to produce promotional flyers and a few other graphic design projects almost exclusively for my own music and video productions.
October '01 saw the Australian Defence Force go to war in Afghanistan whilst maintaining the current dozen or so peacekeeping missions, including East Timor, that Australia was already involved in.
The tempo, training and work of all defence members significantly increased and this once again increased with our participation in the re-invasion of Iraq in March '03.
In 2002 I produced Mad Music For Mad Minds a short film/documentary about our outdoor events and it was screened during the Perth Film Festival 2003. An interview with the stations film host was featured for a week on Triple J. By this time I had also produced visuals for local club promoters/DJs as well as Australian DJs Paul Holden and Phil K when they played in Townsville (circa 2002/03).
In October '03 I was fortunate to have been selected for one of the most valued deployments by army clerks, Operation MAZURKA. This is Australia's contribution to the Multi-national Force and Observers in the Sinai, Egypt. When I deployed, I took my Canon XL1 Mini DVCam (all 4:3) and my Olympus OM-10 film camera.In January '04 I took leave from Egypt and spent 10 days in Western Europe travelling to England, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Wales.
I realised that my photography skills were very hit and miss.
Paris (Jan 2004)
Once I returned to Egypt, I spent a good deal of time learning how to use the OM-10. I purchased the aperture priority attachment. Also, I had picked up a really nice lens on my last trip across the border to Be'er Sheva. Having access to Kodak in the local town of El Arish meant that I could take lots of photos, have them printed very quickly and cheaply, allowing me to really find out what worked, whilst recording all settings for reference against the prints.El Gorah Barracks. West boundary (c Feb 2004)
South Eastern Israel (c Feb 2004)
(c Feb 2004) Dusk/evening in Tel Aviv
It was so much fun but I wasn't supposed to be alone, or driving (or getting the hire car) to random places all over the country, especially since this was during the Second Palestinian Intifada.
Before returning to Australia I took leave spending an extra week in Cairo.
Ramses II, Memphis Egypt (April 2004)
On my return to Australia I was posted to a few more units in Queensland.
However, whilst on temporary duty in Sydney in 2005, I purchased an Apple G5 PowerPC with the Final Cut 5 Suite and Logic Pro 7.
Sydney Harbour, bridge and CBD from Milsons Point, North Sydney at night (2005).
I also picked up the tutorial books and taught myself (poorly) these programs.
Initially, I joined the 3rd class instructing team, training the fresh recruits and current serving soldiers in their first six months of officer training. I moved with the class mid year to join the 2nd class team and for the first time found myself working (and instructing) in an Infantry platoon structure, training the junior leaders to become Platoon Commanders before their final 6 months of complex operations phase. The instructional teams worked about 60% of 2007, day and night, with minimal leave periods.
In 2008, I was re-allocated to the External Training Wing of the College, which was responsible for the training of Direct Entry, Reserve and ADFA officer trainees. The position was Co-ordination Sergeant and if 2007 was hard, this was off the hook busy. We worked roughly 75-80% of the year (day and night), our biggest training block (three consecutive courses back to back no breaks) was over a 3 1/2 month period where I had one and half days off. At the end of 2008, we had completed 10 courses over the year.
During this time I gained my Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Certificate IV in Government Business.
After Canberra, I was posted to the 1st Aviation Regiment in Darwin which was my last posting.
I discharged from the army in 2010 and relocated to the house I had purchased on the West Coast of Tasmania, where I now live.
The ripples in space time (audio/video c 2010)
Over here, I have worked as a Laboratory Technician at a gold mine and as an Employment Advisor. The EA role often required graphic design tasks from simple office signage to formal notification and warning signs (Fire Warden/First Aid, Evacuation floorplan etc). Additionally, I was also required to develop and implement 'work ready' training packages. I researched and used available resources to create a 4 day employment preparation course, presented using Powerpoint and student handbooks and workbooks created for their use; Using only MS Office tools.
2013-15 I served as the President of the Queenstown RSL. As part of this voluntary role, I created and maintained the clubs social media accounts and produced promotional material as well as planning and coordinating the clubs remembrance/other services and functions. The 2015 Anzac Day program was compiled using GIMP for creating the pages or page articles and Open Office for booklet formatting, then exported to PDF for print.
Whilst I have stood down from the position now, I will still be involved in the club's promotions and I have been asked to produce flyers and the events program for the 2016 local Anzac Day services.
Sequence of events - Queenstown Anzac Day Service 2015 program.
The Queenstown Tasmania Cenotaph (2015)
2015-16 I volunteered once a month as an invigilator for a local man who is studying his MBA by distance education.
With my previous experience, these upcoming projects and many more personal project ideas and through the Certificate 3 in Graphic Pre-Press course, I aim to gain the required skills and knowledge to become or put me on the path to becoming a successful Freelance Graphic Designer.
My photography and digital drawings
My videos
Links/contact
CSFrost
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