Why does an ex Cinematographer \/ Commercial Director \/ Television script writer escape at every opportunity to a few hectares of land in the Overberg mountains of the Western Cape?<\/p>\n
So it goes\u2026<\/strong><\/em> The trouble is that all sorts of other \u201cstuff\u201d goes with making movies, including delusions, egos, enough nasty people to spoil the fun, and unemployment, so I\u2019m heading for the hills, gradually.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve lived in Johannesburg, on and off, for nearly forty years for only one reason: that was where the TV and Film industry used to be based. That is no longer true.\u00a0 Johannesburg has become Soapie Swamp, which provides little opportunity for satisfying work in any of the fields in which I have expertise, while Cape Town has become the major source of work for our film audition studio.<\/p>\n I think that life in South African cities will become increasingly unpleasant and expensive. Political policies have already endangered our food security, energy costs will inevitably rise and social unrest will increase as population density increases.<\/p>\n I\u2019m learning very little that is new about the film industry, and I need the stimulation of learning something new \u2013 so why not Veggie farming on a small scale? Of all the places I\u2019ve travelled to within South Africa, the Western Cape has felt the most comfortable with regard to geography and culture. I hope that the gentler surroundings will also give me the chance to get back to what I have most enjoyed doing for several decades – writing<\/a>.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m not a fanatic tree-hugger, I do subscribe to a philosophy of environmentally responsible living, following the principle that \u201cSufficient\u201d is better than \u201cExcess\u201d. I\u2019ve been a life-long tinkerer, so as I learn new things or use simple tools to make whatever gadget is required I\u2019ll post the details here.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve found this site by clicking around where dull people wouldn\u2019t think of clicking, you probably have the same kind of restless mind that I have, so you might enjoy what this site will become.<\/p>\n Digby Young, January 2011<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Why does an ex Cinematographer \/ Commercial Director \/ Television script writer escape at every opportunity to a few hectares of land in the Overberg mountains of the Western Cape? So it goes\u2026 Once upon a time, I thought that … Continue reading
\nOnce upon a time, I thought that all I ever wanted to do was to make movies, preferably from my own scripts\u2026.<\/p>\n