Goodbye London, Hello New Zealand

I am packing two humungous suitcases. For anyone who doesn’t know yet, I’ve been offered an amazing opportunity, to be a Post Production Visual Effects Producer in Wellington, New Zealand for around 5 months, and I leave this Saturday night!

If you don’t know me that well and don’t understand what I do for a living, which many people don’t know, and think it is a really glamorous occupation (It's not, it's a normal job!). This is it in the most basic way I can explain it. 

I work for Visual Effects/Post Production Companies who have clients making TV shows or films. It's my job to liaise with the Clients, film producers and directors who have shot footage, which needs to have computer generated imagery applied to it. We talk with them about their vision for each small shot in the show, usually with my creative colleague who knows more than me artistically, and be it an explosion or an animated creature, we quote it up for our team of artists to work on. Our team do days and days of computer wizardry on each shot to make magical CGI scenes come to life, like the dragons in Merlin or the fake stadium crowds in a Nike advert. We review it with the client, making changes until they like how it looks. Then it gets “dropped” into the final programme. (This is video of the Making of for series 3 of Merlin - Mill TV - Merlin)

After I finished producing Merlin last year, I went on to work in commercials again, but really, TV and Film Visual effects are my “thing.” I like the people and the passion (as cheesy as that sounds) and the length of time I get to work on a project.

I’d had a few phone calls from my Friend, who left London last year to go to New Zealand and be Head of Production in a facility out there. At the time, I was lined up for some jobs in London, and as everyone knows, I LOVE my hometown, so staying here would be my preference. But I toyed with the idea, spoke to him some more, and then got officially offered the job. And it’s too amazing to turn down. It has broken my heart a little to leave my life behind here, but it’s less than 5 months, and there’s always skype. I’d be an idiot to turn down this amazing experience! I am getting very excited now!

I toyed around with the idea of starting a blog for some time, after getting hooked on others earlier this year (check out my links list on the right for my favourites). My friend and I went on Holiday and filmed everything we did. We came back and cut it together and it made for hilarious viewing! We haven’t put it online – I’m a little scared of how people might portray us in some of the drunk footage, and we really did it for friends and ourselves – but you can now see I’ve experimented a fair bit over the last few months with other stuff, and I’m really enjoying blogging. Still a bit scary putting yourself out there on the net though!

However, what better way is there to update my family and friends, than with a nice blog, where I can share my photos and experiences while I’m gone in far off Hobbit Land? You can make any comments below each post in the comments box and I can write back to you on them. Perfecto! And every time I update it, I’ll tweet and Facebook it.

I am going to miss London terribly. 

I’ll miss my family, my incredible friends, my dog, my house, my car, awful London transport, nights out…. The list goes on and on… but I’ll only be gone until Christmas, when I get to come home, and see my London at it’s best!

I love you all and see you soon! Please write to me, use the comments boxes below or keep in touch of facebook or twitter. 

Close friends and family, you know how to keep in touch with me! 

Well hopefully on a slightly more modern smartphone! 

Below are just a few of photos of the people and things I shall miss the most when I’m gone. I have a stack of photos (around 80!), which I’ll be sticking on my wall in my new place. I don’t want anyone to feel left out, I really will miss everything and everyone, my friends in London, you are the absolute best, and the friends who aren't in London, I'm not going to be dramatic and say I'll miss you terribly, but please keep in touch, we're even further apart now! 

Lots and lots and lots of love. See you back here at Christmas London!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

My Mum and Dad. I can't find any nice pictures!

My Boyfriend (May as well be!)

The two people who are going to get messages from me at ALL ridiculous times.

My Big Brother. Probably also going to get messsages at silly o'clocks. 

These two! 

My baby brother and sister. They grow fast, they'll be much bigger by Christmas! 

My Girls and the rest of my huge group of London friends. I can't start posting all of facebook on here, but know that I love you and want to hear from you all of the time. 

Kathryn and Lizzie

Sophiliscious

Anyone who I've missed, I haven't forgotten you, you just aren't photogenic enough! I'm joking! But you know who you are, Lottie, Philly, Mill TV crew, Barry, the list just goes on and on and on...

I'll be back for my 30th birthday and definitely next year's Glasto so you can all dance around me and Soph again! 

My next blog will be the first leg of my trip! 

XXX