It's exciting to see a local photographer develop their skills and start getting work for multinational companies.
Within the space of a few years Rocco Pirrottina has moved from winning competitions to delivering advertising images for multinational and international clients including Woolworths and, recently, Vogue Magazine.
He is also an active video producer and cameraman. Over the years he has developed a style and, through disciplined attention to detail, his services are now sought by many commercial clients.
A given month for Pirrottina can comprise of shooting fashion, commercial products, corporate events and camping out in the bush for a documentary, as well as travelling with a production crew around Australia to produce content for national and international audiences.
“Aside from working as a member of the crew, I always love taking the role of director. I spent 12 months as Director of Photography on a Sydney-based project destined for Australian and European viewers. A lot of organising and meetings lead to a precision shoot and delivery,” he says.
“Travelling is in my blood, I travel frequently from state to state producing content for a diverse client base. One week I am on location in Melbourne shooting Formula class racing cars at Phillip Island for TV, and then onto a plane to Sydney or Adelaide covering something completely different."
Rocco Pirrottina's dedication to photography and video work is evident in the commitment required for freelance work. "It is a demanding field which works very tightly on time management," he says.
"I have on occasions, come home from a shoot in Sydney, a quick change of clothes and gear and off again to Melbourne or Adelaide for another scheduled job. It can be exciting and and stressful, but also a great opportunity to be part of a new project, meet new people in the industry and learn more. I have worked with many inspiring and talented people."
Pirrottina's talent was obvious when he won our Leeton-based photography competition in 2014. By that time he'd already won many awards locally, as well as collecting a silver and two bronze in the Epson International Panoramic Awards in 2013.
The Riverina landscape has been an inspiration in his work and he has shown the natural beauty of the region to a wider audience. “I enjoy promoting the beauty of Australia. I especially like promoting our local area and all the agriculture and scenic vistas.”
In addition to commercial photography and video production, he also enjoys getting outdoors and producing content focusing on nature. One particular personal project titled 'The Gathering' caught the attention of Sony Professional USA. "That video was a project for love, so it was gratifying to see their interest in my work," said Pirrottina.
It is remarkable that Rocco Pirrottina is largely self-taught and it is his passion for photography that has translated into a career in the burgeoning field known as the creative industries. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours!
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 March 2016
Friday, 22 January 2016
Pioneer Park Museum receives Oscar
Griffith's Pioneer Park Museum was visited by Oscar, the son of curator and Western Riverina Arts' communications officer Jason Richardson. Together they produced this short video on the exhibits that appeal to an 11-year old. Oscar also recently spoke with M&GNSW.
Thursday, 17 December 2015
Guy Sebastian set to visit Griffith
Having conquered charts and stages internationally, Guy Sebastian is now set to embark on his “YOU…ME…US” major national regional tour in early 2016.
Fresh off the back from sell out Arena tours, the International Eurovision stage and an acclaimed European tour, Guy Sebastian is set to bring his sound and style to regional Australia with this special stripped back tour, and Griffith audiences are set to be thoroughly entertained when he stops at Griffith Regional Theatre on Sunday 14 and Monday 15 February.
Whilst having received international acclaim, Guy Sebastian is a true blue Aussie. He is firmly cemented in Australia’s music history with his plethora of awards, album sales, sell-out concerts and fans as proof alone. Presenting his music across the country in 2016 is further testament to his home-grown down to earth attitude and innocent love of Australia.
Manager Griffith Regional Theatre and Art Gallery, Sarah Boon said Guy remains the only Australian male artist to have ever achieved six number one singles and two number one albums in chart history.
“Quite simply, he has become one of Australia’s greatest assets and his live shows continue to demonstrate why he has achieved such success,” said Mrs Boon.
“We have been working for over two years to get Guy to perform here and are beyond excited to have the tour stop here in Griffith in early 2016 – Griffith Regional Theatre is one of 30+ concerts already scheduled in regional Australia. I know the audience is going to love every minute of his performance.”
These special concerts will see Guy return to venues and towns that he hasn’t performed in for some years.
With ARIA Awards, over 11 top ten singles, multi-platinum albums, platinum and gold certifications, over 3 million album sales, a wife, 2 children and a voice and stage show he is excited to deliver, Guy Sebastian is ready to present his music once again to regional Australia.
“I love just getting out and meeting people. Some of the characters I come across in regional Australia are some of the most interesting people and stories I have met. I’m really looking forward to this tour and stripping back some of the elements and making it all about the music”, said Guy.
Monday, 31 August 2015
Bring To Light a local angle
Video to promote Jason Richardson's collaboration with Trent's Cafe for Bring To Light Projects 2015. See Facebook for more.
Monday, 10 August 2015
How do the arts help students?
Australian research has identified the value of participating in arts experiences in school. The study is based on 643 primary and secondary school students from 15 schools over the course of two years.
Monday, 20 July 2015
Imagine Me in Leeton and Griffith
Imagine Me is an innovative project empowering people with spinal cord injury, to explore their imagination in creative photography and digital-imaging workshops.
The aim being to foster greater community understanding towards people living with disability, and open up new creative opportunities by building skills and fostering community engagement.
Participants are invited to a series of workshops where they develop their creative imagination and learn photography in the process of making a self portrait. using photographic equipment specially adapted for people with limited mobility. This equipment enables someone with quadriplegia to control a digital camera and professional photographic studio using a mouth-stick with a mobile-phone.
In the workshops participants learn skills in photography through a creative process involving experimentation and expressing ideas, primary to the process of making art. Peer support is a valuable part of community health and well-being and this workshop process encourages people to share stories, to build resilience and broaden and build new social networks.
The longer-term vision for Imagine Me is to run creative workshops along with a touring exhibition of the artworks across Australia, that will raise public awareness and foster greater empathy for people living with disability, and encourage participation in the cultural life of local communities.
Imagine Me will be at the Griffith Library from 2-7 November and at Leeton Multipurpose Centre from 9-14 November. Phone 0412 810 745 or email imagineme [at] royalrehab.com.au
Participants are invited to a series of workshops where they develop their creative imagination and learn photography in the process of making a self portrait. using photographic equipment specially adapted for people with limited mobility. This equipment enables someone with quadriplegia to control a digital camera and professional photographic studio using a mouth-stick with a mobile-phone.
In the workshops participants learn skills in photography through a creative process involving experimentation and expressing ideas, primary to the process of making art. Peer support is a valuable part of community health and well-being and this workshop process encourages people to share stories, to build resilience and broaden and build new social networks.
The longer-term vision for Imagine Me is to run creative workshops along with a touring exhibition of the artworks across Australia, that will raise public awareness and foster greater empathy for people living with disability, and encourage participation in the cultural life of local communities.
Imagine Me will be at the Griffith Library from 2-7 November and at Leeton Multipurpose Centre from 9-14 November. Phone 0412 810 745 or email imagineme [at] royalrehab.com.au
Thursday, 19 March 2015
Artist in resonance
Jason Richardson is a musician based in Leeton, where he works part-time as Western Riverina Arts communications officer.
Above is a video made for ABC Open on how regional living changed his music-making.
ABC Open are offering video-making workshops for anyone interested, click here.
Monday, 9 February 2015
Singing in Wiradjuri
Beaut animation accompanying a Wiradjuri version of the classic song "Heads and shoulders". It's great to hear the language of the original inhabitants of the Riverina.
Friday, 28 November 2014
Dream Big 2014: DIY Public Relations
Western Riverina Arts' communication officer Jason Richardson shared his experiences in public relations at Dream Big in 2014. Watch the video to hear his presentation and read more below.
Communications is a broad subject, today will focus mostly on public relations and a bit on marketing.
I have around 20 years experience in writing about the arts. My first articles were published in BMA Magazine in 1994, including reviews and interviews with my friends' bands.
One thing I like about my work promoting the arts in the Western Riverina is that it's a lot like the work I did for BMA. I speak with people about their enthusiasms and I think a key part of doing this is by conveying this enthusiasm.
PR is often disparaged, people think it's manipulative. I'm going to argue it's important for artists as much as anyone promoting their work or event.
Obviously it's a great tool for marketing but good PR changes perceptions. For artists, writers and anyone in a creative pursuit this is valuable.
The feedback I get from helping people see their story in the media is that they get a great response from family, friends and colleagues as a result.
This is great because it makes your creative pursuits more valuable. You're no longer nurturing a dream, you're living it. Recognition in the media is recognition that your investment in something you enjoy is valuable.
And as media organisations cut budgets for journalism, PR becomes a key part of producing news content.
It's estimated there are as many people working in public relations as journalists. Many media outlets run PR material as content.
A study in 2010 found around half of the content in newspapers was driven by PR, from 42% in Sydney Morning Herald to 70% in The Daily Telegraph.
In my view public relations is the skill of making media want to tell your story. There are many ways to do this and today I'll offer a few ideas on how to create a compelling narrative.
Storytelling is fundamental to this pursuit.
There's an apocryphal story that the popular author Stephen King knows what will excite audiences, what will make their hearts beat, because he keeps the heart of a child in a jar in the top drawer of his writing desk.
If this wasn't just a story, I'd guess that many journalists would keep a turd in the top drawer of their desk because anytime they're presented with a story idea one of the first questions they'd ask themselves is "do I give a shit?"
In fact, earlier this year I heard an editor who handles content for a few of Australia's leading youth media websites talk about rating stories on a "give-a-shit-o-meter".
There's no simple answer to give your story this element, which is also known as sticky-ness. Sorry, I realise that's not a great image at this point.
One method that's been good for me when I want to figure out what the key element of a story should be is to talk about it with a friend or write down dots points. Simple but both of these techniques change your relationship to facts as you start to arrange them to form a narrative.
Science shows that vocalising and writing activates different parts of the brain, so you're actually creating new connections in your brain.
Another is a form of market research, ask a friend or colleague what they think is distinctive in your work. You might be surprised at the perspectives.
Most people are resistant to categorisation but being able to quickly articulate your brand is key to communicating your work. When I was promoting local musicians it was essential to have three or four words that described their material.
And, or course, a simple shortcut to convey this character is comparison but I will say more about influences in a minute.
First, some encouragement.
You mightn't realise it but being a regional artist offers you a major advantage when promoting your work. Local media love stories about local people. They really do give a shit.
And, when you've had a story about your work, you can be pleasantly surprised by who else cares too.
When the media show an interest in your work, it legitmises it.
The challenge is to give them your information to journalists and editors in a way that they can see a story in it.
A media release is a good way to present information to the media and has become standard practice for good reason. It takes the format of a news story, presenting facts in an objective format and gives you some control over how these are presented.
A media release should convey five types of facts, which all start with the letter W: who, what, where, when and why.
If you've read a news story then you'd be familiar with the inverted pyramid model, which presents the key facts that support the story in the opening sentences. This would include the who, what, where and when. For example, Jason Richardson will lead a workshop at the library on Saturday.
You can see these facts, while important, are only a small part of a story.
It's the why aspect that follows is what I think provides the opportunity to share your shit.
Outlining previous successes will make your art seem important. If critics have said nice things or other artists have talked about you as inspiration, then that can be good material.
It's critical that you make it interesting because it's the chance to motivate people, but it's also a great spot to educate an audience about your work.
Discussing influences is a good subject because it provides context for your art. It doesn't need to feel like airing dirty laundry, it's about informing the audience. Share your inspiration. It can inspire others but it can also interest them in learning how you've responded.
I think it's a shame more artists don't acknowledge their influences and inspirations. There's an idea that one can "steal like an artist" but it baffles me that in almost every academic pursuit one is expected to reference the ideas and work that has informed a project, except in art.
Every superhero has an origin story that explains their superpowers and pursuit. It's no different if you want to create a compelling narrative.
Another feature of stories is a setback that offers and unexpected opportunity to enrich the hero. I'd argue that acknowledging your own narrative can benefit from sharing these lessons.
There are other angles and it can be surprising what gains traction.
One instructive experience for me was talking with an ABC Radio National producer last year about Western Riverina Arts' Reimagining the Murrumbidgee exhibition. We'd collected a group of innovative artists to create works responding to the River, which I thought would be of interest because of the uniqueness of the concept. The producer suggested it would be more interesting to her audience as a topic for talkback radio if we asked for people to share their experiences at rivers.
I was surprised because it looked for how to make the subject accessible rather than focusing on the material.
This lesson was one I applied recently when helping Leeton-based writer Melanie Ifield to reach an audience in Canberra. Mel has a book set in our national capital and I suggested we open a piece on her work by saying how misunderstood the city is because of the politicians with which it is most associated. It helped to make her story relevant to the audience.
Another lesson I learned through promoting Mel's books was timing. She'd published three books in 2013 and I thought this was newsworthy in itself. However the local newspaper sat on the story for more than a month and I realised it lacked a use-by date. The books weren't being launched, so there was no urgency for the editor to publish it.
Usually the time between sending a story to a local paper and being published varies between one to three weeks, so ensure you allow time.
And, if you can, include a good photograph as an image makes your story stand out on the page. They like a shot with the subject looking at the camera, and this makes sense as it engages a viewer.
If you can't write, don't be afraid to call and speak to a journalist directly but it helps to have your key points written down in front of you to help ensure you stay on topic.
Communications is a broad subject, today will focus mostly on public relations and a bit on marketing.
I have around 20 years experience in writing about the arts. My first articles were published in BMA Magazine in 1994, including reviews and interviews with my friends' bands.
One thing I like about my work promoting the arts in the Western Riverina is that it's a lot like the work I did for BMA. I speak with people about their enthusiasms and I think a key part of doing this is by conveying this enthusiasm.
PR is often disparaged, people think it's manipulative. I'm going to argue it's important for artists as much as anyone promoting their work or event.
Obviously it's a great tool for marketing but good PR changes perceptions. For artists, writers and anyone in a creative pursuit this is valuable.
The feedback I get from helping people see their story in the media is that they get a great response from family, friends and colleagues as a result.
This is great because it makes your creative pursuits more valuable. You're no longer nurturing a dream, you're living it. Recognition in the media is recognition that your investment in something you enjoy is valuable.
And as media organisations cut budgets for journalism, PR becomes a key part of producing news content.
It's estimated there are as many people working in public relations as journalists. Many media outlets run PR material as content.
A study in 2010 found around half of the content in newspapers was driven by PR, from 42% in Sydney Morning Herald to 70% in The Daily Telegraph.
In my view public relations is the skill of making media want to tell your story. There are many ways to do this and today I'll offer a few ideas on how to create a compelling narrative.
Storytelling is fundamental to this pursuit.
If this wasn't just a story, I'd guess that many journalists would keep a turd in the top drawer of their desk because anytime they're presented with a story idea one of the first questions they'd ask themselves is "do I give a shit?"
In fact, earlier this year I heard an editor who handles content for a few of Australia's leading youth media websites talk about rating stories on a "give-a-shit-o-meter".
There's no simple answer to give your story this element, which is also known as sticky-ness. Sorry, I realise that's not a great image at this point.
One method that's been good for me when I want to figure out what the key element of a story should be is to talk about it with a friend or write down dots points. Simple but both of these techniques change your relationship to facts as you start to arrange them to form a narrative.
Science shows that vocalising and writing activates different parts of the brain, so you're actually creating new connections in your brain.
Another is a form of market research, ask a friend or colleague what they think is distinctive in your work. You might be surprised at the perspectives.
Most people are resistant to categorisation but being able to quickly articulate your brand is key to communicating your work. When I was promoting local musicians it was essential to have three or four words that described their material.
And, or course, a simple shortcut to convey this character is comparison but I will say more about influences in a minute.
First, some encouragement.
You mightn't realise it but being a regional artist offers you a major advantage when promoting your work. Local media love stories about local people. They really do give a shit.
And, when you've had a story about your work, you can be pleasantly surprised by who else cares too.
When the media show an interest in your work, it legitmises it.
The challenge is to give them your information to journalists and editors in a way that they can see a story in it.
A media release is a good way to present information to the media and has become standard practice for good reason. It takes the format of a news story, presenting facts in an objective format and gives you some control over how these are presented.
A media release should convey five types of facts, which all start with the letter W: who, what, where, when and why.
If you've read a news story then you'd be familiar with the inverted pyramid model, which presents the key facts that support the story in the opening sentences. This would include the who, what, where and when. For example, Jason Richardson will lead a workshop at the library on Saturday.
You can see these facts, while important, are only a small part of a story.
It's the why aspect that follows is what I think provides the opportunity to share your shit.
Outlining previous successes will make your art seem important. If critics have said nice things or other artists have talked about you as inspiration, then that can be good material.
It's critical that you make it interesting because it's the chance to motivate people, but it's also a great spot to educate an audience about your work.
Discussing influences is a good subject because it provides context for your art. It doesn't need to feel like airing dirty laundry, it's about informing the audience. Share your inspiration. It can inspire others but it can also interest them in learning how you've responded.
I think it's a shame more artists don't acknowledge their influences and inspirations. There's an idea that one can "steal like an artist" but it baffles me that in almost every academic pursuit one is expected to reference the ideas and work that has informed a project, except in art.
Every superhero has an origin story that explains their superpowers and pursuit. It's no different if you want to create a compelling narrative.
Another feature of stories is a setback that offers and unexpected opportunity to enrich the hero. I'd argue that acknowledging your own narrative can benefit from sharing these lessons.
There are other angles and it can be surprising what gains traction.
One instructive experience for me was talking with an ABC Radio National producer last year about Western Riverina Arts' Reimagining the Murrumbidgee exhibition. We'd collected a group of innovative artists to create works responding to the River, which I thought would be of interest because of the uniqueness of the concept. The producer suggested it would be more interesting to her audience as a topic for talkback radio if we asked for people to share their experiences at rivers.
I was surprised because it looked for how to make the subject accessible rather than focusing on the material.
This lesson was one I applied recently when helping Leeton-based writer Melanie Ifield to reach an audience in Canberra. Mel has a book set in our national capital and I suggested we open a piece on her work by saying how misunderstood the city is because of the politicians with which it is most associated. It helped to make her story relevant to the audience.
Another lesson I learned through promoting Mel's books was timing. She'd published three books in 2013 and I thought this was newsworthy in itself. However the local newspaper sat on the story for more than a month and I realised it lacked a use-by date. The books weren't being launched, so there was no urgency for the editor to publish it.
Usually the time between sending a story to a local paper and being published varies between one to three weeks, so ensure you allow time.
And, if you can, include a good photograph as an image makes your story stand out on the page. They like a shot with the subject looking at the camera, and this makes sense as it engages a viewer.
If you can't write, don't be afraid to call and speak to a journalist directly but it helps to have your key points written down in front of you to help ensure you stay on topic.
Monday, 13 October 2014
Uh Oh Tony! at The Roxy
Award-winning theatre maker Nick Coyle will bring his winningly whimsical show Uh Oh Tony! to the Roxy Community Theatre on Wednesday 22 October.The fun-filled 40-minute family show features music, singing, puppets and plenty of audience interaction. It is suitable for children aged four to eight.
Coyle plays Tony who ends up with a puppet also named Tony after a mix-up in the delivery of his robot. This second Tony is a colourful character and the two begin an adventure that leads to friendship.They are joined onstage by Holly Austin, who plays more than one role and was described in a review as being "delightfully larger than life".
Give your kids the chance to experience the magic of live theatre and see Uh Oh Tony! when it is performed in Leeton at 11am on Wednesday 22 October.
All tickets are $7 each, phone The Roxy on 6953 2074.
Monday, 25 August 2014
Musical inventions wanted
Leeton Town Band is offering $100 for the best homemade musical instrument that can be played along with other instruments of an orchestra.
Your instrument may be made from any materials, new or secondhand, but it must be playable as part of an organised musical group. Your entry to the competition may be best classed among any of the usual families of instruments (string, percussion, wind, electronic).
Some ideas to get you started include using PVC or galvanised piping, old gas cylinders, biscuit tins, lengths of wood or wooden boxes, car horns, kitchen utensils, shed tools ... in fact, any safe, non-toxic materials at all. Many traditional bush instruments would fit the bill, including tea chest bass, xylophones, simple flutes and a basic trombone.
You will need to tune the various notes. If you Google "musical tuning" you can download a concert pitch tuning scale and your instrument should conform to this scale.
You or someone you nominate can demonstrate your instrument's capabilities at Brass In The Park, on Sunday 9 November in Leeton's Mountford Park. A nominee from Leeton Town Band will judge the entries.
There is no entry fee for this competition. Further information can be obtained from eatsap[at]gmail[dot]com.
Thursday, 14 August 2014
CAD Factory Regional Partnerships
With the support of Arts NSW, The CAD Factory is pleased to announce a major partnership program between The National Association of Visual Arts (NAVA), The National Museum of Australia and Performance Space to partner together over the next 18 months to invest in the cultural life of the Riverina by developing an innovative suite of projects.
Each organisation will engage with regional NSW artists, landscape and communities to create a major focus on contemporary regional arts practice, process and development.
Vic McEwan, Artistic Director of The CAD Factory said, “The CAD Factory will participate in skills exchange with each of these national partners to enable growth and development for the organisation and to promote and develop The CAD Factory's cultural programming and creation on a national level. There will be many opportunities for local artists and community members to participate and help develop this exciting program.”
Go to www.cadfactory.com.au for more details.
Friday, 8 August 2014
Friday, 4 July 2014
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Sunday, 1 June 2014
Sunday, 25 May 2014
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
Party Wise
Party Wise is a theatrical production developed by local youth with Transvision Arts as part of Leeton Shire Council's Bidgee Binge Program, which was supported by the Australian Government.
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Saturday, 8 March 2014
Why art?
Vic McEwan discusses the value of art in his speech at the opening of the Yenda Rain exhibition at Griffith Regional Art Gallery.
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