February 08, 2024
Meet Patrick Ollason, Videographer behind The Ultimate Play Date visuals
As part of our creative collaboration for our Ultimate Play Date Collection with Bonnie Hislop, we have teamed up with so many exceptional Australian based creatives to bring this collection to life!
Meet Patrick Ollason, Meanjin based Videographer and creative.
Who are you and what inspires you?
I’m Patrick Ollason, I make videos and love visual art, movement and music.
I like filming artists and interesting individuals who love what they do.
When did you discover your love for videography and when did your journey begin?
I always loved film. But never really took the plunge into the field, even after getting a degree in film and tv and digital art. It always felt a bit too hard to attain, and too confusing and imposter syndrome hits hard. Then one day, I was fired from a gym that I loved working at, which really broke me, however it forced me to actually take action and get into videography. After a lot of terrible showreels, unsuccessful interviews, part time jobs, underpaid gigs and of course, exposure (so much exposure), I’m in a good spot and enjoying what I do.
Talk us through your creative space and process – what does creativity mean to you in your everyday life?
I think this comes down to having immaculate taste in music. I love good film and video but it’s only as good as your music choice. Creativity is pretty essential to my gigs not just in an artistic way but also coming up with creative solves to problems with corporate shoots. It’s fun thinking outside the box.
What is a piece or project you are most proud of so far and why?
There’s a fair few wedding films that I’ve done for couples that I really loved making, mainly because it feels so personal. There’s something really fun and rewarding about taking a big day like that and a relationship that has been going for years and condensing it into one fun ridiculous 7 minute video. These couples are so happy and in love on their wedding day and it’s such a genuine joy to get to be a part of it.
But one of my favourite short pieces was an uncut performance by harpist Lisa Kelly at Guanaba creek. This was a single shot performance by Lisa who improvised a harp piece just as she was, while I filmed her and the surrounding environment with a babbling creek and some rustling leaves. It was the first time in a while that I got to do a project that felt just like playing in the water in Cairns when I was a kid. No commercial ties, no shot list. Just enjoying the creek and the music.
What drew you to collaborate with The ANJELMS Project – what do you think connects us creatively?
I obviously love what ANJELMS does for the slow fashion community but was fortunately connected via my lovely little lady Mel, of course. Though she hates my song choices, we do love working together and I share Mel’s passions for working with ANJELMS.
What would you like your legacy to be?
I would love to make at least one very profound piece of art that people resonate with or help a bunch of freelancers and artists get into the business, cause it ain’t easy.
Image by Melanie Hinds
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