Episode 60 – Daniel Turner | Videographer – Head North Films

In this episode, I chat with Daniel Turner, a self-taught videographer, drone operator, motion graphic animator, and photographer based on the Gold Coast. I’ve got to know Daniel through his amazing work on Tammy’s programs and the NatEx conference. Check out the highlights here – NatEx 2020. Daniel brings his passion and professionalism to everything he does, working with both small and large businesses.

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Transcript

Murray Guest  00:02

Hey, Daniel, welcome to the podcast. Looking forward to connecting today. How you been mate? 

Daniel Turner  00:07

Yeah. Good mate, thanks for having me Muz. 

Murray Guest  00:11

Yeah, well, I it’s interesting times it’s, we’re just chatting before we started recording just about what life’s like at the moment. Lots of restrictions on life and impacts on business. How are you doing with all this at the moment?

Daniel Turner  00:25

Yeah, I’m doing all right at the moment, when it all did kick off, I had a lot of my business either cancel or postpone, I reckon about 70% of my work is, is either events or weddings or shoot where I need to travel interstate. So a lot of that, as I just cancelled or postponed. So it’s been really hard. But then at the same time, it’s like, every other client started to come back at me with, with jobs to do with COVID, like updating themselves, like telling everyone what they’re doing during this period. So I’ve had a few few editing jobs, I’m keeping busy. Yeah, that’s good.

Murray Guest  01:13

I think what I’ve seen and a few of the people have been chatting to is a bit like the honeymoons over like the the physical distancing sort of laws or rules have come in. And then over now, a couple of weeks, we’re sort of over that initial sort of, how do we work in his environment? And how do we work and do what we need to do like this? And now it’s like, okay, people starting to engage again, around some of those businesses, usual type activities, I guess. 

Daniel Turner  01:45

Yeah, definitely. 

Murray Guest  01:47

I suppose with what you do behind the camera, you’ve got that distance anyway.

Daniel Turner  01:52

Oh, yeah. So I’ve had two shoots. And each time, I’ve just said, let’s just, you know, go with the rules, keep our distance and try and keep it to a minimum with whoever’s in the room. So I did a recent shoot at a brewery and they were super strict. I even before I was allowed in, they took my temperature so and asked me all the questions, whether I’d been into state or I’ve seen anything like that. So that was really good knowing that they taking those measures, and I felt safe, and they feel safe at the same time.

Murray Guest  02:29

Yeah, I think that’s one of the the added benefits out of all this is just that heightened awareness of risk. And I, whatever the new normal is going to be in a few months time. You know, a lot of these things are going to carry over, I think, into that situation, whatever it looks like. And I think that if people in business starting to manage risk better, and talk about it and make it more known, it’s a good thing. For people listening, though, what’s it like going into a brewery?

Daniel Turner  03:00

It’s, awesome. Like, it’s where dreams are made. It’s great. Like, it’s just crazy to see the scale of how they’re creating all this beer. And it’s not just not just one beer, it’s like, it’s 10s of beers all going at one time. You can’t hear anything. But it’s just, it’s crazy. It’s great. And the large scale brewery as well, which is amazing to see.

Murray Guest  03:33

Yeah, I worked at master foods for 11 years. And through my time there in the high speed manufacturing facility got to spend obviously, a lot of time in that factory, but also other ones. So I still remember actually my first day walking into the factory. And the team leader was pointing out to me what I would learn to do, and I was still standing there with my mouth hanging up and looking at all the stainless steel pipes and things moving and the noise and I was like, Am I at the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you know? But it is amazing, isn’t it those those facilities and just the smoothness that they run at?

Daniel Turner  04:15

Yes, definitely. They’ve done really well putting together like a huge manufacturing business. And it’s not just it’s not just what you see online, like one day drinking a beer, it’s just creating a whole world of beer. And the company that I’m working under owns a lot of different beers. And just distributing the whole thing. It’s just, it’s amazing to see in action.

Murray Guest  04:41

Yeah. And I think what I appreciated and I’m sure you do when you actually see what goes in there, the quality and the safety of the product is is it’s a real serious element and they actually insure that and throw their processes and seeing that behind the scenes are I can be give people an even bigger respect for what goes into that manufacturing process.

Daniel Turner  05:06

Yeah. 100%. And yeah, I appreciate working for for someone that puts such such an emphasis on safety and, and especially for me going in there as well.

Murray Guest  05:18

So tell me, how did you get into video? And why is this your passion now?

Daniel Turner  05:26

When I was younger, so I guess, at about 13, I started playing with video and asked mom and dad to buy a camera. And after a while they after a while that they gave in and then we started making silly videos as kids as you do. And then that turned into a passion, just creating anything that I could. And then when I was 16, I think it was I started filming the the races, the horse races around Tamworth where I’m from. Yeah. And that was great. And then I went into into pubs and I had to decide whether I was going to pursue video or not. So I moved to the Gold Coast and jump right in, I was on, I was actually on the doll for three months, because because every production company that I’d emailed, zero, returned an email or even just acknowledged that I was there. So then I got to be bit down, and then I went, so I went to join a construction company. And then I was gonna go go there on the Monday and I went, I don’t know, this is not me, this is not me. So then that Friday, I walked around to every production company video production company and asked if I could help out. And one of them actually, let me come in and and he said, Come in Monday, we’ll get you burning discs. The old DVDs. So I went in there, started doing that didn’t get paid for like a whole month. And then he came in one day was like, you do a good job better start paying you. And then, you know, I was getting paid like $350 a week. And that was for a couple of years. But to me, I was like if I’m making money doing what I want to do, and I’m getting the opportunity to get in front of behind cameras and learn all the things that I need to learn. That’s, that’s the most important thing.

Murray Guest  07:36

I can’t imagine you on a construction site. I mean, now. I’ve seen you behind the camera for years now. And you’re fantastic at what you do is i’m glad that you followed your heart, I reckon for anyone listening, you know, sometimes you can get a bit disheartened when there’s opportunities out there. But as you said, right, I’m just gonna go knocking on doors.

Daniel Turner  07:57

Yeah. And I’m glad they gave me the opportunity. Because, you know, I was there for many years before I went out by myself and just gave me the me the base learning of everything. And you can’t also you can’t just know one thing, like, I can’t just be a cameraman, I had to learn editing, audio, motion graphics, you know, everything in the industry, otherwise you just fall behind or there’s not enough work.

Murray Guest  08:28

Yeah, gotcha. I just want to go back to Tamworth. And that first camera you got when you were 13? Have you still got that? And what was it?

Daniel Turner  08:38

I don’t have the actual camera anymore because it broke because us being young and young and stupid will like a bit rough with it, so it broke eventually, but I’ve still got all the old tapes, so I’m just going to be able to convert them. It was a Sony, just like I can’t remember the actual name of it. But I came quarter your home homecare quarter that probably 50% of the people had that. 

Murray Guest  09:08

Yeah, gotcha. 

Daniel Turner  09:09

To me, It was it was amazing.

Murray Guest  09:12

There’s a movie where as you explained this that I think about which hopefully you’ve seen called Super eight.

Daniel Turner  09:19

Yeah, yeah. 

Murray Guest  09:23

And the kids, the kids are making that movie. And there’s a train crash at the start and 

Daniel Turner  09:27

Yeah, I’ve seen that. Yep. 

Murray Guest  09:29

Yeah, I can. That’s the sort of time even though you’re much you’re not that old back in, you know, using a super eight camera, but just that the essence of kids making a movie together. It’s just such a great movie.

Daniel Turner  09:44

Oh, yeah. And I think a lot of kids need a way to to creatively get whatever they’re feeling out and I guess I guess that’s what I was doing even though that was stupid, but I’d love to see show off some what some of them are. But they, they’re absolutely ridiculous. But it’s just a way to, to, to express myself I guess.

Murray Guest  10:09

Yeah. And Tamworth is not a very big town. So I’m sure the you’ve probably got a bit of a reputation as the kids run around videoing stuff.

Daniel Turner  10:17

Yeah. At that time, I think jackass and all that sort of stuff was was around so we’re doing silly things like jumping into bushes as well. And then also making other other short films but being idiots.

Murray Guest  10:35

Where their shopping trolleys involved?

Daniel Turner  10:38

Yes, there were. Yeah, I do remember falling out of a few of those. Yeah.

Murray Guest  10:44

So jumping forward to when you then went out on your own? That would have been a big decision I can imagine from a you know, I did the same over five years ago. It’s not a decision I made lightly. What was it like for you at that time?

Daniel Turner  10:59

It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life. I, you know, I was comfortable in my job. And I was making that I finally got up to enough money to say I was earning enough in what I do, and and then all of a sudden, I just went, I’ve got to I’ve got to try this. I’ve got to try this. So I took the leap. And I would I would not go back for anything else. I love working for myself. I love having amazing clients. And it just gives you that extra time and space to it’s a different work life balance, then that then when I was in an actual job,

Murray Guest  11:45

Yeah, understand what you mean. And how long ago was that? 

Daniel Turner  11:49

That was about five years ago as well. 

Murray Guest  11:51

Yeah. Okay, gotcha. Yeah, yeah. And do you have any estimate? Or do you have the clarity on how many hours of film you’ve videoed, you know, in these past five years, or how many clients because I know you’re busy man.

Daniel Turner  12:10

I’m a busy man. But I don’t have that many clients. Like I would say, I probably have 30 clients, but it’s just sort of rotating over the year. You know, one person will have a project during January. And then I want to come back to me until later on in the year, but then when you’ve got 30 clients, it’s just always, always rolling through. So although I am a very small business, I just seem to be busy all the time. 

Murray Guest  12:40

And head north films?

Daniel Turner  12:43

Yes. So that’s the business name. Yeah. 

Murray Guest  12:45

Yeah, ehere’d that name come from? 

Daniel Turner  12:48

I literally just wrote down about 10 different names, and then showed them all to my friends. And they said, I think there’s three different ones. I can’t remember the other ones. But this was the most positive to me. And I think the wording head north is just it’s just a really positive name. And I thought that other clients might think, you know, he’s obviously he’s, he’s kinda came to head north. So.

Murray Guest  13:15

Yeah, well, let’s be honest. That’s what you did. You know, you’re headed north out of Tamworth.

Daniel Turner  13:20

Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Tamworth to the Gold Coast, head north. Yeah, it was it was a good journey.

Murray Guest  13:28

Yeah. And I, I think it’s a great name, I think about that moving forward, moving up. And not only that, you help your clients do that in the way that you work with them and partner with them. So I also just want to go back to starting your business. What do you think is the best thing you talk about work life balance, what’s the best thing for you in the work that you do right now?

Daniel Turner  13:55

This thing for me in the work that I do right now. To tell you the truth, I love shooting more than editing and right now, that’s been cut back alot. But in the same in the same speaking I can I can stay home a lot because I work from home, this is my office. And I get to hang out with my heavily pregnant wife and help her through the pregnancy. So I prefer a balance. I like to be getting out. And then I like to be home a lot of editing but now it’s a lot more just editing.

Murray Guest  14:37

When you think about the last five years what some of the more interesting or memorable jobs you think you’ve been on.

Daniel Turner  14:45

Actually one of the most amazing ones I went to was with with your wife Tammy guest and going to going to Bali to film her retreat. And I love absolutely love traveling. So any Any job where I get to travel is amazing. So I mean, I work a lot interstate but going overseas for work is is amazing in that one with your with your wife to me was was a highlight for sure.

Murray Guest  15:13

I think we met I think we were talking about earlier we met on the beach in Bali and you were doing some drone footage. Some of the the activities, and I was that annoying guy kind of sticking his head in there. While you’re busy capturing quality footage I remember.

Daniel Turner  15:30

You’re endangering everyone by talking to me while I was flying a drone.

Murray Guest  15:37

Hey, I’m drones. So obviously drones have burst onto the, you know, the, the scene the last few years? And there’s a whole range of roles and responsibilities with owning a drone. What’s your, your thoughts just on drone use? And because I’m in two minds one, I think it’s great people can catch these four gentlemen, you know, there’s the there’s a privacy and the safety that comes with that.

Daniel Turner  16:06

Yeah, so I mean, I love using my drone, you just get a completely different perspective of any location. I use it professionally, not for trying to look into anyone’s house or anything like that. And as long as you’re using it safely, I think drones are essential, especially for a videographer. And I follow all the rules registered with kassa. And as long as you’re using, sorry, as long as you’re using the drone correctly, then I don’t think there’s there should be any problem. There are a lot of people out there that think that by using a drone that you’re invading their privacy, but really any drone camera is a wide angle camera. No one’s using it to spy, to spy on anything, because the cameras not going to be able to see unless that drone was like, right outside of your window, then you’re not. It’s not being used for that

Murray Guest  17:14

No that’s right. It has, as a technology brought in such a fantastic element to video production, hasn’t it? From the I guess the face to face and you know, the the ground level, or you know, all people having to have a really big boom sort of video or whatever it might be called to correct me if I’m wrong. Through to now you can capture all these different angles.

Daniel Turner  17:40

Yeah, I’m thinking about back when I first started at that video production company, there were a few shoots where we had to do some aerial shots for for a boating company, and you had to hire it, hire a helicopter, and then hire the gimbal to put onto the to the helicopter and then add your big broadcast camera onto it. And one, one shoot could end up being up to like $10,000 just to get a couple of shots of a boat going around a harbor or something like that. So whereas now, you can pay someone an hourly rate to go out with a drone and get the exact same perspective. So it’s brought a lot, it’s brought a lot and another another extra avenue for me to go down to be able to earn money in video production.

Murray Guest  18:32

Yeah, and I think, the extra avenue to provide those different angles. And the quality. I mean, and I guess that’s the evolution, isn’t it? Where we’ve gone from video to digital. Yeah. And then now with drones. What do you reckon might be next? 

Daniel Turner  18:57

In the drone industry, do you mean? 

Murray Guest  18:59

I’m just even thinking video? That’s all because it’s, I’m wondering if, you know, is something going to be something different that comes out because I felt like there’s that’s such a big step. When we actually went to drones.

Daniel Turner  19:14

Yeah. The next thing, look that there’s, there’s been, there’s been 3D and there’s been VR. I think VR will will certainly step up in the next couple of years when the technology is a lot better. It’s, it’s not quite there just yet. But if you can get someone immersed in, in whatever they’re doing. So for example, a real estate video if you could have a VR experience where they could literally just walk through a house. And you know, at this point, it’s more like taking a 3d picture, and then being able to click to the next spot. But in the future, you’ll be able to just like walk through and be able to interact with things. 

Murray Guest  20:02

Yeah, gotcha. Yeah. And I know a few real estate agencies are currently doing virtual party called Virtual open houses. But again, yeah, it’s a bit hard to feel that and they are maybe the next way to help really feel what that’s like when you go through the property. Yeah.

Daniel Turner  20:24

I’m looking forward to that. But I just, it’s, that is a whole other whole other realm that I’m not ready to get into until, it’s until it’s clean, and  ready to go.

Murray Guest  20:39

Yeah and I think 3d did that a bit, didn’t it? Were 3d was a bit of a gimmick, you could. Like our TV at home as 3d. But never use it. And it’s like, I think the push for it or the advertising advertisement for it was ahead of the actual quality the technology for it.

Daniel Turner  21:00

Exactly. Yeah, I remember watching one movie and just thinking, yeah, that was cool. But I wish I didn’t pay an extra $1,000. Just to get it.

Murray Guest  21:12

Now, I know what you mean. I’ve got a question. This one might be a bit a bit of a funny one. But I’m just wondering, for me, sometimes when I watch a video, and sometimes I think that just works looks great. Generally, you’ve produced it, I’m going to just pump you up who you do fantastic production. Sometimes I watch other videos, and I’m like, there’s something just off with it. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I don’t know if it’s like the way it’s been shot, or the transitions or the zoom. But whatever it is, what do you think that is that differentiates a good video and a one that you just go? Hang on? This just doesn’t feel right.

Daniel Turner  21:53

Okay, so the main thing, although you’re watching a video 50% of the video is audio. And if you’ve got bad audio, it just takes people out of it. No one wants to listen to a horrible, horrible piece of audio with the video. So that’s the first one if you can get audio correct. Get some half decent professional sounding audio like so we’ve both got USB mics here. Or you can get lapel mics. But yeah, audio is the is the main thing. And then after that would be would be lighting. So you know, you can have a flat image. You can be outside with a flat image, or no sorry, you can be inside your office, and it can really flat, if you add a few pops of light, you know, like a key light on you and then suddenly got on coming from behind on your hair, it’ll just add so much more. So lighting is the is the second one. And then thirdly, a lot of people think it’s the main one, but the actual camera, which that’s not the most important thing you can you can get a great looking video off an iPhone, as long as you have great sound and lighting.

Murray Guest  23:09

Yeah, gotcha. And I think they’re really good points. For right now for everyone that are jumping on zoom and other technology for video conferencing and video meetings right now. I’ve been on a few where and you and I talked about this earlier, where I’ve just gone it just looks terrible. Like, you know, all the sound quality is terrible. So I think those points whilst they’re valid for video, they’re valid right now for people that are having these online meetings

Daniel Turner  23:39

100%. And I’ve had a few meetings and group zoom calls and family calls and stuff like that, where you can just hear everything that’s happening in the room, and it takes you out of it and people screaming in the next room. And if you’re doing a business meeting, you can’t have that. Unfortunately, like you need to be able to you need your viewers to be able to focus on you and your voice not everything that’s happening around you.

Murray Guest  24:09

Yeah, and the message I’ve shared with a few clients is thinking about those the reality of the situation. Right now you’re working from home, whatever that might look like for different people and whatever the situation is. So there’s the reality and balance that with professionalism.

Daniel Turner  24:29

Correct, Yeah. 

Murray Guest  24:33

So when you talk about lighting, and and I’ve what I’ve seen is people with light behind them, and you can’t even see their face. So if you’re working from home and you’re on a zoom call, what just the easiest tips to around lighting to help you sharp, a bit more professional and to help you with that sort of session.

Daniel Turner  24:58

Yeah. So the main thing would be, don’t shoot where the window is in the background, because what your iPhone is trying to do is expose for outside. And all it’s going to do is just make you look dark, and no one can see you. So I would suggest shooting with the with the window, shining light on your face, and then even having a darker background, because you are the main subject. So you want to light you. Hmm. So that’s the one thing that I’ve seen the most is just pointing the camera pointing at the window. And it’s just, it’s just trying to expose for outside. And inside and outside is a whole lot of different lights.

Murray Guest  25:46

Yeah, I think I’ve seen that. The other one I’ve seen is people not actually looking at the camera.

Daniel Turner  25:51

Yes, yeah. So at the moment, I’ve got my webcam set up so that I’ve got in the zoom, zoom right in the corner. So I’m trying to look you you in the eyes. But yeah, it is very important to be looking at your subject as well.

Murray Guest  26:06

Yeah. And I think just like you would be in a, in a face to face meeting with someone’s talking to you, you’re looking at them. So again, that level of professionalism. So have your your face in the middle of the screen, looking at the person when they’re talking to you and get that lighting. Right. But again, as you said 50% audio. You know, make sure you’ve got your audio sorted as well.

Daniel Turner  26:30

Yep. And if you don’t have a professional mic, or like a USB mic or a lapel, just go into a into a smaller room with like a carpeted room, just anything with, you know, a smaller room where the audio is not going to bounce around everywhere. Actually, the best spot in your house to record audio is is you know, in a cupboard, basically, yeah, so mny clothes around you that are dampening the dampening the sound. So even on an iPhone microphone, it’s gonna sound a lot better.

Murray Guest  27:05

Yeah, I saw a photo of someone I know that we both know, actually, Mel Houston. And she was recording her podcast on the floor and her walk-in wardrobe. Yeah, I saw that. And you’re right. It’s just the sound sits. I might I might try that next time.

Daniel Turner  27:23

Make sure you take it behind the scenes of you. Yeah. In your walk in wardrobe. Yeah,

Murray Guest  27:27

yeah. So you talked you mentioned obviously the job in in Bali, and you’ve worked in a brewery what other sorts of work over the past? Have you been doing that been really fun.

Daniel Turner  27:43

A couple of years ago, I got to go overseas again, a couple of times for a travel show. So I went to Alaska, Canada, did route 66 did New Zealand. And then a whole bunch of other ones through Australia. So that that was amazing. But Alaska is probably one of the craziest places I’ve ever been to. And one of the most beautiful. I hate cold, but I put up with it because it was so beautiful. But it was amazing.

Murray Guest  28:16

I mean, and that’s an area that we’ve talked about as a family going to you know to Canada and Alaska. What that would have been amazing shooting over there. The landscape is magical, isn’t it?

Daniel Turner  28:30

Yeah, it’s hard not to get a good shot. And I remember one time we saw a bear and I wasn’t going to shoot out the window. So I’ve got on top of the RV niche shot while this bear was walking past the walking past the RV. So luckily, he didn’t jump on top and grab me. 

Murray Guest  28:49

Yeah, wow. And he said it was cold. How cold was it getting?

Daniel Turner  28:56

I live on the Gold Coast. So for me cold is like is like 10 degrees. But there it was getting it was getting like minus 10 during the night and when you’re in an RV. That’s that’s death for me.

Murray Guest  29:11

Yeah, yep. Yep. And I I can picture you know, route 66 a famous drive in a convertible is, you know, cruising across America. Was it something like that? Are you still on the RV then as well

Daniel Turner  29:24

We were in our V’s at that time. And it’s not quite as as visual as all the movies show it off to be like, there is a very long stretches of boring, long highway industrial each side, middle America. But, you know, it comes into these towns where they’re just like they’re just full of rich 66 memorabilia. So I think it used to be a lot better than it was but it was still amazing just to drive all through America and meet all the people throughout.

Murray Guest  30:01

I’ve done a bit of travel across the US and there are lots of different cultures across the USA. And I’m sure you would have experienced some of that in your traveling.

Daniel Turner  30:11

Yeah, definitely. I was driving there through when, like, just before Trump was just before the election, so there was a lot of, of interesting people out and about yelling and screaming, and, and even at that time, I didn’t think like, you know, you think Trump, he’s a TV personality he won’t get in. But then as I was driving through America, there’s every house had like signs of Trump everywhere. It’s just a different it’s a different world over there.

Murray Guest  30:46

Yeah. And different. a different level of passion for politics, then I think that we experience like, yes, we talk about politics and voting, but there’s a real passion, isn’t there for the the election process?

Daniel Turner  31:02

Yeah, we don’t get behind our politicians quite as much as they do.

Murray Guest  31:09

Something mate I know that you are keen on, and that’s about keeping positive through all that’s going on in the world right now. And something that you try to do generally, what’s helped you keep positive over this COVID-19 sort of experience?

Daniel Turner  31:26

Yeah. So at the moment, obviously, we can’t travel too much, we can’t do a lot. But the one thing that we can do is, is still go out and get some fitness. And at the moment, I’m trying to run every day, and I was I was included in, I’d signed up for the the Gold Coast marathon, just to do a half marathon. And they’ve postponed that. So that sucks, but I’m still, I’m still setting my goal to run on that day, and run 21 kilometers, or whatever the half marathon is. And still complete that no matter what, whether we’re in a lockdown or not, as long as we can run, I’m gonna keep running doing that.

Murray Guest  32:13

It’s funny, I heard someone and I didn’t say the story. But someone I know shared a story that a guy in the US did a marathon in his backyard 

Daniel Turner  32:21

In his backyard?

Murray Guest  32:22

So I don’t know. God was, maybe it’s a little bigger than the average backyard. But he just said, right, I’m going to run it. And he couldn’t leave his place. So he’s just ran it around and around in circles. But can I just say, I think it’s fantastic that you’ve, you’ve set yourself that goal to do the half, half marathon, it’s obviously been postponed or cancelled? Yet, you’re saying I’m still working towards that goal. And being committed to your training, saying that’s, that’s an it’s a great message for anyone that has set those goals. And, you know, that might have happened to them, but you know, still stick with it.

Daniel Turner  33:02

Yeah, and, excuse me, I think it’s very important to set goals. Otherwise, you sort of just get lazy, like, and your goals before this all happened, may have been, you know, take over the world, my business is going to be the biggest thing in the world. But they don’t need to be that anymore. Like, I think now, just pull it back. It might be just your next goal might be to, you know, email out to, to a certain area of people and get three different new clients or, you know, just pivot a bit. You guys don’t need to be so big right now. But just get through it. But as long as you got goals, you’ll, you’ll keep going.

Murray Guest  33:47

Yeah, and I think that sort of links back to a bit of that, you know, that discussion we had about video and embrace acknowledge the reality of the situation and, and be professional, what can you do about it right now. So there’s some hard facts right now that we are dealing with, but as you I think, really well put it, let’s chunk down our goals. Yeah, you know, the situation.

Daniel Turner  34:10

Yeah. And also be also like, if you are getting down or anything like that, from from this experience is, is just step back and figure out why, like, figure out what your what you love in life, like what you really appreciate, you know, gratitude. So, you know, like, I step back and say I step back and I say I do what I love for a living. Whether I’ve lost a little bit of work right now, but I’m still able to, to create an income doing what I love. I own a house I I have a beautiful wife. I’m about to have a child all those things. And then that just makes you think, Well, yeah, it really I’ve got a good.

Murray Guest  35:06

Yeah. And I’m totally with you on that. I mean, when this all started in early March, I was very much going through a range of emotions, like a lot of people were because of how quickly things were changing. And that sense of gratitude or perspective and getting that back as definitely helped me a lesson I heard years ago, and I wish I could remember who I heard it from, but it was pretty much around, lower your level of gratitude. 

Daniel Turner  35:34

So interesting. 

Murray Guest  35:36

And the idea being that sometimes we’re like, Oh, I’m so grateful for my house, or I’m grateful for this big family, holiday, whatever it is. But the idea is, if you lower your level of gratitude that you’re starting it and makes it easy to build that attitude of gratitude, for example, wake up the morning, and I’m grateful to have clean sheets on my bed. 

Daniel Turner  35:57

Yeah, yeah, true. Yeah. All the little things. 

Murray Guest  36:00

Yeah, I’m grateful for the fact that I can get up and I can look out the window today, like, so build on those little bits. And then it creates this different way of seeing the world around us. I’ve had Tammy, my wife teaching me backgammon over the past few weeks, and we have played backgammon every day. For the past fortnight where the afternoon it’s a cup of tea, or might be a glass of wine here and there. And she’s still the master, the apprentice’s getting better. But again, I’m grateful for the fact that she’s been able to teach me that we had a an old backgammon board, and we could start to play, which wouldn’t have happened if this whole COVID-19 isn’t happening.

Daniel Turner  36:50

Exactly, exactly. You got to work your way up to chess.

Murray Guest  36:55

Ah, so here’s the thing. I’m better at her than 

Daniel Turner  36:57

Oh, really? Yeah. 

Murray Guest  36:59

So I’m a chess player, she’s a backgammon. So I think we had one game of chess I won and then it went to backgammon pretty quickly. 

Daniel Turner  36:59

So she’s going to be on top. 

Murray Guest  37:11

Yeah. Now, Mike, you shared with me your mantra to which, which I like, and how it’s changed. But I want to share both of these. And I’d love to know, your insights from these. So what you shared with me was work hard rest harder and now that’s changed to stay positive and pivot.

Daniel Turner  37:34

Correct, yeah. So work hard, pressed hard. So even though my wife would not say that I actually go by this, because she says, I just, I just work nonstop. And then I just don’t have time for rest. But in my mind, what I’m doing is, it’s just trying to smash out as much work, work hard. So that I can earn my rest, as in, like, if I go on a holiday, I want to be able to, you know, just just relax hard, don’t think about work. And I know that I’ve earned that or even just sitting on the couch in an afternoon, if, you know, like, if you’ve done nothing all day, and then you go and sit on the couch, you’re like, just a lazy person. But if I know I’ve worked hard during that day, have earned that couch time. And now that everything’s changed, it’s hard to have a lot of work to work hard, so much. So now it’s more stay positive and pivot. So obviously, staying positive is extremely important, but also pivoting in my business. So obviously, I can’t travel a lot, I can’t do big events with a lot of people. So at the moment I’ve been looking into, into a lot of live streaming, and doing multi camera live streaming. So what I’d like to set up is a multi camera live stream so that we can basically do events that you would normally do with with a few speakers to to an online audience, because I don’t think anywhere in the near future, we’re going to be able to get like 500 plus people in the one space for a while. So to be able to offer that to people the same experience that you would get at a conference. But just just stream it online. I think that i think that that’s going to be the next important thing for me to get onto.

Murray Guest  39:32

Yeah, I agree that it’s going to be a while before we have big events. And I think I’ve seen lots of conferences pivoting online and I think some are doing just like video we talked about earlier, some are doing it well and others could do it a lot better, to make it engaging, make it interesting. So I think that multi camera, live streaming does sound really interesting. 

Daniel Turner  39:58

And I mean you can do an easy and easy thing like just with zoom and just have a bunch of people on it. But if you want it to look professional then you know you can you can do this you can get a multi camera, live stream, you know have all the intros, outros lower thirds, like all the other anything that you would see on TV, basically. Just create that in your own event.

Murray Guest  40:26

Mate, well, thank you. I think I do like both the mantras and I think still working hard rest harder is a is, is fantastic. I think it’s still relevant today, as is the staying positive and pivot. I’ve really enjoyed our conversation about your journey into what you do and find your passion and what the what you do. And honestly, the the quality of your work that you put out that I’ve been a part of last few years is just fantastic. So it’s, I really enjoy connecting and just talking about it today.

Daniel Turner  40:58

Thanks, Muz. Really appreciate that. And thanks for having me on the podcast.

Murray Guest  41:03

No worries, buddy. Now if someone wants to find out more about Head North Films, where’s the best place to check it out online?

Daniel Turner  41:10

So the website, www.headnorthfilms.com or Instagram or Facebook, just search for Head North Films and it’ll come up. 

Murray Guest  41:21

Yeah, fantastic. Well, I’ll also make sure that the links to those three areas are in our show notes as well. Keep Well, all the best to the new baby next month. That’s fantastic news and look forward to chatting in soon. And I want to hear about the results of the half marathon when that happens as well. 

Daniel Turner  41:47

I will I will get in under two hours. 

Murray Guest  41:49

Yeah, good work. Okay, Mate thanks. 

Daniel Turner  41:51

All right. Have a good one.