My friend Mike pointed out to me on email recently that he could sense some frustration in one of my previous blogs and to be honest, he was right. When you focus all your energy and efforts on one thing it can sometimes lead to frustration when things aren't necessarily going your way and despite your best efforts, it feels like sometimes even the slightest obstacles are insurmountable.
Things are a bit different now though however and I can say from experience that tenacity, belief and enthusiasm DO pay off in the end so by way of cancelling out any previous negative vibes this is the super happy sunshine positivity blog!
First off, reaction to the Teaser Trailer has been absolutely incredible! It has received well over a thousand views in only seven days and comments have been supportive, complimentary and effusive in praise for how it looks, its message and the music. Also, the feedback from people I have nothing but total respect for has been hugely positive and fortified my belief in what I am doing. Here are some examples from Patric Douglas, Mike Neumann, Felix Leander and Richard Theiss
It's also worth pointing out that this blog is now averaging 4,500 unique views every month, that's approximately 150 people every day which is pretty amazing really seeing as it has only been live online since this July and I would like to thank every single one of you who regularly come back to read it!
The Dive Show was a huge success. Thank you to Jussi for the poster (see the above image) and once again the Cameras Underwater guys were an absolute pleasure to be around. Dave, Duxy, Mario and Caroline have to easily rank up there within the top one per cent of the nicest people in the world and their expertise and knowledge on all things relating to capturing underwater images meant the stand was never anything other than rammed, great news for me as I got to speak to a lot of new people!
It was great to catch up with Jim, Lea and the guys from Fourth Element, the amazing Alex Tattersall, Nick and Helen, Laura Evans, Paul Rose (who is looking more and more like a contender for James Bond every year), Steve Weinman and also to finally meet the incredibly friendly Blue Planet team. Martin from the Fiji Tourist Board was an absolute pleasure to be around and had it not been for it actually being at the show, my conversation with Alan Harbourne from canon would have gone from what was originally a mere introduction to us being chucked out of a pub at closing time, what a nice fella!
I was also very fortunate to finally get to spend some time with the lovely Lesley Rochat. Her talk on shark conservation and the (often unsung) work she and her colleagues undertake in South Africa was a definite highlight of the weekend. She is a passionate, articulate and knowledgeable shark advocate and some of the initiatives she has been involved in, in particular the marketing of pro-shark events and media, was nothing short of inspired! Lesley gets far less exposure than other shark conservationists and although personal exposure is not on her remit, she deserves far more. She's not in it to make money or become famous, she's in it because of a love for sharks and the ocean. She is also a case in point of someone who once was terrified of sharks until she had a face to face encounter which changed her life forever, inspiring her to commit her life to helping save what she once feared so much.
It was also great to catch up with another leader in the world of shark conservation, the brilliant Richard Peirce of the Shark Trust, and to enjoy his talk about his new book and film, "Shark Attack Britain," a slightly irreverent look at shark encounters in the UK.
The meetings I had at the Dive Show were very fruitful and I am hoping to have some exciting updates in the weeks to come! Watch this space....
If you're not aware of Indiegogo, it is a site which hosts people's independent projects and provides a platform for investment from anybody who may want to help the independent arts with donations large and small. In essence it showcases talent and also the often overlooked philanthropic nature of people who want to do their bit to help others succeed. The whole thing basically exudes goodness and positivity and with that in mind, as you can imagine, From the Office to the Ocean is featured! You will see that I have already received $355 in voluntary donations and that is in less than twenty four hours! I would love to articulate how much people's generosity means to me but I don't think it's possible, it means so much to me that people I know and also complete strangers, want to see me succeed. The whole concept of "From the Office..." is progress and achievement through positivity and inspiration and this is a perfect case in point. Donations are made in return for anything from a film credit to an invite to a premiere screening in the UK so have a look and see what you think.
The project is really now starting to gain momentum and big, household name organisations and companies and industry professionals are really starting to take me seriously which is great, it shows that if you focus and work hard you CAN achieve what at first seems almost impossible, it is also testament to the fact that most people, the large majority in fact, are decent, friendly and kind and do want to see people deserving of success, succeed.
With all this positivity flying around I want to thank the following people for their support friendship and encouragement as I may well not have mentioned them previously, Kris Allen, Mark Burrows, Mark Thorpe, Duncan Carson, Nicky Crawford, Laura Evans, Red Issue and all my United mates (too many to name however Andy McIntyre gets a mention as I know he wants one!), Richard Peirce, Terry Goss, Amanda Robinson, Jan Bailey, Benedikte Lydsal Uslam, Susana Navajas, Jim Standing and Howard Sawyer.
On the subject of Howard, check out his website. Howard and I have recently become acquainted and as well as being an articulate, intelligent writer and an excellent photographer, he's also a fascinating bloke. Check out his articles on the site, there are a couple about sharks, in particular shark feeding and the numbers used by shark conservation groups. He doesn't shirk issues and speaks his mind and I admire that, it's also worth pointing out that he addresses issues which are important to shark conservation from the angle of someone who openly admits to not being an all out shark enthusiast. It's an interesting take on an interesting subject, check out his articles and make up your own mind. He's a good guy and an intelligent guy and even if you don't agree with some of his views, at least enjoy some of his awesome photos.
That's it from me for another blog, as the winter draws in and the industrial grime envelopes my surroundings, I can still see rays of sunshine everyday and that's because of the brilliant people I am fortunate enough to know, many of whom I can count as genuine friends so a heartfelt thanks from me to you and if United can emerge victorious again in tomorrow's derby, that will ensure an extra wide smile on my mush for the days ahead!
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