Welcome to mememe productions.

Dirtgirlworld

Michael Carrington pops into mememe headquarters…March 08 

Head of CBeebies and all round nice guy, Michael Carrington dropped in to hang out with Cate and Hewey for the afternoon. It was wonderful to talk about the vision at CBeebies for dirtgirlworld and their commitment to the next generation of green earth dwellers. Michael got to see first hand how mememe operates out of ‘middle of nowhere’ Australia and soak up a bit of Aussie sunshine at the same time.

SPAA 2007…Gold Coast Australia… Nov 07 

Another spectacular SPAA conference. This year saw Cate and Jenny producing the ‘ready steady pitch session, an introduction to Sebastian Debertin from KI.KA, follow ups with Scott Dyer from Corus/Treehouse and the beginning of a co pro conversation with Steven DeNure from Decode entertainment.

Cate and North Coast Documentary Guru, Cathy Henkel
smiling in the sun at the Sheraton Mirage.

Deirdre Brennan from Nickelodeon Aus and Dea Perez from Discovery Kids US. Are they twins, separated at birth???

Nerida O’Loughlin, Jenny Lalor, Cate, Deirdre Brennan and Kristy Phelan…collectively a bevy of Australia movers and shakers.

Christmas with the Squeezemores…Sydney…Australia…Dec 07 

Happy to take the place of Jenny Lalor at this yuletide luncheon, Cate experienced the Squeezemores style of kids networking with a heavy dose of heart.

 
Deirdre Brennan, Donna Andrews, Justine Flynn
and Avrill Stark show how it is done

Michael Bourchier and Cate… on their quest to be photographed together in as many cities in the world as they can muster.

The very reserved Tim Brooke Hunt

Toronto…Canada… Feb 2008 

Cate arrived in Toronto to a city ready to burst…with snow. In the first few days the vista was transformed into a fairytale wonderland of powdery snow and sunshine. A big change from the summer of Northern NSW she had left behind. Here Cate fell in love with Juno at movies for mummies and ice wine, caught up with Kim Wilson, visited Marblemedia’s new show set and met often with the team at Decode Entertainment to chin wag about them joining the dirtgirlworld family.

 

KidScreen Summit…New York…..Feb 2008 

This year’s KidScreen summit in a frosty New York was fantastic. Stacks of meetings and positivity driving dirtgirlworld forward into production. It was great to spend time with Beth and Steven talking through the dream. Aimee Atkins from Game On experienced her first KidScreen and jumped in boots and all…by the end of it all…she had met everyone in New York.

 
So now we know…this is what an Ethiopian buffet looks like…and it was delicious!!! Suzanne Ryan and Jenny Lalor are ready to tuck in.

The 3rd Annual mememe Kidscreen bowling night was yet another night of bowling hilarity with William Weil from Nat Geo being crowned the ultimate bowler of the night…..the challenge has been laid down for next year! 

Beth Stevenson from Decode and Jenny Lalor get acquainted.

Celebrating The Australia Independent Kids Producers at MOMA are Ken Faier from Nerd Corps and Justine Flynn from Buster and Sebastian Debertin from KI.KA, organising dynamo Suzanne Ryan and Bill Schultz from Taffy. Not pictured is the amazing Donna Andrews who worked with Suzanne to make this a spectacular New York event.  

It wouldn’t be Kidscreen without pictures of crazy big character. Cate cuddles Pinky Dinky Doo while Jenny gives Wubbzy a squeeze.  

 
And here’s the proof…Aimee with Dave Skwarczek, Jonas Agin and Jenny and Mark Bishop from Marblemedia at scrumptious Ruby Foos.

Michael and Jenny rugged up in Soho

 

And in the middle of it all…sorry day… and although we were across the planet we wanted to mark this day. ‘Sorry’ in the snow seemed a way to get the message across. Jenny Lalor and Michael Bourchier represented the Australian Kid’s producers in New York in this simple but heartfelt statement.  

Mipcom 2007

Cate and Hewey travelled to France in October for Mipcom 07.
Cannes was at its best with spectacular weather, the sparkling sea and a sensational television market. But it wasn’t all meetings.

Cate and Hewey enjoyed the company of BBC worldwide at a rooftop BBQ, the launch of ‘east of everything’ on a magnificent yacht as the sun set over Cannes, finger food from Lebanon, pizzas with Cake, a taste of India and having a grand old time.

In between Cannes and London they headed bush.
Well as bush as you can get in the South of France.
They relaxed amongst the gorges and lakes, shopped at the local market, cheered for the rugby world Cup at the local pub and made new friends.

London saw more days of meetings, a quick trip to Brixton and some silliness in Hamleys toy store.

Cate and Hewey with Bert and Ernie a long way from Sesame Street  in Cannes	Cate, Hewey and Jenny saying   ‘fromage’
Hewey and Michael Bourchier	Hewey teaches the locals Khe Sanh on bouzouki.
Carla de Jong, Joel Kohn and Michael.	Congratulating Tim Brook Hunt on his new job as Head Honcho of Children’s at the ABC
Celebrating ‘East of Everything’ in style.
Deb Cox, Tim and Cate …. as the sunsets.	Joel and Hewey at the opening night party …a taste of India
The usual suspects having a Grand time	Tom Van Waveren and Hewey intently watching tricks with cutlery.
In the South of France
Jenny and Hewey in London.

Two Pot Screamers

How do you say goodbye after fifteen glorious years of performing in the Clarence Valley and beyond…

well with A Farewell Show at the GDSC, of course…on Friday Nov 2.

The Two Pot Screamers are hanging up the crazy costumes and putting the 70s to bed after what can only be called an amazing journey.

No more Khe Sahn, I Will Survive or Brown Eyed Girl.

No more Purple Bedford!

And no more silly photographs!

Even the name was silly.

It seemed hilarious to them when they thought of it but sadly the ex Victorians, new to NSW, didn’t know they call them middies round these parts….

but the posters were printed and the name stuck…the two pots, the screamers, the heweyncate band, the tea pot strainers…whatever!

It started at the PO when Woodsy was there.

Two fresh faced musos from the city, demo tape in hand looking for a gig.

Well,Woodsy’s tape deck was on the blink and so Cate ended up serenading the lunch time crowd with the karaoke machine and ‘hopelessly devoted to you’.

They got the gig!

So from Phil and the PO to sunny Sundays on the deck at the Yamba Shores Tavern, with Paul and Steve the singing barmen at the Yamba bowlo, on the back verandah at Ullmarra, with Bob and Debbie at the Bottom in Maclean…Nymbodia, Brooms head, South Grafton and Whiporie Hall.

And in between weddings, parties presentation nights….celebrations a plenty…thousands of happy faces and occasions…all over the Valley.

Who can forget the packed gigs for race day and jacaranda at Roche’s with Jamie and the crew, Arthur’s  ‘up close and personals’ at GDSC (where they must have been the only duo ever to bake a loaf of bread and serve toast during a gig) and the up close and sweaty when things expanded to include a year long stint with the never forgotten Lovebug at the Club.

They have blamed the boogie in Japan as Australian ambassadors and have luckily come back again from a visit to Honiara, Grafton’s sister city in the Solomon’s, with only a small case of non contagious TB.

They have performed the national anthem at the races, hosted the Olympic torch relay, performed with the fireworks at the Olympic closing ceremony and sung “Santa Claus is Coming to Town’…eventually ….at Carols by Candlelight.

And now they want to say goodbye.

So many memories,  so much laughter.

If you fell in love or out of love, partied with friends like there was no tomorrow, danced till you dropped, learnt how to have fun or unleashed the unashamed dag in yourself…

come along for one last time and re-live the Two Pot Screamer experience.

Cate and Hewey want to say thank-you to you all...personally!!!!

All Two Pot Screamer photos by the sensational Toni Fuller!!!!!!!

The Minister for the Arts…meets mememe!

Cate and Hewey tripped down to Canberra for SPAA Kids!

Held at Parliament house in February it was a night to celebrate the success that is children’s television in Australia.

Hosted by Senator, the Honourable George Brandis, SPAA KIDS gave MP's an opportunity to discuss the importance of this sector, meet industry delegates and get a taste of the quality Australian programming children's television offers.

The night was MC'd by Noni Hazlehurst, with speeches from Posie Graeme-Evans, Simon Hopkinson and Ewan Burnett who shared their experiences in the industry and their belief in the importance of Australian children's television.

It was a great night and although the minister was impressive it was Dorothy the Dinosaur and Blinky Bill that really grabbed the attention.

Travelling South

On the dirtgirlworld trail Jenny Lalor, Jenni Tosi and Cate caught up with the ABC gang for a chat. Well it looks like B1 and B2 are fans!!!!

Back to Toronto

Heading to Toronto to speak at ICE 07 Cate wasted no time catching up with Canadian friends. The Conference was awesome. Dan Fill from ABC Australia confused a Coppola who thought he was from ABC America and as such…. a big time industry sucker of the independent producer. Glad they sorted it out!

Cate got to catch her first Ice hockey match….not a big sport in Northern NSW…and landed herself a puck.

…..which she donated to the Kim Wilson’s Ice Hockey memorabilia collection.

Partying with Marblemedia, singing karaoke and meeting awesome digital media folk…what better way to spend time in Toronto.

Lovely London

Next stop was London to meet with Michael Carrington and Kay Benbow at CBeebies and Annette Banham and Julia Posen from BBC Worldwide.

Cate camped with great mate, Carla Dejong, a stones throw from the famous Abbey Road Studios and Crossing and just up the road from Lords. The Beatles and Cricket, what more could a gal want. It was a blooming great time to be in London.

Dirtgirlworld gets Grubby!

October was super busy at mememe.

The script for the “go get grubby’ dirtgirlworld clip was finalised, character sketches developed, characters cast, green screen action and live action inserts shot, track re recorded and the Hackett film crew are now adding their creative genius and putting it all together.

Hewey and I travelled to Sydney for pre-production and the two day shoot. Filmed at Engine, Calvin, Lucy and Tony could not have been more wonderful. We were so looked after, professionally treated and incredibly well fed!

Directed by James Hackett and Jean Camden from Hackett Films the magic of shooting live action and facial elements to composite into the animation, truly happened.

The team consisted of DOP Calvin, Max as 1st AD and shoot producer, Tony on sound, camera assistant and studio guru, Jessie on makeup, Mandy on costumes and Hewey and I on anything else.

The cast and crew were amazing.

Tricky conditions, tricky costumes and tricky techniques.

Its funny how life happens.

After searching in Sydney for the perfect actors the characters were cast. Maree Lowes plays dirtgirl and her inclusion as well as Michael Balk as scrapboy has great significance for Hewey and I.

Maree and Michael both grew up and trained in Grafton and I have had the pleasure of teaching both of them at various stages of their acting lives; Michael who was very young when we first met…and Maree as a teenager in the youth theatre. For anyone who has known us for awhile and knows how much we loved our dog, ubu, we originally bought ubu from the Balk family when Michael was freckly and about 7.

Maree is an amazing young woman who brings heart and soul to dirtgirl with her genuine love of all the things dirtgirl loves…a perfect match!

Krew came to the gang via the highest recommendation of family and friends from her performances in ‘Banana in pajamas’ and her whacky evanescence. As Grubby she brings the comedic sense we have always dreamt of.

James Hackett moves from animator to animatee as Eevil the Weevil. I’m not sure if James really knows what it will be like to be a preschool pin up. His understanding of the technique and his inherent silliness has made Eevil transcend…well as much as eevil can transcend!

Hewey makes an appearance as our Hayman and I supply the vocals.

So you can see what a huge team effort it has been.

For Hewey and me it’s like we had our baby.

Years in the planning this is a dream come true for us and at a time when the message of dirtgirlworld is so timely.

We like to think that if the world goes awry dirtgirl world is the kinda place you would want to live.

Here are the photos of us all having a joyous time…watch out world , here comes dirtgirl!

...A little bit of dirtgirl in the world can only be good.