ShortFest Palm Springs - USA
Hi, I'm Pauline... you can call me P!
I'm a dynamic entrepreneur, filmmaker, author, and online educator from Sydney Australia!
I'm a multiple Stevie winner for Start-up of the Year for my business Story Rock Star! I want to help you become the ROCK STAR of your STORY.
Then we can change the world together. Close the gender gap and solve world peace!
This is page is the 'Long Read' where I share all the good stuff I've achieved over the years and my creative journey and what I've learned along the way that has helped me in business.
Yeah, it's the brag page, and yes my hair changes a LOT over the years. Well, I am creative. My natural colour is red... just in case you are wondering. Hold fire on all the red-head, hot-headed jokes, I've heard them all before, and no, I won't answer to Bluey!
Firstly, I embrace the multi-slashy tag with pride. I believe all the skills I've learned over the last 25 years, have brought me to this point in my life. I traverse between running my business Story Rock Star and creating my passion projects in the film industry.
I need to eat, but I also need to feed my soul. The starving artist is a bad cliche that needs to be kicked to the curb. I'm a creative entrepreneur that values my skills and my intellectual property and I won't give it up without a fight!
If after reading about me you feel we are a match for a creative project or a business venture please email me. Don't be shy, I love collaborating with people and businesses who have a passion for changing the world or elevating teenagers and women. I do believe we do our best work when we work together on what lights up our hearts.
I'm currently doing my Masters in Screen Business at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) while running Story Rock Star. I've worked for over 20 years in theatre, film, television, and documentary in Australia and the UK. I know, it's a LOT. I've loved every second of it, even when things haven't always been a perfect Hollywood script! The plot turns in life is where we find our true selves, amongst the grit!
My 'Hear for You' film students. 'Hear for You' is a charity that helps deaf teenagers navigate the world.
Stevies® Awards in NYC. That's me swinging around my Gold Stevie® for 'Solo Entrepreneur' in the blue dress. Winners are grinners!
My entrepreneur streak for Story Rock Star comes from my past career in investment banking for 10 years in London. Working on the trading room floor, watching the crazy capitalist world up close and personal gave me the determination to be my own boss in the creative arts. While I wasn't paid a trader's salary, banking did pay for my education as an actor at the Academy Drama School London, which I'm eternally grateful for. Working in the Arts can be challenging, but it is always uplifting and full of passionate souls. I liked to call it the 'Healing Arts' because without them the world would be a sad place for us humans.
What did I learn from the suits of London I hear you ask? How to run numbers, work a spreadsheet, value people's time, finish what I start. That's running a business in a nutshell. I have a true understanding of what makes the money people tick! If you know this you can change the world for the better, by bringing people along on your ride.
I believe in 'Profit with Purpose' otherwise you are living on the streets under a freeway and you can't make a change there!
PROFIT WITH PURPOSE
I've worked across the education, government, charity, corporate, and film and TV sectors. I have spent eight years working in the 'hearing loss' sector in Australia for government agencies like 'NAL' and 'Hearing Australia' and for charity through 'Hear for You' helping them tell a better story through film. I entered the hearing loss world through a personal experience with tinnitus back in 2012. Yes, I still live daily with the Big T ringing in my ears.
'Hear for You' Film Festival winners 2019
Theatre Producing buddy - Shola Adewusi
Last pair of Pointe Shoes!
After graduating from drama school, I wrote and produced my first play 'Girls' Talk' which I also acted in. I was a slashy, way before some journo coined the term. The play had its debut at the Soho Theatre 'Upstairs' in London. It was warmly received and transferred to two additional theatres across London, one in Chelsea and the other in Canary Wharf. So we went from the fancy pants mega-wealthy Chelsea set, to entertaining my old Investment Bankers mates who drank WAY too much Italian wine, but they did tip our production well!
Never underestimate your past it might just pay for your future!
I started my creative life at four years old, as a ballet dancer. I can still vividly remember seeing dancers spinning around on their toes like they were flying. My last pair of pointe shoes hang in my office. They remind me in the tough times that you just might fly again!
As a dancer, I worked for many years towards finally standing on my toes. It was a big deal when I finally had lift-off, it's like floating in the air. It doesn't happen overnight, you need to build your confidence and toe strength. Much like being in business or pursuing a creative life, you must be patient, brave, and have strong toes to kick doors open.
We can all fly if we put our minds to it.
Rocking it at the ShortShorts Film Festival in Tokyo with my film Blue Mist film. There were actual rock stars at the festival.
I've been extremely lucky that my films have screened at prestigious Academy (Oscar) accredited film festivals around the world like ShortFest in Palm Springs, FlickerFest in Sydney, and ShortShorts in Tokyo.
My short film Blue Mist was chosen out of 6,000 films to be one of 24 international films to screen at ShortShorts in Tokyo. I created that film to understand hearing loss. I had a lot of support from 'Hear for You', 'NAL' and 'Hearing Australia' which I was extremely grateful for.
It took a year for any festival to screen the film! I had to dig deep to keep the faith through all the rejection emails. Guess what... yep you guessed it, in business, it is the same!
NEVER GIVE UP!
That's me standing on the stage with my red Akurbra hat representing Australia in Japan. I wouldn't be there if I lost my belief in the film. If you believe you have something to offer the world, stay in the arena till the bitter end. It's always worth it!
First week we came in at No.3!
We trumped two of my favourite books!
'The subtle art of not giving a F&*K' and
'Call me by your name'. Awesome first week.
I feel like an author :)
Can You Feel It?- Top Ten Bestseller
How hard can it be to write a book?
Actually very hard and very time-consuming.
I'm going to write a novel I said out loud, and the rest as they say is history.
Can You Feel It? was born from the idea of two scripts that had been nominated by the Australian Writers' Guild for the Monte Miller Award: 'Liv' a short film and 'Lola' a feature film. I thought if I can't get the feature film 'Lola' made yet, then I'll go straight to my teenage audience's hand, with the book, and start to build an audience organically. It was the best idea I've ever had, I learned so much about writing for teenagers while canvasing their feedback along the way. I interviewed 25 teenagers who had a hearing loss to get a real depth of knowledge of the challenges they faced daily. My teenagers at 'Hear for You', said there are no books or films for them. So this kept me motivated to create something that was just for them, with them.
I couldn't have completed the book without the support of these teenagers and Lyndal Carter who was a Senior Audiologist at NAL, who read the book twice and provided a real lived experience as an audiologist who has a hearing loss. She was so impressed with the final draft she wrote a book review for Audiology Australia. I still want to turn 'Can You Feel It?' into a feature film or TV series. I know it will happen because I just don't give up in life.
So why did I give you the long read? I believe if you work with me or come on board any of my courses you should know how I tick.
I'm a STORYTELLER. Let me help you, tell your best story, either through my courses or face-to-face creating great content for your business.
Can You Feel It? Book Launch - Better Read Than Dead - Newtown Sydney Australia
Original Book Cover
Book Review - Audiology Australia
New Cover for Series
Second book in Series Coming Soon!
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS' GUILD
AWGIE
Nominated - Monte Miller Award
Long Form - 'Lola'
Short Film - 'Liv'
ACADEMY NICHOLL FELLOWSHIPS
Quarter-finalist
FINAL DRAFT BIG BREAK
Semi-finalist
If you made it to the end thank you!
