(click logo for a brief mp3 of the Rampant Corgi).

 

John Frame

Post: 82 Main Avenue, Wavell Heights 4012 (Queensland, Australia)

Email: jvframe@ozemail.com.au

Phone: (+617) 3350 1562 or mobile 0409 501 561

 

Bookmarks in this page: Sadie Robinson’s life story (audio); Jim Hammill’s WW2 experiences in Tobruk (video); Brisbane PFLAG Parents share their stories (audio); Woodstockdale 1986 (video); Paul Farrell’s 50th party (video); Statements of Support for Equal Age of Consent Reform in Queensland (video); article on CD and CD-R deterioration (text)

 

 

Rampant Corgi is my personal working trademark for any audio and video projects I work on.

 

The Corgi referred to was my dear friend Ralph, who had a heart of gold, was fiercely devoted to me. He also had an earned reputation for being sporadically fierce in general. Ralph would guard food aggressively and chase people from the room, and he could growl like a Rottweiller. Ralph loved being in the car so much, that he would drag me by the trouser leg as soon as I picked up my keys. He lived with me in various houses for eleven of the best years of my life, and lives on in all of the work I present, with pride, as a "Rampant Corgi Production".

 

My audio work:

 

I specialise in conducting relaxed and entertaining interviews (see interviewee list), either as oral histories or for radio broadcast, which are then tastefully and carefully digitally edited, and stored on CD. I have a range of microphone systems including a high quality Sennheiser reporting mic and their “dummy head” true surround sound stereo system.

 

Many of the interviews I’ve conducted during ten years of presenting community radio support program Queer Radio are recorded on CD and may be reproduced on request.

 

Other projects include live recordings of bands, “specials” for Queer Radio (such as reporting on several Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parades) and “Cocky Tales” – a contract project for the Queensland AIDS Council which involved interviewing rural men who have sex with men and then editing and producing 500 copies of a cassette tape resource in support of other similar rural men who have sex with men.

 

  • In January 2004 I donated my services in completing a CD project "Brisbane PFLAG Share Their Stories" for the Brisbane chapter of “PFLAG” (Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians And Gays). The CD presents testimonies from men and women (mostly parents) and is intended as a resource for those parents who are unable to meet the support group in person or who genuinely feel they would be uncomfortable in doing so. In November 2006 five thousand copies of this CD were printed for inclusion in each information pack as part of PFLAG's state-wide "Longreach For Outreach" rural community support project.

 

 

 

  • In November 1999 I recorded my aunt and godmother Sarah (“Sadie”) Robinson relating her life story at her Newman Rd, Wavell Heights home. Sadie was born Sarah Ann Hammill in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1912 and immigrated with her parents and two younger brothers to Brisbane, Australia in 1921 on the maiden voyage of the Largs Bay passenger liner. She turned 97 in August 2009 and is cared for at Clifford House nursing home at Kalinga. So Sadie was 87 when we did this recording and she surprised everyone with her sharp memory and confident, honest storytelling. The recording was made to a Sony MZR50 MiniDisc using headset microphones (an AKG for Sadie and a Sennheiser for myself). In August 2009 her sister Mary Hammill wrote a tribute to Sadie.

 

 Sadie Robinson (ca 1950)

 

Sarah Robinson relates her life story November 1999 pt 1 of 2 (41 minutes) 96kps mono 30mb mp3 - Topics: Introduction, father and WW1 / Scotland and memories of bitter winters / from Scotland to Australia / Mother, school, the Wilsons, father / starting work / meeting her husband Joe Robinson / moving to Newman Road / music: “100 Years From Today” performed by Doris Day.   

 

Sarah Robinson relates her life story November 1999 pt 2 of 2 (50 minutes) 96kps mono 36mb mp3 – Topics: Starting a family / minding the shop and the kids / the shop is sold / son Terry and his family / daughter Colleen / grandson Michael / grandson Peter / grandson Paul / grandson Luke / brother John Hammill / granddaughter Monique / family support / the pressure cooker story / husband Joe’s big belly story / music: “Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries” performed by Doris Day. 

 

 

My video work:

 

  • I’ve worked on a few not-for-profit pet video projects – most notably “Woodstockdale 2” (13th December 1986) – which featured Brisbane alternative music scene bands performing for their own mutual entertainment at Mark Stockdale’s family property at Canungra. Bands were Fracture, 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mr Take’s Daughter, Sun Orange, Thanks For The Fish, Heads Will Roll, White Trash Experience, Gone To China and Scruff The Cat. The day closed with an eerily memorable ensemble performance of “Smoke On The Water”. Andy Willmott appeared as drummer for no less than 5 acts. Recorded in binaural stereo using the Sennheiser MKE2002 dummy head mic system. Video was sourced from a tripod mounted Panasonic VHS and a roving AIWA Video8 and edited using the “insert edit” facility of the AIWA. A definitive DVD was edited in June 2007 from the HiFi stereo VHS master tape (with audio carefully restored to being vastly superior to the master tape).

 

Watch the entire 2007 re-edit of Woodstockdale 2 (13th December 1986) (a total of approx 60 minutes) via the playlist at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F83CE0F6D3B1C2FF or in the embedded player below:

 

 

 

  • My more recent musical project is a two disc DVD of the bands and people at Paul Farrell’s 50th party on Easter Saturday – 7th April 2007 – at the property he and his partner Rhonda Cale own at Upper Brookfield. The support act was Punxie & the Poison Pens (featuring Louise Day as songwriter/vocalist and husband Matt and Paul Farrell on guitar, Noel Howe on bass, Brad Cox on drums). The main attraction was the reunion, after 28 years, of Fuller Banks & The Debentures – who were the darlings of 4ZZZ in their time (through their manager and 4ZZZ promoter Dave Darling).  Fuller Banks are/were Kees Steen (guitar/vox), Greg Parkes (sax/vox), Peter Farrell (bass/vox), Paul Farrell (guitar) and Steven Pritchard (drums).  They had only one afternoon of practice, the day before the party (and even that was without Greg). The PA was superbly mixed by owner/operator David Nolan.  It was great day – and all of Paul’s arduous months of planning and physical labour preparing for the event were much appreciated. The audio was recorded again using the Sennheiser MKE 2002 binaural dummy head mic system blended with audio from the desk (recorded on two Sony MZ-R50 MiniDisc units). Video was sourced from four MiniDV cameras (operated by myself, Daryl White, Ann Farrell and Mark Stockdale.

Watch two of the best Fuller Banks performances on the day – “Where Are The Boys?” and “Hate Your Guts” (both songs written by Kees Steen’s friend Sue Parker) plus young Christie Farrell's accapella rendition of They Might Be Giants' "Dr Worm" as a YouTube playlist (a total of approx 12 minutes) at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5DCDA726C2140A13  or in the embedded player below (all in binaural stereo):

 

 

 

  • My other major recent video effort has been to create a DVD-Video/CD-ROM two disc package " 6 Statements of Support for equal Age Of Consent Reform" - as a lobbying tool to get the Beattie Government to finally have the guts to allow all Queensland youth the same benefit of legal protection and support inherent in there being an equal age of consent (at 16 - the current age for vaginal intercourse). Equality is necessary so that all 16 and 17 year olds are able to be given adequate and relevant safe sex education and inclusive relationship education. It's also necessary just so that no 16 or 17 year old (male or female) ever winds up serving 14 years gaol for choosing to engage in a sexual activity (always a possible scenario if the Nationals ever regained power). I used my MiniDV to film interviews with six people who represent a good cross section of opinons in justifying urgent action on equal age of consent reform (opening with Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Susan Booth). For full details of this project - including the cover art and embedded YouTube videos of all six statements go to: www.queerradio.org/AOC_June_2007_DVD_CD-ROM_pack.htm

Watch all six of the equal age of consent statements as a playlist on YouTube, with a bonus video of my own opinion and also our delightful (almost) award-winning original music video “ShitStickers” (a total of approx 45 minutes) at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=60F48C3DA47DCD13 or in the embedded player below:

 

  • On 9th July 2006 I videotaped my 87 year old uncle Jim Hammill, here in Brisbane, as he discussed his World War 2 experience of fighting with the 7th Division of the 2nd AIF fighting in Tobruk during 1941. Jim is chatting with grandnephew Scott Casey, who was researching a high school project on the personal struggle of soldiers in war. Jim enlisted at 17. He was with the 9th Battalion, 18th Brigade. Jim was invited each year to discuss his experience of war with students at the local school, so his memory is sharp and his delivery is detailed ,heartfelt, honest and entertaining.  With Scott are his brother Ben and their mother Kathy (my sister). TOPICS discussed in each part:–  Part 1: "the most handsome bloke" (with tongue slightly in cheek); tanks, dust and big guns; "Lord Haw Haw"; the coining of the term "Rats Of Tobruk".  Part 2: flies, food and fleas; joined at 17, fought at 20; glare from the sun and sand; suffering from lack of sleep.  Part 3: the officers; reconnaissance patrol; landmines.  Part 4: fighting patrol; the "dingo"; under friendly fire; dangerous swimming; grooming.  Part 5: the canteen ship; getting clean in Palestine; talking in Brisbane with children at the local school; after leaving Tobruk; lost friends.  Part 6: lost at night in Tobruk; the jerboa, the chameleon and the hedgehog; praise for the navy, the gunners and for Padre McIlveen.  Part 7: departing Tobruk; arriving in Alexandria; rediscovering food and drink; Tobruk lost by South African forces; the big Italian handgun. Recording equipment: Sony TVR16E MiniDV camera, Rode VideoMic (mono), Sony MZR50 MiniDisc. Edited using Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

 

Watch the complete one hour recording, in 7 parts, on YouTube. Each part contains complete topics which are listed in the video's information box. View the playlist at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=43B0CF666DA1F7F5 or in the embedded player below:

 

 

 

 

Re: serious deterioration of manufactured CD’s through oxidisation & fungal attack:

 

I’ve also been horrified by the escalating deterioration of the professionally manufactured audio CD’s in my collection. Several have become unplayable and many have damage sufficient to indicate they’re about to become unplayable – so I’ve been doing back-up copies of those discs on good quality CDR’s.

 

This deterioration problem has been identified as serious for several years – and is especially notable in hot, humid climates around the world, but there is suspiciously very little information on the internet to warn CD owners of  the possibility or existence of this deterioration. Certainly all of the recording companies seem to be pretending that it’s not happening. You’re welcome to read my detailed, but compact article on CD rotting – complete with links to images of affected CD’s. An edited version of that article was published in Australia and New Zealand in AudioTechnology Magazine issue 26 in June 2003.

 

I welcome any enquiries regarding contract work opportunities.

 

John Frame

Post: 82 Main Avenue, Wavell Heights 4012 (Queensland, Australia)

Email: jvframe@ozemail.com.au

Phone: (+617) 3350 1562 or mobile 0409 501 561

 

(this page last adjusted 23rd December 2009)