Love of film makes for a perfect mix for this WA farmer
Great Southern farmer combines love of farming and filmmaking to put her region in the spotlight
Gairdner farmer Brianna Jones has spent time working in the film industry. (ABC Great Southern: Astrid Volzke)
Brianna Jones is not your typical farmer.
Based on a mixed cropping and livestock property at Gairdner, 470 kilometres south-east of Perth, the 29-year-old has spent most of her life in the bush.
The 29-year-old is based in the Great Southern, around 470 kilometres south-east of Perth. (ABC Great Southern: Astrid Volzke)
Aside from brief stints in Perth for school and university, Ms Jones always wanted to return home.
"I studied a double degree in biology and screen production at university, and then I spent a year on a station up north, cattle mustering," Ms Jones says.
"Then COVID hit, and my brother and I decided to move back to the farm at the same time — and we never left. We both love it so much."
After attending Presbyterian Ladies' College in Perth and completing her university studies, Brianna Jones returned to the family farm. (ABC Great Southern: Astrid Volzke)
Having grown up in the area where the movie Blueback was being filmed, an opportunity arose for Ms Jones to work on the set, which was being filmed in Bremer Bay, 500 kilometres south-east of Perth.
The seaside town was selected as the location for the adaptation of Tim Winton's novel, providing Ms Jones with a pathway into the industry while remaining connected to her regional upbringing.
"When I first came back to the family farm, I opted for a bit of off-farm work just to help with the family structure, so I helped with a production that was being filmed down here," Ms Jones says.
"I just loved it. I was production runner on that film as well as skippering the main boat in the movie."
Brianna Jones worked on the film adaptation of Blueback, based on Tim Winton's novel. (Supplied: Brianna Jones)
Careers beyond the farm
The farmer represents a new generation of producers whose careers stretch far beyond the farm gate.
"I had a radio, listening for instructions from the directors during the takes, and I was sort of lying in the bottom of the boat in a kind of body bag so I couldn't be seen, then resetting the boat for after takes," she says.
"On a couple of occasions, I would fly a drone above the ocean between takes to watch for anything lurking.
"It's pretty rare to sight sharks in this area, but they are around, so I guess it was an additional safeguard to keep a lookout."
While filmmaking, Ms Jones found many of the skills transferred naturally between farming and filmmaking.
"Some of the skills that I've learned on the farm carried across really well, like driving trucks, skippering the boat, heavy lifting, and just being really hands-on," she says.
Brianna Jones says her horse skills are useful when filming in various locations. (Supplied: Brianna Jones)
Homegrown talent
Blueback associate producer Bec Bignell says giving regional creatives the chance to work on screen productions in their own communities is vital for building local industry skills, creating opportunities, and strengthening regional storytelling.
"There is a real appetite for regional people to take on these roles," Ms Bignell says.
"If money is being invested in regional communities and local people are given good opportunities to participate, they should have access to work that provides genuine career pathways and valuable industry connections for the future."
Bec Bignell says there should be clear career pathways and valuable industry connections for creatives in regional communities. (Supplied: Homespun)
Ms Jones says juggling the demands of farming with her filmmaking passion has become increasingly difficult.
"On average, a film would go for two to three months at a time, and then your TV series might go for a bit longer. So, it is tricky juggling farm work and then being able to commit to that period of time off farm," she says.
"I'm glad that my parents were so encouraging to go and seek work other than farming at the start because it's broadened my knowledge on different aspects of things."
