Helen Nias Filmmaker & VR

www.helennias.co.uk | @helennias | [email protected]

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Looking autumnal in spring

Hakone, Japan, April 2019

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It’s seemed odd to share photos of places I’ve been (pre-2020) during this pandemic, but maybe it’s time to start again - I have a lot of images from our honeymoon in Japan, road trip in South Australia and the brief time we were able to easily head into London, all from 2019.

This is Faye’s Dugout - we visited this historic underground home which was literally dug out of the ground in South Australian opal mining town Coober Pedy, by three women miners.

We had a guided tour, just the two of us and the very informative local tour guide.

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The Robot Restaurant in Tokyo - like watching a live action anime fight.

It was a very odd place, full of Western tourists (like us!)

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When you’re honeymooning in Tokyo and find the record that inspired your wedding invites!

Toshiki Kadomatsu - t’s 12 inches - fab record as well so one for the collection.

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(April 2019) After an overnight flight from London to Tokyo, we made our way to Hakone and took a sleepy ride on a ‘pirate’ ship on Lake Ashi, where we were rewarded with this incredible view of Mt Fuji! 🗻

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One year on since we were honeymooning in Japan, drinking sparkling saké from our wedding shot glass favours in our incredible ryokan in Hakone! 💕

The birds were created by the wonderful Lauren Grant 🥰

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Kanku-Breakaways, South Australia. The furthest we made it into Australia’s centre!

We passed very few other visitors and at this lookout were the only people in sight, it was glorious.

Words from the Antakirinja Matu-Yankuntjartjara Aboriginal Corporation [from the parks.sa website]

The Kanku-Breakaways hold great cultural and spiritual significance to our people, interwoven with its striking natural formations, plants and animals. Many features form part of our stories that weave across the landscape, extending thousands of kilometres. Managing the Kanku and undertaking traditional practices on country are vital to maintain our strong connection to country.

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Amazake at the 400 year old Amazake-chaya teahouse, a rest stop along the Old Hakone Highway, Japan

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Last April we spent a wonderful three nights at Hotel Airu in Hakone Yumoto, Japan, for our honeymoon. We had our own private onsen (not pictured!), and private dining for breakfast and dinner, where we were treated to incredible 14 course meals! I don’t think we will ever be able to splash out on something so luxurious again, but we enjoyed every minute of it!

Whilst staying in Hakone Yumoto we enjoyed a boat ride on Lake Ashi, where we had wonderful views of Mount Fuji, a trip to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, full of sculptures. Not pictured but still recommended - a trip on the Hakone Ropeway and cable car, eating black eggs on top of a volcano, enjoying a walk along the Old Hakone Highway, and a delicious lunch in Gora.

A brilliant place to relax after a hectic couple of weeks in the UK and our wedding day!

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Last May we went to Clipped TV at the Golden Age Cinema and Bar in Sydney, to see some great new music videos including one for Giants of the Earth by Julien Mier, directed by Keanu Hoi. My husband Jack Quick, a photographer turned VR developer, consulted on the photogrammetry sections.

I really love the video, it includes some very creative 3D elements (e.g. the warped photogrammetry) and lots of rotoscoping which is an animation technique I’m fond of.

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In August we took the ferry over to Woolwich from Balmain, and enjoyed a chilly but sunny afternoon exploring the area. We had a beautiful walk by the old dock, and through a lovely harbour side park and with good views of Cockatoo Island, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We ended the afternoon with dessert at the Ironwood Coffee Company.

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Yebisu beer museum in Tokyo - I’d never been to a beer museum before but it was very interesting to learn about the history of this Japanese beer, and try a few at the end of the visit.

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Spring is here in the northern hemisphere! Here are some beautiful flowers I snapped in Tokyo on our honeymoon last spring - April 2019.

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Enjoying an iced tea and some relaxing classical music at Meikyoku Kissa Lion, classical music cafe in Shibuya, Tokyo. It was even more relaxing as all the seats were facing the incredible sound system and you’re not allowed to talk!

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Terrace Falls in the Blue Mountains, winter 2019

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Exploding Cinema

I headed to Exploding Cinema at London’s Cinema Museum in November, in part to support filmmaker Molly Brown who creates humorous animated shorts, often of the horror genre!

I first met Molly at Kino London where she seemed to have a new film every month, and always looked forward to watching her surreal shorts. At Exploding Cinema Molly screened This Mourning, a daytime TV show for the dead that was also enjoyable for the living too (and certainly a big improvement on real daytime TV)! This Mourning isn’t online but her other animations are, you can watch a selection on Vimeo.

It was good to catch the other shorts as well, and to explore the Cinema Museum a little in the dark.

Screening last May

In other related but old news, my short film A Version of Us also screened at Exploding Cinema back in May, although I wasn’t able to attend due to living in Sydney at the time. I still hope to screen this film on 16mm again as the digital version isn’t anywhere near as aesthetically pleasing - so let me know if you hear of 16mm screening opportunities.

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I squeezed in a trip to Kino Sydney in August; the last one I could make it to before we moved away. After Picnic on the Moon went down well the previous December, I decided to screen my other straight 8 film, Curiousciousness.

It was fun to be involved in this community even if it wasn’t for very long!