· just some highlights:
~ our car pool was the funniest I trust I trust I trust: Max Davine sang us 5 songs; Dina Gavrilova made us a divine chocolate cake ( I still do not know what happened to the blueberry one, but with this one I know for sure (for sure ( for sure) ) ) Max took it home . Max said he went slightly mad and Russian after being with us for sooooo long but I BET HE LOVED it. He mainly sang love songs... Max? Elena Tretiakova Millinery told us some stories but I can not recall now what they were about as I lost my way in the middle of the one of hers.... and thank god we had two hours in spare as...
~ we arrived earlier like three honest musketeers only to meet our gorgeous Milady Di Winter, Benjamin Newall who probably was sleeping over (?) or was just there waiting for us from 0300am (he was also very lonely) . But this is what Milady was always doing: preventing the people to get to the Castle (Kryal Castle) ...
~ suddenly the sleepy car of Glen Wilson showed up - he already went shopping (?) - Camilla Wilson and Glen told us later over coffee and fruit at their apartment that was their best weekend they spent at the Castle - very quiet , very bird-surrounded and very inspiring too. I bet so: Glen likes ghosts and skeletons ... but I I was mostly surprised he did not meet us in his pijamas and the candle holder walking around with the white face of the person who saw everything below this realm...
~anyway to cut the short story long... the guests and the models started to arrive: the noisy car pool with Bryanna Reynolds, Jennifer Zaman and Sarah Hasan Siddique . Sarah has done an amazing job on Bryanna, Jennifer and later on Ben.
~ the main thing I forgot to tell: while we drove on our way to Ballarat the funny looking car overtook us and the bold man was waving at me... I waved back although I did not recognise him... but he looked happy and funny and I smiled back... To my surprise Elena said it was Tony... I had to overtake his car to make sure it was him in his car - and yes, it was Tony driving his car. I waved at him..he waved back - I now wonder if HE recongnised ME...
~ as the morning was progressing @MichelleAbela arrived with the stunning stallion, Rocky and her assistant, Rachel Pandur! They were met by the sound of the female horses at the property.. .Michelle said the rope on his neck would not hold him if he would make his mind to meet the girls, she would not have enough power to hold him back.. he would jump over the highiest fence... I wish our men were like that.. for the true love of course... Knights and Stallions, where are you all now?
~ the Castle Gates opened and Phillip Leitch, the King's Knight of the Arena and the Castle (as is written in his resume) arrived himself ... and yes, he looked like a knight - long blonde hair, big torso and very strong legs. I could see lots of victorious and glorious Knight Tournaments won in his eyes but he was very humble and just asked Michelle to sing some papers and gave us two awesome fencing rapiers. He vanished behind the huge gates .. It would be awesome if he was o the horse too... but the horses might all were busy this morning...
~ I have to admit after the rapiers were passed into Max's hands we could not see much of him ( Max) - he was too preoccupied with himself jumping around the empty car parking , fencing and talking to himself loudly. Dina found it amusing but that was normal for Max (finally and at last: he spent two full hours in our car not being able to say a word to anyone nor to defend himself :) )
~ no one noticed how Brett Styles arrived but he did arrive...:)
~ Glen went out of the castle again and offered me some fruit secretly... the fruit then suddenly disappeared and I have never seen that bowl again, though I looked everywhere even checked Max's stomach... I suspect it was not even Glen who brought it...
~ as the models were getting dressed up the photo session started...
~ Kwacha Luka has arrived with quite an entrance - her shoes are always "something" something for me - I treat her shoes with respect - even more respect than Kwacha herself - with the most stunning white dress she arrived - for Ben - and some accessories.. The Milady was dressed with celebration - four girls were looking after "her" hands, shoulders, head and legs - and my original plan has not failed - she looked so pretty so pretty so pretty that even our Kwacha who was an unbeliever in the first place had to admit it worked well... I had not have any doubts as I saw Ben in the PuNk outfit this year and make up suits him very much. I have to be honest with everyone: he looked better as a woman than as a man.
~ Ramya Yogesh Nair our gorgeous Ramya has finally arrived with Erkin Kalayci and Tugba Caglayann the couple was a bit quiet as it was way too early I guess... Ramya knows her fencing very well.. she does it with grace.
~ Robyn Daniel, I am very very grateful for your costumes - the three musketeers no matter how many troubles we had during the casting changing crew after crew after crew after crew all looked exactly as I would imagine them - irresistibly BEAUTIFUL!!
~ Lincoln M. James, I am very grateful for your rapier - it was superb!!! The girls treated it as their own make up bags - with love and care... They all adored it!!! Candy Caradoc, thank you very much for this contact!
The blonde wig (thanks to Erkin Kalayci's taste - well, even Max tried it on) was mountained on Ben's head (still on, I mean - the head - not chopped off) of our Milady so was the hat (made with so much love by Sabine Pedder at Cupids Millinery Melbourne - all thanks to Marina Vexler and Rudolf Ladyzhenskii - this hat was an "ah" and a half)
The girls were all decorated with jewelry and we took the Castle by storm... Guys and girls, I have to admit in my 24 years in Melbourne to my own shame I have not been to this location even once! I MISSED SO MUCH!!! IT IS SURREAL, IT IS REAL IT IS SO WELL BUILT!!! (Max is building his own for his lady of his heart next to the ocean - I know the secret now!) We planned to go there to the location again and stay overnight for three days for one of our next year projects - a group booking for 20-30 people but WE ARE DOING IT! We did it before at many assorted locations in Victoria and we will do it again !
We had only 80 minutes to shoot... and we did it!
We finished early at 0100pm and ended up at Glen and Camilla's room for coffees. The cheese and cherry pies arrived (Natasha's make with Milan's help of course) chocolate cakes (Dina), wine and chocolates . The trip has finished for us with Max's sad but beautiful song (about love of course) which we sang together with all of us as a chorus - on the way back... The best question asked while we were driving in the country over the rolling hills and fields with sheep and green grass, in the middle of nowhere: "does anyone know any good coffee shop in this area"... then we all fell asleep - well I almost did till Elena woke me up while I was trying to drive on the other side of the road... but we were close to my place anyway... WHAT A DAY!!! WHAT A MI-LADY WHAT A NIGHT! <3