{"id":87717,"date":"2023-02-19T04:54:31","date_gmt":"2023-02-18T17:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/goldenplains\/?p=87717"},"modified":"2023-02-16T15:53:31","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T04:53:31","slug":"what-is-the-question-february-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/goldenplains\/news\/what-is-the-question-february-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Question – February"},"content":{"rendered":"

For this month\u2019s What is the Question Roland talks with Ballarat-based filmmaker Ben Plazzer. <\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your name?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben Plazzer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your occupation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Film director\/producer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What brought you to Ballarat?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I came as a boarder at St Patricks College in the late 80s. After Ballarat University I left the city only to return permanently 15 years later. I couldn\u2019t stay away. I missed Ballarat\u2019s weather.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your favourite spot in the city, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m quite fond of The 18th Amendment Bar. It has a great speak-easy atmosphere and feels like you\u2019ve taken a step-back in time. It\u2019s easy to chat and relax.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is happiness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The time between the camera standing-by on the first day on-set until it\u2019s a wrap on the last day – and you are totally spent. I think this type of happiness is what Aristotle called \u2018Beatitudo\u2019. It has both positive and negative connotations; but nonetheless, an apt description.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What would you do to make a difference in the world?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Make people laugh. I use comedy loosely and liberally. Some might argue I only have an annoying, long-string of dad jokes, but that\u2019s fine with me.<\/p>\n

Comedy makes us smile and it makes us feel better, and if it\u2019s done well it can challenge us. Comedy unites, and makes us better people.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you hope the future might hold for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Making more films and always making better ones. There are so many stories in Ballarat which would translate to the big screen. It\u2019s a talented city that\u2019s starting to find itself. We\u2019re lucky to be here right now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your most treasured possession, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My mind; it\u2019s how we perceive everything we own, and it gives value to our other treasured possessions. By default, it must come first. From our worldview to happiness. It all comes from this one place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you could ask your pet one question, what would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fifteen years ago our cat Whites walked in through the front door and has never left. I\u2019d like to ask, \u201cWhat kind of life did you have before you came to us?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What was your first job?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A mechanic – specifically a diesel mechanic in the Mallee. I remember really questioning my vocation when I was inside a combine harvester, itching from wheat in 40-degree heat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What did you want to be when you were growing-up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A mechanic.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can tell you what I wish someone hadn\u2019t told me. When I was in boarding school in the 80s I was into computer programming. I loved it and found it engrossing. So much so that for fun in year 11, I coded three other student\u2019s projects. Then someone gave me some advice, and to which I listened, \u201cThere\u2019s no future in computers\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What was your favourite toy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My Commodore 64. A heap of games all packed with 16 colours and a SID chip which could produce three sounds at once! It was awesome.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your all-time favourite book, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hobbit<\/em>. Yes it\u2019s a kid\u2019s book but it\u2019s packed full of action; has a dragon; a sword named Sting; and big spiders. What more could you want?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What would your childhood-self think of you today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think he would be impressed. I was a timid, introverted kid with lots of energy. After finding what I loved doing (making films) things changed as I immersed myself in it. Now I have the confidence I didn\u2019t have when I was younger because I know what I\u2019m doing \u2026and I love it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For this month\u2019s What is the Question Roland talks with Ballarat-based filmmaker Ben Plazzer.   What is your name? Ben Plazzer.   What is your occupation? Film director\/producer.   What brought you to Ballarat? I came as a boarder at St Patricks College in the late 80s. After Ballarat University I left the city only […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":87718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-87717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is the Question - February - Golden Plains Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/goldenplains\/news\/what-is-the-question-february-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is the Question - February - Golden Plains Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For this month\u2019s What is the Question Roland talks with Ballarat-based filmmaker Ben Plazzer.   What is your name? 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