The night of my first assignment for Scenestr magazine 21MAR207. Copyright Karen Marken.
Last Friday I reached a milestone with Scenestr magazine, I have now had 100 posts published with them online or in their printed copies on the street. This all started with a review I submitted to them of Hidden Figures that Karen had won tickets to see. The review was published 23 February, 2017.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The first film I reviewed on assignment for Scenestr magazine. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At New Farm for the first screening I attended where I needed to sign a review embargo agreement. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Best film of 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Within a couple of months I realised if I wanted to make the most of my opportunities there I would have to put my hand up to do interviews. Despite having done this in the past at university I was still quite nervous when I did my first interview with the stars of Grease: The Arena Spectacular Meghan O’Shea and Drew Weston almost two years ago. Knowing it scared me made me confident it would be truly rewarding and that turned out to be true.
In 2018 there were 50 posts published online of my work, it is doubtful I will match that output moving forward, there are things I am currently pursuing away from Scenestr but I am grateful to continue my work for the biggest street press magazine in the country.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
New Farm Cinemas after seeing ‘Wonder Wheel’ 04DEC2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
CHER! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
19AUG2017 ‘Lord of the Thrones’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
CHER! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
‘Uncle Vanya’ 18AUG2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Shakespeare Double Bill at Spring Hil Reservoir. 10OCT2018 Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Italian Film Festival Opening Night 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Warm-up act for Cher 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Outside Crete Street Theatre following the great Beenleigh Theatre Production of ‘Lord of the Flies’ 19JAN2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At the Queensland Maritime Museum to see Act/React’s ‘Kiss of the Vampire Squad’. This was performed on HMAS Diamantina as part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Byron Bay 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At Chermisde for ‘Godzilla II: King of the Monsters’ 29MAY2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Shakespeare Double Bill at Spring Hil Reservoir. 10OCT2018 Copyright Lloyd Marken.
BIFF 2018! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Blue Room Cinebar for the first time to attend a critics’ screening of ‘The Breaker Upperers’ 03JUL2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
New Farm Cinemas December 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
About to see Tom Gleeson at Brisbane Comedy Festival 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
New Farm Cinemas December 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The Purple Cinema at New Farm Cinemas the night I went to them for the first time to see Valerian 08AUG2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The delicious menu from SABA at the Cine Latino Film Festival Opening Night 2017.
Brisbane Comedy Festival 2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
All the people coming to see Cher in 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Pretty neat having my own Media pass at Byron Bay Film Festival 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Director of ‘Celeste’ Ben Hackworth talking about his film with BIFF Artistic Director Amanda Slack-Smith. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Italian Film Festival Opening Night 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At QPAC for Circa in DEC2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Myer Centre Cinemas in Brisbane CBD for ‘Captain Marvel’ 05MAR2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At QPAC for the Queensland Symphony Orchrestra 12MAY2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Shakespeare Double Bill at Spring Hil Reservoir. 10OCT2018 Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Outside Metro Arts night of seeing Lord of the Thrones in 2017.
BCF 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
CHER! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Young Australian Filmmakers Awards 14OCT2017as part of Byron Bay Film Festival 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
After Hellboy at Chermside cinemas10APR2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
BCF 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At Brunsick Heads 07OCT2017 for the Byron Bay Film Festival 2017 to see the excellent film The Go-Betweens: Right Here. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Hedda by the Queensland Theatre company 15NOV2018.. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The opportunity Scenestr gives writers and how that flows onto the rest of the print industry is extraordinary. I hope to be working for them for a long time yet.
Of the 100 posts published, 10% were reviews of stand-up comedians and their shows, 29% were theatre reviews, 28% were film reviews, 32% were interviews and 1% were reviews of Cher concerts.
The first time on assignment at Brisbane Powerhouse for ‘The Soldier’s Wife’ 10JUN2017 as part of the Queensland Cabaret Festival. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
If you’re been along with me for part of the journey I hope you have enjoyed the ride, I thank you for your support and I hope to continue with you by my side. Two years ago this milestone seemed very distant if even possible and it has been one of the great joys of my life to have had this happen to me at 36 when I was feeling that life was kind of passing me by. I feel very grateful to my editors for their support and knowledge and to all our readers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
-Lloyd Marken
Karen in City Hall for Tom Gleeson during the 2018 Brisbane Comedy Festival. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
About to see Bad Moms 2 in 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At the Spring Hill Reservoir to check out some Shakespeare in 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen about to see ‘What Rhymes WIth Cars and Girls’ in 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At BRISFEST 2018 for ‘Ode to Man’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen arriving at the 2017 Bryon Bay Film Festival. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
After seeing Raw starting a tradition of Grilled Burgers while on assignment. Copyright Lloyd Marken
I’ve been published 25 times with Scenestr Magazine since they accepted my review of Hidden Figures and put it up on their website on the 23rd of February, 2017. Of the twenty five, 6 have been interviews which have all been featured in their print magazines around the country, 11 have been either preview or film festival screenings of movies and 8 have been productions seen in theatres.
Some friends were kind enough to send some copies of the Sydney print edition which was where my first interview was published. Also Karen at BIFF 2017 with a Brisbane copy we found. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
When the first one was published I was over the moon, I wondered if could I do it again, when they sent me to see the Queensland Ballet performance Raw I was tickled pink to see my ticket envelope marked Reviewer. I wanted to get that review just right.
Tickets for Queensland Ballet’s Raw. Copyright Lloyd Marken
I wondered if I could get five reviews published? What if I could do an interview? What if I got published with another magazine? What if I could get published in the print copy as well as online? I’ve found answers to these questions and found new questions to ask. Where this journey ends others ask me sometimes in very rude ways but I give them no answers. I have plans but what comes of them is not nearly as important as remembering how lucky I am to have had even this. They have a blog now at Scenestr listing everything I’ve had published http://scenestr.com.au/blog/Lloyd-Marken I’ll continue to publish here for my fellow bloggers to get updates on what’s happening with my work for other magazines. Hopefully this will continue but this all started here with the blog and with you. So I thank you.
-Lloyd Marken
Some of the places we’ve been and things we’ve seen. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to get the opportunity to interview Director Damien Ryan about his new play No End of Blame. Put on by Sport for Jove theatre company in Sydney it was a bit of a departure for them and Ryan. Known for adapting classical texts and in particular Shakespeare this play was written by Howard Barker who’s work tends to be more challenging to audiences and storytellers alike. I spoke to Damien as he was nearing opening night for a play that was going to push him, his company and his fans into new territory. It was an exciting time and I wish them well.
I often repeat how nervous I am doing these interviews and how rewarding that has made them. As I’ve gone along though I seem to be growing in confidence and how to discuss the work with the artist and so it felt here with Damien. The play features work from political cartoonists Cathy Wilcox and David Pope for example which we discussed for a bit but there is always a limit to what can be practically related in the written piece.
This is now my fifth interview with Scenestr which began with the performers Meghan O’Shea and Drew Weston for Grease – The Arena Experience, director Michael Beh for Uncle Vanya, followed by playwright Aidan Fennessy for the musical What Rhymes With Cars and Girls before the next day interviewing Palace CEO Benjamin Zeccola for the 2017 Italian Film Festival and finally director Damien Ryan for No End of Blame. Additionally all the interviews have been published in print around Australia while often reviews are exclusively online content. As a member of Generation X I get a thrill out of being published in print I have to admit. I get a thrill out of being published – period. This is still new to me, still something I’m eternally grateful and still something I don’t take for granted. Hopefully though I am growing with confidence and that will make the work better too. Thank you for your continued interest in my writing even if now sometimes you have to click on a link to read it.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. With over twenty years of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They also publish magazines in print for Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane every month. The magazine is focussed mostly on music gigs, festivals, stand-up comics, fashion and interviews with local and international bands. If you’re into music they’re a great read but they do cover all of the arts.
I did a Work Elective subject in my final undergrad year in 2004. There were about five of us and we did the Brisbane Writer’s Festival Newspaper in 2004. I was hardly the star of the team but I did get to interview some people which was a real thrill for me. Perhaps one day I’ll recap some of that. Almost 13 years later I downloaded a free app onto my phone to record interviews I might do for Scenestr.
Two weekends ago I finally landed a gig and interviewed performers Meghan O’Shea and Drew Weston who are touring Newcastle this month as Sandy and Danny in Grease – The Arena Experience. I spoke to them one at a time for less than 13 minutes each while struggling to contain nerves and excitement throughout. They couldn’t have been nicer and more thoughtful on what they see as strong points about the show, their co-stars and the arts in general. I’ve tried my best to honour that and to put across how charming and articulate they were over the phone onto the written page.
In addition to being the first interviews I have done for Scenestr, this piece has been printed in their Sydney magazine as well on the website. A digital copy of the printed magazine can be found here http://scenestr.com.au/read/NSW/2017/13-NSW/scenestr-NSW-13.html#p=27 where the piece is located on Page 27. The online version is here http://scenestr.com.au/arts/grease-is-the-word-in-newcastle and includes an extra paragraph that took us over the word limit for the printed version. It concerns a story Drew told when I was inspired to ask an impromptu follow-up question after listening to one answer. That was a nice little moment for me, Parky eat your heart out. I’m grateful my editor decided to keep it for the online copy.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. With over twenty years of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They also publish Scene magazine in print every month focussed mostly on music gigs, festivals, stand-up comics, fashion and interviews with local and international bands. If you’re into music they’re a great read but they do cover all of the arts.
What doing these things for these publications does for me, your continued support…. After I finished the first interview I walked up and down the living room for a few seconds and took some deep breaths. Then I focussed on doing the next one. I am not a brave man but not for the first time it occurred to me that the things that have scared me have always been the things that have been the most rewarding to have done. I am on a journey I guess, no idea where it will end up and that’s okay. Because it is the journey itself that I am eternally grateful for and I’m just enjoying it in and of itself. And…….. I am happy you are with me.
Back to the Drawing Board Productions 