Around the world and back with Camera Operator, Fitz

Thinking back to when you first started at Nine, and to where you are now, what has changed for you? 

I started back in 1999 in Brisbane working with the cameras and editing, so long ago that Karl Stefanovic was up there as a reporter and his brother Pete was in the library. After finishing university in Melbourne and going on a road trip, I just loved it up north and managed to get a gig on the Sunshine Coast with WIN, which was a bit of a feeder into Nine back then. I now look after a team of about 18 down in Melbourne. 

A lot has changed since then, for starters there were no mobile phones, laptops or internet really. We carried around enough equipment to weigh down a small plane, we stayed in contact with pagers and when we got to location that’s when the pictures started. Now we’ve got our phones, laptop with Premiere Pro, a camera and we’re ready to go. 

What advice would you give your younger self?

Probably just be relentless, never give up on the opportunity to work somewhere, keep pushing, show that you’re keen. 

What is one of the craziest or most exciting things you have done at work?

I’ve been lucky enough to work on some amazing projects, travelling to the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Wimbledon, ANZAC day services, travel shows, Julia Gillard’s private jet, the bushfires hanging outside of a helicopter – the works. I also met Steve Irwin in his early days, he trying to size up a Kangaroo on the Bruce Highway outside of Brisbane, in true Steve fashion he had the running commentary, “this blokes got claws that could cut you in half like a samurai sword”, blowing up on international news before social media was around! 

What is a typical day like for you? And why do you do what you do?

Probably doesn’t come as a much of a surprise but there is no such thing as a typical day. Our shifts are 24/7, and where you start your day verses where you finish it can be two very different things. It’s kind of like a magical mystery tour. 

I love the excitement of it, the unpredictability, meeting new people with all different personalities and backgrounds, there’s really no job like it.