Sometimes it’s just a regular day at the office, sometimes you get to do something a little special. Today I was filming the red carpet at The ARIA’s. Technically we weren’t shooting for the event, but rather fishing for celebrities in a barrel…sort of like at a trout farm. We needed to get as many recognisable faces as possible doing New Years Eve “shout-outs” for another project.

The event was held at The Star casino, which is happily in walking distance from work and right above my Light Rail stop. For the last few days I have been observing the set-up as I pass by on my daily commute. Big trucks full of broadcast equipment parked in the loading docks. Scaffolds and bollards and other brutish sounding things.

Last night as I was leaving for home, I noticed quite a few teenage girls hunkering down in sleeping bags, prepared to spend the night out just to secure their position at the barricade in the hope of catching a glimpse of their idols (One Direction is the most likely bet). This morning it was pandemonium. I couldn’t even get out of the Light Rail stop at my usual exit. ARIAmania was in full swing.

Our media passes gained us access to our designated fishing spot and I felt unworthy of such easy access – no sleeping bags required! We were away from the arrivals red carpet….sort of more like a red vestibule. Celebs would run the gauntlet of the street level red carpet and then ride the escalator up to their next spotlight opportunity. Hardly anyone refused a request for an interview. In fact, most seemed prepared to say anything that was asked of them, endorse anything, as long as they were doing it on camera.

All except the elusive Molly Meldrum. He took the lift, not the elevator. I spotted him as the doors opened. Slightly disorientated, in a spangled jacket that Automotiv would give her first-born for. I swung the camera around, but only managed to get a few seconds. It was my favourite part of the day. A confused man in a cowboy hat, an Aussie legend.