Nat Duncan, Film Location Scout, QLD FILM Locations and Precinkt
All great changes are preceded by chaos ...
Quirky cafes, independent galleries, alleyways of street art – Nat Duncan captures ‘cool’ and creative hubs from all over Australia on her site Precinkt. With her day job running location management business QLD Film Locations, Nat’s eye is constantly searching for that new, exciting backdrop. Working as a film location scout takes Nat all over the country, meaning she’s always on the look out for that new place to eat, shop and relax. With a desire to document and share her hip finds from the streets of our cities and towns, Precinkt came to be. Whether scouting for locations through forests, browsing the latest luxury homes or jet-setting across the country, every day presents a new adventure … and the opportunity for a spot of hipster watching. The Weekend Edition caught up with Nat at local haunt Cup Coffee to chat about her weekend essentials.
How do you like to start your weekend?
I do a Pilates class at Black Dove Body Bar on Montague Rd at West End. They are brilliant there! The Yoga classes are the best.
What’s your favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning?
Wander down Boundary St West End to have the best coffee and breakfast at Cup (Russell St), browse the books at Avid Reader and then people watch like there’s no tomorrow. West End has the best people watching potential!
How do you like to unwind?
Walking by the river at Orleigh Park is beautiful. The BCC has worked so hard there to make it a clean green leafy tranquil environment. I love the big spreading trees, the lush green grass and watching families play there.
What are your essentials for a well-spent weekend?
Time with friends is essential. I have a new apartment at Highgate Hill with amazing views of sunsets over the mountains and the twinkling lights of Brisbane CBD at night. The verandah is the perfect place to hang with my friends, have some wine and recount the week. Friends, Wine, Views!
What’s something you’ve been meaning to do on the weekend but haven’t got around to yet?
I’m not sure why but I’ve never really explored Paddington other than breakfast at Anouk and dinner at Montrachet (two musts). I really want to spend a day there wandering and exploring. My friends own Hobohemia there, so I really need to visit (and shop). I’ve followed the career of Morgan at Urban Grind so it’s remiss of me not to have done some serious coffee drinking there. Paddington, you’re on my weekend radar!
What’s your favourite thing to do on a Sunday evening?
It’s a bit of a tradition to have Vietnamese in Hardgrave Rd West End at somewhere like Quan Thanh. It’s always bustling with diners along that strip and the food is cheap and wholesome. It’s great preparation for the week ahead.
What are you looking forward to next weekend?
A house warming party at my apartment. I love big gatherings of friends – it’s like your own funeral but much better – everyone you love together in the same place but you get to be there.
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m heading off to New York soon to check out its precinkts! So I’ve been devouring Sibella Court’s The Stylist’s Guide to NYC. Another amazing guide is Shannon Bennet’s New York. Shannon is the Chef Owner of Vue de Monde in Melbourne. He, along with others like Luke Mangan, Matt Moran, Neil Perry, Tobie Puttock, Fred Schepisi, Anna Schwartz and many more – list and review their favourite places to eat, drink and sleep in New York. It’s also dotted with NY-esque recipes by Shannon.
Who inspires you?
My brother Ryan is a film director but also runs a highly regarded art gallery in Fortitude Valley (Ryan Renshaw Gallery). He is proof that you can be ‘successful’ but still maintain core moral values like honesty, empathy, generosity and trust. He’s gentle, measured, objective and passionate. No one has a better brother than I do.
What inspires you?
Instagram – I’m a very visual person and I spend way too many hours checking other people’s view of the world. I mainly follow Brisbane people because of my interest in film locations here and Precinkt’s love of local culture. I love that Instagram and other image platforms driven by social media have brought photography as art to the people. Who I follow, and my followers are now my extended family.
What was your childhood dream?
To be a singer – I used to balance along a retaining wall of our 1970s Jennings home in Birkdale with a skipping rope as my microphone and belt out a pretty good rendition of ‘Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head’ from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
What has been your greatest achievement?
Reinvention and more reinvention.
What is success to you?
Doing something that you love and being able to put food on the table because of it.
What are your words of wisdom?
All great changes are preceded by chaos.
Only a local would know that … Brisbane is divided up into inspiring precincts just like Melbourne. Each one has its own character and enough in them to spend the day eating, drinking, shopping, indulging and watching.
FAVOURITE WEEKENED SPOT TO:
Perk up … Harajuku Gyoza in Fortitude Valley will wake you up and get you pumping.
Relax … Green Jam on the lawn at QPAC every Friday night is a great way to start the weekend.
Dine … The Gunshop Cafe, West End.
Indulge … A facial or massage at Blackdove Body Bar
Shop … Nook on Browning Street, West End (I did all my Christmas shopping there!).
Catch-up … the deck at the Brisbane Powerhouse is such a lovely place to be with friends.
Be inspired … GOMA and the State Library.
