Blake Pace
In order to make it as a Bright Young Thing you need to be bright, young and a thing, preferably doing the thing with a kind of style that is a notch above the usual.
Blake Pace doesn’t just do one thing - but many things. What a talented, multifaceted, inspirational, cooler than all of us bastard. We first came to know Blake because he is the co-owner of Australia’s best film processing lab Lazarus Lab, and you all know how much of an affinity we have for film and those who have touchpoints in that special format. He is also in a band, he skates, makes art and he sure can point a camera. Putting him in the art category seems a little restrictive to all of the things Blake seems to touch that turn to gold but art is what he is and so that’s where he will go. The fact that he is more achieved than you or I at the tender age of a literal child makes him even more impressive. Go on Blake, get up on that pedestal.
Who are you?
I’m Blake Pace.
What do you do?
I run Lazarus Lab alongside my business partner Morgan. I also dabble in various creative projects.
How long have you been doing that?
We’ve been running Lazarus for three and a half years. I did a short stint in Shibui Film here on the Gold Coast before they closed shop. Morgan and I wound up buying their equipment and starting Lazarus. Prior to that I had been processing my own film at home for a little while.
Where is home for you?
I live on the Gold Coast, although I grew up in Sydney so I’d call Sydney home.
If you weren’t doing film, what would you be doing?
I spend all of my time outside of the lab working on music and art related things, so probably something within that scope.
What do you think about the current state of film?
It has definitely had a huge resurgence on both a professional and hobbyist level. More people seem to be jumping on board day by day, so much so that I don't think the companies manufacturing film can keep up. Everything was scaled right back when film went obsolete after digital cameras came out so they seem to be struggling to keep up with the demand. This has a lot to do with why film is getting so expensive. Despite the price increases people don't seem to be shying away which is great.
What do you do outside of film and photography and do you think it has an influence on that?
Recently I've spent most of my time writing and recording my first EP, I just released it on streaming within the last week. A Speeding Vehicle - Rubble, if you'd like to check it out. I’ve just got a band together, I'm hoping to play it live really soon. In between the music stuff I've found the time to work on a few art things. I think it all ties in and influences itself - at the end of the day you’re just trying to convey some sort of feeling or idea through whatever medium you’re working within, so learning to do that in different ways is so beneficial.
The best/worst thing about being a film developer for a living?
It's awesome having a pretty crucial hand in a lot of great work. We have had the pleasure of working on a lot of large international campaigns that have ended up on the side of buildings and trams around the world. With that comes a lot of pressure, we are often dealing with people with very tight deadlines that are expecting top notch work from us so it's sometimes tough mitigating that. The work - life balance tends to go out the window when there’s big jobs in town.
“at the end of the day you’re just trying to convey some sort of feeling or idea through whatever medium you’re working within, so learning to do that in different ways is so beneficial. ”
Something you’re most proud of?
Somehow always balancing some pretty crazy work hours whilst finding the time to keep the creative stuff rolling.
Biggest lesson you’ve learnt in life so far?
Learning how to learn things. I think not being afraid of having a crack at things knowing that I’ll probably fall short initially has helped me in so many different ways.
Something anyone can do today to make the world a better place?
Listen to people when they talk to you and tell your friends that you love them.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome so far in your industry?
Getting a hold of processing chemicals can be a challenge. There’s been a lot of shifts, hold ups and drama with the manufacturers. There was some corporate deal that went bust that stopped the distribution of developing chemicals to Australia for about six months in 2022, so it was tricky having to switch all of our chemicals over to whatever we could get ahold of.
What is something people might not know about you?
I'm not one to buy into the hippy woo woo stuff and despite being super skeptical I have had some pretty crazy supernatural experiences, it has been ongoing since i was a kid haha. I am not crazy, I promise.
Who do you think is doing it the best/coolest as a photographer right now?
Jake Millward-Davis. Jake has a more traditional documentary style approach to photography and creates some very profound work. We had the pleasure of working alongside him to publish his first zine\book ‘Growing Pains’. We launched it as part of our In Good Company exhibition earlier this year. His work is incredible and I think more people should know about it.
What do you think the biggest issue young people are facing today?
I don't really know where to start to be honest. I think the cost of living seems to be the biggest and scariest thing among the people close to me. It is a very tricky thing for us to navigate. Since it has gotten a lot of media attention it seems to have created this mindset within our younger generation where people don't want to bother trying to succeed, as the widespread idea is at its all too hard. Whilst this may be true to a certain extent I feel that the whole ‘why bother’ mindset isn't helping anything. I think learning how to help and getting more involved in changing the relevant systems and structures is a more constructive way to deal with it, as opposed to giving up. Taking the time to learn what it is that has caused this situation and in turn being more outspoken politically is the only way things will change.
What environments do you draw the most inspiration from?
My friends and the community around me. Community is such an important thing. For me it provides a source of inspiration, motivation to do all of the things I always talk about, a platform to bounce ideas around as well as the support that makes all of the hard work feel worth it. I think it's the backbone of everything really.
I know you’re in a band - tell us about that?
Yeah! I was playing bass in a band called Gardeners for a little while. It’s the punk / post-punk brainchild of my good friend Eli. He has recently moved to Sydney so I don't really know what the future holds in regards to me continuing to play, but I hope to see Gardeners rocking down there. A Speeding Vehicle should be playing some shows in the near future, I’m really looking forward to that. I have never done vocals in a band before and I was shit scared in the beginning, but I'm enjoying it far more than I thought I would.
How many rolls have you developed on your best day in the lab?
Over the years we’ve had a few campaigns just under the two hundred roll mark. These are for bigger clients or international brands and they need the film developed, scanned/colour graded and edited within a day or two.
As a small operation that doesn’t have the resources (both equipment and staff wise) of the bigger labs in Australia this is pretty significant for us.
What is something about owning your own business that people might not understand?
There’s so much that goes on behind closed doors. Opening hours are just opening hours for the public, there’s hours worth of sweat and tears on either side of our door being open haha. Nothing comes as easy as it may look, but it's all worth it in the end.