Videos that are a Gas #9

Well this one saves gas, that's for sure
THE CARDBOARD BIKE

nice article

Who Rides This Bike? #3

just waiting to be set free (by it's owner)
Fixied in its Ways, ...somewhere yonder Prahran

Super Pimped!

The Wind in my Hair

If you miss the wind in your hair or you're sick of paying $176 for the privilege of riding without a helmet. There is a day coming up for you to voice your opinion and hear some non emotional expert opinion on the subject.

Maybe you're HatHair phobic or possibly you just don't agree with the studies supporting the effectiveness of the scone protector or hey, god forbid you just advocate adults making informed decisions for themselves?

Whatever the reason, come along to CERES on Sat 6th Oct at 1pm to hear the speakers and then join the Freestyle Cyclists and their supporters in an act of civil disobedience as they ride down the Merri Creek trail (Helmet Free!).

I don't advocate no helmets but I do support freedom of choice and it's pretty plain that the 'Bike Share' in the Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs is being stunted by these laws, so maybe it's time to come up with something that is a bit smarter and reflects our evolution as an urban culture?

if you want to support the group's push, pre-ride, there is a petition to sign

Tom's Ride

Purchased and built in Germany, shipped to Turkey, bribed through customs and then ridden east to west across Europe. This is Tom's Ride.
Quite a sexy beast too (the bike), 14 speed internal hub gears, disk brakes all round, front and rear panniers and a rear pack rack too!
Tom's 6'4" at least, so the seat pole stretches to the heavens but I'm sure the view from there was pretty sweet as he pedaled his way, seeing the sights and meeting the people.
camping! camping!

disk brake

front panniers

goose neck

Big Tom! ...post Euro

Directing the Dingleberry

or My Annual To Hobart - Taswegia
Starting to think that I should be an honorary Tasmanian or given the keys to the city or something like that. For the last five years I've been heading down South at least once a year to contribute to the short film industry of Van Deiman's Land in the capacity of first assistant director.

2007 Sound Blocks Pain (Poly MaGee)
2007 Free Fall (Jane Binning)
2009 Room at the Top of the Stairs (Bryony Kidd)
2010 Thicker than Water (Dan Speed)
2011 A Quiet Tomorrow (Matt Tucker)

and 2012 Dingleberry & Angel Cake.....but this time as Director!

The common factor in all of these has been Dom Hurley, initially as Production Manager, once as 2nd AD and for the last three as Producer.

There's Dom in the middle, she also wrote Dingleberry (hence the concern) Sara Cooper is on the right

Dingleberry is life pulling a mother (Sara Cooper) in all directions, it's a slice of life, a short tale of how it happened 'one day'. Within 5mins of returning from the party pickup she (mum) has nature calling, J'hovs at the door, Hubby on the phone, the dog farting, balloons popping and her son stuck with a toileting incident.
"mum I've got a Dingleberry"
We hope you piss yourself too because it's a comedy.
and it's aimed squarely at Tropfest and that is one thing I thought I would never do?

Another common factor with these Tassie films is the camera crew, though not on all of them, Simon Gray has been DP and Tom Waugh has been cam assist (Tom DP'd  A Quiet Tomorrow). It is their skill in the craft that allows us all to get to this extremely funny stage where we all get on and have a great laugh whilst achieving the shots. It really is good fun and this is important because some of the situations we have found ourselves in have been so shitful that if this lighter side was absent I think we all may have just died.
Outside Launceston, middle of winter, past midnight, in torrential rain and literally past our ankles in mud whilst shooting two brothers in a ute one needed to look on the bright side of life.
Shooting greenscreen on a beach whilst not quite blowing a gale but having a little boy fly who couldn't seem to jump more than three inches of the ground needed to have a lighter outlook on the situation. and there have been others but the point being that these guys have made these moments fun and at the very least bearable. And I think this is why I keep coming back and they are good at what they do, which is vital.

Simon Grey DP extraordinaire!

  Rogan and Dom (the Producers) are raising funds with a Pozible campaign for the post on this one and the next, which is called Angel Cake (a later post). We all chip in our time on these ones but it gets really hard to pull in freebies for post, especially grading and sound design/mixing, so there is an appeal out to the greater public for any philanthropic type peoples out there. Especially lovers of short film, comedy or Tasmania.
Please help if you are that way inclined

Jamie, Tom, Simon and Matt stuck in the toilet with a Dingleberry!

I Wanna Go To Busan

I so wanna go to Busan!
not just cause I must go to Korea, though that is rather big.
But the reason right now is the BIFF program has just been released and woe be Jesus it has a rather large number of films I'd like to see. Where do I start?
With the Master.
Sion Sono, prolific in the kitchen, dish em up and I'll gobble em down.
The Land of Hope is a good place to start the list. More family dysfunction? most probably. Certainly the focus is on the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan to its very core. Chaotic Social Mores.

"When I thought about "the future" of children born today, I could not stop myself start writing the script. I hope this tragedy will never happen in anywhere around the world any more.” – Sion Sono.

It premiered recently in Toronto but I'd be happy to see it in Busan. Crazy Trailer! Oh and did I mention Megumi (神楽坂恵) is also in it ...of course.
Plus it was the winner of Best Asian Film, TIFF 2012!!!!!!

The Land of Hope - Sion Sono

Whilst on the subject of Masters, lets segway to the Philippines and specifically Brillante Mendoza. Now he's been on a roll lately and he has two films in Busan.

The first is Captive, a tough tale of Islamic Separatists from down South who kidnap 20 people and are then hounded by the army across land and sea.
Like Sion, Brillante has his favourites and so of course Mercedes Cabral is in this film but of interest is the staring role of Isabelle Huppert (French film royalty?) and having seen her in Hong Sang soo's In Another Country (where I thought she was brilliant) I would love to see her in this much tougher, grittier setting. Check the trailer

The second is Thy Womb, now this is fresh off causing a stir at Venice this year. 5 min ovation (whatever that means?) but also Nora Aunor was given a Bisato d'Oro (Golden Eel) and the director recieved a La Naviccella/Venezia Cinema, this is an award for films that affirm Human values.
Sinapupunan (Thy Womb) is about a midwife who cannot have children but the really interesting aspect for me is that she is Bajau. From a community of 'sea gypsys' that live on the coast in small villages of stilt houses over the sea. I know this is interesting because at MIFF I saw a beautiful Indonessian film The Mirror Never Lies by Kamila Andini which was also set in a Bajau village.
Besides Nora putting in a knock out performance she is accompanied by Bembol Roco, Mercedes Cabral and Lovi Poe, the last two most verily accomplished, stunning and beautiful actresses.

Brillante Mendoza & Nora Aunor

Lovi Poe

Mercedes Cabral

Whilst on the subject of Pinoy Films, reason number four would be?

I so fuck'n sick and tired of tracking all these films coming out of the Philippines and waiting for MIFF so that I can see one or two of them and for the second year running having none in the line up. NONE!....why??

I don't know why?

But I so wanna go to Busan because it is showing ten Pinoy films plus some shorts

Shackled by Lawrence Fajardo

Kalayaan by Adolfo Borinaga Alix JR.

BreakAway by Ian Lorenos

Diablo by Mes De Guzman

Six Degrees of Seperation from Lilia Cuntapay by Antoinette Jadaone

Apparition by Vincent Sandoval

Aurora, My Aurora by Janus Victoria (short)

Serenade by Benito Bautista

and gee I haven't even stated on the Korean films
I so wanna go to Busan!

Past Students Rocking the World # 3

This year Steven made a short doco called Record Nation.
A look at the record shop scene in Melbourne from the perspective of the record shop owners.
How damaging to music is the internet and downloading (illegal and legal)?
Why the resurgence of Vinny?
Are you mad to own a record shop?
and just what is this thingy called 'Record Shop Day'?

The soundtrack for the doco is really kick arse, here is just one of the rocking tracks that he used in the film, sourced from a local muso called Brat Farrar

Who Rides This Bike #2

Spotted after swimming lessons, somewhere off Punt Road

Pretty Swish

Chika and Dasshoku Shake

Well I think this will be a cracker. Featuring a performance from Yumi Umiumare, who I was privileged to meet last year whilst teaching the Cert III Documentary course at Open Channel.
She featured in a beautiful doco/film by Riza Manalo (filmmaker/video artist) and is described as a Butoh Punkess?
This production is being produced by Mayu Kanamori a very accomplished photographer and a whole lot more. I am yet to see this performance but hopefully Indonesia will in October and I'll get to see it on DVD. (more on the team)



One performance that I do plan to see in late Sept/early Oct is DASSHOKU SHAKE and it will also feature Yumi and others including Theatre Gumbo from Osaka and it looks truly spectacular.
A Japanese Australian Butoh Cabaret Extravaganza

Photo by : Vikk Shayen

Photo  by Masami Kikuchi

 A Massive Visual Treat I'd say!

Shooting up the Laneways

Last weekend I was lucky enough to hang out with BusinessChic and Hannmaid in a laneway off DeGreaves St (city o Melb) They were shooting photos for some of Hanna's delightful hand made cuff links and pendants, wanting to give the shots that Melbourne 'laneway feel' and style.
I was shooting for the doco, a not entirely new angle but taking it to new ground.

I became acquainted with Cheryl from Business Chic at a Tweed ride last year as she is a very active member of the Melbourne Tweeds and the unofficial official photographer! I wanted to interview her regarding the Tweeds but more specifically about fashion and style in cycling. Looking good on the pedals, so to speak.

Hey, what better why to start this thread than with a fashion product shoot and there was a tie in too!

Hanna is a keen cyclist who owns a lovely classic style cycle, a Pashley, hand built in Cambridge. it featured in the shoot and looked a real treat. Her partner Mick also had a beautiful bike, a Moser, that he had built himself which was also used but the real link (pun) was that she has transposed this passion into her designs and the featured product was her bicycle pendants and cuff links; in their various colour options

the link by Cheryl Lin

So me, Jamie F and Micheal B bombed the photo shoot and gathered sight and sound and a few interviews. The focus was on Cheryl and her work (photography and blogging) and her outlook on fashion and cycling. So we hovered around, observational style throwing in the odd question when there was a break in the shoot. The beauty of having a niffty little crew was that I could concentrate on questions and conversation which was liberating compared to operating and asking. But I also had a 7D, so I could take a photo or two, squirt off some footage here and there and satisfy my visual side also.

We got some really solid material on fashion and cycling thanks to Cheryl's generosity and this is what we were after. But the treat of the day was in the unknown, I knew nothing of Hanna and Mick before the day and both of them had such great stories to tell. They have traveled the world and cycled places that will forever remain on most peoples bucket lists. Mick has cycled Tour de France legs, the UK, Peru, Thailand and Tasmania! Hanna has played support for many of these rides but has also cycled more than the average person but it was her Jewelery that we concentrated on this day.

We finished up with a few hours in the can and many many options for edits and stories. A very pleasant and successful afternoon shooting in the laneways.
Rather Melbourne one could say?

The Gang by Michael Lin

 

The Necklace by Michael Lin

Cheryl & Mick by MattR

Mick Jamie & Mick by MattR

Hanna & Mick by MattR

Interviewing Mick by Cheryl Lin

Past Students Rocking the World #2

Well this is a catchy tune and nice video to match. Low Budget, Gorilla style, DSLR but great results.
Tai on direction, Ed & James on camera, not much time but a lot of passion.
Not quite Rock 'n' Roll but certainly KPOP!

introducing  Jannie Huynh & Jacqueline Andri doing their version of
So Cool, Loving You & Ma Boy by Sistar  씨스타
for the official dance competition

Who Rides This Bike?

The bottom end of the strip,
down near the beach end of Fitzroy Street St. Kilda

Nice Ride!

The Way He Arrived - an ode to Hong Sang soo

So KOFFIA (Korean Film Festival in Australia) has hit the town again. But I aint going to talk about their fantastic film selection, no this is gong to be all about the Short Film Competition they ran this year.
I got a bit inspired, had a great idea and I saw that there was also $2K up for grabs so I swung into action.
Last year at MIFF I saw a film called The Day He Arrives by my favourite Korean Director Hong Sang soo. A most verily fantastic film. Let's just say that and you can read the review and see the film in Melbourne at ACMI on Wed 12th Sept at 2045. It's actually the last film before the closing ceremony.

It's not so much the film that inspired me but the trailer to the film. Such a great minimal trailer in this world of the 'super' Hollywood reels that are just jam packed with excitement and hooks and anything else they deem suitable to suck you into that theater to see their show.

This one is so lyrical, so simple and for me so effective. Now if you aren't privy to Hong Sang soo's films it may come across as a bit too simple and possibly weird but hey ho you could also see it as I just wanna see what film could possibly be attached to such a promotion?
Check it out!

Well what inspired me was to recreate this trailer but rather than in Seoul in Melbourne. What if you came out of the cinema having seen the film and then you found yourself witnessing the trailer, not quite in it but right next to it? This was my idea. And the beauty in the idea was the simplicity of the idea. I only had a few weeks and life was pretty busy so a shoot for a couple of hours and an edit of about double that was very attractive. Cause then I'd have a film ready for submission, in time for the deadline.

So I organised a shoot late on a Sunday afternoon and assembled my cast and crew. Well every crew member was also a cast member. Rusty and I were on camera, there was no sound and we were using available light. I needed five people in the shot, three guys and two gals. What I got was the opposite, two guys and three gals but hey that was cool because I was putting a twist on it eh? and that was my first.
The second was to stage it outside ACMI where the festival screens (well that was just a suck job!) The taxi was going to be the factor unknown so I had a few strategies up my sleeve, different versions so to speak.
Anyway as planned the shoot was short sharp and sweet, shot on a 7D and it kinda just rolled out as planned, all done in 2 hours and no real fuss. The edit was slightly different as there were a number of takes and I had to work out the timing and action for the best ones. Also the graphics and the compositing took a wee bit longer than anticipated. I just don't run AfterEffects and that is what was needed for the iphone shots. Luckily Rusty did and he jumped on for that part.

So Far So Good! the next phase was the selection process. KOFFIA selected a shortlist of 8 films from a possible 24 or so and luckily for us they selected The Way He Arrived. I felt a bit chuffed as the plan was unfolding. This meant that the film would be screened up at the Dendy Opera Quays cinemas in Sydney and a judging panel would pick the winners. This panel consisted of a couple of Korean Filmmakers (guests of the festival) and a few players from the Sydney film industry.

We couldn't really stack the 'audience' award because it was Sydney based and Marina was the only person involved who was going (she was up there for work). Anyway on Sat 25th Aug at Midday the show was underway, the plan was unfolding.

But alas that is where the plan finished. Out of eight films there were four prizes up for grabs plus best actor and actress (but I didn't think we would crack any of them) but we didn't crack a noodle. Shame Shame. Big thanks to those involved as it was a fun little project.
Cheers to Marina, JoStar, Maggie, Tez and Rusty. You guys embraced what it is to be indy and gorilla too. Next Time Guys!