Hit Girls: Kung Fu Sydney Way

This is the final push for HIT GIRLS - a girl on girl action kung fu film staring Hong Kong celebrity JuJu Chan and Sydney mover and shaker Maria Tran. Less than 48hrs to jump onboard and support.
After a glitch in the system (Indigogo & PayPal) the campaign has been granted an extension.
4 days to go as of the 13th Nov. Go Go Go!

  "This fast turnover project (written in late Sept, production in Oct-Nov, editing in Nov and launch in Dec) is solely supported via community donations from as little as $10 is still in need of further support to reach it’s $4,000 target mark." http://www.indiegogo.com/hitgirls?c=home

And that kinda sums up Maria Tran, she is a fast turn around, go getter, doer, with a slight tongue in check sense of humour? She first came to my attention with her Quest for Jacki Chan but that's a whole other story. There's also a mocumentary Hot Bread Shop and some fun with Super Vlogger Natalie Tran from the community channel.
Check out some more of her vids on the youtube and especially
Enter the Dojo - test shoot (below)
This is just scratching the surface but the point being
             TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO HELP  HIT GIRLS

If you like the fight then get on over to Indigogo and support this project

Videos that are a Gas #10

This is such a feel good song in the vein of Edward Sharp & the Magnetic Zeros Home but check the animation too! Simplicity cuts so deep sometimes, is it the epic trek of the Journeymen? or is it the archetypal mythical beasts they encounter? or is the benevolence of an all loving guardian angel?
Oh well the combination does it for me....enjoy!

Filipino Forte or the day I want to go to Newyork

The International Film Festival Manhattan IFFM 2012.
Here's a festival that's kicking off in the Big Apple mid November and amongst its line up is a good selection of Pinoy Indie Films. I'm starting to get a bit jealous of these fests that have a bundle of  films that I have read about, watched trailers for, sometimes chatted to their makers but as yet have not seen them.
Anyway for you all in New York you have the chance and this is what you can see.

Ganap Na Babae/Garden of Eve - Fri. Nov.  9, 2012 at 5:10 PM
Directed by: Rica Arevalo, Ellen Ramos, Sarah Roxas (HUBO)

Movie Poster for the MHP Award Winner

A film shot in three parts and directed by three women, certainly one that would pass the The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies with flying colours! and Yes that's Mercedes Cabral and no this is not the first post of mine she has appeared in (Pinoy Pride & I Wanna Go to Busan) but look who else is on the bill. Sue Prado is also in it and she is also very prolific 
(Bahay Bata/Baby Factory by Eduardo W Roy Jr. and Cuchera by Joseph Isreal Laban are two fairly recent ones)
I think you could safely say she was all over Cinemalaya in 2011.

She also appears in Aswang/Vampire by Jerold Tarog - Sat. Nov. 10, 2012 at 9:30 PM 
Jerold is a very interesting filmmaker who has made some great shorts but caught my attention with Senior Year released in 2010. Aswang is a horror and looks great.

Sue Prado, champion of independent cinema

HUBO has another in the line up, this one directed by Will Fredo or from 'the psyche of Will Fredo' (also known for his Butoh 舞踏 performances)
The Caregiver - Sat. Nov. 10, 2012 at 7:20PM
Looks like another great production from a very solid and consistent team.
But back to the Butoh, check this wild performance out

 

KARNE: The Birth and Killing of the Flesh from blindwill

 

Some of the other films from the Philippines include:
Haruo (Springtime Man) by Adolfo Alix Jr - Sat. Nov. 10, 2012 at 5:00 PM
staring Jacky Woo & Cherry Pie Picache from the man who bought you ISDA/Fable of the Fish 

Thelma by Paul Soriano  - Sat. Nov. 10, 2012 at 3 PM 
this also has Sue Prado in it 

Busong by Auraeus Solito - Sat. Nov. 10, 2012 at 1:00 PM  

Oh and I want to mention a short film being shown called 
Alibi by Perry Escano - Mon. Nov. 12, 2012 at 1PM
A cautionary tale centered on two actor friends who perpetually search for urban adventure and cosmopolitan excitement. A look into what happens between scenes during production.

And there are others too, check out the program, even a few Aussie ones. 
I reckon I'd be a pig in shit at this festival 

Pinoy Showcase at the IFFM 2012

 

DISC - Inside the Velodrome

So I was lucky enough to have the Brunswick Cycling Club let me in to film their Tuesday Track Evening at the Northcote Velodrome. For me it was killing two birds with one stone. Adding to the cycle culture doco and also helping out some students who needed velodrome racing for their final year project.
We took down the AF100, the 7D, a 60D and two GoPro onboards.
We filmed the racing for a couple of hours and then got some onboard footage and camera buzzes.
Great footage, great night!

I think you get rather tired pumping the Velodrome. Dave post Disc!

Gears on the Inside

8 Speed internal gears. I reckon that sounds pretty cool.
Tom's Ride has them! I had a brief but fun ride of that.

All my childhood riding memories are of 3 Speed or Single Speed bikes.

 I never owned a 10 Speed until I was adult.
 I reckon no front and rear derailers is good? Certainly has neater lines.
Still, a bit pricey ($350) but gee I want one.

8 Speed internal gear hub and wheel

Micks Ride

Mick built a Moser

Born on June 19 1951, Francesco Moser was one of the dominant riders from the mid 1970’s till the mid 1980’s. He won one Grand Tour title, one World Championship Road Race title, and six victories in cycling’s five monuments, including three consecutive victories in the Paris-Roubaix Classic. Moser began his professional career in 1973. He had an almost effortless pedal stroke that provided great power. Moser was an intimidating figure on the bicycle, but due to his powerful build, Moser wasn’t a gifted climber...Moser retired from the professional ranks in 1987.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/moser-bikes/?utm_source=0731gb-36-sun&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=october&utm_content=gb-14-10-12 

 Bit by Bit

 







Piece by Piece

 Hand Made!

Yeah, this is Micks Ride

I'll let him talk about it in an upcoming video

Mick on his Moser

Past Students Rocking the World # 4

Two years ago an idea was floated that would get people in every country to film something significant on the same day and then that footage would be compiled into a feature length film showcasing our World as it was on that day.
Nothing so comprehensive had ever been attempted.
Like all things crazy the idea was actioned and the logistics negotiated and invitations were distributed. I came across one such invitation and I can't remember exactly where? Most definantly online.
One Day On Earth was the project name.

I had done group projects, outside of Uni, with students in the past and I thought this could be a goodie for thee keen ones to get some 'other' real world experience. The plan being that we would film something, submit the footage, get it selected and all get a Feature Film credit. Pretty cool really but the subject would have to be pretty cool too in order to get selected. Hmmmm, what to do?

When I found out the filming was to be on a Sunday it was a no-brainer. Beach Road Cycling.

Colour and Movement, large numbers, beautiful setting and so, so much lycra! So I put the call out and got a good enough response, 3 students, one teacher and a colleague made up a team of 6 (including me).

So on the tenth of October in two thousand and ten or 10-10-10 we scattered ourselves down Beach Road between Mentone and Frankston and filmed the Lycra Brigade between 7am and 9am. It all went very well and looked great. The result was a bit over 5 hours of footage, most of it good but we needed great. So I trawled through it and selected about 10 min of the best footage and compiled that for sending it in. hey didn't want any fancy edits, they needed rushes so that they could edit it. This was frustrating as I had an incredible urge to edit it. Since then I have indeed done this and you can see it here but this is not what we sent in.

I think it was the next year that we got the news that the footage had been shortlisted for the rough cut. The next news was that it had made the final cut and that the mission was complete.

Jamie, Ed, Vicki, Sheersha, James and myself had all shot footage that was in a Feature Film that was going to be shown all around the world. The icing on the cake was that just last month or so we all got a IMDB credit too. Not such a big deal for me but for some it was their first and that is significant.

The film premiered in early 2012 in the UN building in New York as well as many other cinemas around the world but I am yet to see it. The closing chapter will be to get a DVD of the film which apparently is on the way. Can't Wait

One Day on Earth - Motion Picture Trailer from One Day on Earth on Vimeo.