trying find

Showing posts with label Sydney. Show all posts

Sunday, April 10, 2011

FILM EVENT: The Tunnel Premiere in Sydney

I first heard about these guys through Peter Castaldi from Pack Screen last year when they first started the crowd funding business via their website. They end up raising their $135 K by selling frames online, which I think is a very clever idea.

My colleague and ongoing mentor Clint Logan (whom I first met at the IF Awards in 2010) first came across these guys 2 and more years ago when they were doing the rounds to get this baby of theirs supported and boy, they did come a long way.

Their cinematography was crisp and cut and merge of mix docu-drama was interesting to watch and with such a small budget, they managed to pull together a collateral of strong partnerships and stakeholders, such a the likes of Screen NSW etc...

It interesting to find out about their distribution plans (Bittorrent and apparently a deal with Showtime) and also what their future plans are as well.

So what is "The Tunnel" about? An Australian news team trying find out a string of mysterious disappearances related to an underground tunnel. In the midst, they discover some sort of monster/ghost/ evil being that is behind the mishap. Why there's a monster? I don't know but it so seems that its he government's fault in the conclusion.

There was a lot to learn about this event.

1. What a small Sydney filmmaker community base there is.

2. To make a decent good looking film, you got to know what will be working with.

3. Connections! Connections! Connections!

My reflections - about my "Quest"? The last 10 days I've been feeling utterly hopeless. I kind of reverted into thinking have I been on some sort of reckless high for the past year or something? Through the "Quest" I've learnt that I know "Jack" about Jackie or about films and am having to do the ABCs I,2,3 at literally everything. I seriously jumped the gun. Sometimes I'm even thinking deserving to do a "Quest" project.

The other day, my mum softly made a comment about maybe I should give up, its too hard to do what i do. Why don't i find myself a nice boy and settle, maybe go back to university and study teaching - something stable.

I thought about it, and then i would think about all the people I've met. In HK I got M.Leeder & B.Logan who followed their passions, took risks and escaped the predetermined. Then there's A.Szeto, who's an Asian- Aussie filmmaker who's abroad, making his own films as well and has never looked back.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

20th March, 2011 - TEST FIGHT - Maria Tran & Natalie Tran

Another D.I.Y dodgy looking fight sequence as provided by me. This weekend I got the chance to do some fight chorie with a newbie - Natalie Tran. I feel her pain and teen angst as she shares her name with THE NATALIE TRAN Ms Community Channel. But hey, won't it be fun to hypothetically, one day, have a fight sequence with with my fan adored long lost sister?

I'm still on the "Quest for Jackie Chan!" and in the meantime, time to get inspired and into "action" with a quick clip.

Camera operator: Quan Tran

Editor: Maria Tran

Choreography by: Maria Tran

Actor: Maria Tran & Natalie Tran

Equipment: Dragon Vision Productions

Friday, February 18, 2011

People Line Up to Pulverize the Left Brain

It's amazing - show something in a documentary and people want it quick smart. Sorry about the pun. People are having high voltage electricity pumped into the left side of their brain to make them more creative and it is excruciatingly painful.

The theory goes: pulverise the left brain until it no longer functions then the right side takes over and you can draw and paint better. That's just about it. And people are lining up in droves to try it.

It doesn't do a thing for your intelligence and damage to your brain has not been determined yet. Apparently, it not only improved your artistic faculties, you can do sums better as well. But it's creator Allan Snyder of the University of Sydney says it makes you child-like, hardly something you really want.

No, it's probably better if the left side of the brain controls the right side - better for society that is!

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/
http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/
http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/AdventureAustralia
http://www.technorati.com/blogs/http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com

~~~~~G~~~~~

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

NSW Is Arrogant in Believing It Can Retain the NRL Grand Final

NSW will retain the National Rugby League grand final despite the fact that Queensland and Victoria have teams in the competition. This is the height of arrogance. Everyone knows Queensland players are the best in the country. The state expects to keep it for the next 10 years. This will not happen. Pressure will be brought to bear on NRL officialdom.

Having a large stadium is not the only factor in this. More teams will become established in other states. Queensland especially will push for a piece of the $10 million on offer to stage the grand final. NSW is wasting its money in investing $45 million in upgrading the Sydney venue. Let's face it Queensland deserves a go at this because Queensland players provide the high drama of the State of Origin. Without the drubbing that Queensland gives NSW the competition would be nothing.

Of course the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW is happy with the government funding. But it too should face the reality that rugby league is changing every year. Power will not always reside in NSW. By definition it is the National Rugby League.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Bob Geldof Is Uninformed

Bob Geldof doesn't know what he is talking about. How can a person not living in a country possibly know the truth about a country's situation. He has said that Australia is economically stupid for not finding work for Aboriginals. There is plenty of work for them in the nation's premier sports competition the AFL. Seriously though, there is not much work available in the bush where Aboriginals generally choose to reside. A significant proportion of them live in Sydney. There they are offered work, but most do not take it. Many Aboriginals believe that white people took the land from them so they can give money for Aboriginals to live on.

Sport is the main area for career Aboriginals. There are indeed a lot in the Australian Football League and Australian Rugby League, also in athletics. Some turn their hand to traditional Aboriginal art. A few have made it to national politics and some have found a place in the media. Considering they make up only two percent of the population they are not a big drain on the economy. They get subsidies in education far and above that for white people. So entry into educational institutions is not the problem. Job training schemes are available even in the bush.

Only city born Aboriginals live fully "modern" lives. These are Aboriginals who have had no experience of Aboriginal culture and do not know to which tribe they belong. Some of these would marry, settle down and buy a house on a mortgage for example. The Government is in the process of building new houses for long lease to Aboriginals. The cost of living in them will be greatly subsidized, but of course ownership will return to the state after 40 years.

Aboriginals living in the interior live by consuming native fauna while still taking unemployment benefits. The Intervention experiment has been a disaster. It was instigated by the Howard Government ostensibly to stop sexual molestation of minors and to improve Aboriginal diets. Neither has improved with Intervention for two reasons. First there was no connection between income and sexual molestation. Second Aboriginals have such low incomes and food is so expensive in the bush that they still buy the cheapest most filling foods. Controlling the income of only a portion of the population is discriminatory anyway and should not have occurred.

Bob Geldof should live in a country before he passes judgement upon it. Just because his ex-wife made off with an Australian is no excuse to "kick' the country.