NEW DIGS

Moved into the 'Beaconsfield' production office in Footscray (Thanks Antje for setting up a great space!). We'll be based out of here for the next three months or so.

TUESDAY

MONDAY

BEACONSFIELD

So... I'm directing a film on the Beaconsfield mine rescue (if you are from Australia you should know the story). The film, to be screened on Channel 9, is being produced by John Edwards (Southern Star) and Jane Liscombe and is written by Judi McCrossin. While I'm still in the thick of developing Cherry Bomb and other things, the offer to direct a project like this was to good to refuse. I dipped my toe into the world of commercial TV with Offspring last year and really enjoyed the experience. So I've been keen to do more when the timing and the project was right.

I've been in 'pre-pre-production for the last month or so (scripting, casting, crewing) and official pre-production starts next week. We start shooting in just under 7 weeks for a scheduled 23 days. The film will be around 2.5 hours in length. Fast and furious to say the least. But that's how it rolls in TV land.

I'm heading back to Beaconsfield in the north of Tasmania today and will be going down the mine for the first time to have a look. The kid in me is quite excited about going a 1000m underground into the dark and the heat. The older, perhaps slightly wiser part of me feels a little uncomfortable about it. Much more to come...

TIME TRAVELER

I saw this clip the other day and it's really stayed with me. I have boxes of old Video 8, SVHS, Mini DV and now HD data I have shot from the late 80's until now and I've been tempted to get it all transferred to hard drives. But with all the hours of footage I have gathering dust I could never cut a backwards chronological time sequence like this guy has. It's quite cool seeing this guy 'grow' younger, and interestingly, I think he looks much happier at the beginning of the clip, when he is older. I would love to see a more expanded version of a longitudinal diarised film like this.

ACTORS! TAKE FUCKIN' NOTE!

This is hows it's done in NY-FK'N-C! Snapped this great poster in a subway station.

WHAT A WONDERFUL (google) WORLD

At first glance these images could be mistaken for great fine art or street photography. But they are sourced from an altogether different type of documentation. Similar to this other guy I blogged about a while ago, Jon Rafman who has created 9-Eyes must spend hours (months?) traversing Google Maps discovering the beautiful, bizarre, surreal and spontaneous moments of poetry and drama that daily life brings with it. All these 'scenes' are captured by the nine lenses perched on top of the Google vehicles as they drive around the world collecting data for Googles street view. It's well worth taking the 15 minutes or so it takes to scroll through the collection.

LAST WEEK IN VAN DIEMEN'S LAND

THIS TOOK MY BREATH AWAY...

...not sure how this could ever be a 'planned' scene, unless those birds are CGI. But I like to think it's a wonderful example of a cast and crew working intuitively and responsively to any given moment. A process where everyone is in synch. Where the director creates an atmosphere and gives 'permission' for moments for this to occur and develop. I think it's about being open to every moment and ultimately being well and truley 'in the moment'. Which with all the pressures of time and money and in this scene, fading light, I find as a director the absolute hardest thing to be... but moments like the above remind me to keep at the forefront of my mind. Regardless of what I'm expecting, planning or needing from a scene, ultimately the most important thing to happen, is the thing that is happening right there and then.

NYC pt2

The owner / hoarder (pictured) of the 'record store' assured me at least five times in the three minutes I was in there, that he was coming in "tomorrow to clean up and organise everything...". Definitely the strangest record store I have ever been in.

MURUNDAK, SONGS OF FREEDOM

My friends Rhys and Tash over at Daybreak Films have recently released their latest feature documentary 'Murundak'. The film tells the story of the 'Black Arm Band' a super-group of legendary Aboriginal musicians from the past and present.  In showcasing the talents of the individuals the film charts the history of the Aboriginal protest movement and it's unique and very defined relationship to music.

I really didnt know what to expect from the film, I have no special interest in Aboriginal protest music nor is it something I would actively seek out. But Rhys and Tash have created a film that is so rich with the spirit of 'music' in general and not just a particular genre that I was soon swept away into a world I knew nothing of, but was really keen to explore and learn much more about.

The surprising thing for me and I'm sure for others, is even though I know very little about Aboriginal protest music, I have actually been quite happily exposed to it through far more popular music over the years. For example, I knew some of what the song Solid Rock was about. As a kid growing up in the 80's I loved it, but the film showed me the song in a new and very different light. It's way more than a forgotten mega hit of the 80's. It's relevance and power is just as significant now, perhaps even more so. The live version of that song that is performed in the film will stay with me for some time. Another song I'm quite familiar with is 'From Little Things Big Things Grow' which forms one of the centre pieces of the film, again I really like that song, and who doesn't, but never knew of it's history and it's significance to Aboriginal people. I like how these songs and more, exist in the mainstream and yet are very powerful political messages. I can't imagine a song like Solid Rock making it to the top 10 these days.

Having followed the making of the film from afar over the years it took to make, I know the guys really struggled in particular with the editing of the film. I think Rhys nd Tash were stuck in the edit suite for over a year (!) Trying to find the right balance of performance, interviews, historical footage, the history etc. And perhaps most importantly trying to shape a film which welcomes you in a way so you want to learn more (as apposed to a lot of films which become just advocacy for an 'issue') But watching it I could see no evidence of this creative struggle, in fact to their credit the film feels effortless in the way it flows. In this way the film actually feels like one whole piece of music.And making something so hard, look so easy is part of the filmmaking process these guys have nailed.

Murundak is currently in cinemas, check here to see if it's playing near you.

WAR OF THE ROSES

Brunswick vs Venice Beach.

But who will win?

NYC pt1

I've just returned from twelve fun filled days in New York City. Man, I love that place so much. The impetus to head there this time, not that I need much encouragement, was Last Ride played at MoMA as part of  Adelaide Produces, a programme curated of films that have been produced with the assistance of the Adelaide Film Festival. I've been lucky enough to accompany the film to many great places around the world over the last year and half but this screening was very special indeed. Last Ride is unapologetically an 'art house' film, and MoMA is arguably one of THE greatest of art houses! Here, the audiences were really appreciative, their questions and comments afterwards were encouraging and insightful. It was a great experience all round. I think NY is the one city in the world other than Melbourne, where I feel at 'home'. When I'm there I feel as though every moment, on every street, holds the potential for something amazing to happen. A good friend described New York as 'Disneyland for Adults'. It's such an apt description. I love the way how you can have no real plan but just set off in a direction and you will soon stumble upon something great. Whether it be some incredible architectural, retail or gastronomic experience, strange and wonderful people or being drawn to the details and the incidental moments of beauty that spontaneously jump out while strolling block after glorious block.

LA pt 3 ' The Lookout'

Griffith Observatory. Cool place to watch the big light fade down and all the little lights fade up.

LA pt 2 'The Cars that ate venice'

I'm not really into cars, but somewhere along the line I got hooked on taking photos of all the cool old cars in and around Venice. I had to stop myself from doing it though because you could spend your whole life taking photos of cool cars in L.A.