Oh (Big) Brother, Where Art Thou?

Just finished a long day shooting another corporate AVP. Shot everywhere from the Stock Exchange Building, to the Art Gallery, to a ferry in Sydney Harbour. Did all this alone, which meant I had to direct, shoot, sound, and hold the reflector all at the same time. I used to think doing this was just physically impossible, but you'd be surprised what the average homo sapien is capable of when faced with a small budget. Being out in the sun the whole day has left me sunburnt to a crisp, which solves my problem of getting some color before going home.

I am slowly mastering the art of shooting without a permit. I have decided that getting permits is an absolute waste of time and the only time I will do so is if there is enough budget in my project to hire someone else to secure them. The way of dealing with security here in Australia is much different than putting up with the power tripping security guards who were the bane of my guerilla filmmaker existence in Manila. Here there are no visible guards, only...video cameras. Lots of them. All over, little black opaque bubbles mounted on rooftops, mirrors, corners, walls, salt and pepper shakers, etc. It's unreal. I wonder, where are all these things taping to? Do they have a giant mother-of-all-VHS-machines which records every single movement I make? Seriously, you cannot walk 5 feet without being filmed. It's the Hitchcock syndrome- you get creeped out more by what you don't see. At least the guards in Manila are visible, potbellies and all. You feel that you are dealing with an able, somewhat laughable foe, like Chief Wiggum in The Simpsons. Not seeing who is taping you is just downright unnerving.

That said, am looking forward to flying back to Manila for the holidays and engaging in a bit of creative verbal bullshitting with Manila's Finest once again.

Garden State Of Mind

Just got back from an advance screening of Garden State, and it was the great little movie it was hyped up to be. Easily squeezes into my year's Top 5 Movie list. If I were to give a quickie review (I usually let a movie's impact settle in for a few days before coming up with an opinion) I'd say the best things about it were the witty script, the visual style, and the superb acting from the cast, especially Natalie Portman. Now, I'm not saying this because I'm biased towards my ex (haha), but she really shines in this film. She plays a pathological epileptic liar (!), and she just dives into the role fearlessly. I swooned over her in Beautiful Girls, and in Garden State I swooned again. Will probably post a more detailed review in the future, but overall, great film, captures pre-30's ennui and anxiety perfectly. Anyone who's ever sought out life's answers and strived for that seemingly unattainable thing called self-contentment should go see this movie.

After the film we were treated to a question and answer forum with Zach Braff, the film's writer/director/star. You may know him as JD in the TV show Scrubs. In person Zach came off livelier and funnier than Andrew Largeman, the character he plays in GS. He kept the crowd in stitches with his quick wit (when asked by an un-coy female audience member how he manages to stay so handsome, Braff answered, without missing a beat: "lotion.") and amusing anecdotes about the humping dog scenes in the film.

As adverse as I am to getting autographs from actors (I believe in respecting their personal space) Zach seemed like a nice enough guy so I said 'what the hell' and got an autograph and photo to boot:



Mentioned to him that I read his blog and he laughed and said that readers were getting annoyed because he hasn't been posting as much anymore. Well if I were a suddenly-A-list director travelling around the world promoting a hot movie, I wouldn't have much time for blogging either. It then occurred to me that I blog quite often. In other words, I still have a long way to go...

Back To The Past

Just finished revisiting Donnie Darko again. Not the director’s cut though, I missed that when it screened at the theatres last month. And almost serendipitously, I am also reading The Time Traveller’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger:



Interesting book, it’s about a man who travels back in time to interact with his wife at various stages of her life- when she’s six, when she’s a teen, and when she’s in her 20’s. It’s an original concept that keeps me riveted and negligent of the fact that it’s essentially a Nicholas Sparks-y (i.e. sappy) love story. I don’t know the ending yet, but based on Mel’s wet-eyed response after putting the book down I would say it ends sadly, the way the best tear-jerkers do.

But time travel. As far back as I can remember the concept has always intrigued me. I remember writing a short story for English class about a teenage boy who, along with his prom date (of course!), goes back in time in his Corolla-cum-time machine and alters Philippine history by preventing Lapu Lapu from slaying Magellan. Yes, I blatantly ripped off the Back To The Future premise and placed the characters in the Battle of Mactan. Taking a Hollywood concept and putting it in a Filipino setting. Maybe I should be working for ABS…

That bit of plagiarism thankfully exorcised from my system, I’ve always felt a gnawing feeling in me to one day do a film that involves time travel. It’s a subject that’s been tackled endlessly in countless films that the genre has almost become a cliché in itself, but, as Richard Kelly proved with Donnie Darko, there will always be a new way to tell the same story. My take would probably stem from a very personal standpoint- I would like to use time travel to delve into my deeply rooted sense of nostalgia, my oftentimes ridiculous attachment to the past. I have no interest in seeing the future. I’ve always felt one of the biggest joys about being human is waking up and not knowing how our day is going to turn out. I relish that.

The past on the other hand, is fair game. I would like to go back, invisible and without the capacity to alter anything, just to merely be an observer. I would like to revisit old friends, see my mother again, and relive defining moments in my life which have dulled over time. In seeing my past I would then be essentially altering my future, because my realizations and lessons would be refreshed. Guilty moments like disappointing my parents would sting all over again. How would that affect me in the present? Would I be a devastated mess or a stronger person? I think a story about a guy who discovers he has the ability to time travel backwards to remember his past sounds very doable.

But that’s my small-scale art house treatment. If I were to go Spielbergian, I would do a time travel story wherein the lead character goes back in time and finds out that ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Incans, and Aztecs were all governed by aliens (which would explain their advanced architecture, writings, and language). He would then learn that aliens are actually humans from a more distant future- hundreds of thousands of years ahead of our time, and they are the evolved version of us. They have perfected time travel and are seeing to it that man evolves properly and making sure history falls into place the way they know it to be. After a quasi-existential argument disguised in the form of a Hollywood-style galactic battle featuring a cast of thousands (CGI of course), peace would reign and the guy eventually finds his way back to the present day…where he discovers that apes now rule the planet!

Okay, I’m kidding about the ending, but everything else prior to that sounds pretty cool don’t you think?

Geek Moment #1...

It really sucks to be a gadget whore sometimes. A few months ago I bought myself an iPod. Finally, my entire collection of cheesy 80's anthems in the palm of my hand, to be clicked and accessed whenever I felt an emotional moment needed to be emphasized with songs like Burning Flame and Take On Me. Good times.

Then Apple just had to go and release THIS.


Music and pictures too? When will it stop? Apparently not soon, because they've also released THIS!



Black. Red scroll wheel. U2's signatures at the back. Dammmiiiiiitttttt.

If I were to choose though, I'd get the iPod Photo, if only to store my vast amount of photos in. Brilliant. And I am convinced that when the Powerbook G5 comes out, I will die.

Okay, geek moment over.

Listening to Jack Black's version of Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On.' For all his annoying acting twitches and histrionics, the man can sing.

Listening to this song makes me want to rent High Fidelity all over again. I love that movie and I love the book as well. I think if there is one film a girl can watch to help understand the workings of the male mind, High Fidelity would be it. That and Clockwork Orange. :P

Certified Friendster User!

Been an avid Friendster user for quite some time now, and the fact that I've managed to amass close to 500 friends amazes me. Where were all of you during my birthdays? Next April 21 I want a Sony PD-170 camera. If all of you chipped in P500 each that should be enough to get me one. Thanks.

Some things which I find somewhat annoying on Friendster:

1) People who post pretentious, crappy-ass testimonials using the word "CERTIFIED." As in: "Certified Hot Hunk!" "Certified Crush Ng Bayan!" ...What exactly does 'certified' mean? Does it mean I get a certificate, complete with cedula and a gold seal? If so, please send to me so I can hang next to my high school diploma.

2) People who form all these "SEXXXY GIRLS", "CAMPUS CUTIE", "MODELZ ONLY" friendsters. What really gets me is when they post something like: "this friendster is exclusive, BY INVITATION ONLY. Potential candidates must submit a letter, and will be screened." Yes. All over the globe, millions of losers like me are dying a painful death because we weren't invited to be part of BEAUTIFUL SOCIALITES. The pain, the pain.

3) People who answer the question "Who I'd like to meet" with..."I've already met him/her!" followed by a smiling face. Pleeeeeeeez.

4) People who write testimonials using XXXX's or OOO's to form drawings or huge ass words like "COOL" or "LOVE KO 'TO!" Minus double points if they spell out the word "CERTIFIED!"

5) And finally, people who create fake friendsters pretending to be other people. Jeez, these people really need to get a life. I ask, is pretending to be me really going to get you anywhere? Yes, there is a fake 'me' out there, stealing my photos and my profile and even an occasional friend. Dude, there are more interesting people out there to imitate, trust me. Do a Talented Mr. Ripley somewhere else please.

Gripes aside, I love friendster. It allows me to see who's been to Boracay lately.

Photo Envy.

I just realized I haven't been taking photos lately. I was reminded by this fact when I took in an exhibit by Max and Rex Dupain at the Museum today. The Dupains are father and son who share a love for photography and are pretty much considered to be the most prominent Australian photographers of all time (Max apparently is a legend). Their pictures show why. I was moved by their photos, how they evoked a sense of nostalgia even when some were taken as recent as 2003. There is really a quality about black and white film which displaces a sense of immediacy and takes you somewhere else, like the waning images of a memory or a news reel archive which used to play in cinemas right before the actual movie showed. The Dupains' work struck me as both- very journalistic/slice-of-life shot in the way the great LIFE Magazine photos used to be and at the same time very haunting, moody, and nostalgic. Their shots in the rain impressed me the most. Made me realize that rainy days shouldn't be an excuse to stay home and not shoot!

Cue Alice Cooper!

Finally.
There'll be no more of THIS for awhile...

School is officially out for summer. Yes, it's going to be summer here. In December. Which means I'll be on summer break till March. To celebrate, I decided to dull my senses a little bit by renting Troy. Mmm, Rose Byrne. Maybe I'll bump into her here in Sydney some day.

A lot of things to do this summer! Do more work, shoot more films, make more connections here, and of course go home to Manila and eat food, glorious fried-cholesterol-parts-of-swine food!

Looking forward to playing some Ultimate again. Damn, I can't believe it's been months since I touched a frisbee. Have to get back into Gameplan shape somehow, cos right now I'm so out of shape it's disgraceful. I'll never hear the end of it from Rovi...

Lord Vader. Rise.

Bloody Hell.

Episode 3 trailer looks gooooood.

Movies I am looking forward to seeing as well:

Garden State -first time director Zach Braff writes a winning script, manages to get Natalie Portman to star in his film, and gets rave reviews. If this isn't the perfect geek boy fantasy, I don't know what is. Oh and he blogs too.

Saw -supposedly the next Se7en, directed by two first-time Aussie directors who wrote a great script, shot a 20 minute scene, pitched to Hollywood, and now have a deal with Universal. Why haven't I done this yet???

A Very Long Engagement -Amelie director Jeunet's newest feature. Visuals look stunning as ever, as does Audrey Tatou.

Can't Hardly Wait.

School is finally winding down. As sad as I am to see six months of film school whiz past, I am looking forward to the immediate future already, maybe a little too prematurely.

I am planning to shoot two short films for Tropfest, one to be shot here before I leave for Manila, and another one to be shot in Manila (Mel and i have decided the story will evolve around a jeepney and an umbrella. You'll see.) There is also the likelihood that Ian, my boss at Viocorp, might send me to Dubai to shoot an AVP for a 5-star hotel.

What really excites me though is that I've been asked to do a screenplay for a full length feature film. I've always been a big fan of Avid Liongoren's work (he's the visual artiste who's done all the After Effects-heavy videos for Nina, Barbie's Cradle, etc.), and I recently checked out the illustrations on his website. Good stuff, very Tim Burton, which is right up my alley. Anyways, he's asked me to write a screenplay of a short story he and Charlene Sawit are developing for a movie. I read it, and needless to say, it's awesome. Can't say much about it right now except that it's thankfully not a boldie, nor is it some TGIS/BERKS teen schmaltzfest. I'm looking forward to the challenge of putting this very simple (yet highly visual) story unto the screen.

Now if ONLY I can get my Sound Design presentation and Screen Studies paper done so I can get down to the screenplay!

I’d like to thank the Academy…

…of teachers and semi-drunk audience members who voted ‘Locked’ as the Best Digital Short Film of the semester.



I was a bunch of nerves the whole day. Went with Clara, the film’s sound designer, to Uni early to scope out the theater where the films were to be screened. We were met at the entrance by the security guard known as Mullet Man (think toothless Chris Cooper in Adaptation meets Hasselhoff hairdo in Knight Rider. Shudder.) who promptly shooed us away because we were too early. Well excuuuuse us for being enthusiastic.

At 6:30 we returned and the theater was packed with students, families, and friends, all of which were unabashedly biased towards their mate’s film (wish I had a posse of my own to hoot and holler at my film, but thankfully, the crowd did just that). As expected, the film was dark, considering the fact that I fixed it up in Final Cut, it still looked muddy. Atmos dropped off strangely in some parts, and I resigned myself to just laying back in my seat in shame, cup of wine comforting me (kudos to Uni for providing good vino, the better to intoxicate the audience into making them think our films were any good).

My film was up first, and God, nothing really prepares you for watching your blood sweat and tears on a big screen. It’s almost akin to the sensation of being naked actually. Not that I’ve ever streaked in public, but in putting a film up on screen, you’re subjecting it to analysis, scrutiny, and even ridicule. Part of you wants to crawl up and die, another part wants to stand up and look around to see how the audience is reacting. It’s good no one’s phone went off during the screening, or I would’ve ripped that person’s head off!



After the screening. Applause. WARM applause. A few “whoo-hoos!” even! Quite a nice change from the “polite” applause I got from the initial rough cut screening at class. Despite it’s flaws, I think the audience got the story. They laughed at the “That’s a hundred forty dollars” line, squirmed at the “love tape” scene (YESSSS…), and laughed knowingly at the film’s end, when Frank gets another customer’s key. Then credits…and applause, which lasted for like fifteen seconds, but let me tell you, those fifteen seconds made the months of hard work I put into Locked all worth it.

Some other films were pretty good too. Since mine screened first I figured that its impact would eventually be forgotten as the other films played (thus reducing its chances for getting voted for Best Film), but I guess it resonated long enough for the audience and faculty to vote for it afterwards.

I know, I know, it’s just some stupid student film award. But for now, allow me to enjoy this guilty pleasure just a little bit. I’m certain I’m not into filmmaking just so I can meet and shag famous actresses, nor is money a governing force. I love making films because I JUST DO, I think I’m getting good at it, and if people at school liked what I did, then dammit, I’ll take it.

I won an award for Best Editor too. And Caroline took home Best Producer. Here we are at the pub celebrating:



The rest of the Locked Crew: Ayush, Me (writer/director/editor), Clara Rolls(sound designer), James Hall (camera assistant), and Martin Yap (assistant director). Not in photo are Caroline Schmidt (producer), Sharon Yi (costume and props), and Henry Minter (D.O.P.).

The Buzz...

All around me, buzzing. Buzz buzz buzz. Sice 9 frickin' am, construction workers have been drilling all over my building. I say all over because I have no idea where the sound originates from. It just seems to echo AROUND the entire building. It's so reverberant that my blinds are vibrating, my saucers are clanking on the dishwasher, and my brain feels like it's about to explode a la Michael Ironside in Scanners. I am thisclose to having a nosebleed now, I swear.

How long do these stupid workers have to keep drilling? In fact, WHAT are they drilling? A tunnel to Perth? This really doesn't help my editing (Locked is due tomorrow, by the way).