After weeks of emailing and collaboration with Doan Nguyen, the managing director of Passive Productions, we are finally able to shape what is looking to be set cast and reliable crew. Of course with the amount of information that's come in and out of our heads during this time, it is difficult to document everything. I'll just stick to the main points for now.
So it has been decided that Yenii and I will be the core members of Brisbane Rumble. This works better in terms of chain of command as the top are ultimately in charge and accountable for everything.
After a few meetings with Doan, both Yenii and I have been given actual roles which in the beginning, seemed rather daunting. After further discussion, we realised that what we were getting ourselves into was much much bigger than we had anticipated.. it was no longer daunting... it was just scary :p
Yenii's role is set manager, the person who will look after the set, props and equipment for the shoots. This is a HUGE task since she needs to be able to manage everything that isn't people. Considering she does not have any experience in film, this will be quite a mission for her... I'm sure she'll have no problems picking it up though I am more concerned about her confidence to do it. She may seem unsure of herself but everyone knows (everyone being Maria and I) that she is very capable and definitely able to complete this task well.
My role is the production manager. When she announced it, I actually had no idea what I'd actually be doing :p Doan later informed me that I'll basically be handling all the cast and crew. At the time I didn't actually realise the magnitude of this role until she gave me further tasks.
On top of that, I will also be the fight choreographer for the entire production. I am to choreograph fight scenes accomodating for karate and aikido. Whilst karate shouldn't be too hard to do, I don't have any experience with aikido... that could be a problem. I guess I'll have to get some help with that area. Now the problem with this, is that I'll only have about a month to come up with all the action scenes. Shouldn't be too hard a task so long I spend full days on it and practice up as much as I can. This is where things get complicated... it doesn't matter how well I perform these things, I still have to train the actors to do it. Honestly, I think that is too much of an uncertainty without knowing what their capabilities are along with the time frame I actually have to do all of this in.
Anyway, crazy near impossible tasks to achieve aside, that's where I thought my problems why... not the case... Doan has also casted ME as the villain of the feature, Nick. I'm a badass who just wants the money or to kick ass. Unfortauntely, Nick isn't the best fighter and gets beat up by Benjiman in every single one of their encounters. I don't mind that at all considering I'll be the closest person to a stuntman on set. I'm not a big fan of acting so it'll be another new and interesting experience I guess.
Another task I've been doing is helping Doan with casting. So far I have been able to lock in a friend I play Tekken with named, Peter O'Flannigan. Though the name is Irish, he's actually black in appearance and he has an afro! He'll be playing the role of a bouncer. Though short, he is solid framed and does look the part.
I will be introducing more friends when they can meet Doan so they can be locked in. At the moment I am working on casting one of the lead roles, Lien, who will hopefully be played by my friend, Karen Truong, possibly the cutest girl I know. I am not too sure about her abilities on screen and if she can take on the role with that type of character. I guess time will tell.
Anyway, my head is too scattered at the moment. I know I'm missing a stack of things to talk about but I guess I'll save them for another time.
- B
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
MC2, Saturday Night and the Ninja!
The day started off with a nice sleep in (the first time ever for me) as I had a nice lunch in the heart of Cabramatta, where I spent the first six years of my life. It was nice and busy and very hot.
After convincing a few of my friends (unrelated to Rumble Pictures) to attend the nights' screenings, I quickly rushed home to prepare for the night.. except this time, with a slight twist.
With a slight lack of Rumble Pictures crew, I pitched an idea to Tim that would make the screening a little more interesting for everyone. I arrived a little early with Maria to set up the venue and prepare the center. As the time approached, I opened the doors and greeted the guest... ... as a NINJA!
I'm pretty sure I surprised a few people in that extremely hot suit. I became a bit of an attraction somewhat mingling with the crowd and getting people to interact with each other. Later the guests saw a roving documentary ninja walking around with a video camera capturing their expressions and comments. I think I may have scared some kiddies :p
Tim decided to send me on a photo shoot with random guests with the hook of, "This is your only chance you can get a photo with a ninja!" To my surprise, it worked as some guests even got into a bit of character having me in a headlock and performing various attacks (on me).
It was a great way to ease the crowd and get them into a fun mindset for the screening.
When everyone entered the screening hall, many laughed at the lighting and audio ninja as I once again took control board. This time I was a lot more prepared for the audio as I adjusted as much as I could the peaks. I must say, I did a rather good job (if I don't say so myself :p).
My friends who attended thoroughly enjoyed MC2 as nice combination of martial arts and comedy. In fact, they are looking to attend another screening bringing some of their other friends. It's so easy to network and generate interest when you have such a great product to show in MC2.
Once again, I have to thank Tim for allowing me to be a part of another Rumble Pictures event which lead to meeting so many important people. His vision for both the production company and his choreography is something I really need to tap into!
A BIG BIG thanks to Craig Anderson for showing me around the ABC center and all your advice for both my future projects and industry related roles and tasks.
The Rumble Pictures crew... I really can't get enough of this group. Everyone is just so nice and willing to help each other. It makes me want to pack everyone into my suitcase to bring back home.
Lastly, but definitely not the least, I have to thank Maria once again. Ultimately, she is the one I have to answer to and she is the one who has to put up with me. Crashing at her place once again (hi to the rest of the Tran Clan) and following her around like a bad smell trying to absorb as much of her infinite wisdom, experience and knowledge is what I did. The only way I feel like I can truly repay her is to produce my own productions up the same standard as Rumble Pictures. I know that's a pretty crazy goal but I really do think that this will be possible so long as I stay on track with my goals clear. With the mentoring from Maria, Tim and Craig, I am hoping to do my best not just for Maria but for all of Rumble Pictures.
- B
After convincing a few of my friends (unrelated to Rumble Pictures) to attend the nights' screenings, I quickly rushed home to prepare for the night.. except this time, with a slight twist.
With a slight lack of Rumble Pictures crew, I pitched an idea to Tim that would make the screening a little more interesting for everyone. I arrived a little early with Maria to set up the venue and prepare the center. As the time approached, I opened the doors and greeted the guest... ... as a NINJA!
I'm pretty sure I surprised a few people in that extremely hot suit. I became a bit of an attraction somewhat mingling with the crowd and getting people to interact with each other. Later the guests saw a roving documentary ninja walking around with a video camera capturing their expressions and comments. I think I may have scared some kiddies :p
Tim decided to send me on a photo shoot with random guests with the hook of, "This is your only chance you can get a photo with a ninja!" To my surprise, it worked as some guests even got into a bit of character having me in a headlock and performing various attacks (on me).
It was a great way to ease the crowd and get them into a fun mindset for the screening.
When everyone entered the screening hall, many laughed at the lighting and audio ninja as I once again took control board. This time I was a lot more prepared for the audio as I adjusted as much as I could the peaks. I must say, I did a rather good job (if I don't say so myself :p).
My friends who attended thoroughly enjoyed MC2 as nice combination of martial arts and comedy. In fact, they are looking to attend another screening bringing some of their other friends. It's so easy to network and generate interest when you have such a great product to show in MC2.
Once again, I have to thank Tim for allowing me to be a part of another Rumble Pictures event which lead to meeting so many important people. His vision for both the production company and his choreography is something I really need to tap into!
A BIG BIG thanks to Craig Anderson for showing me around the ABC center and all your advice for both my future projects and industry related roles and tasks.
The Rumble Pictures crew... I really can't get enough of this group. Everyone is just so nice and willing to help each other. It makes me want to pack everyone into my suitcase to bring back home.
Lastly, but definitely not the least, I have to thank Maria once again. Ultimately, she is the one I have to answer to and she is the one who has to put up with me. Crashing at her place once again (hi to the rest of the Tran Clan) and following her around like a bad smell trying to absorb as much of her infinite wisdom, experience and knowledge is what I did. The only way I feel like I can truly repay her is to produce my own productions up the same standard as Rumble Pictures. I know that's a pretty crazy goal but I really do think that this will be possible so long as I stay on track with my goals clear. With the mentoring from Maria, Tim and Craig, I am hoping to do my best not just for Maria but for all of Rumble Pictures.
- B
Craig Anderson at the ABC Ultimo Center
Who would've thought that some random Brisbanite could just walk straight into the ABC center located at Ultimo and be taken on a tour around the center by "Double the Fist" star, Craig Anderson... certainly not me.
After a nice chat at the launch of MC2 the night before, I found myself standing in the foyer waiting for Craig to pick me up to go for a tour around the ABC center. This place was huge with countless editing rooms (I had no idea there were so many current projects that required that much editing) with a lot of TV personalities just walking around randomly. After the quick tour and lunch with Craig and his father, we went back up to his office where I met "Good Game" (GG) host, Steven O'Donnell, a.k.a. Bajo. As expected, he was sitting there playing games :p I also met some of the GG and Double the Fist (DTF) crew... everyone's just so nice. I'm hoping I can work in a similar environment someday doing what I love.
Later, I was able to help Craig on some editing on a mash up between GG and DTF. I don't want to give anything away so everyone can just watch it tomorrow night... all I can say is that it's something that is very "Steve Foxx" in character to do. Just remember, if anyone has any complaints, please forward them to the ABC center :p
The next time I am in Sydney, I will definitely contact Craig again to catch up. He's just a great mentor and a great person who really knows what he's doing. He is the type of person anyone would want to work with.
After leaving the ABC center and heading back to Fairfield for the first public screening, I found myself on the wrong train, not once, but twice. I ended up at YAGOONA. I was standing at a station feeling pretty funny trying to explain to Tim that I was at a train station called "Yagoona".
Anyway, the first public screening saw some 130 people turn up for MC2. A different type of crowd as not too much mingled and interacted with each other but it did give great feedback as once again, Rob da Fob topped the list of favourite characters. This night went a lot smoother with a few changes to the organisation and execution in that David Leong was not on the sound and lighting... instead, I was. It was random but I definitely did my best to balance the peaky audio.
Admittedly, I didn't really know when to adjust the audio on this night. Some bits were loud whilst others were too soft. Luckily the crowd enjoyed the visuals enough not to let the audio really bother them.
Both Maria and Tim were a lot more nervous since this crowd consisted more of family and friends of the cast and crew and even some randoms who RSVP'd after hearing on the radio about the screenings. The one thing I heard the most when arrived was, "Oh my god! It's Maria! It's really Maria!" Everyone enjoys meeting the beautiful star actress of a feature.
The night was different from the launch but it did give us a bit of insight into what we could expect for the next night... or so we thought. Some slight changes were made as we prepared for an unexpected Saturday night screening...
After a nice chat at the launch of MC2 the night before, I found myself standing in the foyer waiting for Craig to pick me up to go for a tour around the ABC center. This place was huge with countless editing rooms (I had no idea there were so many current projects that required that much editing) with a lot of TV personalities just walking around randomly. After the quick tour and lunch with Craig and his father, we went back up to his office where I met "Good Game" (GG) host, Steven O'Donnell, a.k.a. Bajo. As expected, he was sitting there playing games :p I also met some of the GG and Double the Fist (DTF) crew... everyone's just so nice. I'm hoping I can work in a similar environment someday doing what I love.
Later, I was able to help Craig on some editing on a mash up between GG and DTF. I don't want to give anything away so everyone can just watch it tomorrow night... all I can say is that it's something that is very "Steve Foxx" in character to do. Just remember, if anyone has any complaints, please forward them to the ABC center :p
The next time I am in Sydney, I will definitely contact Craig again to catch up. He's just a great mentor and a great person who really knows what he's doing. He is the type of person anyone would want to work with.
After leaving the ABC center and heading back to Fairfield for the first public screening, I found myself on the wrong train, not once, but twice. I ended up at YAGOONA. I was standing at a station feeling pretty funny trying to explain to Tim that I was at a train station called "Yagoona".
Anyway, the first public screening saw some 130 people turn up for MC2. A different type of crowd as not too much mingled and interacted with each other but it did give great feedback as once again, Rob da Fob topped the list of favourite characters. This night went a lot smoother with a few changes to the organisation and execution in that David Leong was not on the sound and lighting... instead, I was. It was random but I definitely did my best to balance the peaky audio.
Admittedly, I didn't really know when to adjust the audio on this night. Some bits were loud whilst others were too soft. Luckily the crowd enjoyed the visuals enough not to let the audio really bother them.
Both Maria and Tim were a lot more nervous since this crowd consisted more of family and friends of the cast and crew and even some randoms who RSVP'd after hearing on the radio about the screenings. The one thing I heard the most when arrived was, "Oh my god! It's Maria! It's really Maria!" Everyone enjoys meeting the beautiful star actress of a feature.
The night was different from the launch but it did give us a bit of insight into what we could expect for the next night... or so we thought. Some slight changes were made as we prepared for an unexpected Saturday night screening...
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Launch (Brisbane Remix)
SMOLY HOKES! MAXIMUM CHOPPAGE ROUND 2!!
The much anticipated launch of Rumble Picture's four year epic journey has finally been unveiled to the public and the response was enormous as celebrities and important community heads flocked to experience the premiere screening.
Seeing this for the first time myself, I had high expectations on the fight choreography and the overall finished product. Needless to say, this urban kung fu feature integrating comedy, drama and spectacular action scenes, did not disappoint. When you take into account that this feature was filmed on a regular Sony handycam with consumer level equipment, Rumble Pictures have created a project that's nothing short of inspirational to young movie makers and youths within the community.
For me, the action scenes definitely stood out and left the biggest mark on me. Being able to be involved with Timothy Ly on "Downtown Rumble" has really been a learning experience that will stay fresh in my mind for years to come. After seeing the finished product of MC2, I am finally able to see what Rumble Pictures as a group can accomplish.
The fight scene between Tim, Maria and her on screen brother (sorry, forgot his name), was probably the standout fight scene. It was the first real fight in the movie and it really hit HARD! Showing off the amazing abilities of Maria (she did a freakin' scorpion kick!), the "Lil Bro" and Tim, I was blown away by the fast paced action. Also adding a bit of humour to the fight (especially with the appearance of Rob da Fob), it really did set a high standard for the rest of the movie... I can tell you, they did not disappoint.
Introducing Roxy, as Tim's love interest, she pulls off a sassy girl whose stolen book sets up the main plot for the feature. Then, enter, Rob da Fob. He really was the standout character who just happened to pop up at the "right time, in the right place and in the right frame of mind"... that is, with girls on his mind. He really added a whole new dimension to MC2 as the comic relief who absolutely ZERO fight ability and "100% lub for you".
I thoroughly enjoyed the feature and am awaiting news for MC3!
Later in the night when the screening had finished, I got the chance to meet a lot of important people which was both interesting and eye opening. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Young Australian of the Year 2005, Khoa Do, "Double the Fist" star, Craig Anderson, "Fat Pizza's" Serena Hunt, Martial arts film critic, Brian Walls, a cast of film and government/parliaments heads, I was truly swimming in a crowd of potential future contacts and resources.
Being able to meet Khoa Do was a surreal experience. After hearing and reading so much about him, being able to actually converse with him was something I just never expected. After giving me some inspiring words, I was more hyped up than ever!
When it comes to meeting people you always love to work with, you really can't go past Craig Anderson. He is possibly the most humble and fun person to work with. You wouldn't even know that he was a TV personality since he's just so damn nice. More on him on my next post :p
Maria introduced me to a few other people on the night (sorry, I really can't remember all the people I met) as I began interviewing and doing what documentary people should be doing. Speaking of which, StreeTV was also there doing interviews and documenting for their own purposes as well... they were my competition so I couldn't stay impressed for too long.
After the night was done, Julia, Maria, Tim and myself went out to have a victory dinner. Much deserved and an excellent job to Rumble Pictures and all the crew that was involved in both MC2 and the organisation of the launch night!
The much anticipated launch of Rumble Picture's four year epic journey has finally been unveiled to the public and the response was enormous as celebrities and important community heads flocked to experience the premiere screening.
Seeing this for the first time myself, I had high expectations on the fight choreography and the overall finished product. Needless to say, this urban kung fu feature integrating comedy, drama and spectacular action scenes, did not disappoint. When you take into account that this feature was filmed on a regular Sony handycam with consumer level equipment, Rumble Pictures have created a project that's nothing short of inspirational to young movie makers and youths within the community.
For me, the action scenes definitely stood out and left the biggest mark on me. Being able to be involved with Timothy Ly on "Downtown Rumble" has really been a learning experience that will stay fresh in my mind for years to come. After seeing the finished product of MC2, I am finally able to see what Rumble Pictures as a group can accomplish.
The fight scene between Tim, Maria and her on screen brother (sorry, forgot his name), was probably the standout fight scene. It was the first real fight in the movie and it really hit HARD! Showing off the amazing abilities of Maria (she did a freakin' scorpion kick!), the "Lil Bro" and Tim, I was blown away by the fast paced action. Also adding a bit of humour to the fight (especially with the appearance of Rob da Fob), it really did set a high standard for the rest of the movie... I can tell you, they did not disappoint.
Introducing Roxy, as Tim's love interest, she pulls off a sassy girl whose stolen book sets up the main plot for the feature. Then, enter, Rob da Fob. He really was the standout character who just happened to pop up at the "right time, in the right place and in the right frame of mind"... that is, with girls on his mind. He really added a whole new dimension to MC2 as the comic relief who absolutely ZERO fight ability and "100% lub for you".
Another character who was introduce that gave me a bit of a laugh was Ali when Tim chases "Lil Bro". His expression was priceless as he throws his phone and shoe at the guys. The slow motion acting was also something I enjoyed... who ever said you need post-production special effects to do special effects?
The one thing that is often overlooked when it comes to the movie is the music. MC2 introduced songs by Israel, Just a Day, Envy Parade and more. Diversity and a nice selection of fast paced background tracks during the action scenes really added a feeling of completeness to the shot. Predominantly starring Australiasian youths, I really felt that the the music selection appealed to a much wider range of audiences with the mix of R'n'B, Hip Hop, Rock and softer ballads for the more romantic themed moments.I thoroughly enjoyed the feature and am awaiting news for MC3!
Later in the night when the screening had finished, I got the chance to meet a lot of important people which was both interesting and eye opening. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Young Australian of the Year 2005, Khoa Do, "Double the Fist" star, Craig Anderson, "Fat Pizza's" Serena Hunt, Martial arts film critic, Brian Walls, a cast of film and government/parliaments heads, I was truly swimming in a crowd of potential future contacts and resources.
Being able to meet Khoa Do was a surreal experience. After hearing and reading so much about him, being able to actually converse with him was something I just never expected. After giving me some inspiring words, I was more hyped up than ever!
When it comes to meeting people you always love to work with, you really can't go past Craig Anderson. He is possibly the most humble and fun person to work with. You wouldn't even know that he was a TV personality since he's just so damn nice. More on him on my next post :p
Maria introduced me to a few other people on the night (sorry, I really can't remember all the people I met) as I began interviewing and doing what documentary people should be doing. Speaking of which, StreeTV was also there doing interviews and documenting for their own purposes as well... they were my competition so I couldn't stay impressed for too long.
After the night was done, Julia, Maria, Tim and myself went out to have a victory dinner. Much deserved and an excellent job to Rumble Pictures and all the crew that was involved in both MC2 and the organisation of the launch night!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Maximum Chopage 2!
The long awaited launch of Maximum Choppage 2 is only a couple of days away now and everyone is getting excited. Both Yenii and myself will be flying down there to be a part of it. Once again, I've been assigned to be part of the roving documentary team along with Jack. Everything should run a lot smoother this time around since I have a little experience under my belt from the last trip.
Yenii is on the reception with Sam Ly. She's helped Maria out with a lot of things in the past so she'll be the happy face that welcomes all our guests on the night.
Neither Yenii nor myself know what to expect since we haven't been apart of anything like this before. The activities I participated on my first trip with Laurent were completely different to what's planned for this trip. The one thing I can be certain of though, we'll have heaps of fun no matter what.
Again, I'll be crashing at Maria's place so a thanks in advance goes out to the Tran Clan.
Amongst all this hype, another purpose of my trip will be to discuss with both Maria and Tim, the direction Brisbane Rumble is headed in and what steps I need to take to better utilise the limited time we all have. They both are a wealth of knowledge that I'll be sure to make use of when Brisbane Rumble becomes more active.
I just want to make sure I get everything, not just completed, but completed right and up to everyone's standard and liking.
Anyway, the next time I blog will either be in Sydney or when I get back.
- B
Yenii is on the reception with Sam Ly. She's helped Maria out with a lot of things in the past so she'll be the happy face that welcomes all our guests on the night.
Neither Yenii nor myself know what to expect since we haven't been apart of anything like this before. The activities I participated on my first trip with Laurent were completely different to what's planned for this trip. The one thing I can be certain of though, we'll have heaps of fun no matter what.
Again, I'll be crashing at Maria's place so a thanks in advance goes out to the Tran Clan.
Amongst all this hype, another purpose of my trip will be to discuss with both Maria and Tim, the direction Brisbane Rumble is headed in and what steps I need to take to better utilise the limited time we all have. They both are a wealth of knowledge that I'll be sure to make use of when Brisbane Rumble becomes more active.
I just want to make sure I get everything, not just completed, but completed right and up to everyone's standard and liking.
Anyway, the next time I blog will either be in Sydney or when I get back.
- B
Friday, September 19, 2008
BR's first production
Now that everyone is a little more acquainted with each other, we can now look at developing ideas for our first production. The following are the ones we have already come up with:
1) Fight over a taxi (Bill)
Fighter 1 (trained with a staff) exits the dojo after training and hails a taxi. Fighter 2 is late to work and rushes out of his house to look for a taxi. They both move towards a taxi only to grab the door handle at the same time. They both argue over who gets the taxi only to start fighting. Whilst they are fighting, a third person comes onto the scene and takes the taxi.
2) Janitor vs school kid (Laurent)
A school kid walks into a school class room with dirty shoes just after a janitor cleans it. The kid shows no remorse and begins to argue with the janitor. They get into a fight. The janitor wins.
I need more information on this since my memory is sucking at the moment.
3) Fight at the hospital (Bill)
Fighter 1 arrives at the hospital asking for assistance. At the same time fighter 2 arrives and askes for the same thing. The confused nurse does not know who to serve first. Soon after the fight gets physical as the begin to wreak havoc in the hospital. Annoyed, the nurse beats both of them up only to make both of them new residents of the ward.
Each of these ideas need to be developed further so we can begin planning and choreography. I say this now since each seems to have specific environments that may or may not affect the fight sequences. Any feedback ASAP would be very helpful.
At the moment, I will probably push the third idea since it will be able to introduce Laurent, Yen and myself as actors (though I suck at acting :p) but more so from a martial arts perspective. Of course a lot of changes can be made so at the moment, nothing is set in stone... I just want something everyone can think about and work on for now.
In other news, I don't know how much I mentioned about the meeting I had with Doan (I'm not exactly sure how to pronounce it... yes I'm Vietnamese, but everyone knows I'm not _really_ asian :p), but before we get into any productions working with her and her company, I want to get this first production out of the way only so we can establish ourselves. This is more important at the moment since it also keeps all parties (Doan, each member of Brisbane Rumble and Rumble Pictures as a whole) safe.
If anyone has any more questions, please feel free to ask or raise the question.
- B
1) Fight over a taxi (Bill)
Fighter 1 (trained with a staff) exits the dojo after training and hails a taxi. Fighter 2 is late to work and rushes out of his house to look for a taxi. They both move towards a taxi only to grab the door handle at the same time. They both argue over who gets the taxi only to start fighting. Whilst they are fighting, a third person comes onto the scene and takes the taxi.
2) Janitor vs school kid (Laurent)
A school kid walks into a school class room with dirty shoes just after a janitor cleans it. The kid shows no remorse and begins to argue with the janitor. They get into a fight. The janitor wins.
I need more information on this since my memory is sucking at the moment.
3) Fight at the hospital (Bill)
Fighter 1 arrives at the hospital asking for assistance. At the same time fighter 2 arrives and askes for the same thing. The confused nurse does not know who to serve first. Soon after the fight gets physical as the begin to wreak havoc in the hospital. Annoyed, the nurse beats both of them up only to make both of them new residents of the ward.
Each of these ideas need to be developed further so we can begin planning and choreography. I say this now since each seems to have specific environments that may or may not affect the fight sequences. Any feedback ASAP would be very helpful.
At the moment, I will probably push the third idea since it will be able to introduce Laurent, Yen and myself as actors (though I suck at acting :p) but more so from a martial arts perspective. Of course a lot of changes can be made so at the moment, nothing is set in stone... I just want something everyone can think about and work on for now.
In other news, I don't know how much I mentioned about the meeting I had with Doan (I'm not exactly sure how to pronounce it... yes I'm Vietnamese, but everyone knows I'm not _really_ asian :p), but before we get into any productions working with her and her company, I want to get this first production out of the way only so we can establish ourselves. This is more important at the moment since it also keeps all parties (Doan, each member of Brisbane Rumble and Rumble Pictures as a whole) safe.
If anyone has any more questions, please feel free to ask or raise the question.
- B
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Brisbane Rumble First Meeting
So after meeting Yen this morning, I'm going to organise our first official meeting this Thursday. It'll be a good chance for everyone to meet each other and really voice out what their interests are and how we'll get Brisbane Rumble off the ground.
The people so far are:
Aaron: The director, writer and camera man.
Laurent: Actor, fight choreographer, and writer.
Yen: Public Relations Officer and possibly actor :p
Myself: Fight choreographer, stuntman (I can't act :p), anything else that needs to be done.
Hopefully everyone will be able to make it!
The people so far are:
Aaron: The director, writer and camera man.
Laurent: Actor, fight choreographer, and writer.
Yen: Public Relations Officer and possibly actor :p
Myself: Fight choreographer, stuntman (I can't act :p), anything else that needs to be done.
Hopefully everyone will be able to make it!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Brisbane in Sydney: Downtown Production Part 2
So after a pretty intensive Friday, Saturday was looking to be a little more enjoyable since Tim wanted Laurent and I to be a part of it. At the time however, Laurent wasn't too sure if or when he was going to do anything so it ended up being a bit of a surprise for him.
We were to be up by 9 so we could be meet at Tim's place for preparation and picking up some costumes and equipment. All crew were to be on set by 10am with all the cast (ninjas) to arrive by 12pm.
The set was a warehouse owned by one of Tim's friends. The place was very spacious and allowed for adaptation.
Despite how tired everyone was from the previous night's shoot, everyone was in high spirits and pretty switched on. The custom dolly was assembled and brought in along with all the other props, costumes, etc... this is when I met Laurent's look-a-like, Alex.
Demonstrating high skill and talent within the film area, Alex is getting some pretty impressive words from Maria. Getting a rave review like that from Maria means that you've really shown some amazing stuff. To be honest, I was more impressed with how much he looked like Laurent... in fact, Laurent was as well... they seemed to form this close bond (maybe cos they look like they be brothers) in a short amount of time.
Anyway, since everyone gained a little bit of experience (or perhaps everyone just got use to working with each other), this shoot went on a lot smoother with the first scene getting knocked down very quickly. I'm glad I went through the pain of logging and reporting for two cameras the previous night since I was pretty much an expert for this shoot. I just started working with no problems... especially since for this first shoot, we were only using only one camera.
We had a lunch break after the first scene was done since they realised they couldn't really continue without ninjas :p I suited up, started stretching and jumping around. Shout out to Tan who took over the logging... you're really taking one for the team since we all know the pain of logging (especially for TWO cameras) :p
The first scene I was in, Tim runs past as he is ambushed by a couple of ninjas up ahead (played by Jack and Quoc). I randomly jump out from behind Tim ready to attack. Tim does quick hooking kick as I do a stunt flip backwards onto the ground. The other ninjas then come in from behind me. I don't know if Ryan wanted however many takes it was (maybe fifteen or more), I started to think he just liked watching me throw myself into the cold hard concrete.. not that I minded it.
Finally when that scene was finished, they continued with the chase between Maria and Ali. Meanwhile, Tim, the other ninjas and myself went to the other side of the warehouse to continue filming the Tim v ninjas scene where he is surrounded by eight or so ninjas. This took a few goes to get right since some shots just didn't sell. A few adjustments on my side also helped. I won't get too into it since it's not all that exciting (unless you wanna hear me talk about drilling myself into the ground over and over again).
I think I ended up acting the role of three or four different ninjas (all getting beaten up by Tim of course). It was all good though since it was a bit of a experience with stunting as well. I think I met all the parkour guys (oh, I forgot to mention that the ninjas were all Ali's parkour crew from 9Lives) through getting beat up from one side to the other. All really nice guys with a lot of skills and abilities.
After we did our little bit, Maria stopped us for an interview. Though stuttering my ass off, I managed to get out what I wanted to say. I wasn't so nervous so much as frustrated since I nerves was never really my problem. Anyway, the ninjas decided to make a bit of a cameo appearance which made things a little more fun :p
Soon after, the day's shoot was done and we took a few still shots. I wish I got one with Ali, Maria and Tim and maybe one with each of them with me. Ah well... I can ask for (though not in costume) when I go back down there for the launch of MC2!
On the way back, Maria dropped Laurent and I at Cabramatta for some food... I WAS SOOOO HUNGRY! The old saying, "the way through a man's heart is through his stomach" came about because of guys like me :p I'm a big fan of food (though the act of eating feels like a chore :s).
After a bit of a break, we dropped by Tim's place to pick up his iMac to start capturing. Watching the footage from the first night really showed our inexperience with the camera.. unfortunately, Laurent more so than myself. I'm sure Laurent is still kicking himself for the shaky camera. It's all good though, we're still all learning.
Sat down later with Maria to check out her blog post about us... I guess that means I'm officially a part of Rumble Pictures? Well, I got a crew shirt so at least I can look the part. Afterwards we had a strange conversation with Laurent about the crew shirt... to be honest, I still have no idea what he was on about. I think he's obsessed over his shirt now :p
After an early morning breakfast getting some banh mi thit (pork bun) from Cabramatta, we finally got to sleep only to be up a few hours later ready for Sunday's shoot (the last day for us Brisbanites).
This was a generally light day with shooting on location on top of a carpark in Lidcombe (I think that where we were). Since the ninjas weren't required for this scene, I dropped back to camera assistant. Though I did pick up a new job in the costume/continuity person. I had been fixing up Maria's and Tim's costumes bit by bit on the previous days (along with most of the ninjas) but this particular shoot was a little annoying due to the amount of wind. I was obviously THE costume person... I'm thinking Maria got annoyed but yeah, I didn't really care :p I'd like to think I was just doing a really good job :)
Again, Ryan utilised that magical skateboard to do some moving camera shots without a dolly. Made things a lot easier with slightly different results. When the shoot went into the stairwell, only a few crew members were needed so everyone else just stayed up on the rooftop. I was the master of the camera reports and logs again.
With the shoot now comlpete, we all went back onto the roof only to catch everyone else creating their own little skits, this time with Laurent and Julian. They were actually both pretty good at acting. We later worked through a few other short skits where everyone got involved. The first was where everyone is just sitting calmly having a bit of a chat then Stephen runs past and yells "COPS!". Everyone suddenly scatters (I don't know why) whilst Quoc stays there as he's talking on the phone.
The next was a Rumble Pictures version of a Bollywood sing and dance scene. I've never been a fan of Bollywood, but I have to admit, this was fun. Shooting of the first few episodes = Complete.
Went to maccas with Mr.D Ryan, 1st director assistant Julian, DOP Rudge, Tim (sorry, couldn't think of a cool nickname), Laurent and myself. Our conversation went from filming techniques to general interests, then from random chatter to talking about what Brisbane could possibly do in the future with regard to Rumble Pictures. We should've recorded all of this. Ah well...
It was the last time I saw Julian as Mr.D and DOP came over to Tim's for a final interview. This was quite lengthy but still fun. The format for this was probably more suitable as an interview than any others we did since the camera was static on a tripod.
Since we had a lot more time, the guys had a lot more to say. They gave a pretty good overview mixed in with their own experiences and personal opinions on things. During which they did give a mention of both Laurent and I. Since I worked more with Rudge, he gave me a pretty dazzling review. Since I don't really take compliments too well, I was sorta lying on the driveway dressed in a ninja suit not really knowing what to do :p
Anyway, after the interviews were done and the guys left, Tim drove Laurent and I back to Maria for the final captures so we could begin editing.
When we got back, Maria had already begun her own version of the documentary. After getting some lunch as the last couple of tapes captured, I started my editing. Laurent helped a lot with choosing shots to use. In the beginning I wasn't really sure which ones I should use since I didn't have a clear idea of what type of documentary I should do... to be honest, I was hoping Laurent could give me some insight since this really isn't my field of expertise.
Time was running out (my flight was at 8:30am so we had to leave at about 7am) and we were both getting more tired on top of being exhausted from last few days. Eventually we chose a nice group of clips emphasizing a few points and I got into the editing. On a side note, this actually gave me a good grounding for using FinalCutPro :p
Showcasing the activities and roles I was apart of and Laurent's own experiences with the Rumble Pictures crew, we decided to emphasize the differences between other production sets as opposed to Rumble. The verdict... Rumble's just so much more fun! As you'll see in the production blog, we had heaps of fun performing a lot of random tasks as well as interacting with most of the cast and crew. I believe that we formed some strong relationships as we demonstrated what we were capable of but more importantly, we made a lot of a great friends.
So having said all of this..... I'd like to firstly thank Tim (the bossman I suppose), for allowing us to take part in Downtown Rumble as well as teaching us some basic choreography and the times you took us out to eat (and even sneakily paid for our meals... dont' worry, I'll be doing the same when you come up to Brisbane :p). Next up is THE DOP, Rudge Hollis. With his skills and experience, he made my job a lot easier and gave me the time I needed to adapt to the task at hand. That and the fact that he was probably the coolest person on set :)
I'd also like to thank Ryan Peters, the director of this production. The first shoot on Friday was pretty crazy but in the end, you pulled through. You had to deal with a whole cast of problems as well as some random asian running around and nagging you for those timecodes after every take.
Tan and Stephen for all the advice and patience with me with the camera reports and logs. Tan even took over the logging during the warehouse shoot so he's a true champion!
Craig Anderson with wealth of knowledge and vast experiences within the film and TV industry, he doesn't show any signs of arrogance. Upon meeting him, he was already telling jokes and conversing as if we were friends. If I meet anymore people from the industry, I really do hope that more and more of them are just like him.
To all the people I met on during the this trip which includes (sorry if I missed anyone or spell your name incorrectly): Jack, Quoc, Alex, Michelle, Ali and the 9Live crew, the hair chick, Elanor (sorry, I'll get my bio out to you soon :p), Bervely... that's all I can think of at the moment. I hope to work with everyone again some day.
Last, but DEFINITELY not the least, I have to thank Maria for without her, none of this would have been possible. She gave both Laurent and I the chance to take part in the Downtown Rumble production at her own risk since she hadn't really seen any work from Laurent and limited work from myself. She let us crash at her place (thanks to the Tran Clan again) and drove us around from location to location. She is a wealth of knowledge and experience nicely packaged with a strong feeling of confidence and ability. I truly believe that anyone who sticks with her will undoubtedly gain what's required to move up in the world no matter what field you work in.
... and that was my trip to Sydney in a nutshell. Again, thanks all who was involved in Sydney and also to Laurent who showed us some good stuff. Obviously there's that we can improve on so hopefully we'll get there as Brisbane Rumble starts up.
Stay tuned for more!
We were to be up by 9 so we could be meet at Tim's place for preparation and picking up some costumes and equipment. All crew were to be on set by 10am with all the cast (ninjas) to arrive by 12pm.
The set was a warehouse owned by one of Tim's friends. The place was very spacious and allowed for adaptation.
Despite how tired everyone was from the previous night's shoot, everyone was in high spirits and pretty switched on. The custom dolly was assembled and brought in along with all the other props, costumes, etc... this is when I met Laurent's look-a-like, Alex.
Demonstrating high skill and talent within the film area, Alex is getting some pretty impressive words from Maria. Getting a rave review like that from Maria means that you've really shown some amazing stuff. To be honest, I was more impressed with how much he looked like Laurent... in fact, Laurent was as well... they seemed to form this close bond (maybe cos they look like they be brothers) in a short amount of time.
Anyway, since everyone gained a little bit of experience (or perhaps everyone just got use to working with each other), this shoot went on a lot smoother with the first scene getting knocked down very quickly. I'm glad I went through the pain of logging and reporting for two cameras the previous night since I was pretty much an expert for this shoot. I just started working with no problems... especially since for this first shoot, we were only using only one camera.
We had a lunch break after the first scene was done since they realised they couldn't really continue without ninjas :p I suited up, started stretching and jumping around. Shout out to Tan who took over the logging... you're really taking one for the team since we all know the pain of logging (especially for TWO cameras) :p
The first scene I was in, Tim runs past as he is ambushed by a couple of ninjas up ahead (played by Jack and Quoc). I randomly jump out from behind Tim ready to attack. Tim does quick hooking kick as I do a stunt flip backwards onto the ground. The other ninjas then come in from behind me. I don't know if Ryan wanted however many takes it was (maybe fifteen or more), I started to think he just liked watching me throw myself into the cold hard concrete.. not that I minded it.
Finally when that scene was finished, they continued with the chase between Maria and Ali. Meanwhile, Tim, the other ninjas and myself went to the other side of the warehouse to continue filming the Tim v ninjas scene where he is surrounded by eight or so ninjas. This took a few goes to get right since some shots just didn't sell. A few adjustments on my side also helped. I won't get too into it since it's not all that exciting (unless you wanna hear me talk about drilling myself into the ground over and over again).
I think I ended up acting the role of three or four different ninjas (all getting beaten up by Tim of course). It was all good though since it was a bit of a experience with stunting as well. I think I met all the parkour guys (oh, I forgot to mention that the ninjas were all Ali's parkour crew from 9Lives) through getting beat up from one side to the other. All really nice guys with a lot of skills and abilities.
After we did our little bit, Maria stopped us for an interview. Though stuttering my ass off, I managed to get out what I wanted to say. I wasn't so nervous so much as frustrated since I nerves was never really my problem. Anyway, the ninjas decided to make a bit of a cameo appearance which made things a little more fun :p
Soon after, the day's shoot was done and we took a few still shots. I wish I got one with Ali, Maria and Tim and maybe one with each of them with me. Ah well... I can ask for (though not in costume) when I go back down there for the launch of MC2!
On the way back, Maria dropped Laurent and I at Cabramatta for some food... I WAS SOOOO HUNGRY! The old saying, "the way through a man's heart is through his stomach" came about because of guys like me :p I'm a big fan of food (though the act of eating feels like a chore :s).
After a bit of a break, we dropped by Tim's place to pick up his iMac to start capturing. Watching the footage from the first night really showed our inexperience with the camera.. unfortunately, Laurent more so than myself. I'm sure Laurent is still kicking himself for the shaky camera. It's all good though, we're still all learning.
Sat down later with Maria to check out her blog post about us... I guess that means I'm officially a part of Rumble Pictures? Well, I got a crew shirt so at least I can look the part. Afterwards we had a strange conversation with Laurent about the crew shirt... to be honest, I still have no idea what he was on about. I think he's obsessed over his shirt now :p
After an early morning breakfast getting some banh mi thit (pork bun) from Cabramatta, we finally got to sleep only to be up a few hours later ready for Sunday's shoot (the last day for us Brisbanites).
This was a generally light day with shooting on location on top of a carpark in Lidcombe (I think that where we were). Since the ninjas weren't required for this scene, I dropped back to camera assistant. Though I did pick up a new job in the costume/continuity person. I had been fixing up Maria's and Tim's costumes bit by bit on the previous days (along with most of the ninjas) but this particular shoot was a little annoying due to the amount of wind. I was obviously THE costume person... I'm thinking Maria got annoyed but yeah, I didn't really care :p I'd like to think I was just doing a really good job :)
Again, Ryan utilised that magical skateboard to do some moving camera shots without a dolly. Made things a lot easier with slightly different results. When the shoot went into the stairwell, only a few crew members were needed so everyone else just stayed up on the rooftop. I was the master of the camera reports and logs again.
With the shoot now comlpete, we all went back onto the roof only to catch everyone else creating their own little skits, this time with Laurent and Julian. They were actually both pretty good at acting. We later worked through a few other short skits where everyone got involved. The first was where everyone is just sitting calmly having a bit of a chat then Stephen runs past and yells "COPS!". Everyone suddenly scatters (I don't know why) whilst Quoc stays there as he's talking on the phone.
The next was a Rumble Pictures version of a Bollywood sing and dance scene. I've never been a fan of Bollywood, but I have to admit, this was fun. Shooting of the first few episodes = Complete.
Went to maccas with Mr.D Ryan, 1st director assistant Julian, DOP Rudge, Tim (sorry, couldn't think of a cool nickname), Laurent and myself. Our conversation went from filming techniques to general interests, then from random chatter to talking about what Brisbane could possibly do in the future with regard to Rumble Pictures. We should've recorded all of this. Ah well...
It was the last time I saw Julian as Mr.D and DOP came over to Tim's for a final interview. This was quite lengthy but still fun. The format for this was probably more suitable as an interview than any others we did since the camera was static on a tripod.
Since we had a lot more time, the guys had a lot more to say. They gave a pretty good overview mixed in with their own experiences and personal opinions on things. During which they did give a mention of both Laurent and I. Since I worked more with Rudge, he gave me a pretty dazzling review. Since I don't really take compliments too well, I was sorta lying on the driveway dressed in a ninja suit not really knowing what to do :p
Anyway, after the interviews were done and the guys left, Tim drove Laurent and I back to Maria for the final captures so we could begin editing.
When we got back, Maria had already begun her own version of the documentary. After getting some lunch as the last couple of tapes captured, I started my editing. Laurent helped a lot with choosing shots to use. In the beginning I wasn't really sure which ones I should use since I didn't have a clear idea of what type of documentary I should do... to be honest, I was hoping Laurent could give me some insight since this really isn't my field of expertise.
Time was running out (my flight was at 8:30am so we had to leave at about 7am) and we were both getting more tired on top of being exhausted from last few days. Eventually we chose a nice group of clips emphasizing a few points and I got into the editing. On a side note, this actually gave me a good grounding for using FinalCutPro :p
Showcasing the activities and roles I was apart of and Laurent's own experiences with the Rumble Pictures crew, we decided to emphasize the differences between other production sets as opposed to Rumble. The verdict... Rumble's just so much more fun! As you'll see in the production blog, we had heaps of fun performing a lot of random tasks as well as interacting with most of the cast and crew. I believe that we formed some strong relationships as we demonstrated what we were capable of but more importantly, we made a lot of a great friends.
So having said all of this..... I'd like to firstly thank Tim (the bossman I suppose), for allowing us to take part in Downtown Rumble as well as teaching us some basic choreography and the times you took us out to eat (and even sneakily paid for our meals... dont' worry, I'll be doing the same when you come up to Brisbane :p). Next up is THE DOP, Rudge Hollis. With his skills and experience, he made my job a lot easier and gave me the time I needed to adapt to the task at hand. That and the fact that he was probably the coolest person on set :)
I'd also like to thank Ryan Peters, the director of this production. The first shoot on Friday was pretty crazy but in the end, you pulled through. You had to deal with a whole cast of problems as well as some random asian running around and nagging you for those timecodes after every take.
Tan and Stephen for all the advice and patience with me with the camera reports and logs. Tan even took over the logging during the warehouse shoot so he's a true champion!
Craig Anderson with wealth of knowledge and vast experiences within the film and TV industry, he doesn't show any signs of arrogance. Upon meeting him, he was already telling jokes and conversing as if we were friends. If I meet anymore people from the industry, I really do hope that more and more of them are just like him.
To all the people I met on during the this trip which includes (sorry if I missed anyone or spell your name incorrectly): Jack, Quoc, Alex, Michelle, Ali and the 9Live crew, the hair chick, Elanor (sorry, I'll get my bio out to you soon :p), Bervely... that's all I can think of at the moment. I hope to work with everyone again some day.
Last, but DEFINITELY not the least, I have to thank Maria for without her, none of this would have been possible. She gave both Laurent and I the chance to take part in the Downtown Rumble production at her own risk since she hadn't really seen any work from Laurent and limited work from myself. She let us crash at her place (thanks to the Tran Clan again) and drove us around from location to location. She is a wealth of knowledge and experience nicely packaged with a strong feeling of confidence and ability. I truly believe that anyone who sticks with her will undoubtedly gain what's required to move up in the world no matter what field you work in.
... and that was my trip to Sydney in a nutshell. Again, thanks all who was involved in Sydney and also to Laurent who showed us some good stuff. Obviously there's that we can improve on so hopefully we'll get there as Brisbane Rumble starts up.
Stay tuned for more!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Brisbane in Sydney: Downtown Production Part 1
Hmm... I realised that a lot of people may not know what I'm making reference to in my first blog or any ones after this since they don't know what went down in Sydney so I figure I should give a brief summary.
After a crazy morning back in Brisbane packed with bad traffic, sleepy students (and tutors), and a late flight, I arrived at Sydney a little before 4pm. Met up with Laurent who caught an earlier flight at the airport then caught the train to Central Station. We hung around for a bit til Maria picked us up... boy was I happy to see her.
We were taken to see Tim who was waiting to get into the sound studio for an ADR session with Maria and Brian, though at the time, I had no idea who anyone was, where we were going or what we were suppose to do. I had no idea what to expect of Tim since the only thing I really knew about him is from what I've seen in the videos on youtube and the little that Maria told me about.
He was a little quiet at the start but because of that, I was a little more comfortable. I don't know what Laurent was thinking though... he looked more star struck than anything else... even with Maria (though who wouldn't be :p).
I met Tim's sound guy (sorry, forgot his name). I have used ProTools (sound editing application) before but I had never seen a physical sound board with it. It was quite amazing. What was even more interesting is when he started to get into the editing. I'm not a sound engineer so when he was doing what he was doing, I tried to ignore how excited I was so I could take in as much as possible.
First up for the recording was Maria. Now this was fun(ny) :p I think after watching Maria get into the voice recordings, we all have a new found respect for voice actors. The actual lines are the hard part since sync is such a hard thing to achieve. Another huge factor was attitude... it was certainly more difficult to get the right attitude through sound. Though once we got onto sound effects, she got a little too into it by stomping on the ground and acting in real life... in that little studio. I enjoyed the show anyway :p
Next up was Brian. Now this guy has crazy good timing. He sync'd most of his dialogue first go. Of course we did double takes just in case, but generally, his timing was spot on. During his recordings, Maria took Laurent and I out to eat at some Indian place. When we got back, there was only a little more of the recordings to go before Tim took everyone home.
Sydney city to Canley Vale is a bit of a drive (about 30~40 minutes) so we had plenty of time to get to know each other. Tim asked Laurent and I about our aspirations and dreams and what lead us to Sydney. For Laurent, he's just really excited to be apart of this. He's reliable, energetic and always puts in 100% into his tasks. I don't think I've had that sort of determination for anything really. I've followed my interests and this is where it's gotten me.
Anyway, by now it was rather late so we got back to Maria's place and crashed there. My first big big shout out and thanks goes to the Tran clan. Maria's mum and her sister, Elizabeth had to put up with Laurent and I for a few days without notice. Her mum even made us curry (though Laurent couldn't handle it :p)!
It is now Friday and after getting a call from Maria, we went to Tim's place to help him with some choereographing. I feel that this is when Tim really started to trust us a little more after seeing what we were capable of. I had heard about the auditions for Downtown Rumble how some people who auditioned didn't actually produce the skills they said they possessed. Both Laurent and I have a background in TKD (Laurent since he was 5 and myself since 2002) so at the very least, we could follow simple instructions and do what was required.
We did a bit of a training first where Tim took us through some basic movements with both our arms and legs. It made for a good grounding to choereographing. We did a short little sequence that was really fun. Everyone started to get a feel for what we were all potential of. It's something Laurent and I will further develop for our own choereographed fight scenes in the future.
After a short food break we started on the final fight scene between Ali's ninja boss character against Maria and Tim's characters. Tim was Ali, Laurent was Tim and I was Maria. In this short exchange, it really set the pace and emphasized how powerful the ninja boss really was utilising a mixture of martial arts and acrobatics (with the help of Ali's parkour skills).
Tim's choereographing for me was mindblowing. Having creating some of my own fight sequences, I know how tough it is to develop something new and fresh that can captivate the audience. Tim's sequences does just that. The ideas he gets simply outclasses most of what Hollywood produces. If you think about it, there really only are a few decent martial arts based fight scenes with most of them coming from the likes of Jackie Chan.
Tim friend, Wayne, was there since we got back from lunch so we had a dedicated cameraman for the recording. He seemed impressed with our abilities so it made for a really fun afternoon.
Satisfied with what we had done so far, Tim got into the staff scene where Ali gets a hold of a staff. I never really worked with props or weapons before so this was pretty new for me. Man, the finale of this scene was brilliant. WIth a bit of practice, Laurent and I were getting much more proficient with the scene and got a lot faster at it. When we demonstrated all of this for Ali (when he arrived), he said, "Oh man..." with a concerned look on his face as his character had to deal with a pretty huge barrage of attacks at the scene's ending. Everyone was impressed and enjoying it (even Ryan who was there before I knew it).
Anyway, we went back to Maria's place to prepare for the night shoot. Everyone was to meet back at Tim's place for make up and final touches before heading to the dojo (I forgot what it was called). This is where I actually met pretty much everyone on the production team including "Double the First" star, Craig Anderson! He's a great person whose just like anyone else. You normally hear stories about actors and other celebrities who are very stuck up etc... Craig is nothing like this. In fact he was really funny and very comfortable to talk to.
Amongst the crowd I met (in no particular order) Tan (1st camera assistant), Quoc (actually, what did Quoc do?), Elanor (assistant producer), Michelle (hair), Sarah (err.. OK, I have no idea if this is actually her name, but she was the make up artist), Rudge (not just a DOP... THE DOP), Julian, (1st assistant director), and lastly, Ryan (director).
Laurent started doing some interviews that was a little different for him since it's not an area he has a lot of experience with. Meanwhile Rudge was running through everything a camera assistant does with me. It was a little overwhelming at the start since I had to deal with logging for two cameras, but once I started, it was fine.
Finally everyone arrived at the dojo (a little) but we had to do further preparations for the set anyway. Though it felt casual, everyone knew what they were doing and got onto it reasonably quick. I even helped out a little with the props and set. I generally like working with my hands so I got to work in my own element a little.
Julian made the call for filming to start as we were doing the last finishing touches on the set. While everyone was in a mad rush to finish up, Rudge asked if I could be the slater/marker/clapper person as well. I agreed not knowing what that role actually was :p The slater is the person who writes down on that little board and says "Scene 2a take 3" (or something of the like), then claps that little thing at the top of the board.
From here on, it was a bit of a blur filled with logging timecodes, chasing up two cameras, flipping between three different forms and doing whatever anyone said. We finally got a break after the first bit was done. I got to chat to a lot of the crew, Tan especially. Without him I would've been completely lost. Both Rudge and Tan actually.
I spoke a little more to Craig and Elanor just joking around for a bit. Also a little with Stephen (who works at Channel 9 I think) and Quoc. All really fun to hang around since everyone just jokes around and is generally comfortable with each other. This particular cast and crew was so relaxed and fun.
Finally finished up at about 3:30am. Everyone started playing around with Tan's display swords he brought along as props. At almost 4am, I don't think I was in any shape to be swinging swords around though Laurent was in front of the mirror having a bit of a play :p End of the first day of shooting. ~phew~
Holy huge post... more when I get back from uni later tonight.
After a crazy morning back in Brisbane packed with bad traffic, sleepy students (and tutors), and a late flight, I arrived at Sydney a little before 4pm. Met up with Laurent who caught an earlier flight at the airport then caught the train to Central Station. We hung around for a bit til Maria picked us up... boy was I happy to see her.
We were taken to see Tim who was waiting to get into the sound studio for an ADR session with Maria and Brian, though at the time, I had no idea who anyone was, where we were going or what we were suppose to do. I had no idea what to expect of Tim since the only thing I really knew about him is from what I've seen in the videos on youtube and the little that Maria told me about.
He was a little quiet at the start but because of that, I was a little more comfortable. I don't know what Laurent was thinking though... he looked more star struck than anything else... even with Maria (though who wouldn't be :p).
I met Tim's sound guy (sorry, forgot his name). I have used ProTools (sound editing application) before but I had never seen a physical sound board with it. It was quite amazing. What was even more interesting is when he started to get into the editing. I'm not a sound engineer so when he was doing what he was doing, I tried to ignore how excited I was so I could take in as much as possible.
First up for the recording was Maria. Now this was fun(ny) :p I think after watching Maria get into the voice recordings, we all have a new found respect for voice actors. The actual lines are the hard part since sync is such a hard thing to achieve. Another huge factor was attitude... it was certainly more difficult to get the right attitude through sound. Though once we got onto sound effects, she got a little too into it by stomping on the ground and acting in real life... in that little studio. I enjoyed the show anyway :p
Next up was Brian. Now this guy has crazy good timing. He sync'd most of his dialogue first go. Of course we did double takes just in case, but generally, his timing was spot on. During his recordings, Maria took Laurent and I out to eat at some Indian place. When we got back, there was only a little more of the recordings to go before Tim took everyone home.
Sydney city to Canley Vale is a bit of a drive (about 30~40 minutes) so we had plenty of time to get to know each other. Tim asked Laurent and I about our aspirations and dreams and what lead us to Sydney. For Laurent, he's just really excited to be apart of this. He's reliable, energetic and always puts in 100% into his tasks. I don't think I've had that sort of determination for anything really. I've followed my interests and this is where it's gotten me.
Anyway, by now it was rather late so we got back to Maria's place and crashed there. My first big big shout out and thanks goes to the Tran clan. Maria's mum and her sister, Elizabeth had to put up with Laurent and I for a few days without notice. Her mum even made us curry (though Laurent couldn't handle it :p)!
It is now Friday and after getting a call from Maria, we went to Tim's place to help him with some choereographing. I feel that this is when Tim really started to trust us a little more after seeing what we were capable of. I had heard about the auditions for Downtown Rumble how some people who auditioned didn't actually produce the skills they said they possessed. Both Laurent and I have a background in TKD (Laurent since he was 5 and myself since 2002) so at the very least, we could follow simple instructions and do what was required.
We did a bit of a training first where Tim took us through some basic movements with both our arms and legs. It made for a good grounding to choereographing. We did a short little sequence that was really fun. Everyone started to get a feel for what we were all potential of. It's something Laurent and I will further develop for our own choereographed fight scenes in the future.
After a short food break we started on the final fight scene between Ali's ninja boss character against Maria and Tim's characters. Tim was Ali, Laurent was Tim and I was Maria. In this short exchange, it really set the pace and emphasized how powerful the ninja boss really was utilising a mixture of martial arts and acrobatics (with the help of Ali's parkour skills).
Tim's choereographing for me was mindblowing. Having creating some of my own fight sequences, I know how tough it is to develop something new and fresh that can captivate the audience. Tim's sequences does just that. The ideas he gets simply outclasses most of what Hollywood produces. If you think about it, there really only are a few decent martial arts based fight scenes with most of them coming from the likes of Jackie Chan.
Tim friend, Wayne, was there since we got back from lunch so we had a dedicated cameraman for the recording. He seemed impressed with our abilities so it made for a really fun afternoon.
Satisfied with what we had done so far, Tim got into the staff scene where Ali gets a hold of a staff. I never really worked with props or weapons before so this was pretty new for me. Man, the finale of this scene was brilliant. WIth a bit of practice, Laurent and I were getting much more proficient with the scene and got a lot faster at it. When we demonstrated all of this for Ali (when he arrived), he said, "Oh man..." with a concerned look on his face as his character had to deal with a pretty huge barrage of attacks at the scene's ending. Everyone was impressed and enjoying it (even Ryan who was there before I knew it).
Anyway, we went back to Maria's place to prepare for the night shoot. Everyone was to meet back at Tim's place for make up and final touches before heading to the dojo (I forgot what it was called). This is where I actually met pretty much everyone on the production team including "Double the First" star, Craig Anderson! He's a great person whose just like anyone else. You normally hear stories about actors and other celebrities who are very stuck up etc... Craig is nothing like this. In fact he was really funny and very comfortable to talk to.
Amongst the crowd I met (in no particular order) Tan (1st camera assistant), Quoc (actually, what did Quoc do?), Elanor (assistant producer), Michelle (hair), Sarah (err.. OK, I have no idea if this is actually her name, but she was the make up artist), Rudge (not just a DOP... THE DOP), Julian, (1st assistant director), and lastly, Ryan (director).
Laurent started doing some interviews that was a little different for him since it's not an area he has a lot of experience with. Meanwhile Rudge was running through everything a camera assistant does with me. It was a little overwhelming at the start since I had to deal with logging for two cameras, but once I started, it was fine.
Finally everyone arrived at the dojo (a little) but we had to do further preparations for the set anyway. Though it felt casual, everyone knew what they were doing and got onto it reasonably quick. I even helped out a little with the props and set. I generally like working with my hands so I got to work in my own element a little.
Julian made the call for filming to start as we were doing the last finishing touches on the set. While everyone was in a mad rush to finish up, Rudge asked if I could be the slater/marker/clapper person as well. I agreed not knowing what that role actually was :p The slater is the person who writes down on that little board and says "Scene 2a take 3" (or something of the like), then claps that little thing at the top of the board.
From here on, it was a bit of a blur filled with logging timecodes, chasing up two cameras, flipping between three different forms and doing whatever anyone said. We finally got a break after the first bit was done. I got to chat to a lot of the crew, Tan especially. Without him I would've been completely lost. Both Rudge and Tan actually.
I spoke a little more to Craig and Elanor just joking around for a bit. Also a little with Stephen (who works at Channel 9 I think) and Quoc. All really fun to hang around since everyone just jokes around and is generally comfortable with each other. This particular cast and crew was so relaxed and fun.
Finally finished up at about 3:30am. Everyone started playing around with Tan's display swords he brought along as props. At almost 4am, I don't think I was in any shape to be swinging swords around though Laurent was in front of the mirror having a bit of a play :p End of the first day of shooting. ~phew~
Holy huge post... more when I get back from uni later tonight.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Rumble Pictures: Brisbane... ASSEMBLE!
I figure blogging about what happens is easier than having to tell everyone over and over what's happenned.
So after coming back from Sydney, I'm still on a bit of a high with Rumble still very fresh in my mind. It's made me rather excited about the whole thing considering the first thing I did when I got back from the airport was drive to uni and run a tutorial for DVP (digital video production).
Anyway, so far I'm still gathering crew. A lot of people here seem to be interested. It's just a matter of time when everyone is free when we can start to build good team relations and begin our first project.
So far I have a director/camera man in Aaron Wakem. He's the other tutor for DVP who handles more of the film side (I do the technical stuff in post-production). He seems to be very reliable and quite motivated so at least we'll have someone who keeps us on task.
Of course there's Laurent Boiteux, whose dream and passion is to be an actor or a performer. I brought him along to Sydney for the shooting of Downtown Rumble. He was thoroughly impressed with the Rumble crew... I can't blame him really. He has a background in TKD with his father possessing experience in both film and martial arts. Definitely a person who'll be important in the earlier stages of RPB.
Both Aaron and Laurent also have skills in writing so I'm hoping they can come up with a strong story and script done when the time is right. They can also edit which will take a little load off me as well.
So with that, I have the roles of director, camera man, actor/performer, and writer(s) filled (for now). My skills lie in post-production editing and special effects. I am also a stuntman (with ZERO acting skills :p) with some experience in fight choereography.
What I think I need is someone who can really get the word out there... I think Tim calls that role a "pitcher" *cough Maria cough*. I'm not sure how long Maria's been waiting for me to step up, but I think she's also had other contacts in Brisbane who could be working with me. I will be meeting one of them this Thursday. Her name is Yen. I'm hoping she can be our pitcher :p
Anyway, I'll post more stuff as it happens... have so many things flying around in my head at the moment... just trying to pin them down one by one so I don't miss anything.
- B
So after coming back from Sydney, I'm still on a bit of a high with Rumble still very fresh in my mind. It's made me rather excited about the whole thing considering the first thing I did when I got back from the airport was drive to uni and run a tutorial for DVP (digital video production).
Anyway, so far I'm still gathering crew. A lot of people here seem to be interested. It's just a matter of time when everyone is free when we can start to build good team relations and begin our first project.
So far I have a director/camera man in Aaron Wakem. He's the other tutor for DVP who handles more of the film side (I do the technical stuff in post-production). He seems to be very reliable and quite motivated so at least we'll have someone who keeps us on task.
Of course there's Laurent Boiteux, whose dream and passion is to be an actor or a performer. I brought him along to Sydney for the shooting of Downtown Rumble. He was thoroughly impressed with the Rumble crew... I can't blame him really. He has a background in TKD with his father possessing experience in both film and martial arts. Definitely a person who'll be important in the earlier stages of RPB.
Both Aaron and Laurent also have skills in writing so I'm hoping they can come up with a strong story and script done when the time is right. They can also edit which will take a little load off me as well.
So with that, I have the roles of director, camera man, actor/performer, and writer(s) filled (for now). My skills lie in post-production editing and special effects. I am also a stuntman (with ZERO acting skills :p) with some experience in fight choereography.
What I think I need is someone who can really get the word out there... I think Tim calls that role a "pitcher" *cough Maria cough*. I'm not sure how long Maria's been waiting for me to step up, but I think she's also had other contacts in Brisbane who could be working with me. I will be meeting one of them this Thursday. Her name is Yen. I'm hoping she can be our pitcher :p
Anyway, I'll post more stuff as it happens... have so many things flying around in my head at the moment... just trying to pin them down one by one so I don't miss anything.
- B
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