SilverKottage

The past few weeks have been HECTIC.
Work has been crazy busy with the Heritage Festival… running an awards night and the lead up to the awards is hard work and very time consuming.

Some say, this is as prestigous as the Oscars…

Then within the same week, I moved out to a new apartment and also, I’ve been slaving away on my best friend’s Prewedding film for a couple of weeks too.

Photos courtesy of www.vlblog.net, Vincent Lai, photographer on the day

I’ve known Vincent and Lisa since my first days at University, studying Computer Science and they’ve been great friends ever since. I had the honour of being Vincent’s best man on his big day and to top it off, as a gift, I made a Prewedding film for them.

The sexy bridal party!

It was great, I haven’t shot a narrative piece by myself since I was in New York in 2008 with my Sony FX1. And now, with my Canon 7D and having full control, I was back to where I’ve always wanted to be, directing.

Without going on and on, here is the Prewedding film:

Being back in the Director’s chair was fun and since I edited also, I really got to fine tune my skills in saying no to footage that we shot. I’d say we had another 3 scenes that did not make the final cut.

Then to top the night off in the end, PaperCranes finished the evening with an awesome SDE. The dance in the end was only filmed 30mins before the film was shown! SANTO YOU ARE CRAZY!

Finishing the night with a tribute to Mr Jackson!

A big thumbs up to Steph from CineAsia for passing on two complimentary passes to Kevin Chu’s new film, The Treasure Hunter. CineAsia is a group dedicated to bringing blockbuster Asian films to the large cinemas in Australia. So that means no more waiting for DVDs or watching movies in small Chinatown theaters (though, I guess I do miss the stains on the floor).

Things are always better when they’re complimentary

The Treasure Hunter stars Jay Chou, Chiling Lin, Chen Dao Ming and Eric Tsang, this action adventure film opens in just two days in Australia.

I didn’t see it, but I was informed by my brother that the movie trailer was shown before Avatar 3D at Event Cinema. Kudos to the CineAsia team for getting such great support from Aussie commercial theatres! This amount of trailer publicity is on the level of Christopher Nolan’s Inception trailer.

See, it is true, Jesus is Buddha!

From the looks of it, it seems that Kevin Chu has swapped basket balls with whips and motorbikes. Someone sure has been watching recent Hollywood films!

Jay Chou shows that he can start fire by blowing anything.

I’ve always thought contemporary martial art films are making a comeback. That’s what I’ve been telling all my Hong Kong friends and fellow filmmakers. Remember that movie that had Andy Lau in it? No, not Street Fighter…

You better watch it, Jay Chou is on his way to whoop your ass.

So fingers crossed and hope this film does not sink like quicksand.
But either way, it’s got Jay Chou for the girls and Lin Chiling for the guys!

MMmmmmm…. Can’t caption, hands busy.

But yeah, what my girlfriend says is true… she’s definitely putting on a cute voice here.

I made it!

Actually, no… I didn’t even have time to enter the competition with all the work I’ve been doing with Paper Cranes and private videos and playing with the 7D.  
Nevertheless, I hope to have something for the next festivals coming up…. (Though, I’ve heard that one before!)

But, congratulations to the following 14 finalists of the Bondi Short Film Festival!

“Triple Concert in D Minor” – Writer/Director/Contact: Daniel Mitchell
Rebecca had always wanted to play her beloved triangle with an orchestra, when the national youth orchestra are in town holding auditions, Rebecca has the chance to make her everlasting dream come true.

“Fences” – Director/Contact: Tim Dean Writer: Chris Corbett
A young boy discovers that the world is more complicated than he ever imagined.

“Hamburger Eyes” – Director/Contact: Nick Fogarty
A short Documentary, shot on 16 mm film, made about the photographers that put together the black and white photo zube “Hamburger Eyes” – A magazine published tri-annually in San Francisco and captures pictorial history of both the intimate and iconic moments of everyday life.

The Bucks Party – Production Administrator/Contact: Kathy Wheatley Director: Mike Hoath
Aaron doesn’t like to see his old mate Tim as often as he’d like to these days, so when it comes as no real surprise when Aaron discovers that Tim has asked Dave, a bloke he works with, to be the best man at his upcoming wedding. Ever the loyal friend, Aaron shrugs off any small feelings of jealousy he might harbor and commits instead to a night of partying and drunken celebrations with his mate for his bucks party. But that night Aaron discovers something about the best man that could well and truly derail the marriage before it even starts, and has to then question his own motives before deciding what to do with the information.

“Swings and Roundabouts” – Producer/Contact: Nic Halliwell Director/Writer: Anna Mcgrath
It’s hard to find love, especially when you’re not even looking for it. Through a chance encounter, Ian and Flora give each other an excuse to smile…

“Frances and Annie” – Director/Contact: Genevieve Clay
When a young woman drops by to greet her new neighbours, her preconceptions of who is responsible for a horrendous tragedy hinges on a face and a note…

“Post This!” – Producer/Contact: Tara Foster Director: Paul Slater/Writers: Chris Byrnes, Tara Foster, Natalie Long/ Megan O’Dore/Anthony Roth/Celeste Dodwell/Lee Jones/Duncan Fellows
SCI-FI writer Jim Gordon loses his creativity after his best mate’s girlfriend moves in. So what will Jim do to get his creativity and best mate back.

“The Bubbleologist” – Production Administrator/Contact: Kathy Wheatley Director: Oyvind Opshaug/ Writer: Kazmir Sas
What is Bubbleology? Bubbleology is an exciting new, cutting edge study into the creation of bubbles. Since making the discovery in his teens, Andrew Suttar (aka Doctor Froth) has since taken his findings to audiences of children and adults alike through Perth, across Australia and around the world, spreading the gospel of bubble through an enthralling mix of science and theater. Be mesmerized as the Bubbleologist contorts an assortment of custom made bubble wands to create his very own brand of bubble art. Over time, his art has become a philosophy and Andrew believes that a bubble is more than just a bubble. The bubble-ologist is a visual poem about a high school science project, which became a passion, which became a passion, which became…something else…Is there more to the humble bubble than we first thought?

“JerryCan” – Producer/Contact: Stuart Parkyn Director/Writer: Julius Avery
Five bored kids with nothing to do decide to blow something up. Paper, scissors, rocks seals the fate of Nathan, who risks everything after he is bullied into making a life and death decision.

“My Girlfriend Jim” – Director: Damian Mclindon Producer: Ariel
Jim will do anything to dodge his chores.

“Fokkers Mountain Path” – Writer/Director/Contact: Luhsun Tan
The true story of a civilian’s clandestine account of a disappearing colonial world as his life ends in a Japanese POW camp.

“Sunrise” – Platon Theodoris
When their mother leaves them for the work and cash of a cucumber farm, 9 year old Chim is forced to quit school in order to care for his two younger sisters.

“Driven” – Director/Contact: Taylor Age Litton-Strain
Driven explores the conflicted expectations of today’s parents. Juggling work and fractured family relationships, it is the child who bears the unexpected consequences of his father’s frustrations…

“Close Distance” – Contact: Ruth Saunders Director: Richard Vilensky Producer: Cecilia Ritchie
Isaac Levi goes to collect his son from soccer one night only to find he’s been violently beaten. His search for vengeance leads him beyond his own sheltered world and into the streets of Islamic Sydney.

I’m pretty boned that I can’t make it to the screening on 28th November 2009 at the Bondi Pavillion. But hopefully, one of Silver Kottage’s correspondents will be attending to give me a review of how the event and films are.

Wow, it’s been a whole month since I wrote anything on this site!

If you didn’t know, I’ve been held up at my day job with the Spring Festival and my weekend job, which is shooting with Paper Cranes.

Welcome to Spring!

Firstly about the Spring Festival, the Melody Market Magic and Movement was a rained out event. We didn’t get to have our finale band to play, which was Marsala, a seven piece world fusion music band. You can check them out by searching Marsala on Youtube.

Make way for kids with STICKS!

A week later, it was the kahuna of the Spring Festival, the StreetFair. This day was the biggest and best it’s ever been. The weather was great to us and everything went smoothly (sort of). With 5 entertainment stages, a barista coffee making competition, a 1000 people parade and 120+ fete stalls, all I can say is that my legs were dead that night and the next day. When I have time in the next few weeks, I’ll cut up a trailer of the day and put it up on the site.

Dance Sensation showing off their awesome moves in the 1000+ Extravaganza! Parade

September was also a fantastic month for Paper Cranes. Santo told me of the awesome news that our work has won not one, not two, but three awards!

I’ll quote Dewi (Santo’s fiance and Paper Cranes’ producer) for the news.
Firstly, the Australian Video Producers Awards:

2 NATIONAL AWARDS FROM AVPA in MELBOURNE !!!

By Dewi | Published: September 2, 2009

PAPER CRANES PRODUCTIONS have been awarded 2 Australian National Awards in Melbourne last Tuesday! We won the “Best Wedding Showreel” category and also the ultimate award of the night the “Creative” award. Thank you for all the support that has been given to us. Although our business is still very young, but we feel that our clients, friends and family have been overdosing us with support! Thank you once again!

You can view the winning entries on this blog here:

http://weddingvideosydney.net/?page_id=136… Read More

and also

http://weddingvideosydney.net/?p=81

The Paper Cranes team
Website: www.papercranes.com.au
Blog: www.weddingvideosydney.net

And second, the big one of them all from the Wedding and Event Video Association (which is the Oscars of Wedding Videos apparently):

ANOTHER AWARD !!! this time it is INTERNATIONAL!!

By Dewi | Published: September 23, 2009

Hi guys,

Sorry we haven’t blogged for a while. Things sort of been crazy with us recently trying to prepare ourself for other people’s wedding and also OUR wedding.. (yay!)

But good news came at the right time. Not so long after we won 2 National awards at the AVPA Melbourne (Thanks to all who congratulate us!) we just had the news of us winning another award and this time it is International!!

This competition is held by WEVA (Wedding and Event Video Association) in Orlando, USA in which we have won the silver award for wedding demo showreel. This is what you would call the Oscar version of Wedding video where hundreds of studios from all over the world come together to compete and also learn with each other. So.. bottom line is.. we’re very proud of it !!!

It is definitely an exciting and rewarding year for us considering we’re still young and fresh, we even receive many emails and messages from strangers that come from facebook and other sources just to congratulate us for our achievements. Thank you very very much to all people who have been supporting us. Honestly it means a lot to us for obvious reasons and it is a real kick in the butt to push ourselves further and make impact to our client’s life through our passion in storytelling wedding video.

Once again, thank you so much and God bless!

The Paper Cranes Team

Congratulations to the Paper Cranes Team (which includes myself) for being the leaders in the Australian Wedding Film Industry. Damn we’re creative!

So on top of all this, I caught up on watching some oldies; American Graffiti and The Conversation and also some newies; Inglorious Basterds and Up. Reviews of these films later on!

First I need to hibernate from the 150,000+ crowd.

A slight change from reviewing all these movies…
So, why haven’t I made any short films yet?
Have I been lazying around eating nothing but twisties and drinking diet pepsi while trying to get all the trophies in Resident Evil 5?

Well, if you didn’t know, I do have a full time day job in Events Management and with September coming up, it is our annual Spring Festival.

A week and a half ago, we had our Spring Festival 2009 Launch function held at our Council’s Leisure Centre. Below are some pics.

  Our General Manager getting the crowd ready.

 Splashes from Dance Sensation to get our guests all wet and wild.

 Freaking Synchronise swimming performance from Synchro NSW!

And besides helping to organise the event, I created a short film to open up the performance. I have currently password protected this video due to it starring children so you will just need to enter “spring” when prompted.

Here Comes the Spring from Bernard Lau on Vimeo.

Overall, the event went real well and we got some good press from it.