The main focus behind this scrutiny was the feature film ‘Cruel Acts of Kindness’, which was previously postponed. Unfortunately, after all this reviewing the numbers and time frames weren’t kind at all… so it’s with my very deepest regret to say that the feature has been cancelled.

Whilst I acknowledge I haven’t handled everything flawlessly – which would have contributed to this cancellation – two other analogous events of great significance has been detrimental. One occurred last year and the other more recently – and that’s the loss of producers. They are the crew who manages a projects forward momentum and are basically why movies get made. Because of this fact, it’s no surprise that they would be the very last people you would want to jump ship. On both occasions they went MIA without contact for long periods of time and this not only halts production whilst trying to contact them but the additional time to search for replacements leaves everyone in the lurch with no certainty in sight.

I normally don’t throw sand in the sandbox, but in this instance I feel the need to vent for two reasons. The first is the fact that I spent over a year and a half of my life depositing all the time, passion and creativity I could muster into this project which has essentially been gnawed down to nothing. Some people seem to like the notoriety and status of being a feature film producer but when the time comes forget about the importance of deadlines, schedules, communication and even the most basic of work. Deadlines and schedules are like clichés – they may appear unreasonable, but they’re essential. The second reason is that I may have severed many great connections to friends and colleagues in the film circles of Perth because of said mismanagement and this is my major source of affliction. I love filmmaking and the people I collaborate with and I would hate to think I may not get that chance again with some because of others screwing me over.

I know that I’ve been complaining about others but at the end of the day I am the one who failed – I chose to work with the wrong people – so all my venting has been in vein. My only hope is that we can all take something positive out of this experience. Yes there was a great deal done wrong, but if we can recognise and rectify these faults as well as identify and appreciate the aspects that went smoothly, we can learn from this episode to collaborate and produce better projects in the future.

Some of these faults may seem quiet basic and almost simple common sense in relation to filmmaking but you would be surprised by how much passion can cloud your judgement. That sounds utterly ridiculous and maybe I’m way off base, but from my current point of view – running on a full tank of passion with a lack of a business minded overview can make for a bad case of tunnel vision.

Disclaimer: As well as the events leading up to this post, I’m currently reading ‘FREEFALL’ by Tom Read. It’s logline: “Breakdown and beyond – the extraordinary true story of one man’s descent into madness”. I think its affecting my outlook, but that’s yet to be determined…

The first being that the project started out to bookend an era – one of short films which I began back in 2004. The original Dancing With The Pros was one of my first films I ever made, but today in 2011 I want to focus on the end game – feature films. I had to make this sequel because, as well as marking this transition, to prove to myself that I’ve significantly improved from where I started. Lets face it, if the answer was no, then I should probably make a move into another industry ASAP. Luckily I think I’ve made some significant steps, but these steps are dwarfed by the future leaps I will need to take in order to get where I want to be.

To be able to measure this test, I needed to keep the crew size down to myself (as it was back in 2004) and use the same old equipment that I started out with. This old technology meant that it was to be shot on DV tape, which is odd being that we’re in an age where it’s either film or HD, full stop (DV has definitely followed Elvis out the building). By the way, the camera was the family’s old Panasonic GS120 3CCD MiniDV, which was quiet the consumer camcorder (back in 2005!). This good old Panasonic utilises the ancient 1.33 (4:3) aspect ratio which was the way of the land from the inception of film. The difference here is that I also attached a 16mm anamorphic lens to the front of the camera which stretches the image on the sensor, enabling me to ‘unstretch’ the footage in post, resulting in a true widescreen 2.66 aspect ratio. This process is almost identical to the one used to transform 1.33 celluloid film into more of a cinematic experience in the 1950’s, a response from studios and filmmakers to the growing popularity of television. If you’re lost with some of this tech talk, I have included two screen grabs at the top of this post from the same camera – one without the anamorphic lens (DWTP, 2005 – LEFT) and one with (DWTP2, 2011 – RIGHT). I think this combination of god awful DV camera and old 16mm cine lens gives the short a quiet pleasing and unique aesthetic.

With these two shorts almost released, 2011 looks to end one era and open another, starting with my current feature project ‘Cruel Acts of Kindness’, which will begin casting near the end of this month, so stay tuned (please).

Along The Way – Kane.

Anyhow, I have long waited for 2010 as Bad Religion (one of my personal favourite bands) released a song back in 1996 in which they seemed slightly pessimistic about the then future (today’s present)…

“Happy and content it can’t happen to you 10 in 2010! 10 in 2010!
Fifteen years we’ll think of a solution 10 in 2010! 10 in 2010!
It won’t just appear in one day 10 in 2010! 10 in 2010!
For 10 in 2010 we’re well on our way 10 in 2010! 10 in 2010!”
-Bad Religion (Ten in 2010)

I grew up wondering & waiting to see if something would happen in 2010 – but with time comes an understanding that we have to act and not be so passive. Hmm, I wonder if being young & naive has something to do with time being slower when we’re younger…

On a film note, ‘Cruel Acts of Kindness’ is also now scheduled to begin production in April next year. We’re currently looking for cast & crew that may be a good fit with our team – so if this may be you, this link will interest you; contempovision.com/cast-crew-call-for-april-2011

You Alone – Kane.

On that note, Michael and i have come up with the 7th draft of my first feature ‘Cruel Acts of Kindness’. As well as the story and script based elements coming together – i feel like i am really starting to grasp exactly what this film is going to look like, which excites me very much. We’re also starting to meet key crew members which may possible be involved, as well as some actor/actresses which may be able to bring these characters to life.

I’m also reading quite a lot of books these days (more than the old university days anyway), mostly directly related to the style of film i wish to make now with this current feature and into the future – but that is a conversation far too lengthy for here and to have by myself with a blog (i want to try and keep any sanity i have left thank you very much).

Get A Life – Kane.

We’re still in the early stages of pre-production, but I’m really REALLY anxious to find the cast & begin character development. Being an avid student of filmmakers such as Mike Leigh, i have a lot to aim for in terms of working with the actors, which will no doubt last for months before shooting!

Anyway, that’s it for now. The new website for the film should be up and running soon, so don’t be scared to visit it @ cruelactsofkindnessmovie.com

Kill Your Idols – Kane.

Many people say living in Perth has its downfalls (which are well documented) but my main gripe is with the time lag between the show airing in America and us down under. The LOST series finale has obviously been attracting all sorts of attention and since it has already aired in the States, many popular movie and news websites such as IMDb have had stories running through them like rivers for the past couple days now, so I feel like I’m creeping around the web trying to avoiding being caught by the police!

But all whinging aside, LOST has been the most complex, postmodern TV show that I have had the pleasure to follow and whilst these traits set it apart (and above) from other programs, it has also been its downfall in a way. The general public enjoy watching TV & movies for entertainment, and whilst most shows can live up to this expectation, they are
also very user friendly, feeding the answers to the questions and connotations of them by the end of the episode. LOST is a character based drama (to me anyway) as it has taken these characters out of their normal existence (one of which we can identify with) and placed them in a new context (or in this instance, life) which forces us to make our own assumptions because we are unable to draw upon the usual ideological connections. These two traits (not supplying all the answers and meanings) is what makes LOST so postmodern and whilst this is the reason I call it the #1 TV show of all time, its also the reason why its ratings continually dropped off since the first season.

I must admit that at times it has often been hard keeping up with the show and its flashbacks, flashforwards and sideways glimpses of these characters lives. Nevertheless, it’s for this veryI must admit that at times it has often been hard keeping up with the show and its flashbacks, flashforwards and sideways glimpses of these characters lives. Nevertheless, it’s for this very reason, how it makes you an active participant in the show, that the program is so rewarding to view. I often wish more series could be done like this but I know film & TV is a business and people need to get ratings in order to pay the men in suits. This very business like approach to the creative field of filmmaking is also why I have so much admiration for the creators of LOST, because it appears that they were allowed (for the most part) to do it their way.

As a major character in the series, John Locke has also taken many hours of my complete attention, as his struggles and truly mysterious yet simple agenda have made me come to the decision that he is the best written and acted (thanks to the Emmy award winning performance from Terry O’Quinn) TV character I have ever come across. I think he has always been at the heart of the show, especially when we’re taking about its theme and the ideologies it has questioned. These strong meanings were confirmed when I made the connection of the character to the real life John Locke, a philosopher from the late 1600’s. His main idea was that every person had equal rights and should be judged fairly, even if the person had done something ‘wrong’. This confirmed a connection for me and a major theme I take away from the show; that people and events are never so black or white, this way or that, but rather something or someone which has chosen a specific path at that point in time. What I’m trying to get at, and I think the show too, is that a person in our society is instantly judged bad or evil if they do something against the grain or law. We pass judgment so easily, labeling them as an ‘other’ without thinking about the conditions and context the person or events occurred within.

But Locke doesn’t stand alone in this category of characters which have real life doubles and/or mysteriously mythically ties. Everyone on the show is connected and has an important part to play in the story, and the same could be said for our own lives and the people we’re connected to. This is part of the reason why I have such a strong connection to LOST and its truly intriguing ways, because to me, it’s much more than a ‘show’. People categorize it as a Sci-Fi and many other genres, but for all its complexities, to me it’s a drama about a bunch of people that need to communicated better with each other in order to better themselves and the place they live in. Of course there are many more deep and meaningful ideas which have been played around with on LOST, but I wouldn’t do them any justice if I keep waffling on about them in my blog (plus I don’t want to miss the finale as its 30 minutes away!).

On another note I’d like to quickly (times running out!) update people following the journey of my latest Contempovision short film FRACTURED. It has recently been selected for two more film festivals; Awareness Festival 2010 & Vesak 2010 International Buddhist Film Festival. If you’re able to attend any of these festivals, please do and enjoy the film. And again I would like to thank the wonderful cast and crew for making it was it is; you people are the greatest!

Every Single Day, Kane.

On another note, the last short I directed – Fractured – has just been selected to screen at two film festivals; the Washougal International Film Festival & the Open APPerture Short Film Festival. That’s a pretty good start, so let’s hope that more festivals join in the fun soon!

Fractured is also up on the Inside Film (IF) Awards website. If you have a little spare time, login and vote for it @ www.ifawards.com.au/film/fractured

Nothing To Lose, Kane.

Our feature film The Near Death Experience has also been transformed into a 4th draft, so that’s coming along nicely. Michael seems to be able to get through drafts in record time whilst taking our suggestions into consideration, so that’s been a luxury!

Critical Killing, the neverending post production story also seems to be going in the right direction. The sound design is being worked on by SAE employees Todd Budden & Alex Walker as we speak.

Living for today, Kane.

In other news, Dancing With The Pros 2 has been fast tracked into production, with shooting to take place late February/early March. The script (which I wrote) is currently in the 8th draft, with a number of actors already confirmed to star including Corey Sheridan (as Yuri Ka), John Barker (as Fred DeFan), Penelope Andrews (as Dana Golden) and myself as Uncle Farr Ka.

Stay tuned for more jibba jabba.

Til next time… KGJ.