UPDATES: "Quest"

Loads of work whirring at lightning speed and its been quite a funky challenge. I spent the last 10 days renovating my new little Quest for Jackie Chan! office (back of mum's bakery) with loads of painting, cleaning, moving and building things to accommodate the ever growing film project paper work, props, and large wardrobe and collection of wigs.

The next few days I'll be decking it our with white boards, pin ups, signage and of course, doing the final cast call outs for one major acrobatic fight display that I've written into the film.

There's definitely growing interest amongst the film community and once I've locked down who's who, then I can start pairing them up working in different scenes of the movie project.

To add to the transmedia experience, those who are in on the bandwagon are encouraged to develop their own voice through blogging, photologging, vlogging and other social media components. Just simply being an actor or a camera operator is not enough. For those who think I need them and my call out for talent is exploitation, well, I guess they are not visionary enough to see the bigger picture; and so I won't be able to accommodate them.

My priority isn't meeting Jackie Chan (even though he is one of the most awesome person in the world), but to test my own will, push the boundaries and most importantly, seeking likeminded individuals and groups, that I will want to work with in future. So far, in my journeys, its been full of friggin' rocks, but I believe without them, I would of still been in my little snail shell, twiddling my thumbs and just doing whatever.

But at this moment in my life, juggling 3 jobs at once, waking up 8am and finishing at 3am (I feel like I'm going to die sometimes), I feel the drive, I feel the inner venture, I crave to watch, to be inspired by every little thing in life and bit by bit, discover other hidden talents that will join me on my journey of making as EPIC a no-budget production can ever be.

I must admit, I have been very short fused though. Less waffly, but yet less tolerant of waffly people. I've had a string of people who articulate on wanting to be an actor and/or filmmaker who keep saying they don't have the time. Or the classic, "I just want to make it" scenario. That is simply way too vague and does not amount to anything. Hence, I've been spending heaps of alone time and of course, there's work at ICE.

In the last two months, I've been so privileged to have worked with Yassin Alsalman (Aka "The Narcicyst") and multimedia visual arts extraordinare Sundus Abd Hadi. These two are such such great people with a powerful influence in what they think, say and do. There's this element of clarity and universality in the way they see the world and the transmedia ways their activist works have inspired others to see change in their very own life.

No its not a cult, I'm just describing these two. Its hard to explain when you meet people who have an extraordinary energy in them. Yassin's mindset is solid as concrete, and he embraces his own changes, whilst Sundus has a geniune lovely vibe about her; even to the point that I get a bit of worried that I can't reciprocate.

They are both leaving tomorrow. I'm sure going to miss them both. Which takes me to the end of my contract at ICE as an Urban Cultures Program Coordinator, into an Mobile Expressions Workshop Trainer, and then the week after, into my new role on board SBS's 1.7 mil TV series as a full-time associate producer attachment. Everything come in oddly good timing. I was beginning to wish to gain more experience on understanding how big legit budgets and funding works and wanted to set myself right straight after the "Quest" film project. At the end of the day, I can't live off no-budget productions and eventually want to get to a level that I can co-direct and act in my own TV series or feature film.

So when I do start my contract, weekdays will be working at the office on TV series while weekends will be scheduled for the "Quest" shoots. There's still much more to do. Initially I was going to cut up the feature with the footage that I've got, which would have worked out anyways. After an injection of ambition and boundary pushing, the "Quest" will be a wacko of a movie. If I'm haunted every night on it, it means something.

In the meantime, I'm still looking for people to join in to help the "Quest" out. My first shoot is the 4th of June, 2011 and shoots will be scheduled every weekend till August. I'm looking for 10 male martial arts/parkour/ acrobatics for a blast to the past 80s HK fight scene 16th/ 17th July, 2011 (TBC), shooting in Fairfield.

Signing out,

Maria Tran

COMPETITION FOR FAIRFIELD RESIDENTS: 48 Green Hours Competition

The winner is guaranteed a screening at Cannes Film Festival 2012, plus $3,000.

AND if you live in Fairfield LGA or chose to shoot your film in Fairfield, we have even more good news...

* For Fairfield residents, Council will cover the entry fee of $120 (in other words, it will be free for teams that include someone who lives in Fairfield LGA!)

PLUS...

* For the "Best Film Made in Fairfield" we offer a cash prize of $1,500 (and you are still eligible in the other categories)

PLUS...

* Council will waive the filming application fees for the competition.

The competition will run over the weekend of 14-15 May, so register soon!

Enquire at tom@48greenhours.com or visit www.48greenhours.com or call Tiffany on 9725 0326 tleeshoy@fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au

48 Hour Green Film Project

Do you have stars in your eyes? Dream of seeing your name up in lights? The 48 Hour Green Film Project is giving aspiring film makers the chance to write, cast, shoot and edit a short narrative film of four to seven minutes over the weekend of 14- 15 May 2011. The 48 Hour Green Film Project is a national competition, which aims to shed light on the ecological challenges we face today, through film. Council is encouraging local film makers to enter the competition, by subsidising the competition entry fee for Fairfield residents. Locally, the project is being funded by the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils’ Water in the Landscape program. So it’s only fitting that the theme for this year’s competition is ‘water’. Council is further supporting local film activity through the category 'Best Film Made in Fairfield'. Entrants who feature Fairfield City locations, can win a cash prize of $1,500. Council is also waiving filming application fees for the competition and offers a Fairfield City location guide of our 5 Creeks on the Council website. The winning film is guaranteed a screening at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival – Short Film Corner. There is also cash and prizes to be won to the value of $20,000. The 48 Green Hour Film Project competition is being launched on 13 May 2011. Everyone, any age, is encouraged to enter. To register head to www.48greenhours.com For more information about filming in Fairfield City please contact Tiffany Lee-Shoy Senior Policy Advisor, Cultural Policy & Development on 9725 0326. Click here for more information about filming in Fairfield City Click here to download Council's Safe Work Procedure when working around creeks Click here for more information about Council's 5 Creeks Click here to download Council's Filming Application

LEARN: Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill

The theme for me this week is A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E, it is an individual's way of thinking, what you do and what you feel. I think everything in life stems from this non-tangible attribute and most of the world's successful people adopt a successful way of thinking - that is, positively.


This positive thinking blends itself into the following:

• Constructive thinking.
• Creative thinking.
• Optimism.
• Motivation to accomplish your goals.
• Being inspired.
• Choosing happiness.
• Not giving up.
• Looking at failure and problems as blessings in disguise.
• Believing in yourself and in your abilities.
• Displaying self-esteem and confidence.
• Looking for solutions.
• Seeing opportunities.

It is all true. When you are positive you have seriously an abundance of energy, its unlimited and an ability to give so much to the world, without fear or doubt. Having more happiness and greater inner power and strength is the fuel for you to inspire and motivate yourself and others. Life seems effortless, easy and any difficulty is only temporary. The world is on your side and people will naturally respect you.
So start now, choose to be happy, have faith, read more inspiring quotes, stories, visualise your life, learn concentration and meditation. Overall, live the life you want. 

Artist Talk at ICE // Monday May 2, 12-3pm // TRANSFORMATIONS - Insights of the Incited

Transformations :: insights of the incited

the vitality of cultural interaction and creativity across space and time :: engaging and nurturing community cultural expressions and aspirations  through participatory processes :: diversity as an asset that is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of identities :: representation and the responsibilities of artists  in community cultural life.

Join us for a conversation moderated by Dr Paula Abood Community Cultural Development Practitioner, Writer and Activist with artists and cultural producers:

Sundus Abdul Hadi (Iraq/Canada) – painter, visual and multimedia artist
Eddie Abd (Lebanon/Australia) – illustrator, painter and digital storyteller
MC Trey (Fiji/Australia) -  hip hop artist, performer and community worker
Yassin Alsalman aka The Narcicyst (Iraq/Canada) - hip hop emcee, writer and sound producer.

Monday 2 May, 2011
12-3pm
Switch Digital Arts Centre
8 Victoria Road, Parramatta
(10 minute walk from Parramatta Train Station)
 
Refreshments provided.  Bookings Essential. Please rsvp to kristy.mayhew@ice.org.au or phone 9897 5744.

HUMAN THINKING: The Blame Game

Do you wear a Blame Badge of honour?

Blame. What is it? Why do with do it? The majority of us wouldn’t spend time thinking about it, but a lot of the times, the “blame game” comes in forms like this:

“Its because he won’t….”

“She just kept on….”

It’s a he did this, she did that kind of thing. But why do we do that? Blame others for how we feel?

One rationale is that we are simply trying to cover up our own bad behaviours.

Blame is like anger in that it dulls one sense of empathy. It allows a person to act in a hurtful way to another human being. It isn't the act itself, but it makes one feel better of doing something that they know deep down was wrong. Blame develops a thought pattern that allows an individual’s emotions to surpass their self-control mechanisms in order to do something selfish.

People who “blame” tend to overemphasize themselves and underemphasize the negative effects of their actions. Nevertheless blaming isn’t always a dysfunctional attribute; you can be just simply lazy to solve a problem as well.

The blaming mindset is a slippery slope. This type of lifestyle will send you downhill. From extreme alcoholism, drugs, sexual interactions, and other short term gratifications, that really, will never get us anywhere in life.

So in general, if things in your life keeps on stuffing up, if you fall into the same predicaments over and over again, then you should think about how you are perceiving the situations in life. Start by listening to people outside your circle.

Outside because quite often, blamers like to hang with other blamers, or get into issues of those on the same wavelength.

The question is, are you ready to hear the truth? Often, is the realities won’t be comfortable.

I guess why I’m writing this blog today is I’m starting to have some weird acute sense of hearing to people. I don’t know if it was because I’ve just recently been watching way too many movies and spying at the park on way too many people, but I’m starting to take a strange delight in reading between the lines.

So if you ever run into me, whether online or face-to-face, unfortunately, I will automatically sensing your vibes and your rationale, lets just hope you beat me to hiding that blindspot.

O_o

RETROSPECTIVE: Maria Tran's Blomit Cam - Piercing Time

Border security beep to this!

I've recently started this "Blomit Cam" thing just for the fun of it (see how bored I am). I was digging through my hard drive and found this footage floating around that was taken by my hot as blonde German colleague (imagine on people) during my crazy race to save up money by working in some strange roving electricity company prior to the "Quest".

Here you can see me being the biggest "chicken shit", pinching myself profusingly and giggling with nerves as I got my first little piece of metal through that hard to reach part of the ear. Finally, I felt a little bit cooler and definitely becoming so "in" with the times. I just hope this piece of metal doesn't put me on border security, because we all know that if you're Asian and you set off the beeping thing at the airport, you are most possibly hiding a bomb of some sort.

Anyhow, I showed my mum this video and before she could finish it, she turned around and shouted "How dare you get a piercing on your pee-pee! No more computer for you!"

My pee-pee? Mum are you serious? I'm nervous as for people to see me in a skirt let alone letting some stranger hippy fiddle with my pee-pee.

Parents for yall......My mum watch the whole thing and took back her comment, but she didn't take back grounding me.

O_o

PROGRESS: Quest for Jackie Chan!

Its been 18 months since the inception of the “Quest for Jackie Chan!” idea, and so much as happened ever since. I did have moments of creative blocks with the project, but I think it was fueled by my own overwhelmingness of the rapid change throughout.

The idea began as being very 2D; it was like an A to B linear journey, to meet Jackie Chan, not really understanding my own inners, the context and how far and wide this project reached.

I’ve sampled the topic from varying perspectives and I’ve finally reached to the peak that has allowed me to be organically creative. I don’t know if there’s such terms, but creativity and innovative thinking is what fuels this project.  Organic, in a sense, that I’m not straining as much to come up with the details of the movie, and everything that has been learnt and experienced is finally coming together.

I think I don’t want to make this movie for the sake of getting attention, to be cool and other ego and narcissistic means. I probably did, in the beginning, but now its transcended onto more of the craft of filmmaking and storytelling.

Life doesn’t get any easier from this moment though, it becomes an obsessional thought, everything I think of, or do relates to the craft. I have major troubles getting to sleep (often fantastic ideas hits just when I about to get to shut eye).

It has been exciting though, I got on board Adrian Castro who is a D.I.Y savvy filmmaker who knows about visual FX, graphics, stock motion and fight chorie to assist and kick my butt when I’m slacking off.

He’s been throwing me movie after movie and literally, sitting with me, and making sure I’m watching it like some sort of school kid.

I’m at the point of my project where I’m calling on a team people dedicated, innovative people to inject their collaborative minds on it. 

PEOPLE: On the topic of Energy Vampires

Move over Twilight heart throb, Edward, its time to chat about your kind on a new level.

From the beginning of the week, even till now, the hot topic I’ve been discussing with people are on what I know as “Energy Vampires”. To sum, categorising people into boxes is a horrible thing, but for me, it makes my job in life easier.

You meet all sorts of people in life, good, bad and the in between. But if you ever meet people who are negative to the point where you are left feeling worse off, drained and tired. Well, chances are you’ve meet an energy vampire.

Everything about these people seem to be doom and gloom and they seem to adopt a self-victimising mindset, their life is just one complaint after and another.  To me, their constant fixation on the bad and overlooking all things good is just a freakin’ waste of time.

Overall, this the simple equation:

Negative people = Life sucks (come join me attitude).

The issues with energy vampires is that they can’t generate their own life force, in addition, they can’t stand being alone so will do all they can (spot a vulnerable prey [individuals who have lost their own energy fountain]) and attach themselves to them. Major players of this game will leave you feeling sick and dizzy.

On the other hand, positive (and genuine) people are self generators and have an abundance of energy. The opposite effects applies to them. They are an overflowing fountain of love and electrifying goodness, ideas becomes realities with a matter of time. You’ll see these qualities amongst our greatest leaders and spokespersons of all time.

Overall, I want to always be heading for growth, change and constantly improving myself. Whose knows, what will happen tomorrow, but I think its time for everyone to start living genuinely, giving as much love out as possible and looking to develop everlasting and meaningful relationships.

Anyhow, join in the conversation, leave a comment if this blog gave you some food for thought.

Internet R.I.P: Jackie Chan

I was spewing when I heard a rumour that beloved Jackie had passed away from a heart attack. A part of me was the failure to learn as much as possible from this notorious icon before the anticipated meeting (when I finish most of the "Quest" film) and to even think of such thing, was unimaginable.

I recall thinking about that earlier in the project. Someone brought up the "What if" scenario. I replied with "as if". As if Jackie Chan would die. He's done bla films, broken bla bones and looks exactly like my dad. How often do you think about your father dead? Never! It would never cross my mind, as most of the time, the people who are closest to you, are always immortal in your mind. You never think about and you take them for granted. That's the same thing with Jackie. After my trip to HK and chatting with some of his closest colleagues, I came to discover more depth about people's varying perceptions.

People just don't realise how hard this guy has worked his whole life. I recall doing a guest lecture at the University of Hong Kong and to my discoveries, finding out all the negative connotations the "Jackie Chan brand" elicits amongst the young people.

"He's too old!", "He's done this, he's done that", "Do you really know what he's like?"

Personally I don't, nor do I care about the finer details but I'm just inspired by what "Quest for Jackie Chan!" can create, which is the old school connection with the new wave filmmakers and storytellers.

Anyhow, false alarm everyone, Jackie Chan is still alive and well and still making movies. Let that be a lesson to everyone and all those people who are so easily swayed by what's in the media. Unless you can top Jackie Chan, in the meantime, sit down and shut up.

Love y'all

oxoxo

MY WORK: Urban Cultures - Welcome "The Narcycist" and Sundus Abdul Hadi from Canada!

After two months of planning a prep, ICE's international artists in residency hip hop rapper/ MC "The Narcycist" and his partner, mixed media and visual artist, Sundus Abdul Hadi have finally arrived in Australia. I must admit, my frame of mind of the last few days has been a little run down and clouded, nevertheless, it was refreshing to finally meet and also anticipating working with these two. These two are about my age, and yet their progressive minds, boundary pushing works inspire me a little bit more to engage and grow as as a little gungho activist in my very own ways.

It captivates me how these two speak with such clarity and an understanding of who they are, where they are going, how they are developing and their impacts on own cultural identities and also abroad. Narcy's sound tracks all have some rationale, incited incidents, that people just usually don't think about. Personally, I never dig the hip hop scene, I always thought it was music about "pimps and hoes" and autotuned noise with the sporadic "yeah babies". Another thing, prior to working with ICE, I had a fear of Arabs (a common view shared by my closed off parents who relied on mainstream media 6pm reports) as well as the ocassional debate with a very old school ocker who kept on warning me that the "Asians will be taking over, so be careful".

Speaking of fear of Arabs, Narcy will also be releasing his published book "Diatribes of a Dying Tribe" based on the concept of the Fear of an Arab Planet. On the same note, I did get the chance to meet the boys from "Fear of a Brown Planet" - comedian Amer & Nazeem from Melbourne. Check out my quest clip.

So where does this leave me? Fear of an Asian Planet? Let's help me brainstorm...

Fear of A Slant Eye Planet

Fear of A Gook Planet

Fear of Riceeaters Party

I know, I know. So where does the white (wo)man who really have this fear stand? The Australian Protection Party of course. They seem to be quite a media saavy bunch with all sorts of backups (from academia, politics, businesses etc...) who truly have a major concern with the potential "invasion" fears. Be slightly surprise. There's this fear of "White genocide" and the "minorities" taking over.

Then I thought for a further minute, is the term minority/ majority relative? What if you are a whitey living in China? Wouldn't you be a minority and Asians becoming a majority? Ok, I'm tripping out now and some of the issues and "parties" just wouldn't make sense in another context.

Are Martial Arts Ruining Action Movies?

Another interesting read that has been forwarded to me by Newstead Grindsworth (Adam), who I met earlier this year for a Maximum Choppage: Round 2 screening in Newscastle. I thought I'd repost it on my blog and to see what you think about it. Click here for the source.

Photo: Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Focus Features, Warner Bros. Pictures, Columbia Pictures, iStockphoto

In Joe Wright's stylish action-drama Hanna, the titular character (played by Saoirse Ronan) has been raised by her father to study martial arts and close combat in seclusion before finally entering the real world at age 16, ready to kick some ass. She's never met a person other than her father (Eric Bana), she's never set foot anywhere other than the wintry landscapes of North Finland, and she's never known pop culture or seen a single movie ... and it's a good thing she hasn't, because if Hanna were to duck into a theater to catch the latest action flick, she'd be stunned: Everybody fights like her in movies nowadays. And it's starting to take the fun out of things.

Actors often brag about how much Krav Maga or karate or capoeira they had to learn for their roles, but to judge from the onscreen world of modern action movies, that kind of skill set is hardly rare: A built-in understanding of martial arts is instilled in everyone, be they hero, villain, or mere henchman. (Fortunately, heroes always get to fight off bad guys who somehow know the exact same form of martial arts they do.) Too often, it seems like movies grind to a halt for obligatory hand-to-hand combat with low stakes and little invention, as though the screenwriter typed, "A fight breaks out," and the director left it up to the second unit and fight coordinator to fill three minutes.

It was fun when the trend began — when The Matrix westernized the modern martial arts movie and the Drew Barrymore–led Charlie's Angels traded guns for roundhouse kicks — but it has quickly become rote. In movies like The Green Hornet, Salt, Sucker Punch, andThe Last Airbender, the heroes fight off drone after drone after drone, occasionally taking a hit to the face, stomach, or back, yet emerging with little more than a comely cut on the cheek (if that). With little in the way of stakes, a sameness in presentation, and no blood or bruises, martial arts have turned action scenes into dance scenes, and while those can be fun, they're not usually renowned for their suspense. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World wasoccasionally inventive within its fight sequences, but it was really more of a musical, and even Wright himself has admitted that when choreographing Hanna's fights, he figured, "Just treat it like dance and it'll be fine." That's all well and good, but whatever happened to treating action sequences like action sequences?

Gone are the days when a fight might involve a gun, a makeshift weapon, or a hit that actually hurts. Now every movie hero is Jet Li, and every woman is Buffy the Vampire Slayer (though Buffy's martial-arts acumen was a by-product of her mystical Slayer power, the new breed of action heroine can dispatch a 200-pound assailant even if the woman in question is five-foot-two and has a physique better suited for red carpets than battle).Hanna handles its action scenes better than most — and Bana gets a fun all-in-one-take fight that's highly choreographed but is at least dazzling to watch — but even the most stylish spin on these sort of fights can't disguise the feeling that we've seen this all before. It's time for directors to rethink the idea of a movie fight sequence, and if they can't add anything to it — or if watching the hero toss another drone over his shoulder adds nothing to the movie — then it should go. After all, what does it say when an actual dance movie, Black Swan, has ballet sequences and cathartic confrontations that pack more punch than any action movie we've seen over the past year?

By: Kyle Buchanan

SHOPPING: I bought myself a Netbook!

I did it! I got myself a netbook and haven't looked back ever since! I'm simply a bloghead and love to be able to capture my thoughts and experiences at any given random moment or if time persist

I do have my trusty Toshiba 15 inch screen which I do most things including my edits, but I need something light, compact, will quickly start up and have a long life battery power. Hence, my quick trip to Aldi caught my attention to neat little netbook, costing me $250 but had spanking features of 250 GB memory, 10.1 inch screen size, 0.3 Mb camera and wifi.

So looks like you'll be hearing from me more often and my thought, words and actions will connect more quickly and free flowing than ever before.

TEACHING: Canley Vale High School

I've finally wrapped up on a teaching gig at my old school Canley Vale High School ever so proud of the Yr 10 class and their dynamic enthusiasm on the project. These kids started off as quite unsure about the field of filmmaking as the mix were predominately "Asian" with such familial and societal pressures of following the common fields of medicine, law and engineering. But after 8 weeks of my training and activities, it does give me some kicks that the majority of these "youngies" have their minds slightly geared towards acting and/ or filmmaking.

One particular student, J. Nguyen has impressed me with his maturity and eagerness in his pursuit as a film director. He was pedantic about shots, locations and his peer performances on the project. He and P. Tran sacrificed their lunch times and defied their parent's curfews just to get their edits done.

My role became secondary, and I'm glad to have sparked their interested, taken a step back and let their passions run their first film project. Fingers crossed for the submission to the 2011 Shortcuts Film Festival - Western Sydney's only youth film festival.

Speaking of Shortcuts, please do attend if you are in town. I will certainly be there. The details are below:

WHEN: Saturday 9th April @ 7pm

WHERE: School of Arts, 19 Harris St, Fairfield

BOOKINGS: 02 9724 6077 or shortcuts@pyt.com.au

COST: $5

EVENT: Stuff Premiere

I was at the Stuff premiere last Thursday watch the 7 short films made through the Parramatta City Council funded project that was managed by Amin Palangi at Information & Cultural Exchange (ICE). There was a good turn out of 200 people, either friends, families or distinguished guests, all wanting to watch 7 films from 7 different cultural groups and the issues that they faced.

I was one of the actors in Marie Setiawan's film "Fairytale", and it was the first time I acted on something "dramatic". I don't know why, and maybe its an actor thing, but I really hated my performance. I thought I did awful. I got external feedback and there were people who think I did well for my character and that they didn't expected a more mellowier performance from me.

Apparently, some actors have trouble detaching their true selves when it comes to roles and learning to act without bringing in remenants of yourself can be a tricky thing.

My sister, on the otherhand, didn't like my character. She reckons I'm a shockingly boring dramatic actor. Maybe so, I guess I better to either comedies or just plain action (which of course, I'm still developing).

P.S - Shout out to David Cheng (STUFF! Sound guy and his snapshots!

TEST FIGHT: Maria Tran & Adrian Castro

This one is just for fun everybody. I'm still on the "Quest for Jackie Chan!" and in the meantime, time to get inspired and into "action" with a quick clip.

I was a little bored on the weekend and decided to get a quick teamof film buddies together to shoot a very short fight chorie piece just for experimentation purposes. Only 25s but it was surely a good learning curve. No storyboards, no concepts, and practice. On the spot thinking is this kind of film exercise!

Hope you like the edits and there will be plenty more to come in future.

Camera operator: Quan Tran
Editor: Maria Tran
Choreography by: Maria Tran & Adrian Castro
Equipment: Vanna Seang & Dragon Vision Productions

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MY THOUGHTS: I think there is an aspect of me that really wants to delve into fight choreography (from both a performer as well as a filmmaker perspective). So far, I know there's not a lot of women in this field that know beyond the martial arts side of things, but also how to shoot, edit and sell action shots. So again, I'm still developing, and will be rolling out a series of developmental clips and am open to further collaborations with different teams.

So what makes or breaks a fight scene/ sequence? M. Choi (from Marvel Comics) article points to the question of: How high are the stakes? She mentions how the uber fast cutting of fight scenes such as those of Transformers: Dark of the Moon just didn't move her. The audience needs to connect with what is at stake and that if the "underdog" fails then it will be the end.

Anyhow, I just hope my quick fight scene (unfortunately, I never reach the end because, it is just a test fight) proves a little more edgy then this:

But then again, this Kung Fu Catfight leaves little to the imagination...which can be quite an exciting venture....

GET TOGETHER: Film Club #2 Meet Up

Last Saturday was another session of Film Club #2 and we had in attendance Marie Setiawan, Laurent Boitex, Quan Tran, Thuy Ng, Adrian Castro and myself. Another fully charged get together of gungho and learn on the fly filmmakers who want to eventually see their stories on the big screen. This week, Marie continued her focus on the essence of human drama. Drama film genres are perhaps one of the hardest to market internationally, but its deeper level of character development and inter-tangle of emotional conflict has its appeal.

Marie took us through some script breakdowns, and also a big run through on scene and character objectives, goals and actions. We watched the intro to Quentin Tarrintino's "Reservoir Dogs" in regards to the competency vs social hierarchy of characters. The final exercise of the night got me some dibs in directing a short scene from "The Full Monty".

Anyhow, I'll be plugged in most Saturday nights from 6-9pm with this group for the next few months. Shout out to Marie Setiawan for her great work.

REALITY CHECK: The Quest continues...

Yesterday night I was chatting to a friend who's probably 12 thousand kms away about the whole ordeal with the "Quest". He's a straight talker, down-to-earth and knows how to be ambitious but keeping it real.

It's true, I have to admit, still very overwhelming of a project and the pressures are coming from all sorts of directions and the biggest, from within. It is very good to be able to speak to someone who can sense what's going on and set me on some sort of direction.

When it comes down to it, I'm a scatter brain and during my week of chats with people who are contributing to the "Quest" with their great ideas, I haven't connected with even one person to embark on the whole project on its full entity.

Hence, mission of the week for me is to source my core team who I can start sharing this project, the trials and tribulations that I'm facing to pull this baby through.

In the meantime, this week has been quite a full one. I've got down the pipeline some parkour training (Fri night) , film teaching (Sat morning), film and acting studies (Sat night) and the fight test collaborations with Adrian Castro and Quan Tran (Sun morn) and Jackie Chan film schooling (Sun night).

EVENT: 2011 Tropfest

This year was the first time I attended the Tropfest Short Film Festival - the world's largest of short film festival. I had accompanying me, my trusty film intern protege - Thuy Ng and newfound friend Quang Nguyen - who is currently a dedicated barrister, but possibly a future media maker. We had a good spot amongst the other 10,000 people on a patchy grass and in full view of the 3 sided screen.

But then when you look at Tropfest, even though it has come a long way, it hasn't been the platform for films made by people from culturally diverse backgrounds even though 40% of the population are born overseas or to parents born overseas. Despite the films being quite "watchable", I still yet to see the day more films from the "other" make it to the top finalist on their own terms and telling the stories they want to tell and watch.

But that in itself is filled with complexities. In one lecture that I crashed at the Sydney International Film School, I recall Ray Lawrence saying that "filmmaking is for the privileged". To some extent, I agree, as the "privilege" have access to such equipment and vast knowledge, experience and expertise.

In addition, culturally diverse communities, are more often focused on making a living than storytelling through the digital medium. I know for a fact, that if I turned back time and asked my Vietnamese parents if I could do film, I'll probably be kung fu whacked across the head for the thought of it.

But the times are changing, and 2012 Tropfest Short Film Festival Signature item is the "lightbulb" so it looks like I may be submitting something next year....Perhaps.

This year, the 16 finalist that made it were quite good.

Here are the winners...

1ST PRIZE - Animal Beatbox - Damon Gameau

2ND PRIZE - The Unspoken - Jason van Genderen

3RD PRIZE - The Maestro - Adam Anthony

BEST MALE ACTOR - SIlencer - David Collins

BEST FEMALE ACTOR - Y2GAY - Kate Worsley

WOMEN IN FILM AWARD - Things To Do - Ana Maria Belo

BEST EDITING - A Desperate Deed - Matt Bird

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - The Maestro - Tony Gardiner

BEST SCREENPLAY - Missing Her - Michael Weisler

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - A Desperate Deed - Jared Underwood

THOUGHTS: Thinking of Law of Attraction

Before I start this blog, I just wanted to say thanks to all the people (David Lee, Naomi Lynch, Nghi Huynh, Kane Wilson, Martin Landauer, Ridwan Hassim, Quan Tran, Gentle Storm, Gary Phuong, Igor Breakenback & Daniel Whyte) who connected with my status update: Law of Attraction: What's your thoughts on it? Comment now! :) Monday at 2:09pm.

Your comments really got me thinking a bit more about "bigger picture" learning and how one spur of the moment thought can spark a whole different way of thinking.

I've been carrying my copy of "The Secret" around lately (to work, the gym and around the place. I haven't finished it though.) ever since my Melbourne-based film buddy Somchay Phakonkham has sent me a copy (even though he himself hasn't read it).

Its a handy little book and I guess essence of "The Secret" is the simple "Law of Attraction". Prior to this, I heard about this Law of Attraction in fleeting conversations about the metaphysical, but in general, its means "like attracts like" , positive thoughts brings positive results and negative thoughts brings negative outcomes.

Take for instance, if you thought out there the statement "I need more time" then you will continue to "need more time". So if you were to change this statement to "I will find more time", as in, you move away from focusing on it as a problem but more as a goal, then things will change.

In David Lee's response of "There is no such thing as true love!" Monday at 2:14pm, then apparently through the Law of Attraction, then this statement will continue to run true.

Nghi Huynh "If there is something you really want then your subconscious will work overtime to find opportunities for you to achieve it. That is why it almost seems like magic that you find just what you are looking for" Monday at 2:19pm.

I think so too with Nghi's comment. I don't know why, but like a year ago, I put it out there in the world that I wanted to meet Jackie Chan and through one thing after another, things all started connecting and opportunities showed around every corner from my Australia travels and even to Hong Kong, Beijing and China. Personally, I think if I really tried harder I could of met Jackie through my last visit to Hong Kong as I met so many people who were connected to him (personal and professional). But, my subconscious did hold back, somehow I felt the timing was off I started to delve into my own personal journey and to why I've come about to making the "Quest for Jackie Chan!".

The book, the concept and the facebook posting comments really changed my perceptions of my "inner and outer adventure", from just trying to prove a point to meet one of the world's recognisable superstar to more of a creative plight and a nation-wide wide platform and showcase of the independent filmmaking, multimedia and arts scene in Australia.

So my directions have changed, I want to make "Quest for Jackie Chan!" an epic movie. My apologies, I will make "Quest for Jackie Chan!" an epic movie.

Naomi D Lynch "

Forget the details- dont be too hung up on exactly what, and let go of how and when... But if you can create, by visualisation and imagination, (just pretend!!) the way you will FEEL once you achieve/receive whatever it is you want, then you have a goal your subconscious can work with, and like Nghi says, you will recognise opportunities and take actions that will inexorably lead you towards it. :)" Monday at 2:36pm

Naomi's comment reminded about how I first started with the idea. But I'm sure everyone else have experienced it when you get so bogged by details of the "how is it going to happen" and bringing up an exhaustive list of how an idea won't happen. I mean, our society is geared towards the fear of failure, hence, ideas that are "deemed as far fetched" are often discouraged. But hey, how would have Thomas Edison invented electricity without some "What if" thinking.

Kane Wilson "...

Now if humans were magnets we could all just stick together. But we don't! However some people are repelled.This may be a deodorant thing. In conclusion! I really have no bloody idea!"

Monday at 6:27pm

Kane's mention of some people "repelling" rings true to some of my experiences. I have come across people who I just simply cannot gel. Its not that they are a bad person or anything, I came to accept that people are diverse and can have different wavelengths. At times it can be frustrating to get them to see the "picture" of the project, but at the same time they are vital as they highlight unforeseen challenges that I will eventually have to confront.

Martin Landauer "Game theory seems more reliable." Monday at 6:48pm

Martin has a point. Law of Attraction suffers from the scientific perspectives. Its is a concept that is unfalsifiable and untestable and most evidence are all subjective, personal and story-based. I guess, we are living in a world where having control and the ability to replicate things are successful is important to maximise efficiency and productivity. It is a worldview perspective choice though, and I have to side with this comment:

Gary Phuong "....And it's easier when you feel good about yourself." Monday at 11:05pm

I definitely prefer to be seen a an agent of change rather than a bunch of swirling atoms randomly hanging around and waiting to be hit by a bunch of bigger swirling atoms (like a bus) or something.

Here are also some other to add:

Ridwan Hassim "If u believe it and see it and feel it and hear it, with great repetition, it becomes a reality." Monday at 7:17pm

Quan Tran "You can't runaway from it but time will tell how long it will last."

Monday at 7:40pm

Gentle Storm "Laws are undeniable truth! Especially this one. ;p"

Monday at 8:58pm

To keep things on a light note, this is Igor Breakenback's visual interpretation titled "Law of Attraction At Work".

I also got this awesome link from Melbourne-based actor/ martial artist Daniel Whyte (who's met Jackie Chan before) and he stars in the feature film "Being in Heaven", which is on the concept of Law of Attraction. Check out the trailer.

My final note, I think the Law of Attraction works for me. From thoughts, words to action, even in a simple facebook status, I'm able to map out people's thoughts, experiences and projects that has pretty much been the "Star Wars - Yoda" at this point in my life. Everything I've thought up has gone pretty much how I wanted, and all the people I've connected with are the "gold" in my life.

Thank you for everything!

Signing out,

Maria Tran