Elusiv-"I'm a Man"

On the completion of my Post Graduate Diploma it seemed that me new found celebrity encouraged those around me to come forward with film/dvd projects. One of these is a short film that I put together for Ben Smith (a.k.a Billy Elusiv) and his partner Nicola Reilly who are the brains and brawn behind Elusiv.

I have a couple of pieces of Elusiv clothing and I have to admit, it is pretty cool clobber. After looking at the winter 08 range I put aside some tunes that fit the mood and one of these simply stood out both for myself and the Elusiv team. By French electro-punks Blackstrobe, "I'm a man" is a classic re-interpretation of a Bo Diddley classic.

Check out the video and feel free to post a comment.

A place for carbon obsessed citizens

Well the fact that at least 40 people visit this blog a week has convinced me to keep posting however irregular that might be, hopefully more regular shortly.

Consider this, there are reported to be 6000 blogs in Auckland alone, wow, who is reading all this stuff?

However, I figure if you are going to put aside time to read a blog maybe you need something a bit extra. Well in the interests of keeping topical I have found a neat little game that taps into the trendy climate change debate in a cool way. Its called Faketown. I figure that keeping people in front of their computers playing games has to be the most environmentally sound activity going. No nasty fuel is being consumed and more importantly body energy levels kept to a minimum, hence less food required, and less energy as a result.

Here is a interesting question:
If you walked to the shops to purchase your food with a re-usable bag, your body would expend energy and require kilojoules in the form of food to top up. Here is the thing, would the food required consume more energy in the production process, than that expended by being lazy and driving a small car the same distance?
I'm sure there is an interesting calculation in there somewhere.

Purchase a copy of Prints of Darkness

Finally, the DVD version is ready for sale and the easiest way to sell it is via TradeMe. If you are interested in purchasing a copy please follow this link and bid away. The cost is $15 +$3 p&P nationwide.

Also, the new improved website is up and running complete with a blog function for exchanging information on strange cat sightings or any other interesting details. The website contains a brand new trailer for the film and additional media that can be viewed on all browsers.
Check it out. Hopefully the website forum can become a great resource to keep track of New Zealand big cat sightings.

Chinese Garden

After all the hoopla surrounding the screening of the film and the great reception that we have had, reality has set in. With the high NZ dollar and the uncertain future of making television in New Zealand for the American market, I am still waiting for my 6-month contract to start at NHNZ here in Dunedin. In the meantime I have been trying to keep my hand in with filmmaking and have taken a couple of non-paid projects on to beef up my portfolio. The most significant is the documentary that I am making to publicise the Chinese Garden that is being constructed in Dunedin. A somewhat controversial project I am sure that people will be supportive once they understand how majestic the garden is going to be and how lucky we are to have possibly the most authentic Chinese garden this side of Sydney. My film work has been centred on capturing the garden as it is built, and researching images to show the history of Chinese settlement within the greater Otago region. I am really lucky to be associated with this project and hope that Dunedin people appreciate the asset that the city will soon have. The images featured here are from an artistic impression of what the Dunedin garden will look like.

Prints of Darkness DVD available

At long last, we managed to compromise on the artwork for the DVD packaging. The artwork you see here is just one of the options we were considering but is will not be on the final product. To get a copy of our special DVD version that will have extra media, various format options, and some amusing additional footage then you can contact us and purchase a copy for $15 + Postage.

Email me at ojjj69@yahoo.com and I will take care of it. Will make a great Christmas present.

The Ashburton Aftermath

The trip north to Ash-Vegas or Flash-burton went really well. A great turnout meant the occasion was really special for Pip and myself who had not had a chance to catch up with many of the characters in our film since the summer. Try as I did to recognise and personally thank everybody for their involvement, I just want to add that often the amount of time that people spent with us giving interviews and showing us around didn't amount to time on the screen. We had so many favorite moments and special sequences that didn't make it into the final 24 minutes. However, the benefit of the DVD format will give us the opportunity to release some of that material which we plan to do. We have not set the cost for the DVD yet, but expressions of interest are invited so that we have an idea of how many copies to budget for. Pip and I would also like to thank Francis for being the top bidder in our auction for the Wendy Prior artwork commissioned especially for the film. Photos of the Ashburton premiere can be found by following the following link.

Ashburton Screening Saturday 14th July

This Saturday in Ashburton we are pleased to announce that many of our wonderful cast and helpers will finally be able to see the film. The screening is at the Regent Cinema in Wills St. Three films are on the bill and proceedings will start at 8 p.m. For those who want to join myself and Pip for a drink beforehand we will be at Cactus Jacks restaurant and bar. So far 70 seats have been taken so if you are reading this and want to attend please let either Myself or Pip know how many seats you require.

Prints of Darkness On-Line

Well, the website is finally up and running. It still remains very much an evolving project so feel free to check it out and make any comments that might help me make it better. In the very near furture I will add a sales aspect where DVDs and artwork associated with the film can be purchased. The link to the website is located in the interesting links section.

Film Premiere and Additional Screenings

Well, after months of hard slog we finally had the opportunity to see the finished product on the big screen and share the relief with friends, family and most importantly those who helped with the process. It was a great night and some photographic evidence has surfaced to fill in the blank spots. A link to the film premiere photos is provide to the right.
So, what now. Well, it seems this whole filmmaking lark is never over and we are putting together DVDs that will be on sale shortly, a website that will be up and functioning shortly and finding time to submit the film to the odd film festival.

**Press Release** With the insatiable demand for the film in its natural home, Mid-Canterbury, we have organised a screening for Saturday the of 14th of July at the cinema in Ashburton. We plan to show a couple of films and hopefully catch up with some of the great characters that helped us over the summer. If you are reading this and think you might like to go please leave a comment on this post and we will reserve some seats. The cinema can only hold 115 people so it would be good for us to gauge the level of interest.

Prints of Darkness Takes Campbell Live

After the rush of a successful screening on Saturday night and the positive feedback from the Campbell Live apperance and the Otago Daily Times feature I finally have some time to update the blog.

Pip and myself re working on the DVD version and will be announcing some screenings in Mid-Canterbury shortly. Watch this space.

In the meantime, if you didn't catch the TV apperance I have attached a link to it below. Cheers.

Click here to view.

The 'Prints of Darkness Song'

Turn up your sound and click on the link to download our theme song. Composed and performed for the film by David Harrison. Comments appreciated. Photos of air guitar antics encouraged.

Download Darkness.song.aif

NewsFlash: Prints of Darkness on TV3

Well not quite, but TV3 have interviewed Pip and myself today about the film and big cat sightings in general. It was a lot of fun being on the other side of the camera and it was nice to think that the exposure may well drag a few extra souls along to the Regent to see six quality films on Saturday June the 6th. Get your tickets now, just $3.

If anybody from outside Dunedin would like to come along for the premiere let me know as I have arranged some quality accomodation at a swanky B & B for half price.

The TV3 piece was co-ordinated by Natasha Utting on behalf on the Campbell Live team. It will go to air next Thursday the 7th of June or Friday the 8th. Once we have confirmation of the night I will post it on the blog.

Own a piece of New Zealand Film History: Part 11

Along with the wonderful artwork produced for the film by Wendy Prior, we have a range or T-Shirts available. They can be purchased in a variety of colours and sizes. We are able to offer them for $40 NZ each including postage and packaging within New Zealand.(Its for a good cause, honest!)

Just email me your size and details and I will organise a t-shirt.

Its not how far you fall, it's the way you land

Great albums come along rarely so when you discover something superlative it is worth shouting about it. So pasted below is a review I have just drafted for the Otago Daily Times.

Artist: Soulsavers

Title: It’s not how far you fall, it’s the way you land

Label: V2/Shock

Opening up with quite possibly the most intriguing, mesmerising and downright addictive 4 minutes of music released in 2007, Soulsavers signal an intent to craft a piece of music brilliance and pull it off. ‘Revival’ is the track in question; a wondrous exploitation of a repeating motif that haunts the subconscious long after the album has come to a halt.

Soulsavers are the brainchild of English producers Rick Machin and Ian Glover whose previous release “Tough guys don’t dance” flew largely under the radar. Much of the success of this album then lies firmly in the throaty pipes of ex Screaming Trees front man Mark Lanegan. Not only did he contribute vocals to 8 of the 10 tracks but also he co-wrote five of the tracks.

Back in the early 90s his wonderful vocals were often buried in a grunge pit, and while his mere presence elevated the Seattle sound to a slightly different sphere, he had never quite realised his true calling, as the natural heir to the Tom Waits-Johnny Cash songbook. Though, back in 92 Lanegan hinted at something resembling this work with Soulsavers on his seminal solo release, ‘Whisky for the Holy Ghost’.

Hence it is a delight to discover that from those sessions, ‘Kingdoms of Rain’ has been resurrected. In the intervening 15 years, Lanegan’s voice has matured in a pickle of tobacco, liquor and hard living. The transformation from the original is remarkable.

Add to the mix a guest appearance by Will Oldham, a reworking of Neil Young’s ‘Though my sails’ the Stones ‘No Expectations’, and you have something that may have easily fallen over but does quite the opposite. Nothing great ever comes from playing it safe and the inclusion Spain’s ‘Spiritual’ from 95’s ‘The Blue Moods of Spain’ a case in point. The original was magnificent yet this version somehow tops it.

In danger of spewing too many superlatives, ‘It’s not how far you fall, it’s the way you land’ is a fantastic collection of 10 individually packaged moments of aural pleasure that exist somewhere between gospel, country, soul and mashed up electronica.

Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed By: Mark Orton

Soulsavers – Revival

Own a piece of New Zealand Film History

Grandiose statement for sure, but we are pleased to offer you the opportunity to purchase some film merchandise prior to the Worldwide premier. In conjunction with local artist Wendy Prior who we can never thank enough, we have some limited edition prints of a large black cat in a typical mid canterbury landscape. Wendy produced the work as part of her contribution to the film with the objective of raising some funds to help us recover the costs we have incurred making this film. So its all for a good cause really.

If you are interested in purchasing a print then please visit Wendy's website or blog. Otherwise you are welcome to contact me directly and I will arrange for a print to be shipped out from here.

The Conscience Cafe

With a caffeine obsession controlling many of my daily moves, I have often been plagued by guilt that I unwittingly enjoy the devil's cup while many coffee plantation workers get shafted in the marketplace. Hence, when Oxfam contacted me via email recently to announce their big coffee break promotion I thought heres a chance to do something good and really test whether this fairtrade coffee can cut it.

Taking my trusty Vibiemme Domobar Super espresso machine to the University of Otago Zoology Department I set about brewing up coffees for all and sundry. It seemed to be a great success with many people returning to be replenished. And the coffee...well the brew sent to me by Oxfam was top notch and I'll be sure to buy it just as long as the local supermarkets can be convinced to give it a go. Check it out, Zigana espresso.

Anyway, here are some photos of the event.

ibreast?

After a prolonged period of nil blogging I figured it was time to start a new post with something not at all related to my film project, as that is taking up enough time as it is!

As my ipod is now nothing more than a rather expensive albeit pretty looking paper-weight, I decided that (stupid me) I would investigate ipod replacement options. In doing so I discovered a rather ingenious product being developed by Apple that will give silicon breast implants functionality as well as aesthetic appeal, introducing the ibreast.

“Apple Computer announced today that it has developed a computer chip
that can store and play music in women’s breast implants.

The iBreast will cost $499 or $599 depending on size.

This is considered to be a major breakthrough because women are always
complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.”

Shiny Brute Website

In order to maximise the film exposure we are in a process of designing a website to compliment it. However, the opportunity to create a 'Mystery Cat NZ' one-stop shop is too tempting to ignore. Hence, we are wanting to collect all the information that we have gained through our research and present it in one place. Furthermore, we would like the site to be interactive where interested contributers can post details associated with the phenomenum. In the meantime we are mocking up some designs to see which will gain favour with our vision and potential users. Please feel free to comment on the three mock-ups of our home page featured below.

Exciting New Poll

Well its official, according to 52% of respondents I officially look like that ginger freak out of Simply Red.

Ah well.

So, it is time for a new poll and this time it will be related to the film. So much so that we want to solicit feedback on possible titile options for the film. While we still have a very hectic couple of months pulling this thing together, a title at this stage would give us some focus and direction (or provide us with one less headache later).

So, please vote (on the right hand side of this page) and more than once if you feel so inclined. Of course any comments or suggestions will also be gratefully accepted. There is no money or prizes associated with this activity, just the knowledge that you might in some way influence the final product.

As for the film itself I have discovered one major detail during this process of editing. It is a lot easier writing a review every week about film and providing a critique than actually making one of them.

Both Pip and myself and have become so close to the images and the personalities involved that it is often difficult to stand back and give an objective appraisal. Thankfully we have no shortage of people wanting to give their two cents worth which is just what we need.

Mystery is alive and well

One of the questions that we commonly ask ourselves when making this film is "how likely is it that a 'big' cat could be alive and well in the mid-Canterbury area and only be seen sporadically over the last six years"? O.K. we are talking about an expert in stealth and deception, the most cunning carnivore possibly, but surely we would know more about the creatures in our midst and have more tangible proof?

Maybe not, this week those bastions of all things rational and explained (Scientists) have had to admit that a clouded leopard native to the islands of Sumatra and Borneo are actually a separate 'brand new' species. Wow. Read about it here.

Its hard to fathom how this could be the case with the wealth of genetics knowledge and all the people who are involved in protecting the diverse range of animal and plantlife in this pracarious part of the world. But happen it has and we should delight in discovering that maybe we don't have all the answers and just maybe our levels of perception are clouded or blocked to all the potential possibilites. No doubt 'Crypto Nuts' will be delighting in this information, now if only we can get some more information on the mystery New Zealand otter.