MASTER FILMMAKER / MASTER CHEF

David Lynch is a hero of mine, I love nearly all his films, but sadly I've never been able to get into Inland Empire. As much as I wanted to and I've attemped to watch it a few times there is something about that film which has never clicked. Anyway, the saving grace of Inland Empire is a very special extra feature on the DVD which is a 20 minute film of David Lynch cooking himself a dinner of the ancient grain Quinoa and some broccoli. Doesn't sound that exciting, but believe me it's one of the most strangely satisfying cooking shows you'll be lucky enough to see. It's not so much the Quinoa, but a story he tells while he sits on his dark balcony and has a cigarette while he waits for the the dinner to cook. Maybe it's just me but when I first saw this I was totally mesmerised. It's like Lynch draws you in and hypnotises you as he recounts a train trip he took through Europe many years ago.

I think this is one of the coolest extra features on a DVD I've seen. Bon Appetit!

Part Two is here (there is a point at 5mins 34 that is SO beautifully surreal and so incredibly David Lynch!)

And I recommend the Quinoa too, it's delicious!!

WHATS INSIDE THE BOX?

If your interested in Stanley Kubrick, or interested in film, or just want to watch a great doco. Do yourself a favour and watch 'Stanley Kubrick's Boxes'. An excellent and often amusing doco about the thousands of boxes that Kubrick filled with ideas, research, reference and obsessions. Most of which had never been opened until this film was made. It doesn't get more process driven than this. Full film on YouTube, Part 1 of 5 HERE...

MY OWN PRIVATE FILM FESTIVAL

I'm very much in denial about the Melbourne International Film Festival which is currently in progress in this fair city. Over the past fifteen or so years it has been my main cinematic pleasure dome. I've been lucky enough to travel to many of the worlds great film festivals, but Melbourne is and will always be, my number one. There have been years where I have gone into lock down for the two weeks and seen around 40 films. Thats between 3-5 a day for the duration. Bliss! But this year I'm embarrassed to say I haven't even had a chance to leaf through the programme. So wrong! I've just been way too busy. Which is good and bad all wrapped up into one.

So instead I have been trying to catch up on a few 'at home' screenings. Working my way through some of the 1500 before I die. And just like a film festival proper I lucked upon an amazing documentary. The other night in the wee small hours I watched Carts Of Darkness and it was so worth missing an hour of sleep for. You can watch the whole thing below. Or perhaps just wet your appetite with the trailer.

On the surface the film is about a bunch of homeless guys who have developed their own extreme sport where they ride shopping trolleys down super steep hills. But of course like all great films, it's about so much more.

The film is directed by Murray Siple who also features in the film. I don't want to say to much about this as his presence is one of the more surprisingly wonderful aspects of 'Carts', particularly the final sequence of the film which in it's own surreal way is one of the most uplifting and life affirming endings to a film I've ever seen.

I read an interview with Murray today where he discussed the way he approached the film. "I want to make the kind of films where I'm involved beyond directing and actually a part of it. Where I'm not just an outsider pretending it's something cool to document... Make the film "with" them not "about" them." this kind of filmmaking, where it's an immersive experience for everyone involved is such an amazing way of making films, especially documentary. On a personal and professional level it's something I crave.

NAYSAYERS

I find it interesting when people concentrate on the negatives rather than the positives. Particularly when it comes to technology.

The hilarious animation above was sent to me five times yesterday. Although all the arguments the little bear 'cinematographer' give seem valid. I think the little bear 'producer' is making the most sense.

If you would like to argue, perhaps you should first watch the clip below. Directed by fellow Exiteer Garth Davis and shot by Greig Fraser, who tells me "there were no lights used at all" during the shoot. It was also made with a small crew, the only way of making (in this circumstance), the seemingly impossible, possible.

Ride was the 'main event' film that my film Playground (see post below) and my friend Jono's film Peepshow was made in support of.

Greig used Panovision 'film' lenses on the 5D (using a PL mount). Which makes the 5D even more viable aesthetically. I have seen Ride at full rez and it's even more beautiful. It would be just as stunning blown up and projected onto a cinema screen as well I'm sure. Screw you little cinematographer bear!

I promise this will be my last gushy 5D post for a while...

PLAYGROUND (Sound Maker pt 5)

I'm very proud of this short documentary I made earlier this year. This film is one of three Exit Films and Publicis Mojo produced for an energy drink called 'Burn', and it will be streamed on websites throughout Europe. Playground is a portrait of 21 year old rapper, poet and 'beater' named Julius Wright a.k.a Lyrical God who lives in Philadelphia. Enjoy...

The brief  for Playground was simple. Perhaps a little to simple, make a film about '...an unconventional urban musician, somewhere in the world..." kind of narrows it down a little huh? After a couple of frantic weeks research here in Melbourne, London and New York we eventually stumbled upon this clip on YouTube of a guy called Lyrical God.

I couldn't put my finger on it but there was something that just grabbed me about Julius. I had a feeling in my gut there was something more going on than just 'tapping pens' on a table. I found Julius on Facebook, took a punt and sent him a message. I can only imagine what he must of thought when he recieved it. "Hi I'm from Australia and I'd like to make a film about you... next weekend!". So within a day or two I was chatting to Julius on the phone and he seemed like a really cool guy with a great approach to his music and his life in general.

We got go ahead from Mojo (the agency we were working with in Sydney) on a Wednesday, my assistant Ryley and I were on a flight to Philadelphia on Thursday and we were shooting with Julius on Friday.

I had been waiting for an opportunity like this for nearly ten years. The idea of taking the bare essentials and being jettisoned into the unknown to make a film for me the ultimate way to create, where you rely not on a script, but more on instinct and intuition. Responding to what you see and hear, hour by hour, day by day. That's pretty much how I shot Playground over the five days we were in Philly.

Ryely and I found ourselves in an all black neighbourhood in South Philly, totally out of place for a couple of pastey Australians, but we were welcomed by Julius and his friends immediately and were made to feel most welcome. I was totally drawn in by the city and the people we met and I hope that comes through in the film a little.

Above: The last image I took of Julius just after we finished recording in the studio at 3am.

I guess the coolest thing about the experience was meeting and getting to know Julius and really liking him. The risk for me with a project like this was turning up in Philadelphia and Julius being keen on having a film made about him, but showing no interest in actually getting it made. I mean, all I had seen was some YouTube clips and a phone call. He could have easily lost interest in the idea of making a film when it became apparent that he was going to have get up early, do different things, hang out with us etc. I've seen the novelty of filmmaking wear off on people before, once the novelty wears off, it's just hard work. However, I think Julius really got into it, he loves performing more than anything else, but over all I think he loved sharing the experience in making a film with us. He really wanted to make it work. And was very generous with his time.

One thing became very apparent while we were there though. It's really hard for a black kid like Julius to make the leap from living with his Grandma in a row house in South Philly  to being a successful musician. Everyone around Julius knows he has talent, and this is in an environment where everyone can rap and freestyle (all the guys you see rapping with Julius in the film live on his block) in fact everybody you see in the film is incredibly talented. Everyone expects Julius to 'make it'. But by the end of our short week with him, I was all to aware of the great divide between who and where he was and what he dreamed he could be and how freaking hard it is going to be for him to make that leap. Simply by the fact that he is a young, black and poor. He has to busk to eat. And while everyone around him is saying how amazing he is and how he is going to be rich and famous one day, most days there is nothing in the fridge to eat, and he's out hustling for change. The pressure to make it and fulfill his and his friends and families dreams must be huge.

I wish Julius all the best. I know he has a really great support network and his managers Aaron and Nathan, who look out for him in so many ways other than just financially are two of the nicest guys I've ever met. I hope this film is one stepping stone closer for him to his dream.

(On the geeky side, this short project was my first real attempt at shooting on the 5DmkII which I have been discussing here for a while now. Again, I was so impressed with the quality and the usability of the camera in the real world. I used no focus rig or extra bits and pieces. Pretty much the camera and a monopod was all I used. We had a sound recordist with us most days which made a huge difference, but some of what made the cut is the 5D with a microphone mounted on top. Simple, discreet and beautiful 'film like' quality.)

How DO YOU DESToRY ANGELS? SET THEM ON FIRE!

Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) has a new musical project called How To Destroy Angels. This is the first music video from the band (that's Trent's wife on vocals) Shot by my friend Greig Fraiser. Beautiful work.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING AWARDS

Much more of this insanity truth here...

Heavy Metal Parking Lot (films that changed my life pt 1)

Last week I did guest lecture at the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film and Television. One of the things I had wanted to do for a while was just show a bunch of short films that have really effected me over the years. I think I took in about 20 -30 shorts, but I only had time to played around five, once we chatted about each of them. I wanted the students to think about why it is they want to make movies. If it's "to tell a story" or "to create worlds and characters" why not consider writing a short story or a novel? Is your 'film idea' a better idea for a painting? A song? A photograph? A stand-up routine? A newspaper article? What makes a film want and need to be a film and how do you best use the elements of cinema for your 'film idea' so it can only be a film, and nothing else, because all those other options will perhaps be easier for you and definitely less expensive and require way less people to make it happen.

One film idea I'm sure glad isn't any other art form is Heavy Metal Parking Lot. I showed this as an example of how films don't need to be huge in scale, overly planned and /or require the hearts and minds of a mulitple cast and crew. Sometimes all you need is to be at the right place at the right time and with the right attitude.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot is more than just a cultural time capsule, it's a couple of filmmakers doing what all great documentary filmmakers do. They are simply holding a mirror up and reflecting who 'we' are, in the most raw and pure of ways.

There is a great interview with Jeff Krulick who made Heavy Metal Parking Lot here, and another here with guest Dave Grohl. And also check out this excellent site Triple Canopy that not only has a pretty cool interface but also features alot of Jeffs other work, including Harry Potter Parking Lot!