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.