Saturday, July 31, 2010

For My Country Day 2

No pictures this time around... not yet anyway. I drove up to Hebron Connecticut and shot the Vietnam scenes for "For My Country". Everything looked great. This time around I was fortunate enough to have my DP around. Matthew Troy is a very talented DP whom I met my freshmen year at NYU. Like Nick Feitel, I've collaborated with Matt Troy on a lot of projects since our freshmen year and Matt has proved to become a rather invaluable asset to any of my productions. The stylistic elements he brings visually to the films he shoots always enhances the story ten fold.

Anyway, as I was saying, shooting went well. This is going to be a rather sound design intensive post production, but I'm excited for it anyway. Hopefully I'll have some pictures from this past day soon.

I think it all looks great, but I won't have any of the footage until the week after next (this) week, so more once I get it.

I should start syncing the sound on the New York scenes... perhaps Monday.

Additionally... hopefully all the stains will come out of the uniforms...




Thursday, July 29, 2010

San Diego Asian Film Festival

So I got my first festival rejection for 哥哥 today...

Dear Filmmaker:

On behalf of our programming staff, we thank you for your film submission. We've been overwhelmed by hundreds of entries this year, making the selection process our most competitive yet.
There are a number of factors that contribute to our decision-making process, including number the limited slots available, film length, subject matter, and whether a film will fit into a particular program. We respect and honor the work that goes into creating each entry. That is why it is with great regret that we are declining the opportunity to exhibit your film at this year's San Diego Asian Film Festival.
We hope that this does not discourage you from producing more work and that you will consider submitting to us again in the future. In fact, we have a contest going on right now called REEL IN THE VOTE – we are asking filmmakers to create a 30-second PSA by August 31st for a chance to win CASH prizes and free travel/lodging to the Festival! More info is online at www.sdaff.org.
We love film - and obviously so do you, so don’t ever stop doing what you love! We wish you the best, and hope we will have an opportunity to support your future projects.

Sincerely,
Mye Hoang, Associate Director & SDAFF Programming Staff
2010 San Diego Asian Film Festival
mye@sdaff.org

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Monday, July 12, 2010

Leaving

She was probably asleep when the two arrived; unannounced and unexpected, mind you. Her bags were packed, save for a few items strewn about the dark apartment.

Perhaps it would have been more poignant if she were leaving an empty apartment; her own, empty apartment. Perhaps if that were the case it would have been just that more heart wrenching a scene, but the two bedroom one bathroom flat belonged not to her, but a kind family of four that lent her a roof and a bed while they visited elsewhere.

She was probably awoken by the sound of the buzzer; a sound she probably was not expecting for at least another hour.

Downstairs, a reverberating electric sound resonated through the small foyer of the several story apartment building as the two pushed open the front door and made their way up.

She opened the door to the apartment in a somewhat disheveled haze, welcoming her two unexpected visitors inside. Despite her disoriented state she seemed pleased to see them; friends who came to spend a final hour with her before she parted ways with the city in which she spent the past 5 years of her life.

The seconds gave way to minutes as time ticked away, steadily counting down until the time came for her to leave them. Despite that, most of their time together was spent in silence, the three of them just merely existing within a close proximity to each other. It was a tranquil silence; one that spoke all that needed to be said and did all that needed to be done. After all, the two visitors were not there to stir up conversation or reminisce about old times; they were there to merely be. She might be leaving the life she had lived for the past five years, but when the time came, she wouldn't be alone. It was a message, and maybe, it would be enough.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

A tad late

He barely saw these people anymore. There was a point in time when each and every one of them had an almost daily presence in his life. However, through the course of nothing that can't be classified under the broad and all encompassing category of "life," he sprung out of his ordinary cycle and into a life full of mind-numbing distractions and seclusion.

Over a year later and he had begun to crawl back out of his cave. Maybe, the world after all, was not such a scary place. Maybe it was ok for him to revisit some of the life he had before.

He learned, however, that time does not wait. Yet another was going to join the distant ranks of the far away. The winds of change had once again blown, and this time he was caught off guard when it happened. The future would be an interesting place, and only time would be able to tell if this stretched string like bond would survive or if it would just be buried and forgotten by the sands of time.