SPAA FRINGE: Saturday, Day 3

Last night finished up as 3am this morning. Regardless, I had to meet Peter Broderick at 10:15am so it was quickly off the couch, in the shower, pack the bags, say bye to Johnny and meet Andy on the corner of Abercrombie and Broadway. Then hail a taxi, arrive at Paddington town hall, ask if I could leave a bag somewhere, leave it in the cloak room, run up the stairs and bump into Peter Broderick in the foyer.

We sat down and I played him the chapter of Into the Shadows that he mostly features in. He laughed at a few key moments and he watched the whole 11 mins! He gave me some frank advice about distribution and commented that he really liked the chapter! Great start to the morning.

I went and got some Doritos for breaky (yeah I know, not exactly weetbix) and headed into: How and When: A Guide To Successfully Presenting a Project for Financing, Distribution and Sales. I think I missed the good part, but it was interesting enough, the speakers spoke about Poster Art and showed some cool examples. Then I went to hear Kristy Vernon speak about the making of Gabriel. The best talk of the day! I had heard most if before while interviewing Shane Abbess, but Kristy's insights were refreshing and inspiring to hear. Afterwards I apporached her and asked about gaining access to clips of Gabriel or behind the scenes pictures that Sony doesn't own the copyright to. She was happy to chat and said to email her as she might have something - so fingers crossed something might turn up. Not that I don't want to have to pay Sony for the clips, its just the people that clear this kind of thing are based in LA and it takes ages! to hear from them.

After lunch I bumped into Mark Pesce and asked if he wanted to meet to view some of the film, he was happy to and then I headed into Sue Maslin's session on Doing Business differently. Interesting session and cool to see a producer really trying to grasp the new business paradigm of Media Rights Management.

Then I rushed out of her session to meet Mark and get his thoughts on the chapter he features in. He watched it all and gave me great feedback on the edit. Also commented that he hadn't seen the material covered in such a way before! So as you could tell I was feeling pretty pumped, then slipped into a session on budgets. It was OK but by then I wasn't really in the mood, so I slipped out of it and went looking for broadcasters.

I met the head guy for documentary from SBS and introduced myself and the idea of the doco to him. We exchanged business cards and I said I would keep him up to date with the progress of the film.

Andrew Urban hosted a Q and A with Steven Kastrissios and fellow co-producer of The Horseman. The clips of the film looked great and I am keen to see it, hope it goes off in Australia and establishes a determine young filmmaker (in Steven). His talk was great and I reckon he will go places.

Then it was time to grab the bags and head off to the Fringe Bar one last time.

Spaa Fringe 2008 - over and out.

SPAA FRINGE: Friday, Day 2

After an OKish sleep on the couch, a hurried shower and hot cappuccino from the POINT Cafe on Broadway I was in a taxi again and off to Paddington Town hall.

I was marginally late but it meant I got a free run at the bar and headed into the opening session with a bottle of water and Banana bread (not a bad breaky on the run?). Peter Broderick opened Spaa Fringe by handing the microphone over to the crowd and asking for people to stand up and offer their skills up to other producers in the room. Last year I stood up and asked for anyone with a story about indie cinemas to come chat to me and as the speakers behind the microphone went from offering up skills, to asking for collaborators to introducing oneself, I thought I mise well get up and plug the doco. I tried to slant the website as a space where people could 'continue the conversation of Spaa Fringe' but that has not happened as yet? Anyone? Feel free to be write inspired words on the blog.

I stayed for Peter's session on Hybrid Distribution and could hear his interview playing over in my head. Cathy Henkel from The Burning Season provided a great example of how an Aussie can use the power of the net and Hybrid Distribution to great effect. The Burning Season looks like a powerful film and I hope it helps to promote the cause of the Orangutan and the survival of Rain forests globally.

Afterwards I bumped into Andy K 'the intern from Melbourne' and we got a bite to eat from a nice cafe on Oxford Street. The weather had changed! And now we were enjoying a chance for fresh air in the warm Sydney sun.

Then came the surprise session of the day: Melanie Coombs talking about making Mary and Max. I'll write about this in detail later. After that session Andy and I went down to the Fringe bar and got an early start on drinks. Shortly after other Spaa Fringe attendees turned up and we had some fun networking before going our separate ways.

SPAA FRINGE: Thursday Day, 1

Arrived in Sydney at Central Station on Thursday at 2:30pm. It was raining and windy, apparently one of the worst days (weather wise) in Sydney during the month of October ever! So turning up in a bright blue polo and cargo shorts wasn't the best start to the trip.

But I grabbed a sandwhich from a nearby vendor and caught a train to St. Lenoards. While trying to not be blown away from the mighty wind, I made it to Johnny's work (mate from school days) and he gave me his spare key. Then on the way back, and in true Indina Jones style I got onto the return train moments before the doors closed.

Another long walk and finally Johnny's house. I bumped into his Forgien room mate, who was great for conversation, dropped off my bag, quickly changed and taxied it to the new home of AFTRS, in Moore Park.

Free drinks, food and networking was a nice touch, but I had come for one thing, to watch Mens Group. Every since interviewing John L Simpson for Into the Shadows I had been keen to watch Mens Group and it did not disappoint! Its the kind of movie every guy will avoid seeing but if they watched it, they would connect with it on all levels. Its going to provide John L with a challenging marketing task but good luck to him! Its a solid film; funny, revealing and top perfomances.

Taxi back to Johnny's and first night on the couch. Spaa Fringe 2008 has begun.

ScreenACT application

After not much sleep on Thursday and some last minute DVD burning issues on Friday morning I have handed in an application for ScreenACT funding.

Phil and I have not had any funding for the documentary thus far but as we are approaching the business end of the film (final stages of post-production), funding would allow us to complete with Archival footage and a professional sound-mix.

The Into the Shadows story is an important document on the state of the industry and needs to be told in this twilight time: new government, merging of film funding bodies, debate over the tax offset and so on.

So the application is in and the wait is on. In the mean time I will be posting videos from my trip to MUFF 2008 on Youtube and Facebook. Keep an eye out for them.

-Andrew

MUFF 2008 DEBUT

On Saturday, at 5pm at the Noise Bar I delivered the first public presentation on Into the Shadows. As part of Melbourne Underground Film Festival I was asked to give a talk about Into the Shadows as a work-in-progress documentary.

It was small but intimate crowd who listened on and I would like to give a big shout out to:

Rachael Lucas, director of Bondi Tsunami, who turned up in support. James Olof Collins and Christian Doran (friends from Canberra) who now live in Melbourne and suprised me by showing up to have a listen. And big thank you to Claude and Marina who were holidaying in Melbourne and came and filmed me giving my speech.

The people after the talk were really impressed with the sneak preview I gave them and were all keen to ask questions and want to see the film when it is finished.

So one small step for me, one giant leap for Into the Shadows.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support, it has given me a renewed energy to surge on and finish the film.

Cheers,
Andrew.