Saturday, March 27, 2004

An auspicious happenstance

So, been thinking about what need to be done to make the movie a reality, and one of the things I need is a director of photography who I like, and preferably know, who knows lots about filming on film, as opposed to DV , which I know a bit about. On this basis I got in touch with a friend of mine from University who I've not seen for 6 years. He and I worked together on a couple of projects, and I always liked him a lot. Anywhom, it turns out he doesn't know much about filming on film, but (and its a big but) his job is helping people with finding locations in mid Wales. And about a third of my film is set in mid Wales. As my desperate search for signs that I'm on the right track continues, I am greatly heartened by this turn of events.

Also went to see Starkey and Hutch yesterday - very very funny and foolish. Giggled ridiculously from start to finish. Peace out ya'll!

Thursday, March 25, 2004

Film latest

Well, not a huge amount to report, except that I've got a letter from screen west midlands confirming they've got my application...very exciting...Have watched the Royal Tenenbaums twice in 2 days - it's absolutely positively wonderful. Looking forward to Wes Anderson's new movie later this year...

In the car the other day, I listened to 16 horsepower's version of Wandering Stranger 3 times in a row...Repetition is the key...

Sunday, March 21, 2004

Food for thought

Various...

"Hustle is to Footballers Wives what Fame Academy is to Pop Idol" Discuss...

"Why in the name of all that is good and true would Chelski want to sack Claudio Ranieri and employ Erikson...Is Sven even a slightly better manager?" Discuss...



Movie Update

ok! the form is in, I've sent the script to an actor who's a friend of a friend and I've kind of got my head around the next step of the process - there are re-writes to be done and we have to progress the storyboarding - it's tricky to find the time - I think we might have to work in a different way to speed up the process...I then need to write some marketing materials - letters, cv stuff etc...


Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Need an antidote to all that politics?

Check out the wonderful, wondrous, lovely, incredibly amazingly brilliant

sbemailahundred the hundreth Strong Bad Email on the magnificent and much advertised here Homestarrunner.com

(ok, that's three links to homestarrunner in the same post. Probably enough. But it is great...)

Wow - a real political debate on my blog!

This post is in response to the 7 (that's SEVEN!) comments on the politics 101 thread.

I have to agree with Phill I'm afraid Bob - I also like Tom, but I couldn't lend active support to the Labour party for very similar reasons - I just don't believe in the New Labour ideal - I think Blair has been incredibly (I mean incredibly) dishonest about the Iraq war in particular. Let's not forget that people are still dying out there because of this conflict - sure Saddam was a vicious dictator, but the percentage of vicious dictators running third would countries hasn't been reduced by much by getting rid of him. There's not a lot of oil in Zimbabwe. I actually have some sympathy with Blair on the issue of tuition fees, in that there is clearly a massive problem with university finances, but to basically deny on national television that the debt burden will put significant numbers of people off attending university is frightening to me. If he really believes it then he can't be listening very hard to all the 17 year olds saying it, and if he doesn't believe it then, shock horror, he's being economical with the truth...

On a local level, I really think that there are many people in wards which have been Labour run for the last 20 years who are desperate to initiate change towards (for example) the Lib Dems. There are so many reasons why I don't believe that local democracy is the best way to achieve lasting change - firstly local democracy is essentially an illusion - councillors for the most part tow the party line - in Birmingham for example, the ruling elite of the Labour party are completely Blairite. I wish I knew more about Sandwell Council, but I've not been sandwellian for all that long! But essentially I'm sure that the same sort of rules apply. In fact, I've just had a quick peek at the sandwell council website and they actualy seem to be proud of having been involved in pioneering the Leader/executive cabinet model which makes the local voices even quiter. I was talking to a Zimbabwean friend of mine today - there's a generation of incredibly politicised young, well educated people in Zimbabwe, and they're doing their best to affect change, but we were talking about the limitations of the political alternatives - the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) are starting to fall victim to the same kind of tribalism and in fighting that has cursed Zimbabwe for the last 10 years. I

Secondly, there is the matter of the power that councils, or even national governments have to effect change in society. I've harped on about that before, so I'll just say for now that I don't think it's much...

I try to live well, I try to be kind to and think well of my family, neighbours, friends, the people who hate me, the people who like me, those who agree with me and those who disagree with me. I try to be cautious about the resources I consume, and put good vibes out there and I think that that's going to have to count as my active contribution to local politics, as for me it's the only way to really affect change.

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

Postal Obligations!

Right, I'm posting not because I have anything in particular to say, but because it's been way too long since the last one - it was heartening to see that thread develop - three different people all with serious points to make - the word must be spreading :o)

The application is literally ready to go, bar me printing out another copy of the screenplay - everything signed sealed and ready to go! I'm very hopeful about it - I think it's a strong app, but you never know - ultimately it will depend on whether they like the movie. I like it, but I'm biased!

The eBay business is sort of being wound up - this bunch of listings we put up today is probably the last mega listing, because it's taking too much time and energy and not earning enough money - it's been good fun while it lasted, and it's kept me and and a good friend out of temp jobs in offices for a few months so that's pretty worthwhile!

From the good movies front - watched the Harder They Come, the Jimmy Cliff movie from the seventies. I thought it was very interesting, and well made - there's some really nice sequences focusing on peoples' faces and a way-before-natural-born-killers look at the lionisation of criminals etc...

Also watched Best in Show, which I only mention because it's incredibly hilariously funny and all round wonderful.

Right, that's it from me for now....be well and happy folks!

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Politics 101

Once again, my thoughts are drawn to politics - the really interesting BBC IF series, which started tonight once again highlighted to me the fundamental limitations of political solutions to the massive difficulties facing global society. During the debate afterward the representatives of the energy corporations seemed to be suggesting that free market economics would ensure the safety and consistency of the supply...I mean for goodness sake, what evidence is there that free market economics is making the world better? There is massive consumption of the worlds resources, which are being tapped into and drawn upon in totally unsustainable ways, the gap between rich and poor grows wider and wider, faster and faster, and on a community and global level, war, famine, etc etc. And the root of these things are so often about human weakness, greed or ego, and I just don't believe that the dominant political powers are working towards lasting solutions. I really think they are working to ensure the continued growth of their political credos (at best) and their political careers (at worst.)

Anyway, sorry, ranting...must stop reading michael moore :)

You can download Duckman episodes!

I mean really! You can download Duckman Episodes!! Ahhh...eMule...thou art a valuable tool indeed...

Caution, rampantly pro Man United site alert!

My oldest friend has started a blog with the sole intention of saving his girlfirend from his almost constant United Rant

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

Ok - blog digest time

Tidying, cleaning, vacuuming, thinking, Wonder Boys , progress, direction, badminton, aetolia (one for the geeks), DJ Dangermouse Utd out of Europe tonight (boooo), Graham's awesome spicy carrot soup, POD Variax, sleep, real coffee, seinfeld, progress (did I already say that?)

Friday, March 05, 2004

Greyness in Extremis

Currently listening to: Jay-Z Change Clothes DJ Dangermouse Grey Album Mix - check it the heck out bros and sises

Thursday, March 04, 2004

Apologies to my loyal readership (all three of you).

I haven't had much to say recently really - life has been on the difficult side : ). Am very excited about the fact that me and James have begun to storyboard the movie - it basically involves me pacing around his bedroom as he draws frames. As a result of this I've watched loads of films recently - trying to learn what makes a good one! The best of the bunch of those I've seen recently would have to be the magic Igby Goes Down. A fantastic piece of work - beautiful perfomances, beautifully written very funny and painful and just all round marvelous - a modern day catcher in the rye.

Everything is ready for the application form, so this weekend it's one last look and then off to the photocopying shop to make t2o ciopies of it all and then into screen west midlands - wish me luck!

Going to film my friend Nyasha getting maried tomorrow - I've known him since I was eleven and had just moved in to a new house in Highlands in Harare and my mum (not at all embarrasingly) asked two kids who were walking home from school if they'd like to come over and play - a chap called Felix something who didn't come and Nyasha (Kevin) Mutukwa who did. We played football for hours and hours - I was so muddy afterward I had to have two baths - one to get clean and the other to get the bathwater from the first bath off me. Anyway, from that day onward me and Nyash were sort of like brothers. I didn't see him at all from about 1991 to 1999 when he joined the rest of his generation in Britain - they call London "Harare North" because you can't walk down the street without hearing someone speaking Shona

Right I'm off to maybe watch the beginning of another movie...Peace Out!

Currently listening to: In a Room by Dodgy