Minority Ant Films

What I've Been Doing Since MAPS

2008-03-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone who is reading this,

Since MAPS I have been discovering myself a bit more.
I've been going to friendly street poets and performing there,
been helping out comedian Mark Trenwith with his fringe show,
and have produced a DVD single called 26 Weeks with a member of
Ganggajang. It will be on my you tube site this week.
I'm also going to be entering DREAM? into some film festivals.
Now I have a DVD burner I can do that.

OK,

I'll update soon,

Bye for now,

Rowan

IMPORTANT POST

2007-09-12T00:59:00.000-07:00

im jus letting you all know that im a goat

The Explanation

2007-09-12T00:44:00.000-07:00

Alice just came into the Unley library and freaked me out by pretending she didn't know who I was. I felt just like Roger Hargraves.

I'm painfully handwriting the credits.
At least this time I'll know they'll be rightly spaced.
Then there's the post audio still do to, if there's any more time to do it.
The sickness going around Adelaide had a lot to do with that, and me not speaking up.
So...there's a screening of the films tomorrow at 11am. I might be in at 11 or 12.
Depends how long this thing I have to deal with at 10am tomorrow takes.

Oh by the way I have a tricky part in a surreal cert 4 film next week called "Glamour".

Remembering the DREAM?

2007-07-08T22:51:00.000-07:00

Watching back the footage from DREAM? the other day and many days since, there really is some great stuff in there.
And oh boy am I bad dancer.
It's okay though because I could use my bad dancing to get laughs.
I just never thought it was that bad.

But wow the crew all look great in it, when they occasionally popped up before takes or after takes.
Nick S. with his amazing boom stick (that's not a metaphor); Cassie with the clapping clapping clapping and lighting lighting lighting and various other things she did three times and more; Dan (for some reason) didn't appear in any of the footage (maybe because he shot it); Jen (the only one who would touch the tortoise despite her distaste for them); Dragan (who seem to be hiding and every corner and under every bed with a flashing camera - he may have a fine career in the paparazzi or maybe as a an actual professional photographer); and of course the wonderful actors Richard and Lotte.

I got go though all the holidays without being in a edit suite with danny steel?!
Bring on the 12 hour days of editing! I'll be ready for them with a bit of amour, a pot of coffee and a large vegetarian pizza, that and an edit decision list, which I'm still working on...

Happy Holidays Everyone.
Enjoy The Capitals.
They're Fun...

Dragan has done well again and just killing time

2007-06-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well Dragan emailed me the photos from Dream? They are amazing! I will upload some of them with this post.
Also I've been on a very relaxing shoot for Just Killing Time.
I have to kill a lot of time because there's little amount of location audio.
Some of that time was killed with doing a mini-film with Dragan using my creepiness and the creepiness of the location. Apparently it's going on the Just Killing Time DVD. (Anyone counting how many times I've said "Just Killing Time"?)
It's been great finally getting to work with Dave Gregan, not having worked with him since Cafe Reminisce, same with Saxon. It's been great working with everyone on Just Killing Time.
Tonight we kill a girl in a car park.

Soon I'll be able to start looking at the footage of Dream?
I look forward to it.

Oh here are the photos:

The DREAM? is over...

2007-06-17T00:33:00.000-07:00

Well at least the shooting of it is.
Before I finished my DREAM? with the help
of the most talented people I have ever met
(seriously without their help my DREAM? would never
have come true);
I recorded the sound of a homeless man being given shelter;
an ogre and next week I record the sound of man just KILLING
time in a mental institution in Danny Steel's JUST KILLING TIME.
Spending three days in Glenside should be interesting indeed

2007-06-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

What more can I say?

WARNING: May contain traces of vanity publishing

2007-05-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well I meant to come into MAPS today as there is still a lot to do, but I found I couldn't wake up. I was awash with crazy dreams.

So I am doing some work. I'm making a props list for Davey's film. Wow! What an improvement in the script it is. Wow!
I'm glad to see that the toy petrol station I went to all the trouble of getting is still in there.

I'm actually feeling a little under the weather. I'm going to do everything I can do get better, so I can go on Nick S' shoot Gimme Shelter. I just hope I get emailed the call sheet, because I don't know how else I can get it.

I hope the rehearsals are going well. I'm just going to have to rehearse my actors on set, unless some windows of time arrive.
And I need to create the newspapers. I'll do that today and email them to Cleary.

Well I've blabbered on about myself enough...

Excellent Eccentrics Number 1

2007-05-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I would jump on the Dave and Daniel bandwagon and post blogs about people who have inspired me to be the person I am today.

It will be a monthly thing.

First of all:

Graham Chapman:

Seen above as Brian in Life of Brian.

Graham Chapman was studying medicine at Cambridge when he realised he might be stuck doing medicince for the rest of his life.
He then found himself in numerous comedy shows as he found he rather liked it.
Monty Python made him famous. He drank a lot. He was sitting down one day with John Cleese. John Cleese had written a sketch about taking a toaster back to the shop becuse it was broken and the manager telling him it was fine. Graham, drunk and lying down said "Wouldn't it be funnier if it were a Norwegian blue parrot." and thus the Parrot Sketch was created.

Graham Chapman said of his birth:

"My parents were outraged when I arrived because they been expecting a heterosexual, black Jew with several rather amusing birth defects as they needed the problems."

He was King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail,
Brian in Life of Brian (when he'd given up alcohol) and he also dressed up as a carrot at a conference as a statement.
Then he died of throat cancer.

The most eccentric of the Python's will never be forgot.

Lucky Last (or so they say)

2007-05-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the freakin' annoying paperwork. Well Arezoo did it, I got the extras and tried to work out the best timeline for the shooting days with Arezoo and Fern. Thank you so much to both of them. Yay!
I was also treated to a zombie puppet show by Dan V and Nick S. Thank you, you made my day.

Now all that needs to be done is catering, props (including a 70's model car), cotumes, set dressing, make-up and the actual shooting which is after I do location audio on Nick S and Jen's films.

Madness Contained Within

2007-05-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've been real busy of late, as we all have been.
I've finally cast my lead actors, got most paperwork
done and...well pretty much everything is done.
I just need to get some extras to dance in my film.
This will be my first film containing dancing
(unless you count the dancing ants in Minority Ants).

I'm waiting for people to turn up.

Yesterday I was so stressed I bit into a paper bowl.
No too much left to do....

Dream? The Auditions

2007-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I auditioned Lotte and John.
Lotte is a Lycra Virgin at Boho and also went to the same primary school as me and Peter T, as well as acting school with Nick C's sister. Wow Adelaide's a small place.
Wow also as Lotte did amazingly well and I really don't want to audition another female because I want to cast her immediatley.
John on the other hand, he managed to overact even when blinking. I didn't think that was possible. He really wasn't able to get a grasp of the character or take direction, not matter how many things I explained.
So come Thursday I will be auditioning guys for the role of Roger.
It's important I get the right guy as he is the driving force of the entire film.
I also still need to get a hallway and a bathroom that look old and creepy as the students in Castle Ave said no (and it was perfect). The hallway's more important than the bathroom, I can use any bathroom as long as I have a purple light on it.
Also need to ring and get a crashed car, a crashed stoby pole and a tortise wrangler and a few more props. My grandmother is only letting me use one bedroom so we have to double it up as Roger and Suzie's room.
Only a few more things though so I'm confident it will all turn out well

A Quite Prospective Walk In Prospect

2007-05-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

I walked around Prospect most of today. I have locked off Shelley The Turtoise who will playing the part of Alan The Turtle. She auditioned for me today. She swam, struggled up to get her food, then walked along the ground, so I gave her the part. (People will have to do more than that at tomorrow's audition.)
I then went to a house in Castle Avenue (where I was born) and asked the students living in an interesting house if I could film there on June 14th. They said no.

On Sunday, on a dolphin boat ride, my grandmother signed the necessary papers so I can film in her house. Yay! Still a lot of work to do, but I have 2 less things to worry about...

So much to do, and only one pair of hands. "I wish I had 6 pairs of hands but I don't"

2007-05-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to lock off locations yesterday. Instead I found a closer and better location for the exterior of Roger's house and a possible back up interior for Roger's house.
I will be talking to my grandmother on Sunday and will finally have a location agreement form on me so she can sign it. She already thinks I'm filming there, she just doesn't understand what needs to be done. So if all goes well I'll have my grandmother's house in Plympton for the interior (which I'll need for the three days); the house in Rose St, Prospect for the exterior (which I'll need for one day); and St Helen's Park (which I'll need for one day).
I'm hoping to just mock up the drive-in theatre at MAPS, using the movie projector, the right lighting and bits of a car (as well as the two actors).
Speaking of actors there's a lack of response from any female actors. So it looks like Cassie may have to do it. If I didn't have her as a back up, I would have to play it myself. That would just be way to expensive and irreverisble....
I think the reason the female actors don't want to do it, is they would have to kiss a total stranger and not get paid for it.
Catering also...now that I'm pretty sure of the locations catering won't be much of an issue.
3 days in Plympton, and 2 in Prospect, both which have many local food shops which I'm sure will be happy to help out.
I also need to find a crash site (just a damaged stoby pole to place a crashed car from a wreckers yard against). I'll need to get one Holden Commodore from the 70's (because not many people could afford 80's cars in the 80's) and a crashed one. If anyone knows of any please let me know.
Then I need to make the newspapers (which shouldn't be too hard).
If Peter Thurmer has a copy of the advertiser from Wednesday February 1986 please bring it in.
Then I need an article cut out with Roger saying he never wants to see the world again, a photo of Roger and Suzie holding a baby turtle (which Dragan said he will take for me).
Cassie says she will supply me with a green lamp.
Then there's a few other props I need but not many.
When all this is done I can go buy Davey boy's props for his movie.
Well, I'm off to interview a turtle about appearing in my film...

More Interested Parties

2007-05-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

If this guy looks as perfect for the part as he can act I want have to audition anyone else.

I won't be auditioning till Tuesday unfortunatley because everyone got in before I knew what was happening.

This girl also looks the part and I hope she can act. All previous photos of possible female actors on this blog never got back to my producer.

Some of the guys photos just look damn scary and are impossible I think for the audience to like.

Like this guy:

I reckon he'd make a good villian for Nick C's film though. What do you think, buuuudddyyyy?

These last two are a possiblilty as I need as many actors as possible to audition for my film.

Well tomorrow Arezoo, Dan V and I are going location scouting so we can finally lock off locations. So we won't be at MAPS till around 1:30. Depending on how long it takes down in Prospect/Gepps Cross. The storyboards are pretty much down I'm told though.

Don't Mention The Names

2007-05-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

So Peter T I have removed all last names from blogs. Can I keep my characters last name? Or will people look up his details to and find out where he lives and smash his brains in with a brick before selling it to tourists as a new brand of canned spam?

Here is a newspaper from 1986 like the kind of thing

I want Cleary to design for me.

Also I have sent a copy of my script to all my crew.
So if you didn't get it, abuse me.
Still have many things to organise.
Lot of forms to be filled out and
people to call and places to see
and props to buy and...

See you all Thursday...

Magical Forest Test Shot

2007-04-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Here finally is the test shot of the magical forest entrance to the rotunda.
I couldn't figure out how to switch it off in the end...don't judge me....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2nnRP0kJ8s

Location Scouting

2007-04-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Arezoo and I drove all the way to Stirling. Talked to some people who owned a houndog called Elvis about using their overgrown garden as an Exterior. They agreed. We'll be back.

We then drove all through the Adelaide Hills so I could could find where to shoot the bike sequence, then all the way to St Helen's Park where I found a magical forest that leads directly to the rotunda. I hope to uplaod the test shot I got of it. It will be probably be up next week,

as well as the photos.

Here is kind of what the magical forest looked like:

Somehow I survived the crazy driving of Arezoo

and she didn't kill anyone, as much as she joked she would.

The Promised Photos

2007-04-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

These are just pictures of the mural at St Helen's Park that I thought related to the characters in my film.

Here is the rotunda that will be seen both in the dream sequence and the end film. Located at St Helen's Park, this wonderful rotunda comes complete with a magical forest path (which I'm trying to get my lovely producer Arezoo to upload to You Tube as I have no idea how, nor do I have the harware at present).

This is the outside of the exterior in Stirling we have permission to use.

It's certainly overgrown.

Luckily we won't need audio for this exterior, or traffic noise would be a problem.

So what do you think of these locations so far?

Also I have spoken to my grandmother about using her house as an interior.

She was confused and thought I was coming to film her house today.

I asked if I could film my film there in June with my film crew.

She said "Well not right now...oh yes as long as you give me plenty of notice beforehand. Maybe if you do it on a weekend."

I'll be seeing her tomorrow night so hopefully I'll be able to explain it to her more fully,

and I will eventually get her to sign the location agreement.

She has been in an ABC documentary so I'm sure she understands how the filming process works.

She was also seen marching in the Anzac day parade (to go off on a tangent -they run in the family):

(Location photos taken by Rowan, uploaded by Arezoo. Anzac March taken by Ian G, uploaded by Dylan G.)

Interested Parties

2007-04-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went fortold the images that Daniel V was to print onto paper (We did the storyboards). Today I attempted to get this location scout for tomorrow happening. I still have to make a few calls to Nick C, Dan V and Arezoo.

I also met an interested party (a young man interested in auditioning for my film) in the library of all places. He studied at Flinders Uni doing acting and fits the height requirement of 6"3.

Also from Actors Ink I had 7 interested parties.

Here are the ones I am interested in auditoning:

Also if Nick C or Dan V are reading this blog, please call me immediatley.

I really want to go location scouting tomorrow as soon as possible.

I'll sms you in case.

I will also be speaking to my grandmother on Friday about the possibillity

of using her house as the main location (if we don't find better ones tomorrow).

Forgotten Additives

2007-04-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

Oh I was just looking at Nick C, Dan V, Dave G, Alan and Nick S's blogs and I realised I should add a few things to mine.

Here is the plot of my film:

Roger Hargraves, a man now in his 40’s, dreams of his past and his future. He wakes to his green lit house that is filled with neat, organized possessions from 1986, a year he has convinced himself it still is. He shares this house with a pet turtle and imagines he goes outside but never does. That is until his turtle dies and he is forced to leave his house. He follows the music of George Benson to a park he has seen in his dreams. Once there, he begins a friendship with a relative of his dead girlfriend.

My Technologically equiped Crew are:

Arezoo - Producer

Dragan - Stills Photographer

Nick C- Production Designer

Danny Steel - Editor

Jen - 1st Assistant Director

Daniel V - Director Of Viedography

Cassie - Lighting/Camera Assistant

Nick S's - Sound Recordist/Sound Designer

I'll probably need a Gaffer, a caterer, a Make-up Artist

and a lot of extras from MAPS or whoever can dance in front

of a camera in the middle of a park. Dresses and sunhats may be involved.

And if anyone has 80's style nic nacs that are green or possibly another colour

let me know. A turtle would be good also.

My film will start off kinda like this:

Then sorta like this:
And end something like this:

And here's a photo of me courtesy of James M:

The Sequel (to the last post)...

2007-04-13T03:58:00.000-07:00

Well please ignore my last post it was embassing for everyone concerned.

All I think about is what I have to do for my film (still titled Dream? so ignore the new title I gave it Mr Roger Hargraves.)
I've visited pet stores, I've emailed Cassie, Peter T and my producer and am attempting to organise a location scout with Nick S, Nick C and Arezoo (yes it is a real name...NICK...).
Still a lot of work to do and a lot of drinking.
I'll see you all at Mark P's 23rd tomorrow night. I will arrive with a hat and hopefully leave with it.
I'm babysitting my 11 year old sister who is busy watching Family Guy.
It's really going to be a long long time....

Uh...bye

First Blog

2007-04-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Rowan. You don't know me. I hope.
Anyway with this blog I hope to be taking everyone on the journey that
is the making of MAPS films and beyond.

Enjoy,
your pal,
Rowan