Well I forgot to mention it when I hit 500 posts, so I made it a point to give 600 it's due respect. 3.5 years and 599 posts later, which gives me an average of 171 posts a year, I am still blogging - that means I must be seriously insane. No one has asked me to shut it down or abused me for what I write, so I am presuming people like watching train wrecks in slow motion or they enjoy reading the banalities of the daily life of some complete stranger (this obviously doesn't apply to my family since I am not a stranger to them yet). Either way I will keep writing as long as I can.
The momentus occassion is also marked by the introduction of a new flatmate in our flat. His name is George - the unique thing about him is that he is a white tailed spider. Lance was the one who noticed him first and pointed it out last night. I asked him why he didn't kill him because they are not exactly harmless to which Lance's response was that the spider had a personality. I told him that I didn't care if it had a personality as it was a white tailed spider and that is when he told me that he had named it George. And also pointed out that I certainly couldn't kill it now since now the spider had a name to go along with his personality. I am still grumbling about it but I guess I can't kill George - we just have to wait for him to move out of the house of his own will.
Feeling a tiny bit tired after the long 17 hour day yesterday and it is going to be another long one today. Yesterday - we had the TVNZ Regatta straight after work and it was fun. There were a couple of moments where you actually had to work but overall I did feel a bit useless as all you do is sit on one part of the boat to balance it out. The good thing was we had a relaxed and experienced skipper and first mate and fun team mates, so it was well worth the experience.
Arrghhhh...Which boat shall we steal?
The hippy pirate - John
Even pirates need to look good - Jo and Lauren
The real psychedelic pirate - Bruce
I wanna sink that boat
Sulky pirate John (after loosing their pirate hat)
On this boat the first mate does all the work
The skipper assessing wind conditions
The race in progress
The final stretch of the race
Docks at twilight
Straight after the race - I raced off to watch my good friend and acting classmate- Claire's play 'Dead Meat' which she wrote and directed and it was great. I also got to meet a lot of new people within the acting community. It was put up as part of Smack Bang Theatre which is supporting new and innovative New Zealand theatre and writers. And after the play went to a farewell drinks party for Dave - another acting friend and ex-classmate. And again it was a pleasant surprise catching up with a lot of people including old film school classmates.
So all in all it was a really long day and today is going to be no different - not as much with social commitments but with work.
I had a weekend off and it was really nice as I did nothing - I recovered from the weird week that was last week and basically slept through most of it in between doing some writing for 'Rejected'. It is going to be a busy few weeks with the impending post on 'To'onai' from later this week combined with a lot of smaller commitments during the week and ongoing projects.
I have also slowly started getting back into running as part of my conditioning program for my hamstring recovery. It was definitely really hard to start off with but I am slowly getting into the rhythm and it feels good. Another 2 weeks and my hamstring will be completely healed (fingers crossed).
One of my newer ongoing projects is learning how to speak Spanish. I don't know why I wanted to learn a new language but I felt that I had to and the only language that came to mind was spanish. I wanted to learn it at a language school but that would have meant trying to co-ordinate and block out times in my schedule, which would have made life a little more inflexible, so I searched online for some good self-learning spanish language programs and found one that I liked. I went ahead and bought it and now am learning espanol in my own time. :-)
It feels great getting my weekends back and also at all the progress of all the current projects {atleast the ones that I am actively pursuing}.
Black Hole is a surprisingly depressing book all through the story with the only glimmer of hope appearing towards the end of the book. I picked up the book based on the fact that David Fincher is making it into a movie and it definitely piqued my interest. The book has stunning art work and it is all beautifully rendered in black and white. It is high school life in the 70's that heightens the sense of dread and alienation and inevitability. It is a good read but depressing nonetheless. I am currently reading 'Out Stealing Horses' and it is a lovely book. It has sucked me right into the story from page one. Let's see how it shapes out.
Finance markets all over the world seem to be in a tumble and more so in New Zealand where the NZ Dollar is fluctuating at a all time high against the US Dollar. It is a mixed blessing as it is keeping the petrol prices in check for now but at the same time hurting the exporters. What this has also meant is that anyone who owns a house through mortgage [which would be about 90% of the NZ house owners] is starting to feel the hurt because of the high interest rates offered by Banks because of Reserve Bank regulations and also rising prices of essential commodities. Now it takes about 75% of the take home pay to keep servicing the mortgage prices, which is not ideal at all plus defaulting on the mortgage would mean a mortgagee sale of the house - which is terrible. The housing market has slowed down and hopefully the house prices will go down over the next 5 years to bring some sanity to the current housing market in NZ. On the other hand it is probably a good point to invest in the stock markets - the share prices are falling and it is a risk worth taking - if you pick the right portfolio then you will reap a good profit in 5 years time. Higher risk = Higher profits or Higher losses - all a matter of timing, judgement and luck. Just realized that it was a pretty random rant from me about finance.
Even the dogs use the zebra crossing in Auckland. It is true. I was driving back home after catching a night screening of 'Drillbit Taylor' and I was stunned into disbelief when I saw a dog crossing an empty stretch of road using the pedestrian crossing. I mean the dog could have crossed the street anywhere it wanted - especially since it is not bound by human laws and add to it the fact that there was no traffic whatsoever, but it chose to do the right thing and use the crossing. I am not an animalist or anything but if that dog could speak, I would have put the question forward: WHY? I really want to know.
The movie itself was a fun movie - it is a typical high school bully movie but there are a lot of elements that work for it, especially the acting from all the players involved. Despite the predictable plot elements it is still fun to watch.
And a combination of today's randomness and movie stuff is that I won a double pass and a t-shirt and a water bottle for 'Run Fatboy Run' :-) I love winning freebies.
Well - it is leap year and it would be a shame not to post today. I was looking at any myths and traditions attached to a leap year and the only one I could find was that women can propose marriage to a guy in a leap year. Another interesting article to read is here.
Another piece of random info I found is that the band CSS is playing a couple of gigs in Auckland in March. I might go to it - time and money permitting.
Also a big shout out to Ilke Gers - who designed the poster and the DVD slick for FIVE. She launched her website and you can check out more of her work there.
Well the only piece of info that I have to share is that I won $25 store credit at the video shop I get my movie rentals from. I was tied for 2nd place with 2 other people for the oscar prediction contest, so the prize money was split between the 3 of us. A small amount but that's money I won't have to spend. :-D
I finally finished reading 'The Saudis' and it was exhaustive but interesting at the same time. It was similar to 'Ghost Wars' in terms of the details and you can visualize the place in detail. I love journalistic books that are written well. I checked out the wiki page on Saudia Arabia and it looks like the second oil boom is on, now all one can pray for is that they use the money in a better way than how they used it last time around.
The plan to try out some geared investments ran aground as I enquired at a couple of banks and finance companies about taking a personal loan for investment purposes. The finance companies flatly refused while the banks have such prohibitive interest rates that it doesn't make any sense borrowing on that high of an interest rate as the investment goes from moderate risk to super high risk and the people who are earning off you taking the risk is the banks.
I am 3/4th of my way through the third season of Entourage and it is bloody fantastic. It is smart, funny and unexpected. The thing which makes it work is the chemistry between the lead characters and also the acting - which is top notch.
I also just came back from seeing 'There will be blood' and it was a great epic. Daniel Day Lewis is God. He is brilliant and he just sets the scene on fire. I think he will definitely take the best actor at the oscars - if not then there is no justice in this world. Go watch it.
'Tick...Tick...Tick' - that's the one sound I can hear loud and clear right now - besides the cicadas chirping away (they have quietened as it falls dark). That's the sound from the new wrist watch that dad sent over from India and I love it. I had stopped wearing watches for I can't remember how long and I decided to start wearing one again after seeing the simplicity and elegance of the watch. I am happy.
I just finished reading 'Get Rich Slow' by Mary Holm and it was a fascinating read and very practical. It definitely clears up a lot of uncovered ground as far as investing for a first time investor goes. I am now seriously considering doing some geared investments.
I also finished off 'Persepolis' and it was a good read. The characters I most liked in the book were Marjane's mom and dad. They are so endearing and bring a sense of respect and love into the story. Overall it is definitely a must read and I can't wait to see the movie when it comes out in the cinemas here.
I had to return 'Tree of Smoke' before finishing it as someone had it on hold and I didn't want to pay a fine. Add to the scenario out of the 9 books I wanted to read - 8 of them came through at the same time. So I returned that book and got a whole bunch of books filling up my desk, my bed and my floor. I am currently reading 'Persepolis' by Marjan Satrapi. The book has also been converted into an animated movie which is running for 'Best Animated Feature' at the Oscars. It is a great read and changes your perspective about how western media has painted Iran without taking into consideration the lives of ordinary people living there.
A month or so back I had my Indian passport canceled and applied for Overseas Citizenship of India and I was surprised when I got back my NZ passport with the OCI in the mail today. This has got to be my least painful exposure to Indian bureaucracy.
I watched 'Seraphim Falls' yesterday and it was an OK movie. It starts off great but it soon looses momentum and the stakes are lowered as the movie progresses. The cinematography though is absolutely beautiful.
I have just come out of my 10 day work stretch and have the next couple of days off, which I am looking forward to. Hopefully I will be able to catch 'There will be Blood' this weekend.
I am currently reading 'The Saudis' by Sandra Mackey (a brilliant book) and there was a chapter that covered aspects of personal relationships in the desert kingdom and how friendships take a back seat to the family - it got me thinking on what I feel about it. I did a google search and not surprisingly Wikipedia has a page for 'friendship' and it was an insightful read.
When I was a kid I believed that friends are forever but that view has changed over the years. Time does change people. Sometimes you loose track of people and sometimes it is the other way round but the common thing is that people drift apart - you loose touch of things you had in common. Frienship is a two way street and both parties have to work at it to keep the relationship running (as with everything else). The most distinctive change I have noticed between India and New Zealand is that the intensity of friendships is much more higher in India than here. I probably only share the same kind of intensity here with a couple of people. It is almost like people here are afraid of that intensity. I value my friends highly and I sincerely believe that friendship is right up there in terms of importance after close family relationships. Maybe that's why it takes me ages to form close friends but when I do I make sure that I am giving it my everything. It is better to have a few really close friends than a bucket load of acquaintances.
I watched Apocalypse Now ( the Redux version) for the first time and it is a marvel. The story and the visuals and the acting are mind blowing. Add to it the brilliant sound design and it is a real feast to the senses. Here is an article about the mixing process for the director's cut of the movie. I now want to watch 'Hearts of Darkness' - the documentary on making of the movie. I also watched another movie 'Once' - an indie movie which gained a lot of traction last year. It was a sweet movie but I was a bit underwhelmed - maybe because of all the hype surrounding it. The music is great and the performances are very natural but there is something that is still missing for me.
Time after time we come to a point in our lives where we have to make crucial choices - a crossroad of sorts, where anything you decide will have bearings for a long time to come. Anything we do always has future implications but at the crossroads the implications become even more heightened. I love those moments as they are filled not only with drama but also with character - it defines who you are and who you will become.
I am reading an excellent book called 'Kafka on the Shore' and a line that really has stayed with me is 'In dreams begin responsibility'. The line is so profound and at the same time so simple. One of the characters is explaining about why people stop dreaming - to dream would be to start being accountable for your own actions and that is a scary thought for most people and so they give up on their dreams. The book itself is a marvelous masterpiece - no praise can be high enough. I am about 100 pages out from finishing the book but the journey so far has been great - unexpected, twisted, shocking, hopeful, entertaining - all without sacrificing readability.
I finally managed to fire off my documentation and stuff to apply for my Overseas Citizenship of India, since I am a NZ citizen now and my Indian passport doesn't hold any good. The way I see it - it is just more paperwork and more bureaucracy and more money out of one's pocket to give you the same rights that you had before (infact a little less). I hope the whole thing goes off without a hitch - my last dealing with the Indian High commission here a couple of years back was really painful and I was swearing at the Indian bureaucracy.
The physio sessions have been good and I am recovering slowly from my pulled hamstring - it will take another 4 weeks to come completely right but the strengthening exercises will start from next week. The tennis lessons that I am taking will be interesting since I have told them I can't run, which means I will be the black sheep in the classes. I guess it is better than skipping them altogether. I might start swimming from next week to start getting my body into better physical condition.
So yeah thats the lot from me for now. Till later, Amit
Oh man, I pulled my hamstring yesterday evening and now I am limping everywhere. I have an appointment with a physio later today and that will start off the process of recovery I guess. I had a lovely dinner with the Mamea family and it was a nice way to chill out plus the home made pizzas were absolutely, mouth wateringly , delightfully scrumptious.
Christina and David making pizzas
Summer time
I was supposed to have acted in a promo but the whole thing fell through because of lack of proper production planning by the people who were making it and it was a bit of a shame really. Acting classes start off from next week and it will be a long year.
Can't think of a description for this
Sunset in Downtown Auckland
Falling Man was a harrowing read and coming straight after 'Ghost Wars' it was harrowing still. While Ghost Wars was a macro view of events leading up to 9/11, 'Falling Man' is a micro view limited to the impact of 9/11 on one family and the neighboring community and it is a highly emotional read. Not a light reading again. I will be picking up my next lot of books from the library today, so that should be exciting.
FIVE is available to view for a limited time only FOR FREE HERE (You just need Real Player installed).Hurry up before the week runs out.
'After the Wedding' is a brilliant movie. It hits you where it hurts and never let's go. Everything about the movie is great - the acting, the cinematography, the editing and the directing. The movie will haunt you for a long time after you leave the theatre. It is a danish movie directed by Sussane Bier and it was nominated for a 'Best Foreign Film' Oscar in 2007 and lost to 'The Lives of Others'. Between the 2 movies I definitely prefer this movie over the other one - even though I enjoyed that movie as well.
Aliens must have implanted a metal plate in my head or something - I seem to be setting off shop security alarms ( atleast I did in the 2 shops - once yesterday and then other one today). I wasn't even carrying anything - just myself and the shop keepers were as puzzled as me as I was entering the shop when the alarm went off - so it was not like I was taking anything out of the shop. It is a bizarre feeling. It caused a fair bit of amusement to everyone standing nearby as I slowly discarded any movable items from my body - like keys, wallet, i-card and the alarm would still go off. Amusing indeed!!!!!
I lapped up the entire first season of ROME in a day. It is a fantastic series and it is supposed to be historically accurate as far as depiction of the roman society in that era goes. The thing which makes the series work above everything else is the acting. I have already seen most of the second season when I was at work earlier this year and the only episodes I haven't seen is the last episode of Season-2. I will see them when the DVD comes out for rental.
It is a new year and things ought to be different, no? Well - nothing has changed for me yet. I made 2 resolutions last new year and I managed to get one of them done while the other one has disappeared into the ether for now. I haven't made any resolutions for this year yet but will do so in due course of time.
What a crap movie. I don't know if I ever shared the fact that I get a headache whenever I watch a really bad movie - that is how I can tell if the movie is bad or not. :-) Pretty rudimentary method for judging movies you would think - especially for a guy who thinks he is a film maker. Well the truth is that every person is an audience member first and foremost and everything else follows. Yeah that's deviating from the thought process but if you can try hard enough - then try and avoid 30 Days of Night - which is utter bull crap. It was made even more disappointing by the fact that David Slade's first movie Hard Candy was a really solid flick. Reasonable acting and beautiful cinematography combined with non-existent storyline or character development or even scares or coherence.
The other movie I watched was 'The Root of all Evil?'. It wasn't a movie per se - it was a 2 part documentary put together on 1 disc. It was a fascinating documentary mainly because it deals with religion and God - a topic which usually brings everyone into a heated debate. The first part of the documentary 'The God Delusion' was fantastic and the second part barely reaches those heights, even though it is good - the reason being it mainly explores Christianity and not the other major religions. It lead me down an interesting trip down memory lane about my own dealings with different religions and I am happy the way things have shaped out for me as far as my belief system goes. Now I am tempted to read 'The God Delusion' the book by the same author - Richard Dawkins.
Talking of reading - I finished 'Youth' by J.M.Coetzee and it was a tearful and hard read because of what it is. I don't think I will go into the actual content itself but needless to say you will either know what he is talking about or you won't - there is no middle ground. He is turning out to be one of my favorite authors.
A stranger's gaze is all it takes to throw chaos and uncertainty into your life. A gaze that you can sense penetrating your consciousness, even without looking up and when you do see the steady and unwavering eyes it creates a small ripple that magnifies in the moments that pass. What were they seeing? A freak? An anomaly? A person lost in time and thought? Or just eye candy? And what if you recognize that gaze as from someone equal to you - what would you be thinking when you look at a stranger walking unawares on the street?
I finished reading Divisadero and it was an interesting experience. It was fulfilling and frustrating at the same time. The writing style is different and the novel jumps back and forth in time and space but doesn't loose the narrative thread till about page 190 odd when it completely blind sides you by leaving the main characters and story behind without resolving or hinting at a resolution and starting off a new story with similar themes and ties them together with the rest of the book. It is an intersting experiment where the narrative is distilled to the absolute minimum and the book only works when you read the last 100 pages odd for a second time but on a first read it annoyed me to bits. I won't recommend this book if you can't bear the thought of unfinished stories within a novel but if you are looking for a good read then this definitely is worth a go.
The book that is a must read is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and it is a real masterpiece that genuinely moves you and surprises you at every twist and turn. I read the whole book in one sitting - it is a page turner. The story is narrated by Christopher - a 15 year old autistic boy and it is a breath of fresh air and is a way of seeing the world in a whole new light. Do read it by hook or by crook - preferably by hook. :-)
A topic which often comes up for discussion with friends is relationships and dating in India and I have a good chuckle because of the big chasm that exists. Here is an article which kind of gives a good overview of the dating scene in India.
I raided 3 different libraries [all of them falling under the same umbrella library] and managed to get just 1 book from the long list I had - Divisadero. But at the same time I was equally excited to chance upon 2 books from my favorite writer - William Dalrymple and I can't wait for this long reading session to start.
The theme for this post is time travel and here area couple of pics I took using my cellphone camera - all of them are as they were taken - no digital manipulation.
Time travel initiation sequence activated
I can't see the future, so I will go there
Time-space vortex burning the past and the present
The future is all pervasive. It is beautiful
I am not crazy, I just have a different point of view. :-) Peace, Amit
the next review has POTENTIAL SPOILERS (even though some of the plot interpretations are liberal and not necessarily true). PLEASE AVOID READING THE REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY THE MOVIE ON IT'S OWN MERITS. The reviewer did not know how to review the movie and thought that writing out the storyline from start to end would be a good way to introduce the movie. You've been warned - here it is: a 3 STAR Review from Slasherpool
In other random things - I went ahead and bought a Nintendo Wii. I guess what tipped me over was the fact that the console sacrifices superior graphics for interactive motion controlled game play making you do stuff physically. Let's see how the console holds up against my expectations of it. I will be picking up the console sometime next week.
Benji is moving out of the flat as he goes on his trip to China and it looks like Lance is going to move in. I am excited for sure. At one point I was tossing between going flat hunting myself or keeping the current flat and getting a flatmate in. The few flats I looked at weren't as nice and had even smaller rooms but were charging about the same amount, so decided to stuff it and just get a flatmate since my current place of residence is spacious and beautiful. Lucky for me that Lance has just come back into the country and was looking for a place to stay. At this point, just trying to sort things out with the landlord's son about the excessive moisture in the house and the landlord's responsibility to make sure that the mould growth is fixed. I went ahead and cleaned most of my room yesterday - I will finish off the cleaning today with only bits and pieces left to sort out but it never stops to amaze me as to how much junk accumulates over a period in time without even realizing it.
Anyway - time for me to cook some bacon and eggs for breakfast and then get back to cleaning. :-)
For some reason I have been having massive trepidation since this morning and I can't seem to shake it off. Why? What? How? I don't know.
I finished watching the rest of Season-3 of BSG and overall the season was a little bit slower than the first 2 seasons. Off the last 8 episodes - there were another 2 filler episodes and it was frustrating at times but the season ends with a big bang and now have to start the agonizing wait for the final season. Rumors have it that they will screen first 10 episodes from early 2008 and then the show takes a break with the rest of the episodes airing in 2009. I hope the rumors are wrong and the screen the entire Season-4 in 2008.
For now here is the promo for Season-4 - DO NOT PLAY IT IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN SEASON-3.
One of the screening times for FIVE has been changed and now the screenings are on 19th October @ 10.30Pm; 20th October @ 10.30AM and 10.30PM. The entry is priced at $5 to cover the costs for the theatre.
On other completely random note - the housing affordability in NZ is at an all time low - here is a report for it. Add to it the state of economy, rising inflation and cost of living and the tightening credit market influenced heavily by the global markets - owning a house is a pipe dream. Maybe if you are married and both husband and wife are earning atleast NZ$ 2000 each week in take home pay - the prospect becomes a reality but otherwise welcome to the rental market. Anyway..................
'If you don't like something then change it because no one else will do it for you.' - that's been the over riding theme for me for the past month or so. A lot has changed in that time and there is a lot more things that needs to change that I am in the process of changing. One thing at a time I suppose.
After going through a fair bit of research, I finally bought a new car - it is not NEW new but it still looks new and is in real good condition. It is a 2000 Toyota Vitz 1.3L Automatic - I was wanting something sporty and small but at the same time that didn't empty my wallet for petrol and this one seemed to fit the bill to the dot. Trying to sort out financing for it was not the fun bit, especially considering that I am not good with numbers but I did manage to get a good deal. So I am pretty happy about it. I have to get around to replying to my month old emails. In case any of my friends are reading this and wondering as to why I haven't replied back to their emails then all I can say is 'Sorry. But I love you, irrespective of my email reply status. :-)'. I finally have a couple of days off from work and I will try to cross off as many things as possible on my list of 27 things to do - some of them are massive tasks too.
I just watched a Hindi movie 'Rang De Basanti' - it was a really good movie according to bollywood standards but for me it was a mixed experience- it was painful seeing some of the plot contrivances and the song/dance sequences slowed the pacing of the movie right down but at the same time it had some great acting [and some hammed up acting as well{ which is not good}] from the ensemble cast. Overall a decent entertainer - check out a catchy song from the movie here.
The cinema screening for FIVE is set for 19th October @ 10.30PM 20th October @ 11.00AM 20th October @ 10.30PM
Venue - Academy Cinemas, Lorne St. (right next to the library) Price - $5 per head
So if you are in Auckland and wanna pop in to say hi I will most probably be there at one of those screenings. :-)
Just got woken up from deep sleep, by my flatmate who decided to start cooking (what sounds like a 5 course meal) around 10.30 at night without too much consideration for people who might be asleep. It is 11.05 and now I can't go back to sleep. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...............
To top it off now my room smells of cooked food as well and I really don't want to upset my body rhythm by taking a mid-night snack because of that. Double arrrrrrrrggghhhhhhhhhhhh.
I guess hunger is an over-riding factor to everything - even common sense.
I will try and get back to sleep, hoping that this 'brief' disturbance won't mess with my mind enough to impact on my 5.45 AM wake up call for work.
Oh forgot to share one of the songs that is my favorite nowadays - I am head in heels in love with the first minute of the song - it is amazing what voice and minimal instruments can do. It is called 'Straight Line' by Silverchair. [To check out hi-rez video check their website under the Multimedia Section]
A funny incident occured at the shopping mall - I was doing my grocery shopping and as I looked up from my assessment of which discounted item to pick, I saw a figure rushing away from me (you can tell when someone is walking un-naturally). But they weren't fast enough and I recognized them from the way they walk. Obviously they did not want to talk to me and I was pretty amused wondering how that person was going to avoid me for the duration I was shopping at the mall.
I forgot all about it and continued shopping and when I was standing in the queue to pay for the goods I saw the person I knew walk past - our eyes met for a moment and I turned away from them - pretending that I didn't even recognize them. It was satisfying.....And yes, you don't have to say it - I know I am evil. I think I have had enough of bullshit from people like that and I completely intend to dish out the same kind of treatment to them. It doesn't serve any purpose than to bring a smile to my face.
Is a dream worth striving for? Is an idea worth fighting for? Everytime I think of those questions I cry. Human society is such a hard place to be in - the majority live with a compromise for most of their lives and they don't take too kindly to people trying to live a dream. I guess those questions gives me pangs of existential crisis now and then. But then again I know that the easy way out of this angst would be to give in to the majority and lead a 'normal life' but then where is the fun in living a life less ordinary. I bumped into an old acquaintance who heard that I had just finished off my second movie and sarcastically commented 'It is good that you are still trying'. I promptly corrected them saying 'I am not trying - I am doing it.' I don't know if the meaning of my words carried through or not but I hate the cynicism that people carry with them when they quickly pass judgements about you based on their 'normal' world view. On the other hand I had a few conversations where some people I know have told me that I am talented. I don't take compliments really well and I frankly don't know what talented means but it gives me hope that maybe I am still on the right path; maybe I can still keep dreaming. It is a matter of finding some sort of balance between reality and dreams, so I don't disappoint my family.
Waiting for the ferry
FIVE's initial sound mix is done and I have fired off the copies for reviews as well as to Microcinema Festival. It is a big relief and definitely a big weight off the shoulders. I have decided to chuck out the idea of doing a proper 5.1 mix since time is so precious without money and the plan is to work a little bit more on the 2.0 mix and bring it as close to perfection as possible. The sound is good as it is right now but the additional work will lift the movie up a little more.
The second draft for 'Urameshiya' has come in and I am currently reading it before I send it out to the people already on board the project. My room is in a state of complete mess and I still have to tidy it up. It has gone from bad to worse after I started cleaning it up :-(
I watched a couple of really good movies - 'Half Nelson' and 'Sophie Scholl: The Final Days'. Half Nelson isn't technically perfect but the acting is fantastic and it totally pulls you into the movie and never lets go and it is the same with 'The Final Days' where the human drama is so raw and honest that it is emotionally devastating by the time the credits roll. Acting can make or break a movie and technically the idea should be to just capture those moments when they happen.
Time to try and cut a trailer for 'FIVE' and update the website along with cleaning my room - maybe all at the same time; maybe at different times - who knows.
The voice training workshops came to a close today and it is sad as I was finally making some progress and it feels like an abrupt full stop. I will probably continue with the workshop when they are held again after the tutor returns from her trip to France. It has been an amazing 5 sundays though. It is good to keep learning new things.
I read a couple of quotes that I had to share:
"The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand in times of challenge and controversy" - Martin Luther King Jr.
"The real contest is always between what you've done and what you're capable of doing. You measure yourself against yourself and nobody else." - Geoffrey Gaberino
I watched a kiwi movie called 'You Move You Die' and it was an interesting experience. Technically it is brilliant and has a visual style that is pretty flashy but the thing which really sucks in it is the acting. There were moments here and there that I believed what was going on screen otherwise it was just performing. Good on the film makers for trying something radically new but hopefully they will realize that acting is the backbone on which a movie rests on. I would recommend it reluctantly as it is a kiwi movie and it is good to support fellow film makers in their experiments and endeavors.
I just came back from seeing 'Rescue Dawn' and it was an excellent movie. I am pretty pleased with myself that both the movies that I have seen at the festival have been great. Christian Bale and Steve Zahn are fantastic in the movie and they keep the movie flowing seamlessly. It is a highly recommended watch. Next one on the list is 'Half Nelson'
I am just encoding the 2.0 mix of FIVE for DVD authoring and will be mailing off the festival screeners tomorrow after watching the movie for any unexpected slip ups. Better to be safe than sorry. The festival I am really keen for the movie to get into is Microcinema Film Festival because it is a true grass roots independent film festival and is essentially what 'Memories' was and what FIVE is - pure microcinema. More updates later.
ADR's can be pretty intense as yesterday proved it but it is worth it. There is nothing that can beat having good sound in your movie [besides having good visuals and good acting and good editing ;-) ]. It lifts a movie up several notches and definitely takes away from the low budget feel. I finished the second pass of color grade as per schedule and I think I am happy with the final color mix - will check it out tomorrow. Still have another 3 character ADR's to go and we will hopefully will get them done this weekend.
Talking of sound I did much research on finding cheap but good headphones and finally bought Koss KSC75 headphones and they are frickin awesome. I love listening to music and sound on them - there is something about the sound quality through them which is great.
I had a laughing fit recently when I saw someone break away from what they were doing so that they could 'clean up' their virtual pet. I found the whole thing ridiculously funny and every time I think about virtual pets I just crack up. Japanese are weird (no that's not a racist comment but just an observation) as they just want to get away from reality as much as possible and the means which they come up with is hilarious - in this case 'Tamagotchi' - virtual pets. I won't write anymore on the topic as I am cracking up already. You can read all about it HERE.
Now back to work with the end credits. Later, Amit
