PC-Bangs are glorious places when the smell of smoke isn’t getting to you and the noise from the million little clicks on keyboards aren’t pounding in to your hangover or even the constant pow-pow, bang-bang from what ever computer game is currently fashionable is quickly driving you insane. None the less, PC-Bangs are glorious places when you want to get out of your tiny apartment and there’s no place better to go.
So here is it I find myself on a dwindling Sunday afternoon, feeling sufficiently rested and a tad restless. I have that slightly chuffed feeling. I’m chuffed with myself because I finally finished the first draft of my short film. Now, in the book is when they tell you to step back from it, let it marinate then return to it in a few months and see what you really think. Stuff that, I can’t wait that long.
At the moment my script stands at 18 pages. You might not think that sounds like much, especially when you look at it and see the well spaced dialogue that chews up the pages. When you are sitting on the other side of it however, looking at the task ahead, it seems like Everest.
When I started I was going great guns. I worked through all the development stages and reined myself back from attacking the guts of the script before I had a better understanding of what I wanted to say. When I figured I was ready, I started working through it scene by scene and before I knew it there were twelve pages I was pretty happy with. That was when I hit a wall. There was one scene I was afraid of doing, one scene that seemed too hard to shape. The notebook remained closed and the fear of not finishing grew.
Days past and little progress was made. I’d pick up the pen and read through what I’d written, make a change here or there but still not have it in me to attempt the climatic scene. I’d almost resigned my idea to the large scrap heap of ideas littering other notebooks and cobwebbed corners.
On Monday of this week I changed tack. I told myself I didn’t need to do it all in one hit, I could hack away at it a little at a time. I started typing in into the computer, cleaning it up as I went, trimming scenes and dialogue until I got to that final scene. On Tuesday I wrote a few lines, on Wednesday I wrote a few more. On Thursday I scribbled out a few and trimmed the fat. On Friday I panicked and left it alone. On Saturday I worked on it during the course of the day, my excitement grew and the final line came closer. Then there it was, 18 pages of a short film. From a simple idea I worked it through until I had produced my first draft. On Sunday I gloated.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Diary of a Would-be Filmmaker Part 1
As I sit here eating Dok-pukki from a street-side vendor and doodling away in one of my many notebooks, I thought I'd share with you the journey I have recently undertaken. Not the one where I moved countries and came to live in South Korea and teach English but the one where I hope to find that long sort after dream, to become a filmmaker.
I had an idea and as ideas go this one seemed to to have more legs than others. They come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes it is so hard to tell which ones I should latch on to. The fact that I'm still currently a would-be filmmaker and not an actualized filmmaker should tell me pretty clearly I’ve been latching on to the wrong ideas or going about developing the idea in the wrong way.
So anyway, I had this idea and jumped ahead and wrote five or so pages of dialogue. I called it dialogue back then, (several days ago) back when I thought a screenplay centered around the stuff. Now I'm of a different mind. You see, for the past few years my creative endeavors have revolved around theatre where dialogue sings and is the stuff you hang everything on. Not so in film. After learning this fact from a handy dandy little book, you'd think film school might have gotten the idea across, I took a few steps back and started to flesh out my idea.
I wrote a step outline, I got in touch with my main characters, identifying the protagonist is not as easy as it sounds, nor is formulating an antagonist. In the past I've told myself that I don't need to comply to age old structure, that is as readable as dirt, you play in dirt you get dirty, but there is something to be said for using that structure to take an idea, a faint half notion of a glimmer of an image, and turn it into something more.
Right now I have a much clearer idea of what I want to say, of how I'm going to say it and who is going to do the talking for me. The character interviews have been conducted, the step outline has been followed by a scene outline and several pages of new dialogue have been written, not in order, but because I have a clear structure I can now work my way through the scenes as I see fit. First draft, here I come!
I had an idea and as ideas go this one seemed to to have more legs than others. They come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes it is so hard to tell which ones I should latch on to. The fact that I'm still currently a would-be filmmaker and not an actualized filmmaker should tell me pretty clearly I’ve been latching on to the wrong ideas or going about developing the idea in the wrong way.
So anyway, I had this idea and jumped ahead and wrote five or so pages of dialogue. I called it dialogue back then, (several days ago) back when I thought a screenplay centered around the stuff. Now I'm of a different mind. You see, for the past few years my creative endeavors have revolved around theatre where dialogue sings and is the stuff you hang everything on. Not so in film. After learning this fact from a handy dandy little book, you'd think film school might have gotten the idea across, I took a few steps back and started to flesh out my idea.
I wrote a step outline, I got in touch with my main characters, identifying the protagonist is not as easy as it sounds, nor is formulating an antagonist. In the past I've told myself that I don't need to comply to age old structure, that is as readable as dirt, you play in dirt you get dirty, but there is something to be said for using that structure to take an idea, a faint half notion of a glimmer of an image, and turn it into something more.
Right now I have a much clearer idea of what I want to say, of how I'm going to say it and who is going to do the talking for me. The character interviews have been conducted, the step outline has been followed by a scene outline and several pages of new dialogue have been written, not in order, but because I have a clear structure I can now work my way through the scenes as I see fit. First draft, here I come!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Strange Fruit Falls From the Orange Tree
On Tuesday the second of October I took a chance and headed down to Orange Tree to partake of a little comedy from a few of Korea’s transient residents. Orange Tree is doing wonders for us Expats with performances coming at you from all angles and in all guises.
This evening it was a recently formed Improv troupe called ‘Seoul City Improv.‘ that swamped the small, red stage with their numbers, when to begin the night each participant was introduced to an attentive crowd. That alone gave a warm impression of the enthusiasm of the team to not only entertain us but also to ensure their time spent was just as enjoyable.
The chance I took turned into an opportunity when after the slow start, the games and the wit became genuinely entertaining. I’m pretty familiar with the rules of Improv so switched off during A.J.’s explanations but as my companion commented, who is herself well versed in many aspects of theatre, he could have afforded to go into a little more detail or perhaps it was clarity that was called for.
‘Freeze’ was a difficult choice first up as it requires the actor’s brains to be well in gear as they jump into and reinterpret the scene being played. A few worked overtime to compensate of other’s more sluggish starts.
Asking for volunteers in these situations is always a difficult undertaking so acquaintances were called on by name which can result in the alienating of those who popped along, not to support a friend but to have a good night out. So to have the second scene of the night demand audience participation was perhaps demanding a bit much too early.
Prior to things getting underway, little slips of paper were passed about the milling crowd asking them to contribute a random snatch of dialogue. These appeared in the first installment of ‘Pocket Scene’ with pleasing results. The actors had to work to find ways to produce slips of paper from their pocket. It was here that I felt the possibility of things to come. And when it was followed by a scene constructed under the limitations of having the first word of each line beginning with consecutive letters of the alphabet, things seemed to be gaining both momentum and laughs.
The next two scenes however put the brakes on. ‘Superheroes’ turned more into a farce than something that produced genuine giggles. Earwax and toe jam seemed a little cheap and the cringe factor shot through the roof. In ‘Countdown’ when the same minute long scene had to be replayed in increasingly less time, an in-joke took centre stage. The laughter and applause of the troupe outdid that of the audience.
The first act ended on a high however with Matt coming to the fore and showing great skills in thinking on his feet and a calm clear projection that alluded to confidence. Qualities that are appealing in any stage performance and as a result the laughter rose and the applause before intermission was enthusiastic.
After a short break, a few more volunteers and another slow start, gusto was found by a repeat of ‘ABC’s’ set in the Seoul Subway. This was followed up by another ‘Pocket Scene’ where Thomas channeled a poor soul, sacked from Scientology. He was supported well in his exploration of a legitimate character and the entire evening began to find its feet.
There were moments of extremely witty and highly engaging performances and the show ended with the entire team getting on stage to participate in ‘World’s worst things to say…’. This was another of the games that required the audience to make offers of locations or situations. Matt had clearly shown himself as one of the gems of SCI but I found myself willing him to take advantage of the following he had garnered when in this final game he was attempting too much. Three times he stepped to the front and three times he stepped back waving away the line that had fallen flat, each time the audience laughed a little more. Not at the line but at his genuine-ness and willingness to try. All he had to do was step to the front once more and without saying a word, wave his hand and turn his back and he would have treated to a fervent response from an appreciative crowd.
This was Seoul City Improv’s fifth outing and I dare say at this early stage they are in a healthy position to bring cackles and guffaws to a grateful Seoul audience. They will be performing twice each month, the first Tuesday will be at Orange Tree in Haebangchon and the third Sunday will at The Electric Cat in Itaewon. Their next performance will be on the 21st of October at 8:30pm. At this stage performances are free. SCI can be contacted at seoulimprov@gmail.com
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This evening it was a recently formed Improv troupe called ‘Seoul City Improv.‘ that swamped the small, red stage with their numbers, when to begin the night each participant was introduced to an attentive crowd. That alone gave a warm impression of the enthusiasm of the team to not only entertain us but also to ensure their time spent was just as enjoyable.
The chance I took turned into an opportunity when after the slow start, the games and the wit became genuinely entertaining. I’m pretty familiar with the rules of Improv so switched off during A.J.’s explanations but as my companion commented, who is herself well versed in many aspects of theatre, he could have afforded to go into a little more detail or perhaps it was clarity that was called for.
‘Freeze’ was a difficult choice first up as it requires the actor’s brains to be well in gear as they jump into and reinterpret the scene being played. A few worked overtime to compensate of other’s more sluggish starts.
Asking for volunteers in these situations is always a difficult undertaking so acquaintances were called on by name which can result in the alienating of those who popped along, not to support a friend but to have a good night out. So to have the second scene of the night demand audience participation was perhaps demanding a bit much too early.
Prior to things getting underway, little slips of paper were passed about the milling crowd asking them to contribute a random snatch of dialogue. These appeared in the first installment of ‘Pocket Scene’ with pleasing results. The actors had to work to find ways to produce slips of paper from their pocket. It was here that I felt the possibility of things to come. And when it was followed by a scene constructed under the limitations of having the first word of each line beginning with consecutive letters of the alphabet, things seemed to be gaining both momentum and laughs.
The next two scenes however put the brakes on. ‘Superheroes’ turned more into a farce than something that produced genuine giggles. Earwax and toe jam seemed a little cheap and the cringe factor shot through the roof. In ‘Countdown’ when the same minute long scene had to be replayed in increasingly less time, an in-joke took centre stage. The laughter and applause of the troupe outdid that of the audience.
The first act ended on a high however with Matt coming to the fore and showing great skills in thinking on his feet and a calm clear projection that alluded to confidence. Qualities that are appealing in any stage performance and as a result the laughter rose and the applause before intermission was enthusiastic.
After a short break, a few more volunteers and another slow start, gusto was found by a repeat of ‘ABC’s’ set in the Seoul Subway. This was followed up by another ‘Pocket Scene’ where Thomas channeled a poor soul, sacked from Scientology. He was supported well in his exploration of a legitimate character and the entire evening began to find its feet.
There were moments of extremely witty and highly engaging performances and the show ended with the entire team getting on stage to participate in ‘World’s worst things to say…’. This was another of the games that required the audience to make offers of locations or situations. Matt had clearly shown himself as one of the gems of SCI but I found myself willing him to take advantage of the following he had garnered when in this final game he was attempting too much. Three times he stepped to the front and three times he stepped back waving away the line that had fallen flat, each time the audience laughed a little more. Not at the line but at his genuine-ness and willingness to try. All he had to do was step to the front once more and without saying a word, wave his hand and turn his back and he would have treated to a fervent response from an appreciative crowd.
This was Seoul City Improv’s fifth outing and I dare say at this early stage they are in a healthy position to bring cackles and guffaws to a grateful Seoul audience. They will be performing twice each month, the first Tuesday will be at Orange Tree in Haebangchon and the third Sunday will at The Electric Cat in Itaewon. Their next performance will be on the 21st of October at 8:30pm. At this stage performances are free. SCI can be contacted at seoulimprov@gmail.com
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Post 105 090507 Live Earth
check out the web site for Live Earth. A series of concerts around the globe to bring even more awareness to global warming. A look who's headlining in Sydney! A reformed Crowded House. Out-friggin-standing!!
http://www.liveearth.org/
http://www.liveearth.org/
Monday, May 07, 2007
Post 104: 070507 An Audition
On Saturday morning i made my way south of the River Han to the Express Bus Terminal Station and left via Exit 5 to walk along a busy street to find my eventual destination. The third story office off of MK Pictures. The reason for my trip, an audition for an up-coming picture.
My audition was scheduled for midday, the first of around twenty people they would be seeing. I arrived a little before 11.30am just as one of the crew was arriving to open up. The office itself is a high-ceilinged maze of smaller offices that had long since seen better days. Stacks of cannisters were piled against walls beside boxes of unknown contents. Wires ran this way and that along the floors, over stains and gound in dirt. There was little to adorn the walls save a poster in a back office proclaiming a past success. I was shown into a small space and left to learn the dialogue i had been given the day before.
I knew little about the production apart from it being a sports movie. After about 20 minutes i was ushered into a larger room where a young bloke who spoke english with a distinctive American accent greeted me.There was a single chair sitting in the center of the room and along the far wall ran a desk, behind which sat said speaker followed by the Korean who showed me in. He took up the camera and i was asked to proceed.
We began with me introducing myself, acting background as well as sports background. We then ran though a couple of short segments until it was discovered not all the dialogue was sent to the prospective actors to learn. I then moved onto a larger monologue taken from a Kurt Russell movie. I finished with monologue from The Tempest that has been sitting in my head for a couple of years. My hand was shaken, i was asked if i could be available for a weeks shooting at the beginning of July and bid farewell. Audition over. I now hungrily await their call.
My audition was scheduled for midday, the first of around twenty people they would be seeing. I arrived a little before 11.30am just as one of the crew was arriving to open up. The office itself is a high-ceilinged maze of smaller offices that had long since seen better days. Stacks of cannisters were piled against walls beside boxes of unknown contents. Wires ran this way and that along the floors, over stains and gound in dirt. There was little to adorn the walls save a poster in a back office proclaiming a past success. I was shown into a small space and left to learn the dialogue i had been given the day before.
I knew little about the production apart from it being a sports movie. After about 20 minutes i was ushered into a larger room where a young bloke who spoke english with a distinctive American accent greeted me.There was a single chair sitting in the center of the room and along the far wall ran a desk, behind which sat said speaker followed by the Korean who showed me in. He took up the camera and i was asked to proceed.
We began with me introducing myself, acting background as well as sports background. We then ran though a couple of short segments until it was discovered not all the dialogue was sent to the prospective actors to learn. I then moved onto a larger monologue taken from a Kurt Russell movie. I finished with monologue from The Tempest that has been sitting in my head for a couple of years. My hand was shaken, i was asked if i could be available for a weeks shooting at the beginning of July and bid farewell. Audition over. I now hungrily await their call.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Post 103: 020507 Dialogue Snippit
Violet: I do this to keep away from my husband.
Thomas: (Sniggering) I do this cause I'm just out of surgery.
Violet: Just kidding.
Jane: I've had 20 operations, I can relate.
Thomas: I can't relate.
Violet: Damn!
Jane: I've two bad accidents this season.
Thomas: I had a mole removed.
Jane: I take a lickin' but I keep on tickin'.
Thomas: (Sniggering) I do this cause I'm just out of surgery.
Violet: Just kidding.
Jane: I've had 20 operations, I can relate.
Thomas: I can't relate.
Violet: Damn!
Jane: I've two bad accidents this season.
Thomas: I had a mole removed.
Jane: I take a lickin' but I keep on tickin'.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Post 102: 160407 Katya
Being gone from New Zealand for so long, the biggest regret comes in not seeing your family change, grow, evolve over time. It's the events in ones life that make a person who they are. My niece is growing up so quickly and changing every day. It's these important steps that i have missed that make being away the hardest.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Post 101: Fukuoka
Well i've gone and done it. After the shit ride i've had since November I have nipped over to Japan for another working Visa so i can put myself through another year of this place. What am i thinking? To top it of i just discovered that next Thursday there is a scheduled meeting with the director of an upcoming film for casting and not as i had originally thought, a simple callback. The shit part comes because the only time the director is available for the whole week is three hours on a Thursday night when i am at work with no hope of changing either schedule. Bugger.
But anyway, i managed to see a few temples and the inside of a bar called Happy Cock, not to mention the bottom of a few glasses. It was a nice trip and certainly illustrated the difference in the two cultures. Japanese have manners!!.JPG)
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But anyway, i managed to see a few temples and the inside of a bar called Happy Cock, not to mention the bottom of a few glasses. It was a nice trip and certainly illustrated the difference in the two cultures. Japanese have manners!!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Post 100: 120307 Early Morning Walk
It's about to turn one thirty and I’ve just returned from what was to be a brief night out at The Wolfhound in Iteawon. The Wolfhound is an Irish bar hidden on one of the back roads and down a slight hill. It's the place i find myself most regularly when out drinking. It has recently been converted from a single story pub to a double, with pool table, darts board and plenty of cheap beer. The menu is very western and their Cheese Delights are to die for.
Roisin and I went there this evening to join in on Trivia Night. We arrived to late however, the bottom level was full meaning if we wanted to play it would be standing. Not thinking that was a good idea we headed upstairs to find Stephen, an ex work mate and his parents enjoying the last night of his parents holiday in this welcoming country. We found ourselves a few seats and joined them.
Since Trivia was not to be, Roisin and I played darts while we waited for the football to start. Though when it did start we paid little attention. Roisin has taken quite a shine to the darts. After Stephen and his family had left we settled in to watch the Rugby, England were playing France. We were joined by Kevin, a Texan whom Roisin became acquainted with the previous weekend.
Darts were picked up again while frequent glances were made to the projected screen. Roisin found herself cheers for England for the first time in her life. If they won then Ireland still had a chance of winning the six nations championship. As I walked past Phillies, a bar closer to where I live I managed to see the score from their big screen. England had taken the lead at 16 – 15.
It was just after the resumption of the second half that I made my exit and walked my merry and decidedly sober way home. I found myself wanting to take up a camera and document and commentate the walk from pub to doorstep. Not an exciting event I know but hopefully an insightful one for the folks back home. I desired for them to know the small details of my life in Korea. Simple things that occur every day.
I don’t have a camera so that didn’t happen but the commentary grew in my head and as I passed each object of note or place I’ve entered the experience was related. Then it occurred to me that all these small journey’s could be recreated. Much like a small project I did while at Tech of the bus journey’s I made to Tauranga to meet Louise. These small moments of time fascinate me. Boring I know to most but insightful because it is in these moments where we all live.
Anyways, now I find myself sitting on the floor of my bedroom logging on to the net via a wireless connection of a neightbours to impart the thoughts of a late night walk home.
Oh it is here I should mention that this weekend saw me attend an interview for a job I later turned down via phone as Roisin and I walked in to Iteawon and an audition for a film to begin shooting in May. The audition went well and ended with the first AD saying he would definitely be seeing me again. Hopefully that will be the case.
Roisin and I went there this evening to join in on Trivia Night. We arrived to late however, the bottom level was full meaning if we wanted to play it would be standing. Not thinking that was a good idea we headed upstairs to find Stephen, an ex work mate and his parents enjoying the last night of his parents holiday in this welcoming country. We found ourselves a few seats and joined them.
Since Trivia was not to be, Roisin and I played darts while we waited for the football to start. Though when it did start we paid little attention. Roisin has taken quite a shine to the darts. After Stephen and his family had left we settled in to watch the Rugby, England were playing France. We were joined by Kevin, a Texan whom Roisin became acquainted with the previous weekend.
Darts were picked up again while frequent glances were made to the projected screen. Roisin found herself cheers for England for the first time in her life. If they won then Ireland still had a chance of winning the six nations championship. As I walked past Phillies, a bar closer to where I live I managed to see the score from their big screen. England had taken the lead at 16 – 15.
It was just after the resumption of the second half that I made my exit and walked my merry and decidedly sober way home. I found myself wanting to take up a camera and document and commentate the walk from pub to doorstep. Not an exciting event I know but hopefully an insightful one for the folks back home. I desired for them to know the small details of my life in Korea. Simple things that occur every day.
I don’t have a camera so that didn’t happen but the commentary grew in my head and as I passed each object of note or place I’ve entered the experience was related. Then it occurred to me that all these small journey’s could be recreated. Much like a small project I did while at Tech of the bus journey’s I made to Tauranga to meet Louise. These small moments of time fascinate me. Boring I know to most but insightful because it is in these moments where we all live.
Anyways, now I find myself sitting on the floor of my bedroom logging on to the net via a wireless connection of a neightbours to impart the thoughts of a late night walk home.
Oh it is here I should mention that this weekend saw me attend an interview for a job I later turned down via phone as Roisin and I walked in to Iteawon and an audition for a film to begin shooting in May. The audition went well and ended with the first AD saying he would definitely be seeing me again. Hopefully that will be the case.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Post 99: 140207 Links to Articles
Due to popular demand, namely one young kiwi lass. Here are links to the articles so you might actually be able to read them.
The Review in the Korean Herald
The Review in the Korean Times
The Original Article in the Korean Times
Give me your feed back, tell me what you reckon, please.
The Review in the Korean Herald
The Review in the Korean Times
The Original Article in the Korean Times
Give me your feed back, tell me what you reckon, please.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Post 98: 130207 A Play in Progress
Two weeks of the show are behind us and the final week is about to begin. Today we had our second review published, this time in the Korean Herald. The reviews are sound if not a tad on the positive side but still i am less than satisfied. We haven't had the houses i had hoped for. Perhaps you could blame the weather, it is winter after all, or perhaps the location but it's only 15 minutes from western central. I can't fault the actors nor the staging itself, the actors have performed amazingly despite the month break we had in rehearsals and the venue is large and comfortable. There is the usual hassles we come across when putting on a play here, that being a lack of attention to details on the locals side of proceedings. The wiring in the theatre has let us down a few times when suddenly the projector shuts off in the middle of a clip or the channel changes without a button being pressed but these are minor things and detract little from the end result. A great performance of a solid play performed in a good theatre in a city of 10 million people. But still we can't fill a house. What is the first reason that springs to mind? I'll let you ponder that.
Check out the reviews;
Check out the reviews;
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Post 97: 300107 A Play on the Brink
A new play is about to erupt onto the stage at Hanyang University. The Play is called 'Hitchcock Blonde' and little ol' me is the director. Here's a few pics of the cast.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Post 96: A World Awy
Well look at me. Here i am back in New Zealand for a few weeks for my first kiwi xmas in four years.
It's been a crazy ol' time in recent months. Me given the shaft from the job i'd worked at for 14 months. Me calling the cops on them to mediate a few disputes. A few part time gigs to line my pockets with a little extra cash. Me fleeing the country, heading to Thailand to watch scary snake shows and even scarier shows involving razorblades. In somewhere in there a play was born and opens on the 1st of Feb 2007.
There's a bit of work to do admittedly but i think there will be a play of substance beginning its run in a theatre on the grounds of the Hanyang University. It is set for a three week run and hopefully plenty of folk will turn out to be treated to a little slice of western drama in the murky darkness of a Korean winter.
We'll see.
It's been a crazy ol' time in recent months. Me given the shaft from the job i'd worked at for 14 months. Me calling the cops on them to mediate a few disputes. A few part time gigs to line my pockets with a little extra cash. Me fleeing the country, heading to Thailand to watch scary snake shows and even scarier shows involving razorblades. In somewhere in there a play was born and opens on the 1st of Feb 2007.
There's a bit of work to do admittedly but i think there will be a play of substance beginning its run in a theatre on the grounds of the Hanyang University. It is set for a three week run and hopefully plenty of folk will turn out to be treated to a little slice of western drama in the murky darkness of a Korean winter.
We'll see.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Post 95: A Weekend Behind Us
It’s a Monday night and I sit on the eve of midnight with aching limbs and a nasty cough that gives the impression a lung might come out at any moment. But along with that there is a glow of self-satisfaction. I steal these minutes to recall the weekend. Rehearsals, I dare say, began proper. The actors were split because of the nature of the play and I worked with two at a time, I’ve scheduled an hour overlap as I want all those involved to be well aware of the others, to be acquainted with those whom they will be sharing the stage. I want it to look like a cohesive performance. There is problems with this as the time I give to each pair goes very quickly and I’m sure the actors feel like they are not getting enough but I hope they can find the time outside of the hours I’m with them to rehearse together.
Apart from rehearsals I spent Saturday evening in Seoul in the company of friends both from work and the play. It was the unofficial Halloween night as the official night falls mid week and a little hard to party on. There were parties to be hard on every corner in Iteawon but we stuck to an Irish bar called ‘Wolfhound’ which we find perfect especially after they played ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ to which some of the girls danced in their fetching costumes and ‘Psycho’ on the big screen as music bleared from every corner. The beer is fairly cheap and the vodka goes down a treat. I found a cheap hotel to stay in and went to rehearsal the next morning in the same clothes as the day before. Stinky was I and without Ren in sight. By the time I got back to the apartment I was considerably knackered. It was a good weekend and will happily be stored away for future remembrance.
I did take photos of the rehearsals but for now these shots make the blog. Amanda and Krista in costume prior to leaping up on the stage and dancing the 'Time Warp'
Apart from rehearsals I spent Saturday evening in Seoul in the company of friends both from work and the play. It was the unofficial Halloween night as the official night falls mid week and a little hard to party on. There were parties to be hard on every corner in Iteawon but we stuck to an Irish bar called ‘Wolfhound’ which we find perfect especially after they played ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ to which some of the girls danced in their fetching costumes and ‘Psycho’ on the big screen as music bleared from every corner. The beer is fairly cheap and the vodka goes down a treat. I found a cheap hotel to stay in and went to rehearsal the next morning in the same clothes as the day before. Stinky was I and without Ren in sight. By the time I got back to the apartment I was considerably knackered. It was a good weekend and will happily be stored away for future remembrance.
I did take photos of the rehearsals but for now these shots make the blog. Amanda and Krista in costume prior to leaping up on the stage and dancing the 'Time Warp'
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Post 94: 251006 After the Weekend
I do hope this is not a trend that continues throughout the rehearsal process. After arriving at the Uni a half hour early on Saturday morning and discovering one of my actors already waiting with coffee in hand I thought stupidly enough that we were up for a good weekend. That was not exactly to be.
Upon getting to the room we discovered that it was over-booked for a weekend of exams. So finding a place in the shade on a cool day we began out adventures. It wasn't long before we were chased off by the biggest cloud of gnats I've ever seen. Saturday little progress was made.
On Sunday with no room, we were forced to rehearse outside on a dismal day that quickly got worse when it started to rain. We found shelter under an outdoor stage that we were forced to share with two other groups, one with guitars and the other with highly strung voices. I felt we did actually make some head-way but it was slight compared to what we could have done.
Here's a quick little snap of the team from Sunday as we were finishing for the day. Note the unusual extra. We are hoping for sponsorship.
Upon getting to the room we discovered that it was over-booked for a weekend of exams. So finding a place in the shade on a cool day we began out adventures. It wasn't long before we were chased off by the biggest cloud of gnats I've ever seen. Saturday little progress was made.
On Sunday with no room, we were forced to rehearse outside on a dismal day that quickly got worse when it started to rain. We found shelter under an outdoor stage that we were forced to share with two other groups, one with guitars and the other with highly strung voices. I felt we did actually make some head-way but it was slight compared to what we could have done.
Here's a quick little snap of the team from Sunday as we were finishing for the day. Note the unusual extra. We are hoping for sponsorship.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Post 93: 191006 The Theatre Booked
After a night on the terps with two of my co-workers, a polished off bottle of Absolute and three hours sleep, I and a miraculously conscious co-worker made our way into Seoul to see about the theatre.
After being told that it was booked by someone else I was expecting a bit of a fight to resolve the issue and being in the state I was in knew I didn’t have the fight in me. We got there half an hour late which was amazingly well done and met Tory and his wife outside the station. We then headed to the office of the administrators of the theatre. It quickly became apparent that there was no booking and after a brief moment of confusion the dates were set and the price was given. We have a booked theatre. This is a great relief.
Our season begins on Thursday the 1st of February and runs for three weeks. For the first week we perform six times and the following two weeks we perform seven times ending on the 18th. We bump in a week before to run techs and dress rehearsals, hopefully giving us enough time to sort out any problems that will no doubt arise.
As each day passes it gets more real. Soon enough I actually believe it’s happening.
After being told that it was booked by someone else I was expecting a bit of a fight to resolve the issue and being in the state I was in knew I didn’t have the fight in me. We got there half an hour late which was amazingly well done and met Tory and his wife outside the station. We then headed to the office of the administrators of the theatre. It quickly became apparent that there was no booking and after a brief moment of confusion the dates were set and the price was given. We have a booked theatre. This is a great relief.
Our season begins on Thursday the 1st of February and runs for three weeks. For the first week we perform six times and the following two weeks we perform seven times ending on the 18th. We bump in a week before to run techs and dress rehearsals, hopefully giving us enough time to sort out any problems that will no doubt arise.
As each day passes it gets more real. Soon enough I actually believe it’s happening.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Post 92: 181006 The Trepidations
Wouldn’t it be great if things were easy? If I could set a day for rehearsal and all would come. If I could book a theatre and that would be it, no need to worry about where we are going to perform and just get on with the joys of rehearsing. If I could find the money and not have to fret over paying for posters, the theatre, the props.
Nothing is easy, I’ll have to except that at some point but it seems that it is even harder in this country than most. We had showed interest in a theatre and told the price to which we glowed. We were given a yes which we thought was a done deal but that was not to be. The theatre we wanted has now been booked on the weekends of the month we want to perform, this despite a yes and an awareness of our interest or perhaps because of our interest.
I have made the schedule for the next four months running up until the end of our performance but despite getting a confirmation that all actors would be able to give all time required it now seems I have to redo the schedule to accommodate altered desires. Not a biggy but it adds to a day that was already seeing compromises.
As for the first weekend: As of 10am on Saturday morning I had three of the five actors present. The other two had legit reasons that obviously can’t be altered so I don’t begrudge anything. I’m just hoping that this doesn’t bode for the rest of the rehearsal time. I shortened the needs of the day and three of us ended up going into Itaewon for a meal at Buddha’s Belly. This after a read through that took over two hours. It was out in the light of day, beside the smells of a bakery and occasionally swamped by the loud chatter of folk at neighbouring tables but it wasn’t all bad.
Sunday was a bust, expecting more of the same and without a full cast I decided to send the cast off on their own recognizance. A five o’clock meeting was held by the committee to make a few decisions and push things forward. Then we were in a good place, with two theatres to choose from and an enthusiasm for the task at hand. It was agreed that advertising was to take a different approach and as we’d decided on the University theatre I would see about getting a teaser poster up in the next week or so. The mock up is sitting on my computer but whether it will adorn the billboards of the Uni is a matter yet to be decided. I’m heading there tomorrow morning to see if the situation can’t be resolved. After some initial trepidation on my part to have the show performed on campus, I took a liking to the idea and now hope to remedy the booking of the theatre. Ah the joys.
Nothing is easy, I’ll have to except that at some point but it seems that it is even harder in this country than most. We had showed interest in a theatre and told the price to which we glowed. We were given a yes which we thought was a done deal but that was not to be. The theatre we wanted has now been booked on the weekends of the month we want to perform, this despite a yes and an awareness of our interest or perhaps because of our interest.
I have made the schedule for the next four months running up until the end of our performance but despite getting a confirmation that all actors would be able to give all time required it now seems I have to redo the schedule to accommodate altered desires. Not a biggy but it adds to a day that was already seeing compromises.
As for the first weekend: As of 10am on Saturday morning I had three of the five actors present. The other two had legit reasons that obviously can’t be altered so I don’t begrudge anything. I’m just hoping that this doesn’t bode for the rest of the rehearsal time. I shortened the needs of the day and three of us ended up going into Itaewon for a meal at Buddha’s Belly. This after a read through that took over two hours. It was out in the light of day, beside the smells of a bakery and occasionally swamped by the loud chatter of folk at neighbouring tables but it wasn’t all bad.
Sunday was a bust, expecting more of the same and without a full cast I decided to send the cast off on their own recognizance. A five o’clock meeting was held by the committee to make a few decisions and push things forward. Then we were in a good place, with two theatres to choose from and an enthusiasm for the task at hand. It was agreed that advertising was to take a different approach and as we’d decided on the University theatre I would see about getting a teaser poster up in the next week or so. The mock up is sitting on my computer but whether it will adorn the billboards of the Uni is a matter yet to be decided. I’m heading there tomorrow morning to see if the situation can’t be resolved. After some initial trepidation on my part to have the show performed on campus, I took a liking to the idea and now hope to remedy the booking of the theatre. Ah the joys.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Post 91: 131006 The Cast
The play is cast. After much deliberation and fretting over the rights and wrongs of each decision I came to my final cast list. I was told by some to suck it up and just do it but that's a simple thing and i'm a wimp when it comes to telling people 'No'. But now it's done and as of tomorrow morning we begin our rehearsals.
There are seven characters in total in this play but two of them appear only in film and do not tread the boards as such. I will most likely cast that in New Zealand as I have easier access to the equipment I need to make it.
The five who will be jumping through hoops and busting their hump over the next few months with be-
Matt as Hitch
Amanda as The Blonde
Thomas as Husband
Krista as Jennifer
Gef as Alex
During rehearsals I will bring a camera and will take notes on each days progress so you, like our own little soap opera, you will get to know these characters.
There are seven characters in total in this play but two of them appear only in film and do not tread the boards as such. I will most likely cast that in New Zealand as I have easier access to the equipment I need to make it.
The five who will be jumping through hoops and busting their hump over the next few months with be-
Matt as Hitch
Amanda as The Blonde
Thomas as Husband
Krista as Jennifer
Gef as Alex
During rehearsals I will bring a camera and will take notes on each days progress so you, like our own little soap opera, you will get to know these characters.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Post 90: 111006 Sokcho & Seoraksan
Last week in South Korea was Chusok. I don’t know a lot about Chusok apart from that it’s a national holiday and we get plenty of days off work. They call it the Korean thanksgiving, taking place at harvest time and involves dancing, games and giving thanks to the ancestors.
For me it was a time to get away from the apartment and head to the coast, climb a mountain and check out some distant temples. I went to a town called Sokcho, a kind of beach resort town on the east coast. We were fortunate to be given a room in a swanky hotel with commanding views of the nearby mountains and the ripe yellow rice fields surrounding us.
I’m not overly impressed with Koreans attention to details, like when we get into our room we find food on the balcony from the previous tenants, an air conditioning unit that doesn’t work and no mini bar. Okay so the mini bar I can do without but the details are what make a place, something the local tourist trade is yet to master. Oh and it s good idea to stay away from the taxi’s. They say their prices are Seoul prices after midnight but paying extortionate prices for a ten minute taxi ride in the middle of a weekday afternoon put me in a sour mood.
Sokcho itself boasted an expo a few years back, the site of which can still be visited and a central tower scaled and a great view of the harbor enjoyed. Right next to that is the IMAX theatre which they seldom use apart from the odd booking so a group can watch a DVD. If there’s only a few interested in watching a film then they wont open it so I’m guessing the locals have lost interest.
Right in downtown there is a very impressive market, larger than the one in my current hometown. As you’d imagine for a seaside town, there is plenty of fish in every shape and size and many other sea dwelling edible stuffs lining stalls and flopping in dirty tanks.
The main reason to go to this particular town however is its proximity to the Soraksan National Park. Inside which are a network of walkways, temples, a gigantic Buddha statue, restaurants at every altitude, mountains in their rugged beauty and the mass of sumptuous trees that cover them. Not to mention the squirrels at every turn.
We spent several hours exploring the slightly less than congested walkways and made our goal a temple cave where outside sits a several ton boulder that the locals delight in wobbling with constant shoving. We’d hoped to take a cable car up to another mountain but by the time we went to get out tickets there was a several hour queue and the day was already getting too long.
As a signifier to the pleasure found in our time in Sokcho, I enjoyed the drive back to Uijeongbu just as much as my time there. It was an enjoyable drive.
For me it was a time to get away from the apartment and head to the coast, climb a mountain and check out some distant temples. I went to a town called Sokcho, a kind of beach resort town on the east coast. We were fortunate to be given a room in a swanky hotel with commanding views of the nearby mountains and the ripe yellow rice fields surrounding us.
I’m not overly impressed with Koreans attention to details, like when we get into our room we find food on the balcony from the previous tenants, an air conditioning unit that doesn’t work and no mini bar. Okay so the mini bar I can do without but the details are what make a place, something the local tourist trade is yet to master. Oh and it s good idea to stay away from the taxi’s. They say their prices are Seoul prices after midnight but paying extortionate prices for a ten minute taxi ride in the middle of a weekday afternoon put me in a sour mood.
Sokcho itself boasted an expo a few years back, the site of which can still be visited and a central tower scaled and a great view of the harbor enjoyed. Right next to that is the IMAX theatre which they seldom use apart from the odd booking so a group can watch a DVD. If there’s only a few interested in watching a film then they wont open it so I’m guessing the locals have lost interest.
Right in downtown there is a very impressive market, larger than the one in my current hometown. As you’d imagine for a seaside town, there is plenty of fish in every shape and size and many other sea dwelling edible stuffs lining stalls and flopping in dirty tanks.
The main reason to go to this particular town however is its proximity to the Soraksan National Park. Inside which are a network of walkways, temples, a gigantic Buddha statue, restaurants at every altitude, mountains in their rugged beauty and the mass of sumptuous trees that cover them. Not to mention the squirrels at every turn.
We spent several hours exploring the slightly less than congested walkways and made our goal a temple cave where outside sits a several ton boulder that the locals delight in wobbling with constant shoving. We’d hoped to take a cable car up to another mountain but by the time we went to get out tickets there was a several hour queue and the day was already getting too long.
As a signifier to the pleasure found in our time in Sokcho, I enjoyed the drive back to Uijeongbu just as much as my time there. It was an enjoyable drive.
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