focusonfilm’s posterous

Well, there it is, seven locations and as many shooting days later,  we have finally wrapped AnA. 

I have to say that it seems to be the same every time.  We think it is impossible, but it always, always turns out to BE possible.  What i liked the most about today- apart from the fact that we shot in two locations that were as good as any professional location scout could have come up with- was that by the end of the shoot, the kids had gelled into one.  Sandy, from a local school, is best buddies with Alina from an international school.  The two of them were chatting away like hens in Mandarin all day.  Venus, a local school girl, chided the girls who didn't want to pick up the heavy equipment and spoke up for Ben when the girl's complained that he wasn't helping them to straighten up after the shoot:  "well, you always ask him to carry the bags so don't expect him to also do the washing up".  In the end, they all carried all the equipment and they all did the straightening up.

I am hoping that all we have shot will cut together properly and that we can convey the story.  I am mostly hoping that the story that is there will be acceptable to the sponsors.  It is always a fine line between empowering the kids to do their own work and guiding them to do a) something that looks good and b) something that the people providing the money will accept.

I have offered to log the footage and get an assembly edit ready for them over the holidays.  Normally i would get them to do this, but the timing of the shoots and workshops is such that it wil be best if i get it done now while they have their break.  Besides, i want a really good idea of what is there.  And even though i was at every shoot, there is no knowledge of a piece like an editors knowledge of a piece.  I am and will always be a director/editor.

In every workshop there is one or two kids that rise to the top.  The ones to watch.  The ones that we pick as the next potential film makers.  In my group there are three.  Vanessa- camera woman for sure, Ben- also camera, perhaps lighting and Alina- producing.  They each have a real touch for the department and all are having a great time.  They absorb what you tell them with understanding and are looking for more input as soon as you finish.  They need more experience and i hope we will be able to give it to them.

What i am always amazed at though is the fact that in spite of enthusiasm, in spite of classes and workshops, in spite of all their good intentions... if you leave them too long to work at their own pace, they falter and get off track.  Each instructor finds this to be the case, no matter what language or what the level of talent.  It seems that a galvanizing element, a guide factor, is essential to the completion of the projects, even of shots and scenes on the set or on location.  We all have to be ready, at the end of the shot, to evaluate if there is indeed enough footage to work with to make a story and figure out how to shoot something quickly that will cover as many options as possible. 

It is like a game of strategy.  In the end, the shoots are more exhausting then a shoot of our own, because we have to contantly re think the strategy.  When shooting for ourselves, we have all the layers to consider at all times, but in these shoots we have to add the layer of teaching, guiding, letting them make the mistakes and calculating which mistakes can be aborbed and which ones corrected.

So now i'm off for Chinese New Year and a break... finally a break.  I am going to sleep for a few days.  And then i will attack the footage and hopefully, hopefully find a little gem of a film hiding under all that data.

Pick up shots today... and after more than five days of shooting even i am getting tired of the project!!!!!

I have to find a way to motivate the kids.  Jac and i were talking.....  in an extended shoot like this it is extremely hard to keep the kids focussed.  It is hard to keep a PRO crew focussed under these conditions...

Truly our camps work the best, with all on task for five straight days and no breaks.  But our problem in Hong Kong is the parents.  They dont yet see the benefit of sending kids to shoot for five straight days. 

This is our next challenge actually.... the parents.  Time to raise awareness of all the skills this program brings to kids, for their life and for their future careers.

Okay, ferry docking, i'll blog after the shoot.  I have made a new year's resolution to blog more

and blog i shall!!!

love that word:  blog

I would so like to be posting more about this program... but it is taking up so much time there IS not time to write.

We have had countless meetings with groups and shot many more days for each then we had anticipated....  I guess the scripts were just beefier than we anticipated, and the mix of kids and the timing in their school work is a tough one to manage.  This we knew.  Our original time line worked much better.  But we soldier on, we soldier on.

In hind site and i think we will all agree that the extended time for the workshops is better BUT the spread out shooting schedule does not work.  It is too difficult to keep the kids on task and motivated.  There is just too much work.  It works better when the shoots are telescoped into an intensive immersion.  So much easier to keep things flowing.

Billy's group is now up and running in a good direction- make up and how it realates to economic self reliance of women.  When we brianstormed these two topics (one what THEY wanted to talk about and the other what the Women's Foundation wanted to talk about) we found a connection!!!!

Jac has been very ill but still shooting with her very very green group.  The footage is sweet.

Me: after shooting three times over the holidays (including New Year's Day) we are still only HALF way through:

Yesterday we shot some exteriors on the kids workshops.  They were unbelievably unprepared.  I tell you  - you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink.  Damage control kicked in and we salvaged some shots.
Then it was on the the 'sound stage' (it is really a black box theatre) and the kids first experience with lighting and managing a real interior from scratch.  Art Director didnt know what hit her, lighting designer turned around and around himself until it started clicking... and we all had a blast.  Today we shoot the scene they set with adult actors i have arranged and a makeup artist and the whole she bang.
What i loved the most about yesterday is after about two hours of having them kind of stare at me blankly with that 'now what do we do' look they fell into the groove and really began working in that wholy unique creative collaboative mode that is so holy.  So unique.  So what the planet needs.

Opps, gotta go, ferry is docked

More in week i hope

It's been a while since i posted.  Here's the program update:

my group:  A Girl's Experiment..   Two script writers have produced the bones and ideas for a script that has the potential to be great.  We are talking strong arresting images, a challenge to shoot.  They discussed mixing media, raised the possibility of shooting in film to separate the scenes shot in 'reality' and the scenes shot in the 'dream' of the young girl suffering from anorexia.

If only we had the funding for film!!!  With a little more advanced notice (like, oh, six or seven months....) i MAY have been able to find extra funding for a super 8 cam or 16 mm and a little bit of film processing.  As it stands, we shoot in two weeks!!!  Oh, and they are all putting their hands in their pockets for the set and costumes.  Each kid is putting 100 hkd into a kitty.  Bless these kids!!!  Makes all the extra teaching and shooting worth it somehow.

Isaac, this group's director, is wonderful.  Very talented and patient.  The script writers:  Laura and Sandy, one a saavy expat daughter of a film maker and the other a shy local girl work, beautifully together.  Alina, the producer, is better than me!  She just needs more experience and look out world!!!  An issue they are dealing with, aside from the massively ambitious film they have scripted that will take six days to shoot instead of the budgetted one day, is the issue of swearing words in the script.  Isaac is arguing to take out the curses.  The girls are arguing to keep them in.  Let's see what they come up with.  I'll let it go for a while.   I tend to want their script to echo reality, but Isaac's point of wanting to get the film out there and viewed by the maximum number of students in order to raise awareness on the topics the film addresses is a strong strong one.

jac's groups:  A Girl's Narrative

So, jac has the 'local' group.  We thought the cantonese speaker Billy would be the one to take this group, but we opted to put Jac with them.  This group just 'gelled' with Jac.  And i have the videos to proove it!!!  12 year old Hugo wanted to produce and in spite of some reservations we let him.  The script has just come down the pipe line and it is a cute little gem on gender sterotyping:  straight up!  In the candy cane story, a boy who didnt have a mother weds a girl who didnt have a father.  In their new home, the woman takes on the 'role' of the man and the man takes on the 'role' of the woman.  He cooks and keeps house and she is out making the money.  Gotta love these kids!!!!

And there is another break through:  Graeme, the 'bad' local  boy who barely spoke up for himself and almost didnt come on program cause his friend didnt make it.  The one i fought for tooth and nail because i had this inkling, this feeling there might be something there ....  This boy full of apathy and attitude has fallen in love.  And it is with the camera!!!

In one workshop Jac felt he was too passive and non responsive.  He wasn't even sitting with the group and seemed distant and angry.  We decided to let him take the camera home with him for a week, to get to know it and to have alone time, with no pressure, to try things out.  The problem was, when we told him, he didnt WANT the camera.  There was this pause.  In silence we looked at him.  I'm thinking:  Does he understand us?  We take the time to explain slowly what he will be doing with the camera, that it is just to have time to play with it.... he still says no, digging his heels in.  Then jac and i look at each other and without speaking make a decision.  We both decided in that moment that Graeme was nervous and shy about having the camera, he thought he couldnt do it, that he wasnt capable and he couldnt express that.  I look back at him and say:  "Well, whether you like it or not, you are taking the camera home, you are going to shoot at least ten minutes of tape and you are going to bring the camera back to us in one piece... or i will kill you.  Jac, he is all yours..."  And the Jac took an extra half hour, just for him to tech him AGAIN on the camera.  A one on one that i bet has changed his life.

Since that day, he has stayed in touch with Jac, meeting twice outside of class.  She viewed the footage he shot the other day on another separate meet and pronouced it 'very good'.  She told him his framing was good, his hand held steady and she told him he had an 'eye' for filmmaking.  He was soooooo  stoked that he reported it all to his english teacher at his school.  The teacher reported back to us that he went EVERYWHERE with the camera for a week, pulling it around behind him in it's shiny metal case like a favorite pet.

Then there is Billy's princesses. 

A Girl's Documentary.  This is the older group.  They have started shooting and Billy, in spite of being on set himself these past two weeks, has met with them twice outside of workshop times. Once helped them out after a sixteen hour day on set and two hours of sleep!   I have to say, i feel out of touch with this group. I also feel they are not topically centered enough.  There is something too superficiel about the work so far.  Billy agrees and we will start to crack down on them now.  As they are shooting the documentary we have a bit more leeway to bring them around.

Well that is all the news that's fit to print.  More photos and videos next time around.

Check out the three facebook groups: 

• A Girl's Life Group B

• Focus on Film:  Experimental

• A Girl's Life (Group C)

and our facebook group

• FOCUS ON FILM
  

If anyone out there has any resourses they think they can add to our program, please do not hesitate to let us know!!

A Tai Po classroom white board days after Elissa's visit and talk about the A Girl's Life Program

classroom of teacher Tanya Hart

So the launch hosted sixty five short listed applicants.  The age range was from 11 to 21.  There were boys and girls alike, english speaking and cantonese speakers combined.  All the kids showed up and all excitedly stayed, listened to the speakers, did the workshops and eagerly waited to be interviewed.  The inteviews lasted wellpast the dealdine of eight pm.

Dr Mike Yao introduced the subject of gender steretyping simply and eloquently.  Barbara Wong spoke brilliantly about how she had to 'act' like a man to be included with the other all male directors around her.  Lindsey McAlister spoke about sticking to your vision no matter what. 

Terence Yin showed up as a big surprise and some of the kids excitedly recognized him.  He offered to participate in the workshops we conducted on film making.

We broke the kids into three excited groups after the talks and each group got a camera and decided what to shoot and within fifteen minutes were organized into a mini shoot.  One group had Barabara Wong and one had Terence as 'talent'.  Imagine, you are a young teenager and in your first expereience on a film set you get to direct your heart throb?!?  The atmosphere was electric!

Feed back from the kids and teachers and guests on the day:

"i was impressed you have celebrities involved"  (applicant- 17 years old)

"i liked the talk on genderstereotyping, i learned a lot"  (applicant- 11 yeard old)

"we should do this for adults"  (facilitator)

"extremely impressive turnout' (sponsor)

"it was a pleasure to come and very informative... no trouble at all, let us know what you do in the future so we can support it..." (teacher)

"... you and Jacqueline are very good, let me know if i can be of any more help..."  (guest speaker)

".. pleasure was mine, what you are doing is very important to the film industry...'  (surprise guest)

"... what you are doing with the kids is fantastic..."  (guest)

Here is some feedback from before the LAUNCH from a very devoted teacher.  Very interesting to hear her comments on the the run up to trying to get her kids involved in the application process.  The teacher is commenting on the amount of time she has already spent in simply pointing her students to the website, talking about the program in her classroom,  organizing the kids to come hear me speak at the school, overseeing and collecting their application forms, faxing the application forms for the kids, and accompanying them to the launch...  she is ready to throw in the towel and the kids haven't even been selected yet!

Interesting to note that she and the group she was bringing in to the launch got there well after all the workshops and barely made it into the interview room on time.  They put their names on a scrap piece of paper that was almost lost during deliberation and finally, two of the emails that were provided were incorrect.

In spite of all of this, and in spite of the initial low level of enthusiasm and expressive skills, two of her students were chosen to join the program. 

--- On Fri, 10/24/08, >>>>>  wrote:
From: >
Subject: tanya is having a stress-out
To: "elissa rosati" <elissarosati@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, October 24, 2008, 9:33 AM

Here's what's stressing me out. Honestly, if you weren't my friend, 

I'd have given up by now.

Time: Four hours is too long. Though we are unlikely to get there  
before 5 or 5.30pm anyway.


TArget Audience: I really don't think the launch setup is well  
designed for the students it's supposed to target. Or the teachers, as  
once I factor in travel to-from tai po, it's really a 7 hour excursion  
on a friday afternoon. and then i go home to Kam tin, i'll be home by  
11pm. Think about how YOU would react if someone said 'this won't  
require much from your end' and then sprung 7 or 8 hours at the end of  
your exhausting week and said it was compulsory. (it wasn't in the  
initial info).

Having a publicity event with VIPs - for whom? Kids won't care, i  
don't care. There's not enough understanding or commitment from the  
school to have a school VIP there. Maybe at the end when they've done  
something, you could get the principal along. Maybe if it gets press  
and the school gets mentioned, that will be useful. Maybe.

As for the kids, they are ALREADY intimidated about doing
 something  
different. Something softer and nearer and shorter would be more  
attractive to them.  If this launch is really long and tiring and  
takes them away from studying, their parents are going to pull them  
out from the rest of the program.

One parent already called me to make sure i'll bring his kid all the  
way home and supervise it fully, and still, if it's interfering with  
her schoolwork, she'll pull out (i'm not sure if she's in or out
yet).  
She's the very very quiet Winnie. The only girl i've managed to  
(maybe) get. Actually, I was very happy that her dad called.

The kids who have expressed a willingness to participate are all the  
good-est kids. That means the ones with attentive parents and who want  
to do well at school. The tough funky kids who don't care too much  
about exams said 'no way'. So school-interference is going to be an  
issue.



gotta
 run!

love ya!

tan. 

Here is my response:

Excellent feed back!  The 'vip's' are designed for the kids... people
working in the field that are kid friendly.  The launch is for them
first, press observing. VIP brings the press in and we are also trying
to get more 'celebs' in which in the end will attract the kids to come
all on their own i reckon!

The venue is the only centrally located one..  central got chosen cause kids from everywhere.

Teachers really dont have to come.....!  So NOT compulsory for the teachers to come!

Some parents are coming, only a few teachers are coming.

I
would havelooking into arranging interns to 'escort' kids into the city
if i had known more about this problem before.  Some teachers are
working it into a class or an outing they are , i assume, paid for.

I dont know what else to say Tan..... I am sorry you feel put out!!  I LOVE
 the work you do and your energy and commitment with the kids.

If
it helps at all- we are NOT getting paid, none of my people are, fI am
not, no one is... for the launch which is turning into a hell of a lot
of work for us.  No, scratch that.... a shit load of work.  The small
sum that fof is getting from the budget doesnt come near to covering my
costs and i am not even beginning to count my man hours.  I am still
working for free!  Whee! 

So maybe you can think of this as your
contribution to a charity you believe in?  I dont know... i am trying
to help one of the most motivated and energetic individuals i know to
want to stay that way!



Oh, kids will get a small snack.  We know
about the time issue.  They will be done by 8 pm.  Venue wont let us
serve so it was a problem


So, i am sorry....   We have to select the kids this
time, not enough money for an outreach to the actual schools, although
your email will help with ammunition to go and GET that funding.



Thanks for everything Tanya!

love

e

The ferry is pulling away from the pier and I’m thinking again of the blog… how exactly to put into words scattered thoughts:  launch, commitment, inspiration …..  I want to blog about the program, how I just explained to my crew that I was elated and at the same time embarrassed this weekend.  Elated because the launch went so beautifully.  There we were, doing what we always do:  pull it out, make it work, get passionate and get involved.  I think this team could get people excited about shucking corn.  Jac was telling me about being on set recently and the director told her what great energy she had.  Beautiful jac, with her balkiness and her low self esteem.  Talented jac with her creativity and deep sensitivity.  Jac who has no qualms getting hands dirty and getting all nerdy with the tech geeks. 
And newbie Billy who wants to quit filmmaking today but will be back at it tomorrow:  guaranteed.

That’s the way it is, right?  Chasing vision, creating, fighting to express yourself, trying to know yourself…
 
The launch went well.  So why was I also embarrassed? I kept seeing past the successes to the lack of funding.  Kept seeing a brilliant team once again working for free. All the admin, all the proselytizing, all the grass roots rah-rahing, all the marking and short listing and launching and work-shopping up to this point… none of it funded.  Producing the films we will create has been funded of course, although we did need roughly the double to run the program.  It was my decision to go ahead with half.   So there we were, putting in the love for free, once again, cause we love it.
I wish most sponsors could see, really see the work that goes into one of these programs. 
But of course, most sponsors don’t really get intimately involved in the programs they fund.
This sponsor is a kind and caring one.  A sponsor that gives as good as it gets, a sponsor that rolls up its sleeves and digs their hands in. 
For us, the work hasn’t even started yet and we have already burned the midnight oil arguing about kids who’s apathy levels jump off the Richter scale.  Fighting to keep them on program, to give the right kid a chance…
Finally, last night, the finalist acceptance letters were sent out.  I am anticipating a ten to fifteen percent drop out rate.  Let’s see if i am right. 

Thirty five kids made the finals.  Three groups: 
•    The “mature film makers” (or the ‘manure’ film makers as Billy jokes- my hand writing is appalling!)  This is a group of 17 to 21 year olds who have a clear vision of what they want to achieve on the program and have extensive experience in the field.  They will be in charge of producing a Documentary.  And we will expect it to be brilliant.  I will push this group way out of their comfort zone.
•    The Middle Group .  These are a group of 15 to 17 year olds who are savvy and open.  Mixed local and western, who have experience in the field.  I am looking for a synergy in the local and international school kids here.  I will give them the experimental film.  I am looking for something new here.  Something that only Hong Kong, with its special flavor and cultural mélange, can produce.
•    The Middle Group:  Local and outer city kids.  This group is the question mark group.  A group of mostly local kids.  Mostly Cantonese speakers.  A group that has not shown us yet what they are capable of.  This group will get the narrative.  They will have the most hands on guidance, the most teaching, the most looking after.  I don’t know what this group will produce and probably neither do they! 
•    Then we have created the Little one’s group.  This is a special and rare egg basket of sparklers ages 11 to 13.  We have decided to include them on program, but in special task groups.  They will come on the workshops and learn filmmaking and will be assigned special roles on shoots.  I am really looking forward to managing this group of exceptional students.

A lot of work went in to starting this work.  Let’s see where this journey takes us.