HEAVEN ON EARTH?

I get a great number of emails asking me where to buy casting, molding and sculpting products and tools as well as SFX supplies, so, in case you haven’t heard, there is a fabulous new place open in Woolloongabba that sells everything you need.

The company is ‘Barnes’ and they have been around since 1986 and they've been growing ever since, now they are in Brisbane!

If you need anything for casting, molding, sculpting and special effects this is a “must visit” place!

My dear friend Kym Sainsbury is there to assist you with all your enquiries and because she has been a prosthetics guru for 20 odd years in the Film Industry she knows her stuff.

There are also future plans for Kym to hold workshops on many aspects of casting and mold making. Learn from the master!!!

You will also get to meet my fabulous Dad who works there as well.

Make sure you say a big hello from me.

Trust me – go there, you’ll think you’re in heaven…

All the products are a really excellent price and you will get all the advice you need to use them.

But take your credit card because you’ll end up spending big time!

Visit the Barnes website for more info.

JUST FOR THE RECORD

A film producer is someone who selects a screenplay, initiating the process of film making. They oversee the entire process including coordinating, supervising and controlling matters such as fund-raising, hiring key personnel such as the film director, other producers involved on production, line producer, accountant and they arrange avenues for the films distribution.

They also advise and control creating the scenes and conditions for making movies. The producer is totally involved throughout all phases of the filmmaking process from development to completion of a project.

I have worked with a number of Producers over the years and I accept that this role is one which requires hard work and dedication – most of the Producers I have worked with have been pretty much on top of their game and I would gladly work with them again.

Unfortunately though, there is one “Producer” I have worked with recently who shall remain anonymous that was completely delusional in thinking that they were able to refer to themselves as a Producer.

This person has worked on other projects and has been demoted and even fired from most of them because of their inability to come through with the promises they made, straight up lies and deceit, theft from the production budget and apparent attempts at sabotage.

The whole project, the cast and crew were all put in highly dangerous and stressful situations due to this person simply not doing their job and when anyone attempted to resolve these situations they were met with complacency and denial.

Currently, there are Chinese whispers being spread about the shoot and certain people who worked on it and I would ask anyone who hears such rumours to take them with a grain of salt as it is just this persons attempt at covering their footprints.

If you ever wish to know the truth about people then go to the source and don’t listen to any he said she said rubbish.

I will never work this person again and I will make certain that whenever their name is mentioned I will inform those who need to know about their ongoing blunders.

If you are hired to work on a gig make sure you do some research into the person who is hiring you and have a very strict contract signed prior to any work being initiated.

PRE PRODUCTION OR PREMATURE PRODUCTION

To all the independent, low budget filmmakers, Directors and Producers out there please understand that in order to have your production run smoothly and look great you need to allocate a decent amount of time for pre production.
There is a reason why major films are in pre production for months and months prior to the commencement of principle photography and this is because when you do eventually begin filming you don’t have time to even scratch your arse let alone organise requirements for the film.
This growing trend of thinking that you can pull a film together in a week or two is not only incorrect but it is immature and mindless.
Remember, the Industry has been around for a lot longer than half of you have been alive and there is always a good reason as to why things are done a certain way – usually it’s because it has been tried and tested and it works.
The more time you allow for pre production, the better your film will be.
I know it’s hard for you to control your excitement when funding comes through and you really want to get your project out there but most of us need at least 3- 4 months to order materials from overseas and have them delivered.
In my case, because it is not just a simple fact of hiring equipment at the last minute, I actually have to design and make all of the prosthetics, hair, makeups and SFX props for the entire film – they don’t just magically appear from 'mystical makeup world' and because I am too busy during the shoot applying these items to humans I do not have enough time to continue making them on set nor do I have the facilities to do so.
So, before you venture onto your next project, please be courteous and respectful enough to realise that there is a lot of hard work that goes into making your project look good and allow enough reasonable time for us to do our jobs effectively.
Oh and while your at it, maybe try to understand that we don’t just start work on day 1 of the shoot, usually we have started work on the film months in advance and we should be paid accordingly for this.
Just a thought. ;)

IF THE SHOE FITS...

As I had predetermined, there has been a bit of a back lash from my last post.
This is to be expected as it is a very fragile topic which creates a lot of “passionate” reaction.
While most people who have commented on the post have been in agreement with it and have sent their kudos to me for saying what is on everyone's minds, there have been some people who still cannot see the error of their own ways.
If you are one of the people who were completely outraged by the post then I suggest you attempt to discover why this has affected you so negatively and others so positively.
This is something that only you can do and it will probably take you some time and research in order to resolve it.
You can make a start by visiting the government website for the arts and viewing the latest submissions regarding the recent review of the Australian Independent Screen Sector, you can find them here.
Some of these submissions are from individuals and companies who are well known and viable resources in the Industry and if you have any consideration you will be heart broken at what they have to say about the current state of the Industry and what they have had to endure.
These are your Seniors and you should be listening to what they have to say – it's called respect.
Of course there will be those of you who simply do not care and only care about yourselves, to you I say, “The Industry that you are working towards getting into will no longer be there when it comes to your time to shine. If you don't start being more considerate of what is happening and your involvement in it's future then you are not going to have the chance to work in it.”
Please try to understand that the majority of talented and professional people who work in this Industry are no longer going to tolerate professional lacklustre and the demise of their Industry due to the select few who simply cannot, or refuse to, understand.
To anyone who has taken the last post to heart I sincerely apologise, I was very careful not to mention any names so if you feel as though you have been “outed” then please realise that it is you that have “outed” yourself by reacting the way you have.
There is a massive change happening at the moment, you have the choice to be a part of that change or be left behind continuing on a broken path.

ANNOYED AND KEEPING IT REAL

I have to write this because if I don't I'm going to explode so please excuse me for being rude and arrogant but someone has to say this.
There are so many people out there at the moment who are claiming to be 'Directors' and 'Producers' that, put simply, are complete idiots.
All they do is whine about how crap everything is and that they can't get any support or government funding so they have to resort to acting like complete dick heads. Blah Blah Blah.
Get over yourselves! You are not even a zit on a real Directors/Producers arse.
You think that you can ask me to work for no money or deferred payment (which never happens) in substandard conditions and live in a shanty town on set where I have to bunk up with smelly wankers because we can't have a decent shower, I have to live on bloody 'subway' for weeks and take a dump in the nearest public restroom.
Get it together you pack of losers!
Just because you are living in a fantasy world of making pretentious little films for no money that are never going to be released and acting as though it's like a fun little school camp, doesn't mean you are in any way going to compete with real films, with real budgets and real professionals involved.
I had one little producer tell me that “Until the government is going to fund his little genre flicks that he has two options, one, to keep pushing shit up a hill or two, get a 9 – 5 job and wait until some viable opportunity comes his way”.
Well sweetheart,
1.The government will give you funding the day you prove to them that you have a commercially viable project – not some half arsed amateur art house crap which nobody wants to see.
2.Until such time you are definitely only “pushing shit up a hill” and you should refer to yourself as a “shit pusher”.
3.Instead of waiting for a viable opportunity to come your way how about you use your supposed creative intellect and entrepreneurial skills to create one yourself and maybe think that a 9 – 5 job is your answer to any money woes.
(Or how about you actually complete the two films you have already shot, sell them, pay the money you are owing to cast and crew then do it again and again until you actually have some decent capital.)
I had another silly little part time “producer” tell me that “the Australian Film Industry is only a cottage Industry and that until it changes there is nothing she can do”. She also said that “she supports the Industry the best way she can by allowing people the opportunity to showcase their skills”.
What a f%@#ing joke!!
The reason this Industry is this way, is because of complacent little users like you.
Try making the change yourself by acting like a professional and treating other professionals with respect and paying them what they deserve.
You are not supporting the Industry by using slave labour and you are not showcasing their skills if you are producing amateur crap that is only going to end up half edited and collecting dust in the Directors cupboard.
No wonder the Australian Film Industry is absolute bull shit at the moment with angry little wankers like this at the helm.

Big breath...

...calm blue ocean...

There, I said it.

I feel better now. :)

DEFERRED PAYMENT

Any one who has been reading my blog may have noticed how I feel about performing unpaid work – I think I have made it pretty clear.
However, I have not really discussed deferred payments.
Deferred payment is definitely an option for you and basically it means that instead of being paid a weekly rate per week to perform work on a film you keep record of all hours worked and once the film has been completed you are paid the money which is owing to you.
Seems like a simple concept doesn't it?
But, there seems to be a lot of very confused producers out there though, either that or they're simply dodgy, as I have been handed contracts which do not abide by the rules outlined by the 'Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance of Australia'.
You see, in order to offer deferred payments you have to apply for permission to do so and even if you are granted the right to offer this type of compensation there are many laws which govern your actions.
So that everyone is well aware of their rights and responsibilities I have included a link to the document that lists these details.
For anyone who has performed work on a deferred payment deal you may be shocked at what you read and for anyone thinking of entering into a deferred payment deal please keep a record of this document so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Here is the link,

Low/No Budget

BEND IT

I thought I would write a quick entry about something which I thought most Makeup Artists already did.
However, I have only realised lately, through people commenting on it all the time that not many seem to be aware of this or use this technique.
When I apply mascara to a client I always use disposable mascara wands for hygiene reasons but then I bend the brush so that it is at a 45 degree angle to the handle.
This makes it so much easier to apply the mascara without creating a mess and/or poking the person in the eye.
You may already know this but I just figured I’d mention it for those who don’t.