Brian Eno's Music For Airports

This was exactly what I was looking for with regards to my new film ideas. Ambient music.

The Power of the Visual

"The simplest way to communicate a story is just visually."

- Sofia Coppola on her style in recent Golden Lion winner SOMEWHERE

Iguazu Waterfall from 'Happy Together'

The Iguazu Waterfall scene from Wong Kar-Wai's Happy Together.

This waterfall, so precisely placed in the film as what I feel is a symbol of the two leading characters' relationship - mesmerising, of great depths, to lose one's self. This shot follows a moment in the film where the two characters, Ho Po-Wing and Lai Yiu-Fai take a road trip in search for the Iguazu waterfall. Their trip comes to a halt, and we see one of them walk away from the car. "Where are you going?" says Ho, as he remains with the car, a map spread out before him. The characters stand next to a busy highway, abandoning their car and map. Cars and trucks go by in haste as their relationship grows further and further apart.

What a great, great film.

"Like a sad machine, dying"

This is a beautiful track from the soundtrack of Synecdoche, New York. I am a real sucker for piano solos like this. The electronic sounds in the background turn the track into a whole different experience for me. They 'sparkle' as if to say everything moves beautifully, in one way or another.

Starting Fresh

As I have been revisiting my thesis film in the cutting room, I've started writing down some ideas for another short film I'd like to make. Rather than making something for contention in a festival, I really want to make a short film just for the sake of making one - and, of course, because I love making films and want to continue making films long after film school.

Music has always been a strong driving force in terms of what inspires my work. The stylistic approach for my thesis film "This Is Not Poetry" was partly inspired by Jon Brion's "Theme" from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The short film "Night" which I shot as a storyboard for the thesis film was inspired by Carter Burwell's "Lost Fur" from the soundtrack of Where The Wild Things Are. These tracks, to me, feel like mini-ballads. At 2-3 minutes long, they feel like short films themselves, like fragments of a much bigger story.

My next projects will be similar to the approach I took with "Night". 2-3 minute shorts, or 'fragments' that may, or may not grow into a bigger picture. Firstly, this could probably be the only way to get me right back into making lots of films at a regular (if not, more often than 'never') basis. And secondly, it puts the idea of 'making a film is as easy as you say it is' into action. And I believe it.

I'll end this post peacefully with the opening scene of Paranoid Park, which features a great track by Ethan Rose - "Song One". I need this soundtrack so badly.

The Art of the Last-Minute Panic

Calvin knows exactly how it's done.

Thesis Character Reference: Justin

The lead character of my thesis film "This Is Not Poetry".

Justin, 19
A young man out of school, and madly in love with a young girl in his lit class. He wants nothing more than to be with her, but does nothing more than dream and write about her. He is quiet, introverted and loves writing poetry. Writing is a talent of his.

The overall look of Justin has been inspired by my youngest cousin. I simply can't imagine anyone else than my cousin to play the role of Justin, but alas - restrictions, restrictions being that he is currently in Melbourne completing his IB course at school. I remembered he found his Doppelganger, a very accurate match with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. To me, he has a type of sullen look in his eyes. I love the humbleness he emits, and I think this would be key in the characteristics of my main character Justin.

I liked JGL in 500 Days of Summer, and could probably relate some of my film's concepts to it (including character similarities). I have heard some interesting things about Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin and intend to watch it some time soon for character references.

Now, to find someone who possesses just that!