New Zealand Documentaries

At one of the LFS events I went to whilst in London, I got to chatting with a woman who lectures in Documentary Film at a University in Wales. She was not familiar with any New Zealand documentaries or documentary filmmakers. So I wrote a list for her to look up:

*(yes, Docudramas, but I’m including them.)

and, for fun, Forgotten Silver, dir. Peter Jackson and Costa Botes; a film I would recommend it to any film buff for a good giggle.

 

 

 

There must have been more great documentaries that I missed. If you were asked to sum up New Zealand Documentary Filmmaking to someone unfamiliar with it, which films would you have listed? Which filmmakers?

I nearly shared my favourite documentary with her. However, knowing that the documentary was only available at the NZ Film Archive, and there was no way for her to see it, I didn’t list it. However, today, NZ On Screen announced that it is available in its entirety on their website. The film is Patu!, directed by Merata Mita. I am so excited that I can now watch the film again, and can share it with others. Please go to nzonscreen to watch it.

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LFS: ‘Deep End’, Editing Q+A

I’m currently in London, visiting the bf. I got onto the mailing list for the London Film School before I left, on the off-chance that I could get along to a workshop or seminar or lecture while I’m here. Fortunately they’re running a series of Q+As, and I can make a couple of them.

The topic was Editing. It was a screening of ‘Deep End‘ (1970, dir. Jerzy Skolimowski). The editor, Barrie Vince, was on hand afterwards for the Q+A.

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Darling Bullets

This morning I got to be an extra on my friend Phil’s short, Darling Bullets. He’s doing it as part of his Honours Film Production course. Everyone in the world has a gun, which the female protagonist challenges. If you get to see it, I’m in a crane shot before the cafe scene. Pretty cool.

Script Development Workshop

Today I went to a Script Development Workshop run by the NZ Film Commission and the NZ Writer’s Guild at the NZ Film Archive.

Steve Barr talked about Assessment and taking notes, and later went into Loglines. Kathryn Burnett spoke about Rewriting, giving exercises for responding to assessment in rewriting, and later went into Synopses.  Kath Athukata-Brown, a Script Executive at the NZFC spoke about changes in funding at the NZFC (in the Writer Development Loan, the Early Development Fund, and the Advanced Development Loan), and later went into Treatments.

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NEW Beginner’s Bellydance Classes – KELBURN

I am very pleased to announce that I will be teaching a Beginner’s Bellydance class at the Victoria University Rec Centre in trimester 2.

You do not need to be a current student or member of the Rec Centre to take part in these classes.

Classes will be held Wednesdays, 4-5pm. The first 6 week block starts on Weds 13 July and runs to Weds 17 August.

No experience is necessary. All are welcome.

Costs are $10 per class, or $54 for all 6 classes, paid at the first class. CDs with music from the class will be available for $5.

There is a Facebook invite here, with further details. If you are unable to RSVP on the event page, please contact me to let me know if you are coming.

On another dance related note, I am currently arranging a hafla for the Sirroco Middle Eastern Dancers. The hafla is a wonderful opportunity for our Advanced and Beginners Classes to perform. I hope to have a venue confirmed soon, and we are looking at a date in late August. The hafla will include performances from other local dance groups (who will be announced once they are 100% confirmed). Current students, friends, and family will be invited to the event.

Sirocco Costumes

Ladies, here are some directions on harem pants

The latter also has a tip on a body stocking.
If you’re going to wear a body stocking, it would be made out of a black sheer fabric.

The flare wrap tops are on TradeMe if you don’t want to make one. Links are here.

Further links on Bellydance costuming can be found at these sites:

Hope this helps.
Patricia

Saint Punch is over

This has been one of those periods where I’m too busy to keep the blog up-to-date.

I’ve just finished ‘Saint Punch‘, my friend Gregor’s Masters project. It is an intertextual play with puppetry, Comedia Dell’Arte Carnivale stage work, and live mixed green screen. The story has 3 vignettes: Gilles de Rey and Jeanne D’Arc (Joan of Arc); Bluebeard and Judith; Punch and Judy. The 4 performances were from Wednesday 08 to Saturday 11 June at Old Drama House, 93 KP.

I was doing the Sound Design for the play. It was my first experience doing tech for theatre. I’m sure most sound designers for plays don’t get into it as organically as I did, as I was involved from Gregor’s first workshop. For that I am extremely thankful.

It was lovely working with the cast and crew. I’ll see if I can pilfer some photos to put up here.

On another note, I was an extra in a short film this weekend: ‘Lovebloom’, directed by Daniel Gonzalez. I got to be a party-goer. I must admit I’ve only read the first 10 pages of the script, so I’m really looking forward to the final product.

Right, enough of that. I’ve got to get to the Victoria 300-level FILM Production screening this evening, where my friend Amy’s film is being screened.

MadBadBobby: Or How I Learned To Stop Trolling And Love Jesus

The V 48 hour Film Competition is over for another year. I was in The Jump Cuts, a team who have been running for a few years now. I’d worked with a few of the team on other projects, but none of them for the 48.  

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This Film Is A Dog

Just quickly, Stuff is having a NZ Short Film Festival, where you can see top quality New Zealand short films. Short Films rarely have a market, so this is a wonderful way for filmmakers to gain an audience and for the public to see where NZFC money is going.

Today’s short is ‘This Film Is A Dog’, which is one of my favourite NZ Short Films of all time.

Watch it here.