I made it!

Actually, no... I didn't even have time to enter the competition with all the work I've been doing with Paper Cranes and private videos and playing with the 7D. Nevertheless, I hope to have something for the next festivals coming up.... (Though, I've heard that one before!) But, congratulations to the following 14 finalists of the Bondi Short Film Festival!

“Triple Concert in D Minor” - Writer/Director/Contact: Daniel Mitchell Rebecca had always wanted to play her beloved triangle with an orchestra, when the national youth orchestra are in town holding auditions, Rebecca has the chance to make her everlasting dream come true.

“Fences” - Director/Contact: Tim Dean Writer: Chris Corbett A young boy discovers that the world is more complicated than he ever imagined.

“Hamburger Eyes” - Director/Contact: Nick Fogarty A short Documentary, shot on 16 mm film, made about the photographers that put together the black and white photo zube “Hamburger Eyes” – A magazine published tri-annually in San Francisco and captures pictorial history of both the intimate and iconic moments of everyday life.

The Bucks Party - Production Administrator/Contact: Kathy Wheatley Director: Mike Hoath Aaron doesn’t like to see his old mate Tim as often as he’d like to these days, so when it comes as no real surprise when Aaron discovers that Tim has asked Dave, a bloke he works with, to be the best man at his upcoming wedding. Ever the loyal friend, Aaron shrugs off any small feelings of jealousy he might harbor and commits instead to a night of partying and drunken celebrations with his mate for his bucks party. But that night Aaron discovers something about the best man that could well and truly derail the marriage before it even starts, and has to then question his own motives before deciding what to do with the information.

"Swings and Roundabouts” - Producer/Contact: Nic Halliwell Director/Writer: Anna Mcgrath It’s hard to find love, especially when you’re not even looking for it. Through a chance encounter, Ian and Flora give each other an excuse to smile...

"Frances and Annie" - Director/Contact: Genevieve Clay When a young woman drops by to greet her new neighbours, her preconceptions of who is responsible for a horrendous tragedy hinges on a face and a note...

“Post This!” - Producer/Contact: Tara Foster Director: Paul Slater/Writers: Chris Byrnes, Tara Foster, Natalie Long/ Megan O’Dore/Anthony Roth/Celeste Dodwell/Lee Jones/Duncan Fellows SCI-FI writer Jim Gordon loses his creativity after his best mate’s girlfriend moves in. So what will Jim do to get his creativity and best mate back.

“The Bubbleologist” - Production Administrator/Contact: Kathy Wheatley Director: Oyvind Opshaug/ Writer: Kazmir Sas What is Bubbleology? Bubbleology is an exciting new, cutting edge study into the creation of bubbles. Since making the discovery in his teens, Andrew Suttar (aka Doctor Froth) has since taken his findings to audiences of children and adults alike through Perth, across Australia and around the world, spreading the gospel of bubble through an enthralling mix of science and theater. Be mesmerized as the Bubbleologist contorts an assortment of custom made bubble wands to create his very own brand of bubble art. Over time, his art has become a philosophy and Andrew believes that a bubble is more than just a bubble. The bubble-ologist is a visual poem about a high school science project, which became a passion, which became a passion, which became…something else…Is there more to the humble bubble than we first thought?

“JerryCan” - Producer/Contact: Stuart Parkyn Director/Writer: Julius Avery Five bored kids with nothing to do decide to blow something up. Paper, scissors, rocks seals the fate of Nathan, who risks everything after he is bullied into making a life and death decision.

“My Girlfriend Jim” – Director: Damian Mclindon Producer: Ariel Jim will do anything to dodge his chores.

“Fokkers Mountain Path” - Writer/Director/Contact: Luhsun Tan The true story of a civilian’s clandestine account of a disappearing colonial world as his life ends in a Japanese POW camp.

“Sunrise” - Platon Theodoris When their mother leaves them for the work and cash of a cucumber farm, 9 year old Chim is forced to quit school in order to care for his two younger sisters.

“Driven” - Director/Contact: Taylor Age Litton-Strain Driven explores the conflicted expectations of today’s parents. Juggling work and fractured family relationships, it is the child who bears the unexpected consequences of his father’s frustrations...

“Close Distance” - Contact: Ruth Saunders Director: Richard Vilensky Producer: Cecilia Ritchie Isaac Levi goes to collect his son from soccer one night only to find he’s been violently beaten. His search for vengeance leads him beyond his own sheltered world and into the streets of Islamic Sydney.

I'm pretty boned that I can't make it to the screening on 28th November 2009 at the Bondi Pavillion. But hopefully, one of Silver Kottage's correspondents will be attending to give me a review of how the event and films are.

Having shot HD Video footage with the Canon 5D MK2, I was instantly pulled into the possibility of replacing HDV cameras with Video capable DSLRs as the main camera to film shorts and music videos.The main advantage of the DSLR compared to HDV cameras is that for me to obtain the same flexibility of different depth of fields, it would require me to use a 35mm adapter. And 35mm adapters don't come cheap, they start at $3000!

Canon 7D. Putting video cameras to shame.

And with the announcement of the Canon 7D on the 1st September, it seems that my wish was granted. With the ability to shoot 24p, 25p, 30p, 50p and 60p in 1080 full HD, this is the ultimate Video DSLR that you can get. Better yet, this camera is cheaper than the Canon 5D Mk2 or any 35mm adapters.

I can't wait to start shooting when my new camera arrives in 3-5 days or so. In the meantime, I just have to watch more Canon 7D examples and see what lenses they've been using.

Dublin's People: Canon 7d 24p from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.Philip Bloom was one of the first people in the world to get to use the Canon 7D. This short piece was shot with a preproduction version of the camera, but as you can see, the image is fantastic!

Canon 7D movie - Another night in Beijing from Dan Chung on Vimeo.Then on the day the official Canon 7D came out, Dan Chung from China puts up footage like this!I hope I can place up some footage soon when I get my camera.

So those punk ass Hollywood kiddos wanna touch my stuff eh?

The last time I caught up with the news about the rebooting of Bruce Lee projects were a while ago. So what I'm writing now might be obsolete. It might be a good thing, or a bad thing. Actually, this subject might already have been commented upon by KOZO of LoveHkFilm... damn you Kozo! It's great that more Asian actors are getting into the American/International industry, but really... remakes? What I'm refering to are the remakes of The Green Hornet and Enter the Dragon. I've never seen The Green Hornet, but reading a wiki about it, it seems like the usual caped crusader fare. But instead of getting Christopher Nolan to direct, we get Seth Rogen as director and lead actor. Stephen Chow was optioned to Direct and play Kato, but now he's stepped back as producer (I think).

Make a break for it before they ruin our legacy.

I'm guessing The Green Hornet is going to be a comedy film, similar to Get Smart. The latest news I read was that Taiwan's Prince of Pop, Jay Chou will be helming the role of Kato. Made famous by Bruce Lee in the one season TV serial and starred the son of Charlie Chan in the film series.

I've always wanted to be Bruce Lee. All I drink is water too!

Getting Jay is all fine, but I do have one question... can Jay speak English? I already have a hard time listening to him speaking in Cantonese, (dubbed over by himself in Hong Kong movies) so would he redubb himself in English? Sort of like what Jackie Chan did with his old movies?

These are flowers from my fansee, I'm the original Bruce Lee successor.

From one side of Asia to another, we have Rain rumoured to be playing Bruce's role in Enter the Dragon. A movie about a Shaolin monk/fighter that goes to a mysterious island for some Mortal Kombat action. Unlike The Green Hornet, I'm guessing that Enter the Dragon will be a bloody mess. So much blood that it will make Han look like a character straight out of a Frank Miller comic book instead.

You have dishonoured me... you have dishonoured my family... now you DIE a BLOODY and FIREY and STABEY DEATH!

For one, I am with the fanboys that say Hollywood should not be remaking films. Let the originals stay up on the mantelpiece in dignity. But on the other hand, I think it's a good re-imagining of material. Young viewers will most likely not get to watch the films of yesteryear, unless they're film students or suddenly want to be a film blogger.

I'm guessing The Tumbler won't be used as the Black Beauty in the remake...

So the only way for them to get interest in watching classics is to watch a rehashed version (hopefully not garbaged up) and then get the urge to rent/buy the oldies. That reminds me, I better go get a copy of Casablanca and Schindler's List while I work on my Asian six pack.

None of these two guys are even Honky like Bruce. tsk tsk.