justin_guber - @ 20six.co.uk

The Cast & Crew Screening: CNY meets KFC

So it was, I decided (for some odd reason) to have the cast & crew screening on the first day of Chinese New Year, thinking I'll screen the Seattle cut and possibly spend the Saturday putting together a blooper reel.

Then I watched the Seattle cut. More sound problems. For some reason some of the dialogue tracks got pushed a smidgen and some of the fades no longer faded into each other, making very abrupt cuts in sound. So I spent Saturday night fixing all these little problems, re-rendering the cut, then attempting, once again, to burn the fucker to DVD. As before, this took me many tries, the computer all the while crashing, but finally, it got to it.

By now it was Sunday and I went to pick-up my girlfriend to hang out with her for a bit before preparing everything for the screening. I asked everyone to come around 7:30pm. About 4 of the cast & crew members couldn't make it, but everyone else could. In fact, everyone else wanted to bring a friend. Or three. In the end I had a guest list of 30 people. Originally I was going to cook some pasta for these people but in the end I figured two barrels of fried chicken would go down better.

Anyway, my girlfriend and I had a quick bite at Penang Mari, bought some paper plates and drinks and made our way back home. The DVD finished burning at around 6:30pm, I slotted it in and... oh, fuck.

The chapters were in the wrong order.

Fuck fuck fuck.

I quickly went about setting up another DVD to burn and after a few tries it started transcoding the files at around 7:00pm.

That's when the first of the many guests arrived.

Hoping everyone would turn up late, I prayed that the DVD would burn properly. As the guests started coming, Tony came over with the projector and we set about preparing everything for the screening. To test it out I put on 'Lost Boys', which kept everyone inside occupied for a while whilst those outside chit-chatted throughout, a lot of the people I'd invited hadn't seen each other for some time.

Diana went out and bought the chicken and some snacks whilst I stressed over the DVD. 8:30pm rolled around and the computer said there was only 15 minutes left. Thank God. I announced to everyone that the screening would be starting soon then ate some chicken. Fifteen minutes later I checked the computer. It said there was only 15 minutes lef... hang on.

Oh.

Oh, fuck-a-doodle-do.

There was no way I was going to leave these guys waiting another two hours, so I figured maybe I could program the chapter list on the DVD player. Yeah. That'll work! I called everyone in and started off with a little speech that went something like this:

"Err... thank you all for coming. I... I really don't think I need to talk about how much work's been put into this and I'd just like to thank everyone involved in making this dream of mine come true: thank you so much. Oh, and if anyone has any negative comments or didn't like the movie do me a favour and shut the fuck up after the screening. Now I'm going upstairs to play 'Soul Reaver'."

No, I didn't go upstairs to play 'Soul Reaver'. Although I was very tempted.

I played the disc and re-programming the chapters didn't work, so I had to put on the Seattle cut. Great. I sat in the corner, tense as fuck, watching everyone's reaction.

And I think they liked it.

They laughed in all the right places (and some of the wrong places too, but that's ok, I'll take what I can get) and not just a snigger or a giggle, I mean huge laugh-out-loud laughs. And when the highlight of the action sequence played out everybody started applauding which made me feel very warm inside.

The strange thing is not enough of these reactions registered as I was so frickin' tired so my mind is, for some reason, still dubious as to whether or not people enjoyed it.

After the screening everyone came up to congratulate me (more warm feelings in my tummy) and, apart from a few mistakes in one or two of the cuts or exposure pointed out by some, the overall reaction was incredibly positive.

Which was nice.

Though tired, dehydrated and near death, it all turned out alright on the night. I'd like to thank all those that came, it was great to see you all in one place and thanks for the positive comments and feedback. I couldn't have done it without you guys.

Now I gotta figure out the main press & publicity screening. I've got a couple ideas as to where to screen it but I'm not too sure. One thought was to have it at the HELP auditorium since my last two short films premiered there. Another thought was to have it at Paul's Place (might be cool, very lo-fi, something new for the arty-farty-literati's) and the ultimate was to just rent out the digital screening theatre at GSC (mind on overdrive, here).

Anyone else out there got any ideas?

Oh, and in case some of you are wondering, anyone who reads this blog gets a free invite. Noonch.

1.2.06 06:02

Permalink / 2 Comment(s) / Comment

Port Dickson: random ramblings

Written at 6:43pm, 30th of January at the Port Dickson Yacht Club
Ten minutes ago I was digging a hole in the sand.
Just diggin'.
It all started when my mom called. We were at the Port Dickson Yacht Club (where I was fulfiling my duties as a good son by spending time with my family) and I had just pinched a loaf when my mother rang.
"I need you to come down to the beach to watch over Hizrin (my brother) whilst I go copy a recipe in the library."
Fair enough. Moments later I was stood at the shore of the beach watching my brother swim under the watchful eye of our housemaid. A few minutes passed and I hesistantly sat down. I wasn't dressed for the beach and the thought of sand riding up my crotch and infilitrating my Vans made me very careful about the whole affair. After a while, I decided to dig a hole.
First I used my hands, carefully at first, so as to not get sand under my nails. After a while I didn't give a fuck and just kept digging. And digging and digging.
Then I noticed my brother's sand-toys.
Using his 'scand scooper' (as opposed to a shovel. Why didn't my parents buy him a toy shovel?) I started scooping sand, non-stop. Just scooping and digging and watching the hole get deeper and scooping and digging some more.
And, strangely, it was the most relaxing activity I'd done in a long time.
After months of trying to finish the movie, this simple act of digging felt incredibly euphoric. Time stood still. Everything else around me was meaningless. All my worries, all my doubts, the noise of surf and the children playing, the heat, the glare of the sun as it set before me, none of this mattered.
The only thing that mattered was the hole.
I wish I could describe exactly how it felt - Meditative? Satisfying? - or why I was digging the damn thing in the first place, but I can't put my finger on it. Was I looking for something? Did I expect to find something special hidden underneath all this moist sand? BUrried treasure? A Turner seascape? Or perhaps a new idea? Inspiration?
Whatever I might have been looking for I never found it. My mother came over to tag me out and I went to the club house. As I walked away all my 'sand-concerns' popped up again and I walked carefully over the soft white as the sun set behind me and a club sandwich awaited my arrival.
Strange. When you've stressed yourself out over a project to the minutest detail the most mundane activities are the most refreshing.

2.2.06 14:14

Permalink / Comment

What's new?

(Nothing much, really.)

So what have I been doin' since the screening?

Well, for starters, I fulfilled some of my 'good son' duties by following my parents to Port Dickson (a port in Negeri Sembilan named after a dude called Dickson who had no hair on his head but quite a bit on his chin). Then I slept like a bear, played some Soul Reaver, tried my darndest to burn a proper copy of Ciplak on DVD for me to view, crashed the computer a couple more times, then finally figured out a way to burn it in less than half an hour.

Less than half-a-fucking-hour. Fuck. Should have updated to Nero 7 sooner.

And today I've bought me an external 200GB hard drive. Did you know the difference between a 120GB hard drive and 200GB hard drive is less than 70 bucks? I shit you not. Crazy. Now I can back-up 'Ciplak' and spend the weekend concentrating on Liang's music vid, which we shoot the rest of tomorrow.

It'll also be the first time I'll be using a dolly track, which will either be very interesting or very infuriating. Or both. We'll soon see.

...shit. That's all I gotta write about? Ah, well... your loss. Not mine.

2.2.06 14:20

Permalink / Comment

Premiere?

Ok. So I got half a coffee to finish and no cigarettes and I'm downloading Love Me Butch's new music video (which is quite kick-ass) so I've gotta do something whilst I'm on-line.

So I've decided to write about my current dillema concerning my feature length movie, Ciplak:

Anyone got any ideas on how to screen this fucker for the premiere?

I think I posted about this before, but I thought I'd bring a bit more light onto it: what should I do? Where should I do it? What would be cool? What wouldn't be? What are the legal implications involved?

Main reason I want to get the premiere done, more than anything, is to get some press on the fucker. Get enough press on the fucker and the fucker may have a better chance of actually getting a rating (although many have stated that it doesn't look likely due to the subject content, but one can try).

So, yeah. Holla back with comments. Please.

2.2.06 14:30

Permalink / Comment

The Screening Question

After a couple of days with no replies (and I notice my comments section is rather empty, so I assume either none of you had an idea or you only read my blog when you're in the office and it's been a rather long holiday) I finally got some replies from the people I sent e-mails to.

First off, it seems like I should be able to screen my film at the HELP auditorium, which would be pretty cool. The only thing is the dude that handles all that (Mr. Wong Tuck Cheong) is at a film festival overseas and won't be back till the 20th, so I can only start going through it with him then.

Secondly, James Lee sent me a very helpful e-mail detailing all the different ways to get a movie screened which helped me figure out my options a lot clearer.

There was also an e-mail suggesting I show it at the cinemas near Pertama Complex, but I don't think they do digital.

My thought process right now is going something like this: the first option would be to have the movie screened at HELP first, with entry by donation, and use these screenings to get some publicity as well as use the setting as a way to screen it to production companies, cinema owners and people on the board of censorship. Then use the publicity to give it some recognition, attempt to get a rating and try and rope in some money for a cinema screening.

Another possibility would be to have a private press/promo screening first for publicity so that when it's screening at HELP there's already some info on it in magazines, then try and get into the cinemas.

Questions questions questions. By screening it at HELP I can get away with the whole censorship issue, but (and no offence to HELP) nothing beats a cinema.

Then again, my movie isn't exactly cinematic.

5.2.06 11:41

Permalink / 4 Comment(s) / Comment

The FedEx Saga Continues...

My anger with FedEx has returned.

I'm supposed to receive a miniDV tape from the States for the rap parts of Liang's music video. The good news is the tape's in the country.

The bad news is it's at customs to go through censorship checks by FINAS.

What the fuck?

FedEx called me up to inform me of this. The jackass told me that all video's, regardless of format, have to be checked for censorship before entering the country. So if your brother sent you a video of his new born baby from Prague, it would have to undergo a number of censorship checks.

It also seems to me that this only happens when you use FedEx.

When I used UPS, they asked specific details about my package and could still guarantee, video or not, that it would arrive on the day I wanted it to arrive and no later (and it did).

When Saj sent me the miniDV tape for 'Ciplak' (which could easily be construed as being for commercial use) it arrived when it was meant to arrive and I got no calls from the courier service (who I unfortunately can't remember) about customs.

When I called FedEx to send my DVD to a film festival in the States, they said they weren't sure of when it could arrive due to the customs issue. I find it a gross incompetence on their part for neglecting to inform the person sending me the tape from the States about the whole customs thing and for not advising him the best way of ensuring the tape arrives in Malaysia without a glitch.

And here's the most annoying part: the fucker on the other end of the phone, the FedEx guy? Dig this: he laughed. I told him I thought it was stupid that a personal video is stuck in customs and he laughed.

And I have his name. Two strikes already. Three strikes and I'm fucking him up.

7.2.06 03:57

Permalink / 3 Comment(s) / Comment

Liang's first version of the music video is done. Tony came to pick up the tapes for transfer today and by this weekend it'll probably air on Hitz.TV. I'll ask the dude whether I can have pemission to post it up for a week or something. The final cut I did last night was probably the best one so far (the first cut was poorly paced, the second had a split-screen thing going that was mighty confusing, the third had a back-forth-flashback storyline which confused a bit too).

I say 'first version' because we're still waiting for the New York footage, which is still in customs (dammit). The guy that shot the footage is at the New York Film Academy, which makes me rather the jealous bunny.

'Ciplak' wise, I'm probably gonna start working on that again over the weekend, fixing little bits of sound that still bug me, adding one or two close-ups and cutaways I think I have. Who knows, maybe even re-shoot some pick-ups (I hope not). Promo-wise, I e-mailed one of the PR chicks in the office (kinda looks like Halle Berry at some angles) about getting her advice on the best way to get press coverage. I know she's read the e-mail, but she hasn't replied yet.

Shite. That reminds me. Must update the Ciplak website and fix up the poster.

Oh, shiite. For some reason writing all that reminded me I have to pay my Citibank bills today.

Bollocks. Way to ruin the day.

8.2.06 03:36

Permalink / 2 Comment(s) / Comment

Tales from the Pantry

Since I tendered my resignation and the news became public, a lot of people have been coming up to me about it, asking when's my last day, and they all seem to have the same question, comment and congratulation. I just noticed this when someone came up to me whilst I was making coffee in the pantry (although I didn't understand her at first due to the health snack bar she was chewing).
Here's a typical scenario. I've split some of the bits into multiple choice answers depending on the type of colleague who's asking:

COLLEAGUE
(whispering)
Hey, dude/you/hot stuff... I heard the news. When's your last day?
JUSTIN GUBER
27th of March, man/buddy/chica.
COLLEAGUE
Aww... such a shame/pity/tragedy. The company's gonna lose a good/talented/astonishingly gorgeous man. Why are you leaving?
JUSTIN GUBER
Going into production, starting my own company.
COLLEAGUE
Oh, wow! That's so cool/entrepreneurial/sexy! No wonder you're not sticking around. Best of luck/good for you/I want your babies.

Ok. So the third choices are all made up, but they could happen...
The point is, everyone at first says how much of a loss it is that I'm leaving, probably assuming I'm going to another agency, then when they hear I'm going into business they suddenly change expression entirely and are incredibly supportive (except for one dude). It's been happening so much I now have two questions in my head:
1. How good was my work here? Is everyone saying it's a loss that I'm leaving to be nice or did I actually do some good work here? Because I can't shake the feeling I'm not cut out for this industry.
2. Why does everyone suddenly light up when I say I'm going into business? Are they again just being nice or does it reflect some hidden desire inside them to break the shackles of bosses and run their own thang?
Food for thought. I'm gonna go see if I can make all the third options in the dialogue above happen. Cue thumping bassline...

8.2.06 03:54

Permalink / 2 Comment(s) / Comment

When's the last time you saw Sharon Stone fuck?

Seriously. When.
Remember back in the day when a Sharon Stone film guaranteed fucking? It was a given, the same way a Jean Claude Van Damme movie guaranteed a close up shot of his Brussel-muscle ass, a Kevin Smith flick guaranteed a reference to masturbation and a Jenna Haze DVD guaranteed a messy facial.
Even when Sharon blew everybody's expectations by putting on a strong performance alongside De Niro and Pesci in Casino, she still fucked in that movie. It's nothing against Sharon, I like Sharon, and I reckon she fucks on screen with the best of them.
Then something happened. She stopped fucking. Just plain stopped. In her last movie, facial skin cream gave her superhuman strength for fucks sake (and it still wasn't enough to defeat Halle Berry's ghetto-bootyskank).
When I heard there was a Basic Instinct 2, my first assumptions were highly negative. "Oh, great," I thought, "she's gone so far down the ladder she has to resurrect the franchise that got her famous" (after all, everyone's doing it. Stallone's bringing back Rocky and Rambo).
Then I saw this footage from Basic Instinct 2 and I remembered why we all took notice of good ol' Sharon Stone in the first place.
Because, even at her age, she still looks hot, still looks seductive and still fucks like nobodies business on screen. After years of watching porn starlets take it up every orifice with that look in their eyes they try to hide that says "I need the money" (although there are exceptions), watching the Stone hump was indeed a thing of glory. I'm not saying this movie's gonna be good. I really don't know. I seriously doubt it. But watching that footage just reminded me how good that woman looks and how good she can make sex look (when, in actuality, it's just two naked people flopping about like fish on land). Thank you, Sharon. Thank you so very, very much.
The male lead has nowhere near the screen presence of Douglas, though.

8.2.06 09:09

Permalink / 2 Comment(s) / Comment

Smooth

Last night I passed over all the music videos I'd done (Liang, Dragon Red and Y2k) on DigiBeta for submission to Hitz.TV. I really hope all three get passed through. Having three music videos I directed on air at the same time would be great for my portfolio. The only thing I need now is more clients.

Also went over cash flow projections for the music studio I'm building up with Hermano Grande. Not too bad. If we can clock in an average of 50 hours a week we'll cover costs and be able to pay ourselves a decent salary (come to my studio when it opens! Mesa Boogie amps! MESA BOOGIE!).

Also might be able to screen 'Ciplak' to the public in a rather fancy venue. No details yet 'cos it's still a 'might'. Will keep thee informed.

So yeah. It's all going smoothly.

I think.

...

MESA BOOGIE! BOOGIE OOGIE WOOGIE!

9.2.06 03:43

Permalink / 1 Comment(s) / Comment

[next page]