September 2009 Archives
Vote here:
https://200years.auspost.com.au/#/bicentenary/200seconds/featuredvideos/166
More info at:
http://www.screenrights.org/about/filmcomp.php
Four Schoolies T Shirts will go to those who can produce the best work in the following Categories:
1: Best Monster Student Design - Will be the 6th monster in the Schoolies Class group (After the 4 Main Characters and Ophidia)
2: Best 'Normal' Student Design - 5 Normal Students will be needed for the class.
3: Best Schoolies Wallpaper / Halloween / Christmas Card - featuring any of the main Characters, this can be animated
4: Best Premise for Schoolies Episode - 1 Paragraph outline
Any Submissions should be sent to spottyjunglecat@gmail.com with "SCHOOLIES COMP" in the title by Friday 9 October 2009.
Art Style Guidelines can be found here
Remember simplicity and nice straight or neat curves. Don't make your characters too wide.
Follow the progress of the 'Schoolies' team
Last week, hopeful young kids with stars in their eyes packed the FTI hall
waiting for their chance to grab a part in the OOMPF funded short film 'Fire
with Fire' (produced by Ethan Marrell and directed by Julia Negow).
Usually when a funded film asks for some audition space, FTI is like "sure
go nuts!" But I have never seen such a turnout before so this lead me to 5
questions with Ethan Marrell.....
YC: Can you tell me a little
about the film, Fire with Fire?
EM: It's a story about Jemima Smiley
and how she must fight the power at her new school, Shockand Awe Primary. A
comedic tale of academic corruption, mass manipulation, stressed out teachers,
and downright bullying. The first draft was completed in March, it gained OOMPF
funding in June, a final revision is nearly done, and we are shooting in early
October. T-minus one month away!
YC: So I saw you in here auditioning for
two nights last week. How many people did you meet and can you tell me how you
drummed up so much interest?
EM: Over 2 nights Julia Ngeow
(director) and myself met close to 100 people (equaling just under 8 hours of
footage). Predominately kids, predominately girls going for the role of Jemima.
That role had the most interest and was the most competitive.
I advertised with a variety of drama academies, youth theatre groups, acting
schools etc etc. It was Barking Gecko that got the ball rolling for me. They
don't really run any kids acting classes anymore, but gave me a list of places
to try. Helen O'grady's, Film Bites, Stagecoach, Stargate, Frog Management, Ali
Roberts Studio, and Actors Now were among the most helpful. Also the website
theatre.asn.au and the FTI bulletin board are good places to advertise.
I think word of mouth spread as well. As I made an A4 poster for some of these
drama academies to hand out, there were people who contacted me who simply said
they'd heard about it through a friend. I also had no quarrels about giving the
script to...Everyone. I had to knock back 30 plus people who contacted me in
the last couple of days leading up to the auditions. The last person I knocked
back was yesterday, almost one week AFTER the auditions. I would've liked to
give everyone a go, but I suppose this isn't Star Wars Episode 1, we can't
spend a year searching for Anikan Skywalker.
YC: I even had people trying to call me
to get an audition after the event, and I heard you had someone call your home
phone? How did it get so crazy?
EM: Hey, people calling you isn't such a bad thing. I saw a lot of folks
walking out with FTI pamphlets and parents saying 'I never knew this place was
here!' I bet your upcoming youth workshops will sell out big time, so it was
some good promotion for FTI also, in which case, you guys should give me some
more money for the film ; )
YC: Nice try Ethan...
EM: Noooo, it wasn't crazy at all.
Everyone who's been interested in the film was a pleasure to meet. As far as
the home phone event, that was my mums private number (never advertised in A4
posters...or anywhere...in the world), and she got the call after a 10 hour
working day...and hadn't had a chance to eat yet...and was perhaps a little
edgy. Enough said.
Not too crazy. Although, there is a weird static sound on my mobile phone when
I'm talking on it, I think the line is bugged!
YC: So have you cast the roles yet?
We have cast all the roles except Jemima. Being the most competitive it's
taking a little longer and involves more discussions. We may do a call back for
it, or we may talk it out. We're in recess for a couple of days.
YC: Can you give any other producer's
advice for the casting process?
I can give advice for the whole of pre-production. Keep on Truckin'
On Wednesday 26 August, finalists from WA battled it out in the FTI Cinema to compete nationally at the SPAA Fringe conference in Sydney, with a contribution for flights and accommodation to the value of $1,250.
Judges: Graeme Sward, Susie Campbell & Robyn Kershaw
Tasha Stephenson