DogTown South Africa Episode 1

A kind of language trailer

New respect for DOP's the world over

Have just finished DOP duties on Mad Cow for Mikes Rix and Wright and after ten days of 12-16 hours a day am truly shattered. I think the film has some marketing potential but the main thing I've learnt on this shoot is that it's near impossible to shoot a feature film single cam over a ten day period, the schedule is just too gruelling, fun and creative as it was, after the 12 hour mark your body just starts to shut down, but the experience was an awesome one :)

Also, this project was in my humble opinion a little too ambitious for its very meager budget, this wasn't low budget film-making it was no budget film-making and what Mike Rix, his brother and the rest of the crew pulled off on a shoestring deserves applause and a sale at Cannes to say the very least, let's hope this time that fortune favours the brave 'cos these boys were brave and fearless warriors fighting against the clock.

Also both our leads had incredible comic timing and their performances certainly caught me by surprise, full kudos to Tanya and Greg, they came to the party and played hard.

Good Luck boys.

DISTRICT 9 JOHANNESBURG PREMIERE

HAVE DECIDED TO FINALLY SHOOT INDIE HORROR

Am busy scripting as I write this, will try and start shooting by January/February 2010 - shoot for 20 odd days then post the shit out of it. Want to shoot a trailer first to try and get some kind of funding - any ideas?

SA'S GOT TALENT STARTS SHOOTING

Well it's started and the footage from the pre-auditions has started to roll in. DUe to contractual reasons I'm obviously not allowed to go into any details but I must say it looks like we're gonna have a hell of a show.

Thank the Gods we have 2 seasoned vets as presenters (who shall remain nameless) and from the bit of footage I've scoured through so far I must say it looks like South Africa does indeed have talent.

Great turnouts at Cape Town and Durban and so I'm told in Johannesburg today as well.

Now if only we could get someone of the magnitude of Simon Cowell to do a guest appearance on the show - it will explode.

Will reveal more if and when I'm allowed to.

The Ultimate Cinema Complex

My friends out there will be pleased to know that my faith in movie-going has been restored. Too often in the last four or so years when I've decided to get my lazy arse to a cinema the experience has been a bad one, a tirade of insults being hurled by myself at a restless "far too young" audience, a scratchy second hand film print that looks like it's been resurrected from a New York Grindhouse circa 1972, sound quality that a 12inch black and white portable Tv could easily duplicate - well I think you get it - generally unpleasant.

I've always maintained that the very reason South African cinema-going attendance is on the decline is due to the fact that the experience itself is a horrible one, with all the problems and many more that I've listed above, not due to the fact that's it's expensive, 'cos it's not. South Africa is statistically one of the cheapest countries in the world to go and watch a movie on circuit.

All that has now changed since I found Cedar Square Cinema Nouveau this last Friday evening - what a fantastic experience. The seats were huge lounger type numbers, soft to the touch and the behind, the print was brand new, the sound was indeed dynamic digital sound, the legroom was ample, the audience were sophisticated ie. OLDER and the staff were both friendly and helpful and best of all - IT WAS STILL CHEAP!

I would have gladly paid the full price of R44-oo per ticket for an experience as memorable as this one, but with the CLUB CARD I had, I managed to secure 2 tickets for that price - awesome.

So if you do reside in the Gauteng area and you are an avid cinema fan, do yourself a favour right now and make your way to Cedar Square Noveau for THE BEST movie-going experience of your life- hands down...