MIFF

Over the weekend I spent my time volunteering in Melbourne International Film Festival. I learnt about this festival in 2007 when my lecturers encouraged us to watch some films in MIFF. It was only after speaking to a friend (studing media in Melbourne Uni) whom I met last month that got me interested in volunteering. Since it is related to my studies and I got to meet new people so I thought it would be fun. Also, I can do some networking there and that I can put that in my cover letter in my job application in the future.

I started helping in the lead-up week to the festival, doing work in the office for two days on my last week of winter holiday. That was about 2-3 weeks ago. It was a boring job, I just got to admit. I spent hours sitting on the chair sticking barcode stickers onto admission tickets. I think I did more than 3000 in two days! My other task was to deliver tickets to some nearby hotels and pubs. Some of the pubs are located in very dodgy places but they are VERY beautiful on the inside. This one particular in Chinatown called Long Grain (if I'm not mistaken) has got really nice setting and ambience with dim lights all over. And the furnitures are very antic. They serve food as well, to me it's more like a fine dining restaurant more than mere pub.

For the weekend, I worked at Greater Union Cinema on Russel Street. My tasks are very simple - scanning tickets, ushering, answering questions, opening exit doors at the end of each session and last but not least collecting rubbish and prepare for next screening session. It's just like job of the person that collects ticket from you at the cinema entrance. Anyway, the benefit is that I got to watch 4 films for free as we're allowed to stay in the cinema for the entire session that we're placed on duty. On top of that, we're given a 7 session free passes to watch any film out of our duty time. And ironically, my schedule was so packed that I didn't even manage to watch a single film with my pass. To make myself feel better, I actually offered my pass to some of my friends so that they could use it for me. =p Anyhow, in the end, Wong managed to use it once, which means I've wasted 6 sessions which is equivalent to about $13 x 6.

It was a great experience I would say, something that I haven't done before. Make quite a few new friends and chit chat a bit in between sessions. I'll consider to volunteer again next year if I'm free.

Paris, I love you

Paris, Je T'aime - One City, 10 millian hearts, one love story, one film. Its a film with a combination of 18 short clips. Each clips has its love story. With 'love' as the theme, it is not limited to mere romance but something broader and bigger. It covers many aspect of love - romance, parental love, blind love, soulmates, mime love, spiritual love, vampire love (this is really funny!) so on and so forth. Each clips last for 5-8 minutes. Each short films are work of different directors. So, expect different mood, styles and mise-en-scene(s) within this film. It is great to learn about each directors as they are all unique on their own productions. It is not about which is a better clip or who is a better director but to spot the differences in terms of stylistic aspect of a clip. And yes, I find that more rewarding. =)

Captivated, just like before

"Musical is so unique that it evokes emotions like nothing else can."
- nods head frantically =p

After submitting my cinema studies assignment (by the way, i choose Q7 which is a narrative question on musicals!) i gave myself a little treat and also in conjunction with my musical essay, i watch HairSpray... ! How was it? LOVE IT ! i wouldnt say it is better than other musicals film that I have watch before, but it was on par with them. The film opened with a music number and at once it gives viewers the impression that they are going to expect more cheerful and joyful numbers later in the film. The chereography was fun and young, all the dance routines were funky and jazzy with lots and twists and turns. It was very well represeted by the dancers, so full of life and it makes me wanna dance like them ! I miss dancing badly all of a sudden. =( I can't help but to notice i was smiling througout almost the entire film, mostly because of the energetic and upbeat routines. "Musical is so unique that it evokes emotions like nothing else can."

Wost Cinema Experience

95% of the entire film was shoot in hand-held camera. So, expect lots of shaky shots if you were to watch The Kingdom. Not only that, i notice, there were too many fast cuts in every sequence. Halfway through i could not stand it no more, i felt extermely dizzy and i know if i were to force myself to watch it all, im going to blurt out vomitting. it was then i decided to close my eyes and rest, but sm thought the movie bored me to sleep. haha!
anyway, i started noticing the shake right when the movie start. but i must say, though there were lots of hand-held camera shots, it remain professionally shooted, not like amateurs running around with a camera on his hand. this could be the style of the film in which the director (Peter Berg) wanted it to be like that in purpose. i guess i am applying what im learning in cinema class. got so used to analysing a film in all aesthetic aspect, all the mise-en-scenes, camera movement, angle and so on. and i think i paid too much attention on the stylistic aspect of the movie, which resulted my stomach to whirl. the fact that we were sitting quite near to the screen did not help much either.
i thought it was just me, but at the end of the show, i realise my other friend was feeling that way too. so it's really not me, it is the shaky film. =p
with that, i wasted 10 bucks, not knowing what was happening in the film. sigh.............