advice from the king

We booked the equipment today - and are all gung ho to begin shooting next Saturday. The 1st of September - what a way to start the month, and the season. To say I'm gut-wrenchingly nervous is a complete understatement.

We have confirmation on the dressing room at Exchange, so at least the location/logistical side of things is sorted. Thankfully I have a car so we can get all gear as well as the 3 of us there, and Amazon now lives just 3 blocks away, so it works out to be a convenient location for all of us.

The final version of the treatments is due in two days - we've completed the bulk of it, but it's the fine-tuning and actual articulation of what we want to do that's seemingly taking the longest. One aspect that we had not put much considertaion into for our initial draft was our target audience - and it would feel as though this aspect is taking the longest to craft. So far we have a couple of paragraphs, which I might just put up here for the sake of it, in case anyone in cyberspace has any musings to offer on the topic:

While we are confident that vast kinds of audiences will be able to appreciate Amazon’s story, the main target audience of our work will be Victorian homosexual men between the ages of 18-50 – that is, the key demographic that are most familiar with and likely to partake in drag activities themselves.

Because our subject is widely known within this community, an exposure of his personal story will indeed be of interest to those that may have seen him perform in the past. And given that the main conflict within this story – besides that of Amazon’s dual identities – reflects critically upon the divisive nature of the modern gay world, the underlying message is one of hope that drag queens will someday become a more widely accepted part of not only society as a whole, but in particular among gay men.

Furthermore, this demographic are a media-savvy, media consuming bunch who will probably have watched many documentaries on their favourite performing artists. Indeed, for someone with so much talent and experience in this arena, precious few Victorians (let alone fellow Australians) are aware of Amazon’s impressively unique - albeit somewhat colourful - history. This two-fold process of ‘revelation’ will take viewers on a journey that may well not be far in physical distance, but will nonetheless transport them to a captivating, yet painstakingly realist atmosphere (one which audiences either young or old can certainly appreciate).

Sounding alright? I can't believe how long these things are shaping up to be - we're looking at something in the vicinity of six pages. I suppose there are considerably less pre-production aspects to doco than there are to drama, so I can see why they'd want us to be absolutely specific at this point in time. Still, it's a fairly consuming process - and as nervous as I am about filming, this whole 'a little less conversation, a little more action' (cheers Mr Presley) fever is starting to take hold... cause part of me just can't wait to get my Directorly hands on that set to roll camera and watch the magic transpire all over again.

Patience, they say, is a virtue.

what say you?

Alright, so this is the concept I am going to be pitching in today's class: opinions anyone?

Oh, and for those out of the know - I am a faghag by trade and Amazon is a good friend of mine. :D



What a Scene

When exotic stage performer Amazon celebrated her twentieth birthday in June of this year, Jamie turned thirty-four. With two decades of solid experience as a drag queen, What a Scene is an expose of the rich and colourful character that resides behind the glitz and glamour of a seasoned scene professional.

Hailing from New Zealand with Islander parents, Amazon spent the first fifteen years of her career establishing a name for herself overseas. Having ‘come out’ about her sexuality in her teens meant that she was able to establish herself as a name early on. However, this admission came at a personal cost as her lifestyle conflicted with the traditional beliefs held by her parents, who sternly rejected their son’s flamboyant homosexuality.

Consequently, the earlier part of her career was very much a lone journey that resulted in numerous risk-taking behaviours, almost jeopardising her career. Then, in her early twenties, Amazon was later diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder), for which she sought treatment and promptly returned work. She literally took the Auckland gay scene by storm, performing 6 out of 7 nights a week (with one week off in each month) for the next 4 years.

In 2002, after re-establishing a relationship with her family, Amazon’s quest to broaden her sense of self brought her to the shores of Melbourne, Australia, whereupon she has continued to win hearts and wow audiences. Although she no longer performs full-time, she is a very prominent and respected figure within the queer talent scene. What a Scene will delve beneath the wig and false eyelashes, documenting a step-by-step transformation from being Jamie to becoming Amazon. It will critically explore the subtleties and nuances surrounding identity, femininity and performance, and how they affected the other areas of her life.

The documentary aims to reveal the difficulties she has overcome in order to express her inner creativity within a minority group that is becoming increasingly rife with exclusion and divisiveness.


Word count: 315

should have put this up before, but it deserves a place

[concept]
“…you can’t blame either of them for leaving me to rot like this”


Fiend is a short film that deals explicitly with the intense psychological conflict surrounding chemical addiction. Following on from the dramatic themes touched upon in Crank (2006) and Spun (2002), the film explores the insidious nature of substance abuse – notably, of the prolific street drug "ice" (methamphetamine). Peering beyond the realm of Melbourne's social castes, the film centres around the zombie-like existence of a young man on a seeming-downward spiral. As he tries to grapple with the death of his mother, a failed relationship and a financially debilitating speed habit, Arty's world is thrown off balance as he questions his ability to live with himself – whoever that might be. Unable to reconcile his ‘inner’ persona with the ‘bright and shiny’ euphoria wrought by the drug, he embarks on a confronting quest to find his way back to self-acceptance. In so doing, Fiend examines and rejects popular conceptions of reality, faith, and humanity, while offering solace in the enigmatic beauty of art and cinema.

[/end concept]

Also, getting a start on next week's readings. That dossier is one fat little comprehensive sumbitch. No-one can say they weren't advised on how to do anything! The emphasis on group work is a little jarring, but necessary all the same. Got to get out of solo-mode at some stage, I just wish I knew more folks who had gone into the telly stream. Damn you all for going over to the dark side(s)! We'll show 'em.. we'll show 'em up good.