Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 10:49PM /
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Back in HK today after spending 4 days in "kinda" beautiful Dalian for this year's Golden Rooster Hundred Flowers Film Festival. It was a producer in Australia who thought I was talking about some sort of Chinese soup when I first mentioned this film festival by name to her.
Unfortunate name aside, for those not in the know this is considered one of the most prestigious film festivals in China. Its hi-light is the Hundred Flowers Film Awards. The big winner at the awards ceremony last night was "Assembly" (集 結 號). I actually haven't seen that film yet... so it's very high on my DVD rental list next weekend.
Did the red carpet leading up to the awards with the "Wushu" stars, Wang Wenjie and Liu Fengchao. Jackie Chan took them (and me) along the carpet with the three winners of his reality show "The Disciple". All really nice guys who I hope will do well.
My thoughts of Dalian... there was some really beautiful architecture mixed with very tacky buildings. And one can't help but notice the women there. HK actor Nick Cheung said, when introducing one of the awards last night, "Dalian women have very long legs." Though I have to say that I agree with his observation, it does over simplify their beauty, which really radiates from within. In three words... Dalian girls rock :)
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Sunday, May 25, 2008 7:55PM /
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Back in Hong Kong after spending about 10 days in Cannes.
This is my seventh time at Cannes, but it's the fist time I've been presenting a film there with a "real" marketing budget. So nice staying in an apartment with a view of the Riviera, and only a 30 second walk from the Palais. Most of my time was spent between preparing for the Wushu photocall with Jackie Chan and eating. I swear I must have put on 10 pounds.
High lights included being driven up to the red carpet in the official Cannes car, having the Wushu photocall go off perfectly, and the La Notra chocolate cake - YUM!!!
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Monday, Apr 14, 2008 10:02AM /
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So proud of my two young stars, Wang Wenjie and Liu Fungchao. I was backstage with them last night as they were about to go on stage during the Hong Kong Film Awards to do a fight. They have a lot of experience doing this kind of stuff, but never at as important an event as this! Understandably, they were more than a little nervous.
Typical to tight TV schedules, the day before I was given only 15 minutes to choreograph a fight between them and Yasuaki Kurata and Miriam Yeung Chin Wah. Kurata was very gracious and had some ideas which I was happy to work with. But Yeung wasn't even there so I had to rely on the producers to instruct her on what she had to do! I kept her bit VERY simple. Anyway, I knew that things were going to be different on the day.
Of course, Kurata and Yeung changed what was supposed to go down, but both Wang and Liu took it in their stride and winged it perfectly. From the perspective of the audience, it was a fun and energetic little display. At a party after the awards they were well received by all the directors and producers there. These two boys are going to go a long way.
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Wednesday, Apr 9, 2008 2:18AM /
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It's 2AM and I'm sitting in the post production studio, munching on instant noodles as my editor reassembles a scene from the end of the film. Been pretty much in this studio daily since early Feb. No views, no wifi (can only use their office computer after hours... which isn't too bad seeing that I'm mostly here after hours anyway), no fridge full of yummy snacks and drinks like they have in those fancy yuppy ad post production studios, and no TV and video to help pass the time during long reassembly. Certainly no film glamour here! But I can be thankful to the Nissan Noodle company... nothing like the aroma of their manufactured flavouring which I so loved since I was a kid. That sesame seed oil and soup base mixed with noodles that are boiled just under their prescribed 3 minutes so that it holds a firmness. Ah.... yes - for 10 minutes I can enjoy being sleep deprived in a place that holds no distractions, and give myself up to the pleasures of MSG, salt and carbs overload.
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Saturday, Mar 15, 2008 10:41AM /
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Hey there.
Nice to meet over the safety and comfort of the internet, and away from the cuts and bruises of action filmmaking.
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