Katie McSweeney first time films

2006-10-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

End of term rant

Well in my postings I seem to ramble rather a lot about myself, but since this blog is actually a class exercise, I thought it was about time that I talked a bit about what has been going on in class recently.

Richard Thomas's Monday classes are always invaluable, and we have had some fantastic speakers come along, including one of my all time favourites, Graham Sidney, Richard is a great teacher, although initially I think I was slightly in awe of him when he told us he had once taught Jane Campion (a person idol…). In our last class we had an intensive session with him on the dos and don'ts of scriptwriting. Now we are getting toward the time when we are going to start writing the scripts for our own films, and although it all seems a bit scary, sessions like this are really helpful in guiding us in the correct way to write scripts. We got given a homework exercise that involves writing the narration to some edited footage on the Yukon dog racing challenge. It seems like quite a fun exercise, and I am looking forward to recording what I have written with real narrator. Next week we get to examine everyone's efforts in class, so I think that is a bit of encouragement for everyone to put in a lot of effort into their narration.

We have been learning heaps in Lloyds Tuesday class, looking at each other's blogs and studying the craft of creative writing. The personal essay that we wrote for part of this class's assessment was a challenging yet rewarding exercise. I wrote about the right that Pakeha have to identify with the New Zealand landscape (it's on my last posting it you want to have a read), and although I felt like I was treading the boundaries of political correctness, I enjoyed voicing my opinions. I always enjoy Lloyd's screenings on Wednesdays as well, and we have been looking at some fascinating documentaries. One of my favourites, chosen by Mark, was Natural History of the Chicken. I also like the fact that the class alway has a lot of fun in Lloyd's classes. I'm not sure what Lloyd thought of our film idea about the one legged Maori woman who was an eco warrior saving the dolphins in Napier, but we sure had fun coming up with the story!

Paul's Thursday classes are always great fun and have taught me loads. After four years doing a film degree without any practical component, I love being able to actually 'get in there' and play with the cameras, lights and everything else. Last Thursday we went out to the aero club to learn about aerial photography. We actually got to hop in the helicopters and play around, although it would have been nice if we had actually got to leave the ground! Paul was really helpful in sharing all that he has learned from years of aerial photography, and he looked great in a harness too! This week we headed out to the Portobello Aquarium (see below) to learn about pole cams and how to set up tanks for filming. It was a beautiful day and we all had loads of fun playing with pole cams and gathering various critters for our tanks.

On Friday we have class with Stephen Downs who teaches us some of the more technical details relating to filmmaking. For the last two weeks we have be learning some of the basics of final cut pro, and its all pretty helpful stuff to a technical incompetent such as myself. The music video exercise that we did was great fun, even though I started to get a bit of a reputation for listening to Britney Spears and hanging out at upstairs Cook (oh by the way I wanted to put my vid on the blog but my star actress was not so keen – I don't think she wants her drunken behaviour on the net!)

But anyway, as the semester coming to a close I can truly say that I am finding the course valuable and enjoyable. The people involved (both my lecturers and my classmates) have been great and we have had some really fun times together both in and out of class. This may be our final week of class but this doesn't mean that the work is stopping. Bring on the summer I say –lets get started making our films!

2006-10-05T00:05:00.000-07:00

The Landscape of Identity

This is an article I wrote for my 403 class. Have a read and tell me what you think...

I was far from home and lost in the cobbled backstreets of Paris. The day was drawing to a close and I searched the shadowy pools cast by the streetlamps for a familiar landmark. When I finally struggled out onto the main road I was unexpectedly confronted with a huge billboard advertising New Zealand. Amidst the well-dressed bustle of homebound Parisians I stood transfixed. Rolling green hills merged into jutting snowy peaks and scarlet pohutukawa bloomed at the edge of expansive golden beaches. Without any warning I was hit with a wave of homesickness. A yearning for my homeland on the other side of the world. It was so sudden, so unexpected. After all those years of dreaming about my big O.E I was finally in Paris and all I wanted to do was yell to the passers by "Look isn't it beautiful. That’s where I come from, that’s New Zealand". For me, those images, that unique and contrasting landscape, represented so much of what it meant to be a Kiwi. They aroused in me a sense of belonging. A sense of identity.

This affiliation that I feel with New Zealand's natural landscape is, I believe, shared by New Zealanders everywhere. The jutting pinnacle of Mount Cook or the wide sweep of ninety-mile beach can awaken a sense of patriotism in the most unpatriotic of hearts. This connection to our environment links New Zealanders together, it reminds us how unique and unspoilt our small country really is. Yet this bond with our landscape can also divide the citizens of Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Our country positions Maori as the only group in New Zealand who have the right to gain a sense of identity from their relationship with the landscape. They are the Tangata whenua, the people of the land. In comparison Pakeha are perceived as squatters, colonial conquerors with no real claim on the landscape. I disagree with this whole-heartedly. Of course Maori have a deep and spiritual bond with the land, however I too have a profound connection to the New Zealand landscape. A connection that I believe deserves to be acknowledged.

I may be a Pakeha New Zealander, but my parents, taken by the beauty of the native Rata flower blooming scarlet in the Christmas, gave me the Maori name of Rata. This name conveyed an affinity they had for their environment, an affinity which they wished to past on to me, a fifth generation New Zealand. This close relationship with the natural environment is something I continue to share today. The tangled rainforest of South Westland and the snow-capped Southern Alps, these are my turangawaewa (my place of standing), I have nothing else. If I cannot identify with these places as my home, my place of standing, what can I identify with? These special places hold important memories for me and I have a right to identify with them.

Of course I am not questioning the bond that Maori have with the land. For Maori, a connection to the land has always been an integral aspect of culture and identity. They are Tangata whenua and the land is an integral part of their whakapapa to be taken care of for later generations. This spiritual relationship comes from Maori creation mythology and the primal parents - Rangi the sky father, and Papa-tua-nuku the earth mother. In Maori myth, Rangi and Papa founded the present physical form of the world, and while Rangi soon retreated to become the sky, Papa remained to become the earth. To this day she continues to play an important role nurturing and protecting her children, and likewise, her children, the modern day Maori, are expected to take care of her as kaitiakitanga (guardians of the land).

But let us not forget, for Pakeha too there has been a relationship with the land from the very beginning. In comparison to Maori, this relationship was often seen as more of a battle than a guardianship; nevertheless a strong relationship with the land has always been an integral aspect in developing a sense of Pakeha identity. According to prominent New Zealand historian Keith Sinclair, during the late 19th century the ‘Pioneer Myth’, which linked man and his landscape, became a dominant ideology in the emerging nation of New Zealand. In a similar manner to the American frontier myth, this pioneer myth was organised around the dualism of Man and Nature. The wild untamed landscape was positioned as the enemy, and brave pioneers battled with it to become the heroic ‘founding fathers’ of New Zealand. As time progressed, however, the land was not just seen as the enemy to these early generations, it became both a friend and a saviour. Once the land was tamed it represented a form of capitalist wealth, which would allow the settlers to live far better than they could of in Britain. It become a home for them to raise their families and provided security for the next generation. If you read the work of early New Zealander writers, such as David McCloud, you begin to see the deep appreciation these early generations of Pakeha had for their land. It provided for them by bringing wealth and pleasure, but it could also pose a threat if the awesome power of the landscape was not respected. In this way a relationship with the land played a crucial role in defining the emerging sense of identity and culture for Pakeha.

As Michael King said in his influential book, 'Being Pakeha', today after several generations of family occupation in New Zealand, Pakeha feel a deeply entrenched sense of belonging and identity that comes from a strong relationship with the natural world. Today Pakeha all over New Zealand have a deep attachment to certain landscapes; whether it be the old family farm, the mountains they skied in the winter, or the golden beaches of their childhood. These landscapes are special to them and are inevitably tied to a sense of memory, identity and culture. And yet this right that Pakeha have to identify with these landscapes is not often acknowledged. Indeed when raised it can lead to cries of cultural insensitivity. Take for example the well-publicized case of the South Island High Country farmers. They believed that after living in the same area for generations their connection to the land should be officially acknowledged, but it is not so. Maori, as the originally inhabitants of this county, automatically have a greater right to the land. I am not advocating that Maori land rights claims should be tossed aside. Land was wrongfully taken from them and they should be compensated. But perhaps there also needs to be more formal recognition of the bond that Pakeha have with the landscape. Maybe we should allow for the possibility of Pakeha stewardship over certain areas of land. Acknowledge that for Pakeha too the land has become a taonga.

Michael King claimed that Pakeha have become a second indigenous culture in New Zealand, and I agree completely. With this title comes certain rights and responsibilities. We have right to identify the landscape and have a bond that should be recognised officially. Yet we also have a responsibility to look after this land. Ours is landscape of extremes, a landscape diverse and totally unique. Yet nothing guarantees it will stay this way, and today Pakeha as well as Maori have an important role to play as kaitiakitanga. For the identification that Māori and Pakeha feel for the landscape should not be a contentious issue that divides the citizens of New Zealand. It should bring Maori and Pakeha together, reinforcing the eternal bond that the two cultures have, creating a sense of pride and national identity as we rejoice in the beauty of our land.

All the politics are, however, far from mind when I return to my home in the Southern Alps after months of travelling the world. Stepping outside my house the crisp air makes me gasp as it enters my lungs. As I gaze at the jutting mountains with their glittering peaks, far more impressive than any billboard I've ever seen, I feel a sense of place, of belonging. I am a New Zealander and this is my land.
.

2006-10-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Fantastic Falafel

I have been a vegetarian pretty much my whole life, and almost every day I get interrogated by various people about the principles behind my decision not to eat meat. I guess my decision is partly informed by my distaste for inhumane ways of killing animals, but, more specifically, I just can't stand the taste of meat. Whether it be red meat, white meat, fish or any other kind of seafood, the 'animally' taste arouses in me a sense of the utmost revulsion. I am however very content with my decision not to eat meat. Contrary to the opinion of many of my friends, I don't feel hard done by that I can't sit down and enjoy a 'nice juicy steak'. I love cooking and enjoy nothing better that creating a tasty vegetarian feast for my friends and family (although I do obviously prefer to cook when I am staying with my parents because my flat never has any of the ingredients for the gourmet meals I love)

But regardless of what I say, people never seem to believe me when I say that vegetarians are not hard done by. I mean sometimes it is a bit of a challenge to find something when I am eating out, but when I cook at home I always eat well. Being a vegetarian really makes me think hard about what I'm putting in my body, which, if anything, means I eat better than I would if I ate meat.

My flatties have been pretty receptive to trying the concoction of vegetarian dishes that I have made up over the years. But out of all the dishes I've cooked, I think Falafel has proved to be the most popular.Falafel is a Middle Eastern chickpea patty and a personal favorite of mine. I spent years trying to make Falafel myself, generally with pretty disastrous consequences. Finally I accepted defeat and realized that you can actually buy really great pre-made Falafel at the supermarket. There are a number of different types but my favorite brand is Sahara. I don't mean to sound like a walking advert for a particular brand of Falafel (available from most supermarkets for around $4.99…), but Falafel really is great and something I reckon everyone should try. Its cheap nutritious and readily available. And if you can't be bothered cooking it yourself, you can buy it at almost all Middle Eastern, Greek and Turkish restaurants and take-aways.

And so my parting words to you today are "remember that it's not all about the meat". Bear this in mind that next time you stagger home at four in the morning and stop for a feed at the kebab shop. Go on, I dare you, next time choose Falafel.

2006-10-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Muzza and his Molluscs

Well Bojun and I did our pitch last Tuesday and I think it went pretty well. We set aside our own initial ideas and pitched a totally new story a film about a fisherman, Murray Black, and his journey to protect the oyster habitat which has sustained his family for generations. Let me outline some of the basics of the story
New Zealand's Bryozoan communities and the Oyster colonies they support are on the brink of collapse. No one seems to care. That is apart from one lone fisherman, Murray Black. This is the story of Murray's twenty-year struggle to protect the Bluff oyster habitat from being destroyed by the 15 million dollar oyster fishing industry.
After realizing that his dredge netting was destroying the Bryozoan habitat which supported the oyster colonies and preventing the oysters from regenerating, Murray hung up his nets and committed himself to fighting to protect the oysters.
He is, however, running out of time. Murray believes that oyster fishing should of stopped three years ago and maintains that this is the last chance to save them from being wiped out in the bluff and Foveaux strait region.
This year oyster quotas are being reviewed and the fate of the oysters and their habitat are depending on the outcome of this review. Will Murray be able to save the oysters and their habitat before it is too late?

What do you think, a good story? Would you go and watch the film?

A picture of some bluff oysters - won't they make they attractive victims for our film..

2006-10-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

Andrew's cry for help

I have a rather sad and lonely flatmate by the name of Andrew Neal who has asked me to write blurb on my blog about what a fantastic guy he is. Andrew, a.k.a Anal (get it, A.Neal, kind of gross I know but that’s what everyone apart from his mum calls him), has been single and dateless for many a month and has lately been complaining about his lack of female company. Andrew lacks some of the finer aspects of gentlemanly conduct which likely account for his misfortune with the opposite sex. He refers to all females as "hey lady" and gets ridiculously intoxicated every time he goes out.

But aside from all of this he is actually a very nice guy, and searching desperately for a lady to spend his final months in Dunedin with. He describes himself as a charming, witty and rather spunky young man, and maintains that he would treat any woman who chooses to spend time with him with the utmost dignity and respect.

If anyone would be interested in getting to know Andrew please leave your details and I will pass them on to him.

At least I tried….

2006-09-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

More music video ravings

And now back to the eternal saga that is my music video – well my idea has changed, once again. Dubwise didn't work out so I turned away from New Zealand music to embrace my tacky roots. Yes that’s right, pure tack - the new song I am doing is by Britney Spears and it is surely as nasty as they come.

I went out and did the filming for it in the weekend with the aid of my 18 year old sister and three of her friends. My aim was to create a music video based around a first year university student's night on the town, showing them in their full drunken and embarrassing glory. The students of Dunedin certainly obliged and man was it funny! I filmed primarily in the Captain Cook Tavern (pictured below) and I saw some very strange things indeed. I instantly became a celebrity when they saw me in the bar with the camera and they all seemed to want to either dance for the camera or flash it. I think I will certainly have to censor quite a lot of my footage.

Anyway I'm just up to the editing process at the moment and to be honest I'm finding it a bit of a process. It's really good to see all of my footage come together into some kind of cohesive narrative but it just takes so long. I am only editing on imovie so it's not hard, but it does take quite a bit of time fiddling around to get the cuts on the correct beat of song . I'm pretty glad that I chose a song that I didn't like because I have played it so many times now that I am really starting to hate it. Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter. It not like I listen to Britney in my spare time or anything!

2006-09-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

The dream team

Well partners have finally been sorted for our final film project and I am working with…drum roll please… Bojan!!

I think we will work well together although though we do both have very different areas of interest – She is a hard out zoologist while I am an arty-farty anthropologist. Hopefully this will mean that we balance each other out and perhaps even teach each other something at the same time. Bojan has been working very hard to convince me that the whole science thing is not as scary as I seem to think. This is probably a very good thing since I am undertaking a course on natural history filmmaking and it's about time I realised that I am no longer just a pretentious arts student!

We haven't decided what film project we will do yet – we both have good ideas, and it is just a matter of figuring out which will make the best film. We do, however, have to pitch our final film idea on Tuesday so time is definitely of the essence. I will let you know what film we choose as soon as we work it out ourselves!

2006-09-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

A slightly embarrassing obsession

I just thought I would take a few moments to do a little rave about one of my all time passions – New Zealand television

Anyone who knows me even slightly can attest to my love of New Zealand television. I have always been such a film snob but, funnily enough, when it comes to television it can be as crappy as you like but if it's from New Zealand I'm bound to love it. Some of my past obsessions include "Being Eve" (Cancelled), "Jackson's Wharf" (Cancelled) and "The Strip" (Cancelled). Come on someone else must have loved them apart from me!!

To the chagrin of my flatmates, every seven o'clock weeknight you find me glued to the television watching the great kiwi soap that is Shortland Street. Now this is one that hasn't been cancelled and has managed to maintain its primetime spot on channel two for over 15 years (even if the audience is primarily 12 year old girls!).

But what I really wanted to do today is sing the praises of my latest favourite show, "Outrageous Fortune". Outrageous Fortune is screened on channel three at 9.30 on Tuesday nights and has just begun its second season. It is truly fantastic show based around a 'white trash' family called the West's, who live in west Auckland. Their family business is thieving and they are all fantastic at it from the lock-picking grandfather (who is, incidentally, the old man on the speights adds), to the fifteen-year-old daughter who started her own video piracy business. The father spends most of his time in jail while the mother is having an affair with the policeman that put him there, and the older sons (both played by the same person) are extremely hot (no that’s not the only reason I like it…). It’s a drama, but it plays on so many crazy New Zealand stereotypes that it is also very funny.

Anyway, even for you who don't want NZ television just for the sake of it like I do you are bound to love Outrageous Fortune. And this time it's not just me - the rest of New Zealand seems to love it too. At the 2005 Qantas Television Awards it won the top award for Best Drama as well as Best Actress and Best Actor.

Check the show out next week – I highly recommend it

Outrageous Fortune Cast, Check out the hottie

2006-09-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Pet power

Pets have always been an integral part of my life and have brought great pleasure to me as I was growing up. I had pets from an early age, starting at the age of two when I was adopted 'Garfield', an orange kitten from the S.P.C.A. As I got older the pets I adopted become more diverse and included animals as varied as fish, dogs, rabbits, pigs, deer, horses and lambs. I even got to care for the odd sick penguin! I loved all my animals greatly and have always felt sorry for children that grew up without the devoted company of a pet.

What has got be thinking about all of this is the fact that my family dog died in the weekend. Skip or 'Skippy' as she was affectionately called, was an eleven-year-old border collie. Like most border collies she was a very intelligent and astute dog. Devoted to pleasing us, she was always ecstatic to see me when I came to up from Dunedin to visit the family- the tail would go thump thump thump on the ground and she would whimper and jump up in excitement. Truly nothing makes you feel loved like your dog does.

When my mother rung to tell me that Skip had died having puppies I was surprised by my emotional response. You become so attached to your pets, they really become part of the family and it can be pretty devastating when they pass away. Looking back, I guess I can see that she lived a pretty good life. She had some great times and so did we – Skip, like most pets, brought joy to the lives of me and my family. Her death made me reflect upon the fact that when I have children of my own I am going to ensure that pets are a large part of their lives. Pets teach children (an adults for that matter) responsibility, loyalty, and most importantly compassion.

I won't pretend to believe that Skip has gone to any kind of doggy heaven- I mean really come on! But what her death has made me realise is that Skip, just like pets all over the world, had the ability enrich people's lives.
She will be missed.

2006-09-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

And in other news…

My music video idea I discussed the other week has totally gone to the dogs. I thought I had permission to film shapeshifter last weekend only to discover at the last minute that band management wasn't going to let me. I tried my hardest to change their minds, even ringing up the manager in Australia and offering her the use of my 'exclusive' high def footage of the Dunedin gig, but she was not swayed. It seems that they have three professional film crews filming the group in Auckland so they didn't want my amateur footage!

So anyway after being snubbed by management I had the intention of giving Shapeshifter the cold shoulder and staying away from their concert, but I just couldn't do it! I payed thirty dollars for a ticket and partied hard all night – and I do have to say that I did have an amazing night, even if I was pretty irritated that I couldn't film.

I am, however, still really keen on the idea of including live concert footage in by music video, although I have been having a bit of trouble implementing this idea. As I noted in my earlier post it can be a bit of a challenge to find groups to film in Dunedin, unless of course you want to stay close to home and film a local band. I have actually just discovered that Dubwise, a Christchurch dub/reggae group are coming to play in Bath Street on Friday. I have been a huge fun of the group since I saw them play in Queenstown at New Years a couple of years ago. I love Bath Street too, it is a great venue and a real institution in Dunedin so I would love to include it in my music video. I am in the process of seeking permission to film this weekend so hopefully it will be given the go ahead tomorrow. Our music video is due in a couple of weeks so I don't have much time left!

Shapeshifter in concert: pity I was partying not filming!

2006-09-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Time for a catch up

Well it's been a while since my last posting, and there has been all kinds of scintillating stuff going on in my life since then (ok well I guess that may be a slight exaggeration).
Let me get you up to speed…
So I pitched my film idea last week and it went ok – well at least I think it went ok. I got some fair comments from my lecturers that I need to focus my topic much more because it's still pretty general. I totally agree, my film idea is still in the early stages and I need to do a lot more research to find a really specific story. In the wise words of my lecturer Richard Thomas, "less is more", and I think that this is something I need to keep reminding myself. But its hard you know -I think I get a little bit carried away with the 'bigger issues' and forget that it's the little things that make good stories.

But anyway I may be getting ahead of myself - I don't even know whether anyone will want to work with me to make this film. Tomorrows the day we have to choose partners and decide what films we are going to make and some of us have nicknamed the whole process "survivor filmmaker". Well there are certainly a number of similarities between the two processes: not all our film ideas will survive as we pick six out of the twelve ideas that got pitched last week, and in fact once the partnership is formed they may even come up with a totally new idea. I think everyone in class is a bit nervous to discover whose film ideas will "outwit, outplay and outlast" everyone else's.

To be honest I don't think I'll be overly devastated if the person I end up working with doesn't want to do my film idea about Haast. This idea may be my baby, but the whole thing is going to be a collaborative project so it will inevitably involve a bit of give and take. As we have been told numerous times by guest speakers in the industry, "You have to be prepared to kill your darlings", and I totally agree. Wow I really think this course is teaching me to be mature, I don't know whether I would have been half so compliant this time last year!

2006-08-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

I think this is it!

Guess what, I think I've found it. This is the film I want to make for my course.
Let me tell you about it…

The film would be about Haast, a small community in the heart of South Westland on the South Islands West Coast. Surrounded by a landscape of rainforest, wetlands, sand dunes and surf-pounded beaches, this setting would make a visually stunning backdrop for a film. In this out-of-the-way little town, there is a sense of both isolation and community.
This sense of community in Haast is what fascinates me and what the film would be primarily focused around. It would be character based and explore the changing community from the perspectives of one or two locals (preferably old 'characters' that have lived in the area for along time). Originally this town was known as red neck central- 'real men' lived in Haast where they had jobs such as logging, hunting and fishing. Now however the locals are beginning to embrace ecotourism as a way to create jobs and keep their community alive. But have the redneck locals really turned into 'greenies'? What do the old-timers really think about their changing community?

Actually before I go any further I think I should explain why I have a particular interest in Haast and why the film would be quite personal for me.

In 1989 when I was five years old my family and I moved to live at Lake Moeraki, a former road workers camp in South Westland located to the north of the Haast township. My father had been working for Forest & Bird, the largest non-governmental environmental organization in New Zealand, and had helped to get the area protected in the late 70's by turning it into a protected World Heritage area. There had been some resistance from the locals when this happened however, and many lost their jobs when the sawmills closed. My father had been singing the praises of ecotourism for along time, maintaining that it was the way of the future for the West Coast. The West Coasters however were not so keen – they were 'real men' and they didn't pander to the needs of greenies and tourists. My father's response was to 'put his money where his mouth was', and he and my mother moved the family down to South Westland and set up Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki ( Above is a picture of me canoeing on Lake Moeraki). This was the first ecotourism business in the area and initially the locals were not very receptive to these 'greenies' moving into their territory. There was angry gossip, hate messages and dead deer dropped in our driveway. All rather scary for young child.

But despite this resistance Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki proved to be very successful, reflecting a growing ecotourism trend in New Zealand and indeed the rest of the world. The tourist starting to flock to the West Coast and there was money to be made for those that were willing to embrace ecotourism. The locals responded and today in Haast it is clear that everyone is trying to tap into this niche market.
The Haast Pub became the World Heritage Hotel, the motels became the Heritage Park Motels and all kinds of nature discovery tours were set up. I think it is a really positive move for the people of Haast, and hopefully they have been able to realize that money can be made from protecting ones natural heritage. I am, however, really interested to see how much ideals and beliefs about conservation have really changed in Haast. Are the locals are really embracing conservation or is it all just rhetoric used for business.

There are some truly fantastic characters in Haast that I could base the film around although I am not sure yet who I would use. They would need to of lived in the community for a long time, and would possibly be involved in ecotourism themselves.
Ideally I want to use them to narrate the film. I want it to be their story about how they believe lives in the Haast community have changed in the last 20 years, and what influence the believe the greenies have had on their town.

Hopefully it will be funny, visual and perhaps even a little sad . But most of all I want to portray a sense of community. To simply show what a special and unique township Haast really is, reflect on how it has changed and discuss how the locals feel about this change.

2006-08-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I'm a geek

At the moment I'm on one weeks holiday, and do you know where I am – I'm in the library. That’s right, full on geek Katie McSweeney is spending her holidays, or at least a substantial part of them, doing work at the library ( see above, thats where I like to hang). This is the first uni holidays I have ever stayed Dunedin, so please remember this auspicious occasion as it's never likely to happen again.

And do you know why I am here? Because I am starting to get a little worried about all the class work I have to do. The second day back next week we have to pitch a film idea to our lecturers and classmates. This is it, our final well structured story idea for our major film project of the course. Serious stuff. I have so many film ideas floating around in my head that I don't know how I am going to pitch one in three minutes. Also, it's going to have to be an amazing pitch - not only do I have to convince my lectures that I have a film idea that’s worth making, I have to convince my classmates that I would be a good person to work with on this project. You see we have to make our films for this class in pairs, so we are basically pitching in the hope of attracting a buddy.

God, I hope someone wants to work with me, I may drink rather a lot but I am actually a hard worker and good team player!

So anyway, what to pitch, what to pitch
I wrote about my idea for a film on the Chatham Islands the other day and I got a number of positive responses. It's still something that I would really love to do, but I think that if I attempt to do it for my course project I will not be able to do the story justice. There is so much to be told and with funding issues I think I would only be able to visit the Chatham's once to film. To tell the story properly I would need to visit more then this and spend more time talking to the locals so I can really portray their stories. So, with some regret, I think I may have to put this project on the backbench and come back to it when I have more money, time and experience. Well at least it's something to aim for I guess…

But anyway that doesn't really help me – I still need a story. I do have a few ideas, some stronger that others. I still really want to make a film about an interesting community which is character based and tells the story from the perspective of the locals. At the moment I am thinking of using a small community on the West Coast called Haast. I won't give the story away yet, as I still need to do some research, but will let you know all the detail soon. Hopefully this will be it – that fantastic film idea that I have been waiting for. Fingers crossed.

2006-08-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Great excuse to become a groupie?

Me at a Shapeshifter concert last year - obviously I will behave with
far more decorum when I film my music video!

On Friday our lecturer, Stephen Downes, gave us our first big assignment for his class- to make a music video. Wicked, I thought, this is something I think I will really enjoy doing. It will give us an opportunity to get a bit creative, we also get total control over our project –picking a song, creating a storyline, shooting and postproduction.
So far in our course we have been learning mostly the theoretical side of filmmaking. Interesting stuff and all very relevant if we want to be filmmakers, but I feel ready for a big practical assignment. Time to swim or sink I guess. I hope I can pull it off.

As soon as I heard about the project I knew I wanted to do a New Zealand song. I'm pretty into the New Zealand music scene, and there is so much fantastic stuff out there that I didn't think I needed to look overseas to find my song.
I also liked the idea of including live concert footage in my music video and was looking for a band that I could film, either in Dunedin or somewhere else in the South Island. As you can imagine that kind of cuts your down options!

Well call it fate, define intervention, or perhaps just good timing but I have recently heard that Shapeshifter are coming down to Dunedin soon for their album release tour. Fantastic I thought. Shapeshifter are one of my all time favourites and I would love to do my music video on one of their songs. Shapeshifter are a drum & bass group but with a bit of a dub/soul influence that I really like. I think they have been around since 1999 but have only got big in the last couple of years. I have seen them live a number of times, often with Salmonella Dub and they are great performers. I think I could get some really good footage for my music video if I filmed them. Their visit to Dunedin this time is part of an album release tour for 'Soulstice' their new album which came out today. I think I might have to rush off and buy it this afternoon because I still need to choose which song to do my video on. Its actually a great excuse to buy the album, I would of anyway but now I can justify it as a school expense...Kind of anyway!

Anyway I am in the process of getting permission to film Shapeshifter, fingers crossed that I will be allowed. I'm not sure what the storyline for my music video will be yet – at the moment I am thinking about a girl's night out, and following two friends who go to the concert. But I guess I will have to see what song I chose and if the song is appropriate.

Anyway I'm off to buy the Cd and spend the next couple of hours listening to it…
What can I say, our course is hard work - I get to listen to music and hopefully film one of my favourite groups!

2006-08-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

So finally I get to the film ideas

What I have realised today is that although I set up this blog with the intention of discussing my film ideas, I have just posted a number of rants and raves, neglecting to mention what these film ideas actually are.
So anyway, rants aside, let me tell you about a film idea that I have been tossing around since I found out I had gotten into the course. I don't know how many New Zealanders know, or even care that much about the Chatham Islands -this small group of islands, positioned far to the east of mainland New Zealand, has never been the focus of much attention. Well aside from a numerous jokes about interbreeding that is.

But seriously, That Chatham Islands are a fascinating place, which have interested me for a number of years. I would love to make a documentary that would show New Zealand what a unique and special place they really are, to show that they're not just some hicksville place that's the butt of stupid jokes.
I have never actually been there, so will not claim to be any kind of expert on the place, but I did have a number of friends from the Chatham Islands at boarding school that used to tell me some great stories about their home. I don't know whether it was their weed plantations, motorbike racing competitions or Moriori heritage, but to me the Chatham's sounded like no other place on earth. And more than that, the Chatham Islanders were so proud of where they came from, more so than any other group of people I had ever met.
In later years I noticed with some interest that almost all of the friends I had known at high school elected to go back and live in the Chatham's after they finished studying. You might think that they would have been glad to live this small insular community as soon as they could, but that was not the case at all. It was such a special place for them, it was where they wanted to spend the rest of their lives and raise their families.
This unique sense of community is something that I think would make a great story, and I would love to do a character-based film on 'the Chatham island mentality'. It would focus around a few key characters –maybe an old person and a young person - and discuss their outlook on life in the Chatham Islands. These people would share their stories, noting what makes the Chatham island such a special place to them, and compare it to the way they see the New Zealand mainland
Of course it will be a bit of a issue to get the funding to go over there and film, not to mention the difficulty in getting these people to open up and talk to me, an 'outsider'. Nevertheless I think it is a challenge that I would be able to rise to. I think that Chatham Islanders have some great and important stories to tell, and I would love to be the one to help them tell them.

The south coast of the main Island

2006-08-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

Too big for my boots?

Me and my 'film crew' over in Queenstown just about to head out for a night on the town

I headed off to Queenstown this weekend for a bit of R&R (or perhaps, more honestly, for quite a bit of partying). I took a camera over to film a few exercises for class, something that we do every week to help us familiarise ourselves with the camera and increase our skill levels. This week we have been working on sound, so we had to go and find a number of nice sounds and film a short sequence featuring some good sound effects. Well I had a great time (filming not just partying, although there was a lot of that too!) Queenstown has some pretty spectacular scenery and I got some really beautiful footage as well as some good sound effects.
I did find, however, that I got some pretty strange looks as I roamed the streets of Queenstown. It's funny you know, the reaction you get when you set up your camera and start to film. People look at you differently, wonder what you are doing and think maybe, just maybe, they are going to be on TV. They give you surreptitious glances over their shoulders or just stop and full on stare at you. One lady even came up to me and asked if I was famous and if there were any well-known actors in my movie. As if!
I guess it did make me feel kind of special though, like I was some kind of 'real' filmmaker. I certainly haven't made it yet, but I was out with all this flash gear and found that I knew enough to get some pretty nice shots. I headed back to Dunedin that Sunday night feeling pretty pleased with myself, thinking that my class were really going to appreciate the footage I had taken.
Suddenly however on Monday night I realised… what had I done but leave the tape sitting on the kitchen bench in Queenstown. I guess that put me in my place… I'm certainly not a real filmmaker yet!

2006-08-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

Big up's to the short story writer

At the moment I'm reading Ihimaera's 'Māori Stories' and Sargeson's 'Stories of Frank Sargeson'. I'm enjoying both books enormously; I think I had forgotten how much I love a good short story, they're a quick read but they're pretty damn clever.
The fact that I'm getting into my short stories this week is not totally random. At the moment we're learning about the process of short story writing in class, and the other day I even had write my own short story. Now that was an interesting exercise if I've ever done one. If I delve back into the dark recesses of my high school memories, I think I used to be pretty good at the creative writing caper. That was certainly a while ago though, and I've become pretty rusty after years of enforced essay writing. I've found it's actually quite hard to remember how to be creative after so long focusing solely on correct grammatical structure and the precise transmission of information.
But do you know what I realised when I attempted some writing, I really enjoy it. It's hard work but it's fun. Big up's to all those short story writer's, in the past I didn't really think about it, but now I realise that the shorter a story is the harder it is to write.
I do think, however, that it's going to take a while for me to produce some quality work that people actually want to read…but you know what, that’s another story. I'll keep you posted.

2006-08-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

What is up with Sex Tourism..

Right now the Film Festival is screening in Dunedin an event which I admit is always one of the highlights of my year. I do, however, find it a bit of challenge to choose what films to go and see - they all look so good, but I'm a poor student with a very limited budget. This year it's worse then ever, there are so many good films and I'm as poor as can be. Last night however I did splash out and go and see 'Heading South', a Canadian French co-production directed by Laurent Cantet. Pretty interesting stuff.
The film is an investigation of sex tourism in 1970's Haiti and traces the story of some middle age American women who go and seek the companionship of young black men. Although it lacked some of the more political elements I was expecting, I found it to be a pretty powerful insight into the lives of these lonely aging women. Yes, they were contributing to the corruption of Haitian cultural systems and practicing an insidious form of cultural imperialism, but I could also identify with them: they were simply seeking attention in a world that ignores those who are no longer young and beautiful.

The topic of sex tourism is something that has always interested me; I did research on it at uni, and more recently got to see it first hand in Thailand when I went out with social worker in the red light district in Bangkok. This interest is something I would love to one day pursue: either in a masters thesis or through documentary. Although I empathise with the sex-workers, what really fascinates me is the mentality of the sex tourist. When I was in Thailand I spent ages sitting at street vendor's rickety little tables and watching the white men with their young Thai women. At first I was shocked and disgusted, I couldn't stand to look them but couldn't pull my eyes away either. As time passed however, I guess I became kind of immune. Sex tourism could never be something I approve of, but when you see the other option, which is begging on the street, well, I guess you can understand why it happens.
What really fascinated me was what kind of guy would come to Thailand to spend time with these women, what was their story, why were they here? I even surreptitiously snapped a couple of photos of these mismatched couples as they passed me by. One was a young good-looking man, someone I could of fancied myself, with a coarse, mature looking Thai women. The other was a florid, obese American with a young Thai girl who didn't look a day over twelve. Of course I conjured up all kinds of stories about them in my head, but really I had no ideawhat made them come here, did these Thai women truly satisfy all their desires?

The more I think about it the more I believe that the mentality of the sex tourist in Thailand is something that would make an eye-opening documentary. Of course it could be quite difficult to make, and it's quite out of my scope at the moment, but still it is something I will certainly keep in mind for the future.

By the way I hope you appreciate the photo of me with the lady boys... that's the only photo I got with me and sex workers in Thailand.

2006-07-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Inspiration, It’s a Funny Thing…

There are all kinds of moments and events in my life which have given me inspiration to become a filmmaker. It sounds kind of corny, but one of those inspirational moments occurred last week I went to the Fly My Pretties concert held in Dunedin's Regent theatre. I know everyone in my class the next morning was decidedly sick of me ranting about how fantastic the gig was, but I think I am going to take this opportunity today to continue my ravings.
It has always fascinated me how images can suddenly become so much more powerful when they are coupled with music. Consider any of your favourite movies or documentaries and I would almost guarantee that they have an excellent soundtrack. Music is used to reinforce the images by creating a certain mood or heightening the emotion of a film. For me, it is truly one of the most important tools in filmmaking.

What I though was just so great about Fly My Pretties was that, in comparison to film, music became the primary focus and a variety of images were used to support this music. Fly My Pretties is a group that was formed in 2004 in Wellington by a group of prominent Wellington musicians. The idea behind the group was to share ideas, perform in front of a live audience and record the results. What was unique about the group, and one of the reasons that they were so well received in New Zealand during their second tour in 2005, was the multimedia performances that they gave. Not only was the music stunning, but there were three screens set up on stage that played a complete visual narrative to the music. This narrative, which was produced by multimedia artists Nektar films, all related to unique aspects of New Zealand culture and included footage from as early as the 1920's. Gathered from the New Zealand film archive, this early footage from the New Zealand film unit was intercut with more recent footage and used to tell stories about our spectacular environment, our indigenous culture and our everyday life. It came across as a really emotionally and powerful performance, something that I think would not of been easily achieved without using film.
For me this film footage really enriched the whole music experience, and more than that those images made me really proud to be a New Zealander. When you come away from a gig with that kind of feeling, how could Fly My Pretties be anything but a success.

2006-07-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Good 'ol Dunedin... I can't seem to leave

Good 'ol Dunedin! One of the most exciting place in New Zealand, and my home for the next year as I undertake a postgraduate diploma in Natural History Filmmaking and Communication at the University of Otago.
It is such an fascinating and action-packed time in my life, that I have decided to share some of the highlights of my course and my year in Dunedin as I attempt to research and then produce my own documentary and become a first time filmmaker.

At the risk of sounding cliché, filmmaking, or more specifically documentary making, is something I have always been passionate about - for as I can remember I have wanted to make documentaries sharing my knowledge and curiosity about the natural and cultural environment that surrounds us.
My interest in natural history documentaries started early: I grew up in remote South Westland were by parents owned an ecotourism business, and spent many of early days traipsing round after visiting film-crews, fascinated with the process of documentary making. We lived in such an isolated area that television reception was somewhat unreliable to say the least; instead of watching soap operas, I was captivated by David Attenbourgh documentaries that I watched on video – I wanted to grow up and be just like him rather than idolising American actresses.
I went to university in Dunedin in 2002 and studied Film & Media studies and Anthropology, and in 2005 I completed my combined honours degree (first class).
Academically my interest has been more in the interaction between humans and the environment, something that my Anthropology degree has equipped me well for. 'Nature' is not something that ever can exist in isolation, and the tension between natural and cultural environments is enviably going to be an integral aspect of most natural history documentaries – this is the area that fascinates me. I realise, however, that the industry can sometimes be rather shallow: I don't want to "be on TV", I want to tell stories about things that matter to me and the rest of the world.
This is something that I am so excited to be able to do this year as I have virtually complete creative freedom to make a film of my choice.

But what film will I make? That’s the next big question…

2006-07-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

Well I have started my very first blog, what fun!
I am not sure exactly what I am planning to do with it at this stage but stay posted. It is sure to be mindblowing, informative and titillating all at the same time.