MRA IST WEEK OF ACTION SHOOTING

LOCATION; AKIHABARA CAR-PARK (TOKYO, JAPAN)
DATE: SAT/ SUN 26TH & 27TH
TIME: FROM 12 MIDNIGHT ~ 6AM

GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF THE CREW (PROBABLY JUST WAKING UP NOW!?) WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS WEEKENDS ACTION SHOOTING. WELL, THE FIRST NIGHT BEGAN QUITE SLOWLY WITH A LOT OF PREPARATION NEEDED BEFORE THE ACTUAL SHOOTING WAS ATTEMPTED. THE 1ST NIGHT (SAT) WE HAD AROUND 12 CREW ON HAND TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER AND FOCUSSED MAINLY ON MAKEUP AND THE MONSTER SCENES. WE DIDNT ACTUALLY GET STARTED SHOOTING UNTIL ABOUT 2AM AND THE NIGHT WAS QUITE A SLOW ONE WITH A FEW PROBLEMS!

1. I HAD SEVERE HAY FEVER WITH EYES LIKE FIRE AND SINUSES LIKE A BROKEN CEMENT TRUCK WHICH WAS REALLY IRRITATING ME THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT BUT LUCKILY ALL MY SHOTS INVOLVED THE HUNTER MASK WHICH CONCEALED THE PROBLEM...

2. JR (THE DIRECTOR) CUT HIS FINGER WHILE PREPARING THE MONSTER MASK AND LEFT A NICE PEICE OF HIS FINGER IN THE CAR-PARK AS SOUVENIR OF HIS EFFORTS!

THE SECOND NIGHT BEGAN MUCH EARLIER (ABOUT 11PM) AND SHOOTING BEGAN BY 12AM SO WE WERE OFF TO A GREAT START AND REMAINED VERY PRODUCTIVE UNTIL ABOUT 4AM WITH A MUCH MORE STREAMLINED CREW (AROUND 8) WHICH ACTUALLY MADE THINGS RUN FASTER. WE MANAGED TO GET A LOT OF THE INTERACTION SCENES BETWEEN THE MONSTER (DAN) AND PAUL (MYSELF) COMPLETED AT THE END OF THE DAY.

OVERALL, THE WEEKENDS SHOOTING, I BELIEVE, WAS A SUCCESS AND MUCH RESPECT AND APPRECIATION GOES OUT TO ALL THE CREW WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE WITH THEIR UNCOMPLAINING DILIGENCE!
FROM HERE WE WILL STOP FOR FIVE DAYS AND CONTINUE THE PREPARATION AND LOGISTICS FOR NEXT WEEKENDS SHOOTING AT AKIHABARA.

*SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS

Cascades Of Colour from the album "Back To Mine" by Ananda Project

MONSTER R&R

MONSTER R&R, originally uploaded by MRA_PAUL.

HERE DAN THE MONSTER TAKES FIVE AND RESTS HIS MASSIVE BODY (105KG/ 200+ CM'S)... OTSUKARE SAMA.

DIRECTOR ATTACHES MASK

DIRECTOR ATTACHES MASK, originally uploaded by MRA_PAUL.

HERE JR IS ATTACHING THE MONSTER MASK TO DAN

DIRECTOR CHECKS FILM LOOK

DIRECTOR CHECKS FILM LOOK, originally uploaded by MRA_PAUL.

THE CAMERA IS USUALLY ATTACHED TO THE DIRECRTORS MAC TO VIEW THE FILM FRAME AND CHECK THE LIGHTING CONDITIONS.

DIRECTOR CHECKS MASK

DIRECTOR CHECKS MASK, originally uploaded by MRA_PAUL.

MONSTER MAKEUP (HANDS)

MONSTER MAKEUP (HANDS), originally uploaded by MRA_PAUL.

HERE CREW PUT MAKEUP AND NAILS ON THE MONSTER HANDS!

MONSTER TAKES GIRL

MONSTER TAKES GIRL, originally uploaded by MRA_PAUL.

HERE DAN THE MONSTER IS ABDUCTING A YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL JAPANESE GIRL AND TAKING HER INTO HIS DOMAIN... ROB THE CAMERAN IS IN THE BACKGOUND.

JR (DIRECTOR); DAN (THE MONSTER); & THE MAKE UP ARTIST

JR (DIRECTOR); DAN (THE MONSTER); & THE MAKE UP ARTIST, originally uploaded by simonhilton.

MONSTER MASK CHECK @ THE FIGHT LOCATION (AKIHABARA: TOKYO)
FEB 2005

SIMON (PAUL) FIGHTS THE MONSTER (DAN)

SIMON (PAUL) FIGHTS THE MONSTER (DAN), originally uploaded by simonhilton.

DAN (THE MONSTER) HAS LIVED IN TOKYO FOR OVER 10YEARS AND IS A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER MEASURING ABOUT 6 FOOT 10 (1 VERY BIG DOOD!) AND MY HEIGHT @ 170CM OR 5 FOOT 7 MAKES ME LOOK LIKE A MIDGET!

SCREEN TEST 2 (FEB 2005)

SCREEN TEST 2 (FEB 2005), originally uploaded by simonhilton.

THIS SHOT WAS TAKEN @ THE SECOND SCREEN TESTS AND YOU CAN SEE: PAUL (ME), NAOKA (TERUMI), JR (DIRECTOR), JASON (BOOM/ MIC OPERATOR) AND THE CAMERAMAN'S ROOMATES GIRLFFRIEND (WHO IS ACTUALLY A MODEL IN TOKYO).

TAKE 1: ACTION

TAKE 1: ACTION, originally uploaded by simonhilton.

HERE WE ARE REHEARSING THE ARGUMENT SCENE WHILE THE DIRECTOR WATCHES ON THE TV (CAMERA IS USUALLY LINKED TO TV OR COMPUTER FOR REAL TIME VIEWING).

RECENT NEWS

MRA PART1: NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DONT ALREADY KNOW, AFTER WRITING/ PRODUCING AND DIRECTING 2 SHORT FILMS I WAS LUCK Y ENOUGH TO BE CHOSEN AS THE LEAD ACTOR IN A JAPANESE/ AMERICAN SHORT FILM, TITLED; MONSTER REMOVAL AGENCY (MRA).

MRA IS AN ACTION/ COMEDY ABOUT A YOUNG MAN (PAUL) WHO COMES TO JAPAN WITH HIS JAPANESE GIRLFRIEND (NAOKA) OF 4 YEARS TO START A NEW LIFE AND BEGIN THE ADVENTURE OF HIS RATHER MUNDANE LIFE! WHILE WORKING FOR HIS GIRLFRIENDS FATHERS COMPANY (AS A CONVENTIONAL SALARYMAN) HE BECOMES INTROVERTED AND BORED WITH HIS LIFE. HE TURNS INTO A RECLUSIVE GEEK WHO DOES NOTHING APART FROM WORK LONG HOURS AND STAY HOME PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND READING COMIC BOOKS (MANGA), MUCH TO HIS GIRLFRIENDS DISSATISFACTION.

ANYWAY, TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT (IRONICALLY AS THIS IS A SHORT FILM!!) PAUL NOTICES A RATHER BIZZARE JOB ADVERTISEMENT IN THE THE JAPAN TIMES (NEWSPAPER) LOOKING FOR "MONSTER HUNTERS!". NATURALLY INQUISITIVE AND A LITTLE BEMUSED, PAUL DECIDES TO APPLY FOR THE POSITION AS A MONSTER HUNTER
AND CHANGE HIS LIFE FOREVER!


*SIDE NOTE: THIS FILM IS BEING SHOT IN TOKYO (FEB THRU MAY 2005) AND POST-PRODUCTION SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST 2005. THIS FILM IS PART OF A TRILOGY (PART1/2/3) WHICH WILL BE FILMED OVER 3 YEARS IN TOTAL (2005~2007) AND INCLUDES BOTH ENGLISH AND JAPANESE IN THE DIALOG (SCRIPT). THE FILM ALSO INVOLVES A LOT OF MARTIAL ARTS AND FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY WITHOUT THE USE OF WIRES (LIKE THE MATRIX USED FOR THEIR IMPRESSIVE FIGHT SCENES!).

**IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE INFO ABOUT MRA, SEE SCREEN TESTS AND SAMPLE FOOTAGE OF THE MOVIE MRA PART 1 (PRE-PRODUCTION STAGE) PLEASE VISIT THE LINK www.robmoreno.com (the cameraman/ editors website).

***ALSO SEE ATTACHED MRA PHOTOS ON BLOG PAGE

simon - frontb&w

simon - frontb&w, originally uploaded by simonhilton.

old man with cane and traditional japanese sandals (geta)

DSC00363, originally uploaded by shfocus.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD!

WELCOME TO ALL THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ENTERED THE WORLD OF FOCUS!
FOCUS IS THE PREFIX NAME THAT I USE FOR ALL OF MY BUSINESS AND CREATIVE VENTURES, INCLUDING:

1. FOCUS ENGLISH (this is my private english teaching organization that operates in TOKYO, JAPAN)
2. FOCUS FILMS (this is my short film production company responsible for developing, writing, producing and making SHORT FILMS)
3. FOCUS INVESTMENTS (this is my main business enterprise name and BASE company)

Throughout this website (blog) you will be able to find, research and comment on the various projects that i am involved with as well as see various samples of my work.

You will also be able to access a variety of information (through LINKS) regarding:

1. Photography
2. Music
3. Internet
4. Short Films
5. Tokyo
6. Teaching

I hope that all people enjoy their time surfing this website (blog) and take something away fom the experience!

From the creator: Simon Dean Hilton