PIC OF THE WEEK: ARACNAPHOBIA!

aidsgirl
Originally uploaded by txGeek.

This nasty piece of work was put together by the French Aids Prevention Advertising Campaign. Black comedy with a message... gotta love it but watch out for hairy legs and nasty dregs!

NOSTALGIA IS A BLESSING!

Here's one that i forgot about! My first day at school (age 5) and thanx to my Ma, we can all get a glimpse of my humble life as it was... I loved that bag but that shirt! Anyway... enough already!

HAD TO BLOG THIS!

It's 2.36am and after a long day and some liquid warmth I found this gem while surfing the blogosphere. If you ever wanted to know what it's like to be a redneck hillbilly well, you just darn have to watch this... Yeeeeh Haaah!

http://www.dvblog.org/movies/08_05/hillbilly.mov (or click on the title to view this short movie).

PIC OF THE WEEK!

NOW THAT'S A CAR CRASH! LOVE THE LOOK OF THIS ONE AND I HAV NO IDEA WHO TOOK THE SHOT AS IT CAME FROM A THAI SITE (CAN'T READ THAI... SORRY :p).

Night Walker + MRA Trailer!

Well, troops I am happy to declare the film Night Walker has officially commenced with the opening meeting that was held last night in Akabane (Tokyo). This meeting was a General Information Night where the basic ideas and pre-production work for the movie were explained and discussed to some extent. The meeting was a long one around 2 hours and we had 8 people in attendance (thank you all for taking the time!). The outline to the meeting (what was talked about) can be seen here (below this text) and generally I thought the meeting went rather well and was well prepared with a number handouts given to the crew and cast. The next meeting will be on the 21st (Sun) of August @ 6pm (location to be advised but central tokyo, this time!). This will be the first brainstorming session for the movie so I would appreciate a good attendance (remember 24 hours notice if you can't attend, PLEASE!).

Amyway, we all had a little surprise at the end of the meeting because we were all lucky enough to see the long awaited MRA TRAILER! Follow this link (cut and paste into browser) and you too can see what a bunch of movie geeks can do in their spare time!

http://www.robmoreno.com/mratrailer.mp4

Have fun and as always watch out for the cookie monster!

NIGHT WALKER: General Info Night
First Meeting: AGENDA
Date: Sunday, 14th August
Time: 5pm to 7pm (Jinpachi, Akabane)

1. Welcome and Introduction (handout agenda)
Time: 10 mins (for crew intros and reading of treatment).
5.40pm

2. Handout NW Treatment (English & Japanese)
Time: 10 mins (for reading and basic questions)
5.50pm

3. Background to NW and Basic Story
Time: 15 mins (explanation and discussion)
6pm
*The original Night Walker (2004)
*The basic idea (the dream/ childhood memories/ relationship with parents)
*The basic theme (fear! And how we cope with it)
*The basic message (What if we had no fear?)
*The structure (5 timelines)

4. Pre-Production (done or, in the process)
Time: 15 mins
6.15pm
*When did it start? (2004/ July 2005)
*Location scouting & checklists
*Location agreement (Rickey’s Bar)
*Website: http//nightwalker2005.blogspot.com/
*The Ring Cam Production (design handout)
*Story Outline, Working Script (1st draft) & Time Lines
*Crew and Actor recruiting (Film Marmalade)
*Responses (around ten people including some professionals)

5. Pre-Production Schedule (attendance)
Time: 5 mins
6.20pm
*handout amended PP Schedule
*Note in calendar (make at least 1 and the final, if possible)
*RSVP Deadline (24 hours before the intended meeting)

6. Story Breifing (update)
Time: 15mins
6.35pm
*Time Lines (handout)
*Potential crew and actors (photos/ resumes/ correspondence etc…)
*Character brief (profiles)

7. Tech Briefing (experimental)
Time: 5mins
6.40pm
*Voice Overs (enhance NW voice/ possible voice actor)
*CG and post production (Jason/ Rob and Myself)

8. Final Q&A (free for all)
Time: 20 mins
7pm
*The first brainstorming session will be on the 21st August @ 6pm

Thank you all for attending (kore kara yoroshiku onegaishimasu).

7pm: Adjourn meeting

The End

UNSTOPPABLE!

Well crew, thanks to all your unselfish, hard-work "UNSTOPPABLE!" filming has been completed! I must say that for such a short film (actual filming time: 2 days!) it was such a blast to do. All people who contributed to this vision done so with their full capacities and really made it happen. My hat goes of to the crew and Jason Koo (the director), who is just great at what he does, period. Here is the film poster that Michael Lindow (the Yakuza lead actor) made up for the shoot (the original name was PENDULUM).

By the way, if you click on the poster you can view a larger version and the link in the title (UNSTOPPABLE!) of this post you will go directly to Michael Lindow's website (its worth a look... trust me I never lie!)

More pics to come.

Peace & respect to all...

CHECK THIS OUT: ROBO MADNESS & THOSE FUNKY JAPANESE!

Japanese develop 'female' android

Japanese scientists have unveiled the most human-looking robot yet - a "female" android named Repliee Q1Expo.

She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner.

She can flutter her eyelids and move her hands like a human. She even appears to breathe.

Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University says one day robots could fool us into believing they are human.

Repliee Q1Expo is not like any robot you will have seen before, at least outside of science-fiction movies.

She is designed to look human and although she can only sit at present, she has 42 actuators in her upper body, powered by a nearby air compressor, programmed to allow her to move like a human.

We have found that people forget she is an android while interacting with her
Prof Hiroshi Ishiguro

"I have developed many robots before," Repliee Q1Expo's designer, Professor Ishiguro, told the BBC News website, "but I soon realised the importance of its appearance. A human-like appearance gives a robot a strong feeling of presence."

Designed to look human

Before Repliee Q1Expo, Professor Ishiguro developed Repliee R1 which had the appearance of a five-year-old Japanese girl.

Its head could move in nine directions and it could gesture with its arm. Four high-sensitivity tactile sensors were placed under the skin of its left arm that made the android react differently to differing pressures.

The follow-up has the appearance of a Japanese woman. To program her motion, a computer analysed the motions of a human and used them as a template for the way Repliee Q1Expo moves.

She can be designed to follow the movement of a human wearing motion sensors or to act independently.

"Repliee Q1Expo can interact with people. It can respond to people touching it. It's very satisfying, although we obviously have a long way to go yet."

Professor Ishiguro believes that it may prove possible to build an android that could pass for a human, if only for a brief period.

"An android could get away with it for a short time, 5-10 seconds. However, if we carefully select the situation, we could extend that, to perhaps 10 minutes," he said.

"More importantly, we have found that people forget she is an android while interacting with her. Consciously, it is easy to see that she is an android, but unconsciously, we react to the android as if she were a woman."



Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4714135.stm

Published: 2005/07/27 09:10:07 GMT

© BBC MMV

SHORT FILM UPDATE

Well, MRA is now well and truly into post-production and last Sunday I had the pleasure of viewing some of the edited cuts and surprisingly enough, it was pretty damn funny (had the room in stitches!). It was cool to see that the comedy has come thru and that the idea has come to fruition for all those who were involved (good work JR and Rob especially!) but respect goes out to all those who gave up their time to make this film a reality!

Anyway, I thought should expand on the previous cryptic message that I posted (was inebriated at the time) about the current film project titled: "UNSTOPPABLE!". This is the current film that I am acting in as a police officer who has been suspended from duty, loves guns and is part of the SWAT team (when he is not being suspended!). The film's message which is about the unstoppable nature of violence, once it has begun; is portrayed with weapons, violence, Yakuza clones and a gun loving SWAT Police member who tries to save himself from absolute destruction as best he can.



The film will be less than 10mins and will be shot over 2 days in the city of Tokyo. Day 1 has already been completed and this Sunday will see the completion of filming at the Director's (Jason Koo) apartment. The film is technically tricky (to say the least) and will involve compositing and CG in the editing phase. The director and I have already worked on 2 other films together and this makes our third film in collaboration. He has a great ability to direct these types of films and is technically sound with a great amount of knowledge from which I am learning a great deal!



I only hope that I can do him and the film justice, as I am still really learning how to act without speaking (face & body acting is challenging). This film involves no dialogue and is therefore difficult, at times, to express the feeling and nature of the situation.



Stay tuned for more updates... by the way going SURFING this morning at 3am near CHIBA in TOKYO (there is a TYPHOON coming which means BIG SURF!) so this may be my last post to you all (its been real!).

ONYA

TIME TO TELL...

Well folks, it's been a while since i've posted so here's one for you to ponder:
Day= Sunday
Time= All day
Reason= Something called "UNSTOPPABLE!"
Where= Somewhere in zee Tokyo, Japan...
Why= Just because I can (at the moment!)
People= An eclectic mixture collaborating with each other towards a common goal... art?

O + Y = A violent, compositing message that shall open your eyes for a brief moment, in the hope of a higher mutual understanding of all sapiens that fear to tread these dangerous lands!

Tongue exits cheek... :p

Stay tuned for more cryptic messages... from the crypt!