Platinum Chisel is accepted into Cannes Film Festival!

We got in. To Cannes that is!
Its official, my first short film (as sole producer) Platinum Chisel has now been accepted into the Cannes Film Festival Short Corner!!!

I cannot tell you how excited and happy that makes me.
All the long..….well, I mean everything, the long process really!
Its actually over a year since we first started work on the film. I think I first came up with making Platinum a film in January 2009, and approaching Mike Lewis our writer around then…back in Sydney back at Sydney Theatre Company.
And now in March 2010 after career changes, changing continents, moving to 3 different places to live, and touring for 5 months around australia and that’s just me. My director had holidays, moving house, computer blowing up (yeah really).

Now finally I feel like the hard work is paying off, and it’s a GOOD feeling!

I just found us on the Short Film Corner's catalogue:

http://www.shortfilmcorner.com/sfcfilm/filmfiche2.Aspx?id=13749596
That is just surreal!
So while we gather our breath, gather our courage and our sales pitches. Look out for us at Cannes Film Festival 2010
Go Platinum. Go Hard, Go Chisel.

www.platinumchisel.com

The 1000 Journals Project, I stumbled upon whilst surfing.
A man releases 1000 blank journals in the world for people to write, draw and illustrate their life experiences and pass on..did they ever come back?
What happened to all those journals?
See www.1000journals.com
Or read the book at amazon! Its beautiful, leather and stiched inside too!
I would love to start a project like this, linking people around the world through experience of expressing yourself in a journal then passing it on, and on and on......


I found this article on Raindance, my new favourite newsletter.
It is great for actors in London, gives you lots of things to sign up to and ideas to ponder...
http://www.raindance.org/site/the-10-tips-of-networking


A photographer I went to auditon for, has the most beautiful photos of her dreams!!! They are just amazing!
Maybe I'll begin another dream journal....
www.lottiedavies.com

What inspires you?

Well, its been a while since my last post and I have been recovering from bad laryngitis.
Trying to speak in Chinese with my basic working level of mandarin whilst having said laryngitis over the weekend was a massive challenge.

Also I found being sick on a film set is not fun. I have been sick on set before, but not on a no budget film - ahhhh chaos……weirdly fun when you are well and not so much when you are very ill.
One thing I Always inevitably find on set, whether or not there is money behind the project, is that if one or more people aren't into the film then….well chaos reigns.
In this case, surprisingly, it was the producer.

Maybe people underestimate the effort and time involved? Who knows. I just know that this certain person decided that we didn't need key props the morning of the shoot and that he didn’t have time to collect them.
But rather than complain about this, I take it as another lesson about having a DEDICATED crew and cast.

Reminds me of my own film, which by the way is doing well. Understatement - its doing AMAZING, racing against the Cannes Independent deadline. Im currently conversing with Sydney and London based post production crew which is kinda fun, although costly!
I do not want to look at my phone bill next month!!!

Still reading up on Cannes, it sounds crazy yet amazing. Im really hoping to meet some celebrities, being, in my world, anyone from any Joss Whedon project. Or even Joss himself.
I think I would probably just gape. And maybe do that thing in Waynes world, kneel on the ground and worship saying "im not worthy!".
Who knows what will happen, but I am hoping to be placed with an awesome producer. Im in two minds, someone big has massive kudos and pulling power. Warner Bros, or Fox Searchlight!
But someone smaller probably has more to teach me, yet may not be able to offer me a job afterward or have as much wow factor. Decisions decisions!

BTW if anyone knows a Grader please give them my number/website please!
www.jade-alexander.com so they can contact me!

Also Im crazy excited about my new film poster for Platinum! Check it out!
Xoxo Jade

Auditions and Craziness

What a week! Its been a bit crazy and hard to believe it is still only Thursday.
I think my panda eyes are getting larger, not to mention the fact I feel off because of a coldy/fluy thing in my throat.
My best friend just had a baby, her second. Shocking, I know.
But what a beautiful girl, Ella! Welcome to the world.

I am shooting this weekend and I cant seem to get to bed before 11pm each night! Too much to do!
What? I hear you ask. (Well actually I do not kid myself that people are reading this but it is a good exercise for me and way to keep writing!).
Well, on Tuesday I had an audition with Greg (yep he actually was asked to act), where we played an aussie couple (scary huh?!) and said aussie stuff like sheila, bloke, mate, koala, fosters, backpacking in earls court (WTF???!!!) and pretended it was another language.

Then we must have impressed as we were asked to come back for a callback on wed. So back we went and hopefully impressed the directorwith our ocka

Then afterward I had an audition for XBox Live which consisted of being amazed and "just look like the Xbox is changing your life right now!". Hmmm…ok.

Then this morning I got a call from a rather large prestigious theatre company who would like to audition me for their new show which sounds Amazing!!
So I say:
J: Sure, umm when are you devising the show?
Them: During May
J: Oh sorry I am actually at the Cannes Film Festival then.
T: Oh alright, well we need to think about that, we'll call you back tomorrow.
J: (idiot idiot idiot).

Although I may still have an audition with them it really is not the worst possible choices; do a show with the National Theatre or go to Cannes? Oh life has changed!
So in summary things are going well.

Also my last film I was involved in has gone live.
I am featured in the opening scene, as a chinese woman in Beijing having yum cha with the girls. All in Mandarin!
The Night the Creatures Came Alive part of the 28day Film Festival Challenge is going to be in competition this Saturday so fingers crossed!
Here is a link to the trailer.

Im shooting a short feature this weekend called Spring Rolls, speaking in Mandarin, but written by an Italian scriptwriter, with an Indian director, produced in London.
Should be interesting…….
Bye for now
Jade xoxo

Film Sound Article

Hey,
Just thought to share this amazing read on film making. Its about sound and filmmaking, or to be more accurate about Sound Design and how sound is not just about words, spfx, music. Its about what is being absorbed by the audience when there are no words or less visuals.
Have a read, it taught me a bit about scriptwriting and creating a film.

http://www.filmsound.org/articles/designing_for_sound.htm

New Film

Hey everyone,
Im in a new film called Spring Rolls. Its a chinese film where I play the - well I won't give it away!
But the film is centered around a Chinese woman, and we all have to speak in Mandarin. So I will be working to brush up my chinese.
This is pretty exciting, as it is my first official role since landing in London. I had the European Winter blues through dec-jan and now things are starting to look up. Spring is sprung, the bulbs are popping up over Ealing Green and things are looking much much better.
Funny how much a little sun can change your mood!
till next time
xoxo jade