Paper Planes.

So I didn't have much time to catch my breath after I landed back in Oz.
No time to get over my humongous jetlag either.

The day after I arrived, I started working on Paper Planes, Storm Ashwood's new SAFC funded short film. I love focus pulling for Nick Matthews, it really keeps me on my toes. (Whole film shot on a 135mm, t2, wide open with 9 stops of ND's anyone??)
Again, our trusty RED One camera from Hidef in Sydney was flawless and perfect. I have trouble thinking that some REDs are so tempermental that it makes some people shy away from them forever. Pity.


The sets were great, the actors (and non-actors) wonderful and the crew, fabulous. I had only seen Storm be Nick's gaffer or Richard's best boy, so it was nice to finally see him direct. I think his sensitivity serves him well when it comes to communicating with actors. Especially children actors. I believe this little film of his is going to be quite impressive. Can't wait to see it.

I was feeling a bit off by the end of the week, having to drive 2 hours to and from set every day and drinking absolutely no coffee...but it felt nice to be back to carrying a nice heavy camera on my shoulder.

I learned, however, that even if you do work for a week after you come back from Canada, you don't get over your jetlag. You just push the time adjustment to later.

I think I slept two whole days after we wrapped.

Oh my.

I never really write much when I am in Canada.
First, I have too much to do! Too many great people to see...
But also, I have the feeling that pretty much everyone that reads me is from Canada. Therefore, because I am here, they get my thoughts first hand. I don't need to write about them.

But tonight, I really have to talk about something.
Or someone, actually.

Robert Lepage.

I am in the middle of seeing Lipsynch, his new show, and it is absolutely sublime.
A 9 hour show. I didn't believe it at first. But it's true. 9 whole hours. You can see it all at once, with 5 intermissions and a meal break, or cut in three pieces of three hours, over the course of three days. Lovely Vanessa got Mélanie and I tickets to go see it this week, in the three day version.

I didn't think that it would work. 9 hours is a really REALLY long time to keep people interested and sitting in seats of a dark theatre. The actors have to be extraordinary, and the material, even better. The sets have to be interesting and innovative and the subject and feel of it has to be just right.
A very hard ask.

And Monsieur Lepage brings it home.

Man, that artist, director, actor, idealist, (etc, etc, etc...) does not disappoint.

His brilliance astounds me.

Tomorrow night is the last installment. I will try to sum the show up for you then. I have the feeling that it will not be easy...I fear I might run out of positive adjectives.