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Friday, May 7, 2010Tuesday, April 27, 2010About to post some good news Well, well, well - we will be having a celebratory drink or three soon...more news to come... 
Thursday, December 31, 2009Happy NY Cryptonites!
All the best to all - 2010 - is likely to be a bonanza for Cryptopticon - say no more - keep yourself posted.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009Facciamo i conti
As 2009 draws to an end I draw up conclusion.
In Italian one says – facciamo i conti – (we do the sums). What happened? What went right - what went wrong. Some successes – many would say ‘many successes’ – and some set backs – nothing life-threatening thankfully – but just enough to make us all humble before the unfathomable universe Anyway – if I don’t see any of the readers before – thanks for listening and Buon Natale. The New Year brings nothing but good tidings. Tuesday, November 3, 2009Friday, October 16, 2009Welcome Back
Been absent from blogging but hectic with many pursuits:
A major one was recutting the film since the First Screening. Front of mind was a need to bring in several scenes that had ‘mysteriously’ been left out of the cut that we all saw on Aug 8th. Then tweak pacing, SFX. So much for the image. Secondly, was a proper post on the sound track – so over the last 2 months slaved over post-audio using Soundtrack Pro – which is fast becoming the professional standard for sound design. Very happy with the finished results – the soundtrack creates a stereophonic world that complements the psychology of the images. Anyway – enough of my artistic travails in the dark edit suite. Great news is that Cryptopticon has been selected to compete at the 7th Annual Queens International Film Festival New York City (November 12-15). Established in 2003, the Queens International is a unique event in a borough rich in entertainment history, including Coppola and Scorsese who were born here. The QiFF 2009 film lineup will includes over 200 films from all over the world. 
Saturday, August 8, 2009The Screening... The screening was a major success - the crowd was suitably bewildered...Someone asked to buy a copy of the film on the spot..! Wednesday, July 29, 2009The latest cut & Aug 8th
Putting the finishing touches to the latest cut of Cryptopticon: ‘tightening’ of key moments or revisit beats with additional coverage – one of the major charges is in the soundscape, depth and width.
This won’t matter to most people, as only a few saw the very first assembly. Still, thought I’d share it for history’s sake. Excited about the Aug 8th screening. Monday, July 6, 2009Cast & Crew Screening v 2.0 I haven’t done this in a while – blogging is a routine one should do every day or it goes to mush. Anyway, updates: Working on smoothing few ‘kinks’ in the edit to be ready for the cast and crew party – which is getting bigger than Ben Hur. The marketing people took one look at the film and have gone wild with enthusiasm: ‘Counterculture, Insane, Ban-able! (new word – apparently it is desirable to have your film/project banned by as many government bodies as possible – ASIO/FBI?)’, psychotic, infectious, sick, rattling etc….apparently all these are synonyms of very good. Anyway – because of this wave of unplanned and dopamine-fuelled optimism - the initially small and intimate C&C affair has metamorphed into a huge alien ship. So in addition to the C&C – add to it an underground campaign and viral marketing campaign. If that wasn’t enough - also planned a video puzzle hunt – so working on the edit to ‘insert’ subliminal easter eggs in the film (video gamers know what the jargon means leave it to you to explain it to neophytes). Invites have gone out…many-many-many industry players and other VIPs on the night; should be interesting. Might get shut down or arrested or both. I’m bringing my lawyers to be on the safe side. Those of you connected, be sure to click on the facebook invite to let the caterers know. Or be sure to follow the instructions on the invite – which was sent to your postal address of August 2008. By the way first in best dressed, as there are limited seats. See all the believers then. Friday, June 26, 2009Cast & Crew Screening "Every great dream begins with a dreamer" Tubman "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." Epicurus Well – here’s the first public screening. I thought I’d be more anxious but like a grandmaster I‘ve spent enough time on this puzzle to know its moves. Calm - Confident - Deadly. (Sounds like a movie poster!) Cryptopticon will screen for a selected group on the 8th of August. The Loop bar 23 Meyers Place Melbourne (off Bourke street). Email crypto@cryptopticon.com for a passkey (RSVP) Tuesday, June 16, 2009Cryptopticon Cast & Crew Screening 8/8/09 So here we are dear travellers. The light shimmers on the silver screen. To see the actors move in between The pauses and looks that reveal More than a speech ever will. Cryptopticon Cast & crew and friends screening on the 8th August 2009. More details will follow. Saturday, April 25, 2009Friday, April 24, 2009Originality
An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have.
Andy Warhol  Why my casual attitude to the response from Cannes? Cryptopticon will always polarise. Here’s a story to illustrate my point. In the beginning - early 2008 - I couldn’t find a crew. The blog posts and the personal approaches didn’t work. As I re-read my diary/journal from the time - it was death by silence - death by indifference. Even though I was planning to work with a ‘skeleton’ crew – literally no one was interested as DOP, designer, producer, gaffer, sound recordist, caterer… That changed when John Hipwell came on board. John pretty much recruited the whole production team: DOP, gaffers, sound, runners, on-set digital acquisition. The casting was a major problem too - this was a first – never before whether casting for theatre, short films of a feature had I had problems, usually I was able to get cues round the block with actors and actresses all wanting a part. On Cryptopticon none of the actors I initially had in mind were available or even wanted to audition (!) - this is not to say what we finally cast was the B-team - but when you plan a feature film you kind set your aim pretty high and get what your mind envisages. Then Sarah-Jane came on board – thanks to her we saw a lot of people for each role. And the results speak for themselves. The moral of this story is that if you truly do something personal and distinctive – you won’t find universal appeal – universal appeal only happens occasionally. There are another 4-5 festivals where I will enter Cryptopticon (it’s bloody expensive once you factor in postage and administration fees) – I predict that 3-4 out of the 5 will reject it – I’m counting on the 1 out of 6 that will say ‘I love it!’ But if not – that is the path. Abstract painting is abstract. It confronts you. There was a reviewer a while back who wrote that my pictures didn't have any beginning or any end. He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was. Jackson Pollock “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt Fwd: Quinzaine des R?alisateurs - R?ponse du comit? de s?lection / Answer of the selection committeesIt's a hat-trick from Cannes!!!! Sent from Phillip's iPhone Begin forwarded message:
Thursday, April 23, 2009First rejections... Rejections always sting a little – (the ego mostly!) But as the saying goes ‘time wounds all heels’ (Groucho Marx). Initially, we never planned to submit Cryptopticon to a film festival – (a little ‘too ‘establishment’, ‘too well-trodden path’); Cryptopticon is hardly that. So why did we bother? The opportunity arose after having shot C on Hi-Def and with higher production values than originally planned…it seemed like a door to knock on - especially for the sake of the market attached to it. And indeed this is the plan - there are other 4-5 high profile festivals (with attached markets) that are worth the punt: Toronto, Telluride, Sundance, Berlin, Rotterdam. And even if these do not pan out, there are other avenues to get the film out there. …not sure what others do with rejection letters - I eventually use the back of them for the first draft my next project! Fwd: CRYPTOPTICON---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sandie Fabre <films@semainedelacritique.com> Date: Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 8:36 PM Subject: CRYPTOPTICON To: phillipmarzella@gmail.com Hello, Thank you for having submitted your film " CRYPTOPTICON " to La Semaine de la Critique. The Selection Committee considered it with the utmost attention. Unfortunately, it has not been selected for the 48th Critics¹ week. We hope to have another occasion working with you in the next few years. Thank you, Best regards, On behalf of Jean-Christophe Berjon, Artistic Director And his Selection Commitee 48e Semaine de la Critique Cannes 2009 Fwd: Festival de Cannes---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: bruno.munoz@festival-cannes.fr <bruno.munoz@festival-cannes.fr> Date: 2009/4/23 Subject: Festival de Cannes To: phillipmarzella@gmail.com Phillip MARZELLA ACROBAT FILMS 1 Penn StreetNorth Balwyn MelbourneVictoria 3104 AUSTRALIE
Paris, 22/04/2009
Réf. : Présentation du film « CRYPTOPTICON » au Comité de Sélection du 62ème Festival de Cannes (13 – 24 mai, 2009).
Monsieur / Madame Phillip MARZELLA
Nous avons le regret de vous informer que votre film n'a pas été retenu par le Comité de Sélection du Festival de Cannes pour sa Sélection Officielle (Compétition, Hors Compétition, Un Certain Regard). Nous espérons que vous nous ferez l'honneur de nous présenter votre prochain film.
Avec nos meilleures salutations,
Ref.: Presentation of the film «CRYPTOPTICON» to the Selection Committee of the 62nd Festival de Cannes (May 13 - 24, 2009).
Dear Phillip MARZELLA
We regret to inform you that your film has not been selected by the Selection Committee of the Festival de Cannes for its Official Selection (Competition, Out of Competition, Un Certain Regard). We hope that you will do us the honour of presenting us your next film.
Yours sincerely,
Christian Jeune Adjoint au Délégué général / Deputy General Delegate Directeur Département Films / Film Department Director Tel.: (33) 1 53 59 61 74 / Fax : (33) 1 53 59 61 70
Conformément aux instructions du Festival, les cassettes vidéo et les dvd adressés au Festival pour la présélection ne sont pas renvoyés à leur expéditeur par le Festival, après avoir été visionnés. Cependant, toute personne mandatée par vous-même, et de passage à Paris dans les locaux du Bureau du Festival, pourra, avant juin 2009, demander à récupérer cette cassette en votre nom.
In accordance with the Festival instructions, the video-tapes and DVDs addressed to the Festival for its pre-selection are not returned by the Festival to the sender, after they have been viewed. However, anyone authorized by you and passing through Paris, may pick up the video-tape at the Festival's Office, before June 2009.
Sunday, April 19, 2009Websites updates
I finally sorted the web presence for Acrobat Films and Cryptopticon.
Might add, not without the pain of having to re-register domain names and change over web-hosting services. I ditched Optus: long story, but I did exceed the legal safe limit on the phone with various call-centres around the globe. I now speak several Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, and Rajasthani dialects. On the upside I may or may not be engaged to be married to several Pakistani princesses. And I have many fans in Lahore, Islamabad and Gujrat. Love globalisation. Anyway, keep an eye on these websites: www.acrobatfilms.com.au www.cryptopticon.com Thursday, April 9, 2009Director’s notes
[I need to write these for the festivals]
Cryptopticon came to me as a dream. Another story was before me – cryptology loomed large – lots of research and material was there - yet I couldn’t get a sense of the frame of the story, or a handle on what was the story moving towards. I felt and intuited that it was a thriller – a mystery that needed to be solved - but wasn’t sure what was at stake if we didn’t solve the mystery and who was the character that made it all happen – anyway, it wasn’t working. I’ve just realised that I started writing about the film from writer’s angle: story and narrative issues – when the title of this is in fact Director’s notes. As it will become apparent the two are intermingled in my mind. Above all because writing screenplays for me is a visual emotional effort at first which is then translated into a logical one of sequences and scenes. As an aside I’m writing this blog entry because several film festivals expect to have a director’s statement about the film – which I think is okay from a press/media release angle and a necessary marketing tool - but it is artistically distant from film making – I make films to give light to inner emotions and mental images – if I could capture all in words – no need for the camera is there? But I repeat myself – I think I’ve said this before in an earlier post. So I dreamt it all. The whole story from beginning to end came to me early one morning – that was a very happy day – I’ve had this kind of epiphanies before – but mostly for a single scene or sequence - never for a whole film… And then it became obvious that what I wanted to do was make a film that had strong abstract elements – that it wasn’t clear-cut what was happening and how – and that each viewer would take away what they wanted from the film. Suffice to say that some people who read the screenplay – would complain – “I didn’t get it.” Well, as in any abstract painting - you get out what you put into it – this wasn’t a film with a definitive moralistic statement or closed loop narrative – rather an Alice-in-Wonderland psychedelic journey for the spectator. With this in mind then as a director I wanted to delve into what is the best way to capture this hallucinogenic story? In camera is the answer. Indeed, this story can only be told with a camera – a theatrical representation of the same action – would have none of the impact or subtleties of the film – which for me is a good test of cinematic potential. The idea was that this was routine gone wrong – with a thousand eyes looking onto the setting – a thousand cameras. So my directorial ambitions were simple. Bring to light what had only happened in my mind’s eye. I believe it worked: script and direction melding into a rollercoaster of broken emotions and chilly thrills. Qui vivra, verra…
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