New home with B & E Productions
INTERNATIONAL: Quest for Jackie Chan! India Club
YOUR COMMENTS: On Encore Magazine - Filmmakers go to China
MEDIA: Has anyone seen Maria Tran?
SOURCE: http://www.ice.org.au/newswire/2010/12/has-anyone-seen-maria-tran/
She’s on the Quest for Jackie Chan and has sent ICE a video update of her travels across Australia and now beyond to Asia.
Her “Quest”, it is an adventure she embarked on about a year ago to try and meet Jackie Chan. She’s really into action film and thinks that the Aussie film industry could do with a little more Kung Fu. Perhaps if she just gets to meet the legend himself … well … who knows what could happen!
For Maria it is more about the journey than the destination.
Throughout her journey she has come across linkages and synergies that branch out from the stories generated from “Jackie Chan” that crosses over to martial arts, action film genre, comedy, independent filmmaking, stunts, youth culture, globalisation, pop culture, generation XYZ, the list is endless.
You’ve heard of the term ‘Transmedia’? Well, no pun intended but Maria Tran’s a perfect example of how new media techniques coupled with storytelling can activate global messaging and participation.
Here’s what Wikipedia says: “Transmedia storytelling is a technique of telling stories across multiple platforms and formats, recognized for its use by mass media to develop media franchises.”
Check out Maria Tran’s (media) video and follow her on Twitter
CALL OUT: Quest for Jackie Chan! Interns based in Hong Kong
TRAINING: With actress Rachel Poon & Bey Logan
RETROSPECTIVE: Downtown Rumble on ABC/ JTV Australian TV
PEOPLE: Face to face with Bey Logan
A little bit about Bey…
Bey is like the expert on Hong Kong cinema. He’s also a whole bunch of different things, such as an active screenwriter and film producer. Actually no amount of my writings of Bey will cover it so please tune in to his Wikipedia page for further discoveries.
My first instance of meeting was at his office based in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, about 10
minutes by train from where I was staying. We immediately has a good chat and catch up about the filmmaking realm and also his own exciting horror slasher flick “Snowblade” that is productively in development.
I am fascinated with how things work here in Hong Kong. In particular to the synergies between people and projects (good or bad) gets churned out. Unlike Australia, we would possibly struggle for 5-10 years in getting a project backed up, made and distributed.
Bey and his B & E Productions (its stands for “Breaking and Entering” funky hey?) have also
wrapped up on action flick “The Blood Bond”, which Bey has kindly given me a copy of. I spent 6 hours on a lonely night,
locked away in my Mirador Mansion (its really a shoebox) reading all 26 chapters. It’s a very good read and I enjoyed Mr Logan’s style of writing and character development of Deva (Phoenix Valen) and Tremayne (Michael Biehn). I must admit, I haven’t seen the feature film of it yet, but the book seems like a much better and thorough version of the story.
For the electronic version of “The Blood Bond” click here.
Anyhow, I’ve been spending some time with Bey training in the
art of Hung Gar Kung Fu at the Star Ferry Pier, under the clock tower at 12 noon with Mak Sifu and a number of actors/ actresses.
Bey has helped me out by calling around to Jackie Chan’s management team to see if I can book in an interview session for my project “Quest for Jackie Chan!”. No response as yet, but I hope I get something before I leave Hong Kong. I guess, if not then, my project wraps up with a failed expedition….
With love and signing out,
Maria Tran in HK.
PREDICAMENTS: My Ultimate Financial Crisis...
When the networks and production companies decided that a project of this calibre was just too "weird", "risky" and "unaustralian" I decided to step up and waved my voyage flag that "I will do it" and "I will prove that it can happen". "Anything is possible, right?". Little did I forsee the impact it had on my piggy bank (I worked in community arts, so I didn't have much to start off).
So I stretched what I had, and with a little help from the Fundbreaker supporters, I'm able to start the ignition.
Rock bottom phase 1 hit after the Australia tour. I quickly reacted by grappling any job I could grab - leading me to two months travelling across New South Wales representing Integral Energy.
I recovered enough funds for my second stage - Quest for Jackie Chan! - Hong Kong and booked in two month stay to get use to HK and also find ways to meet kingpin - Jackie Chan. I spent a good 10 days editing a snippet trailer, it was also the first time that I actually checked out what footage I had.
Anyhow, back to the financial crisis, I went through more problems, such as my money being stolen and now the last time I checked my $$$ are dwindling at an all time low that any accommodation costs would kills me for the rest of the 35 days left of HK stay.
My Banner
Quest for Jackie Chan! Showcase Snippet Trailer
It has been one year since the inception of the idea with the goal of meeting Jackie Chan and now looking back, I've come so far from idea to so many connections.
Through this "quest" I've become more aware of the links that the subject of "Jackie Chan" crosses over to martial arts, action film genre, comedy, independent filmmaking, stunts, youth culture, globalisation, pop culture, generation XYZ, the list is endless.
Thank you to all those people who have believed in me, in my vision, keep in mind, its beyond meeting Jackie Chan -- it's a life philosophy that ABC; Anything is possible, Its about becoming aware and creating opportunities.
But will Jackie Chan meet Maria Tran?
The clock is ticking....
TRAVEL: Journey to Hong Kong…
It’s been a good 10 days now since I’ve landed in Hong Kong. Unfortunately for me its been a very sickly one. For 10 days, I spent most of it staying at the New Hong Kong Hostel and only rarely emerging outside these walls. I’ve had a severe (possibly pending) cold/flu as well as now some sort of massive migraine.
And this is the ugly side of the “Quest”. Since September this year I’ve been travelling non stop without any problems and now, since I hit Hong Kong, it has slowed down completely. I know I’m so close, yet my health is really getting in the way. I keep telling myself that I schedule to get better in the next two days so I can actually meet some really cool Jackie Chan linkages. But it just keeps getting pushed back and back and back. Now day 10 and I’m still here.
Anyhow, so far the journey to Hong Kong has been a very enlivening one. I’m staying at the Chungking Mansion. It is not a mansion. Very far from it in actual fact. It is possibly the most seediest looking places in Hong Kong with a crazy 4,000 people living in the one building! Its like a whole town or something enclosed in a concrete jungle.
HK in general, woahhh! So much stimuli! So many things happening around, people walking pass, things being bought and sold, so many restaurants and shops in any places, every nook and cranny. Everyone means business, whether its big or small.
Anyhow, just a little bit of an update.
Much love,
Maria Tran