IN THE MEDIA: Actor channels her mum

04 APR 10 @ 07:05AM BY CARLEEN FROST

SHE’S played an assassin, a Japanese schoolgirl and a ninja - but one of Maria Tran’s most challenging roles has been to portray her mother in a new children’s series.

Tran, 25, will play a 35-year-old Vietnamese mother in the new ABC series My Place.

She modelled the character on her own mother, Betty Tran.

“It was an interesting experience,” she said.

“I had to do research and follow my mother around the house jotting notes on her behavioural patterns, rummaging through her old clothing and go through her old ‘80s photos to make reference.”

My Place is based on the award-winning book by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins. It will debut on Thursday, April 22; with Tran expected to appear in the series on May 10.

The Fairfield West resident is no stranger to the big screen, having already appeared in several locally-made films.

Tran starred in the independent film Maximum Choppage and was recently part of a reality documentary titled Quest for Jackie Chan.

And when she’s not in front of the camera; she’s behind it writing, producing and directing. The former Canley Heights High Schoolstudent produced and acted in the ABC mini-series Downtown Rumble, and directed the Vietnamese documentary Happy Dent. On top of all her film commitments, Tran helps organise youth projects at the Information Cultural Exchange in Parramatta. She admits she’s got a lot on her plate. “I’m juggling a whole bunch of projects at the moment,” she said.

Tran, a psychology graduate from the University of Western Sydney, is well known in Fairfield for helping promote local film projects. Last year she received a Fairfield City Council Australia Day Achievement Medallion.

Quest for Jackie Chan hits 2010 SmartARTs Festival

Event: SmartARTs Festival, 64 Pine St, Chippendale.

Time: 12-6.30pm

The day started off with some frantic last minute shirt printing, then rushing to get to the festival to set up my "Quest for Jackie Chan Stall". In addition to the "Rush Hour" came a flat tyre on the way to my destination. Thanks to "Marka" a local Carramar Pacific Islander who too the time and heart to lend me a hand and change the flat tyre.

Then I continued my journey and hit the scene by 11.15am, priding myself on the super uber close car spot and setting myself next to textile artist "Andy" and jewellery artist "Jimmy" who ere super groovy and so down-to-earth characters.

Maria Tran & Andy

Maria Tran & Jimmy

SETUP: I had 20 shirts of all sorts of colours on sale for $15, hundreds of badges, a message book and a camera set up for people wanting to send their messages to Jackie Chan.

"Quest for Jackie Chan" clothes rack

The assortments of mini badges

Stall visitors send their regards to Jackie Chan

OUTCOMES

As you know, after months of learning the art of shirt silk screening, badge making and graffiti art (legally [although disputed]). I ended up selling 3 shirts (for $10 so people can afford them) and a handful of badges at 50c each). Its funny how people ask where the profit goes to when really I'm making a loss. Lol! But that's not the point on my quest. The point is to see my capabilities, be creative and guerrilla about certain ideas and risks. Also to connect, I had about a hundred of people coming from all sorts of backgrounds from Jackie Chan fans, and anti-Jackie Channies alike who just want to leave their mark.

PROFESSIONAL RANDOMIST: Jack Ngu & Maria Tran

HIGHLIGHTS

• Meetings twitter pal CaptainOz2002 whom I only connected via twitter prior to this meet. The story is he met me when he signed up for twitter and search for things he like, "fitness" and "Jackie Chan".
• Meeting people who are enthused of the project.
• 

CaptainOz2002 sport his cinema ticket as he tuned into "The Spy Next Door" recently.

HO-HUMS

• People making comments that my project is stupid, unnecessary and that Jackie Chan and high profilers alike hate people like me.
• Anti-Jackie Chan fans expressing their extreme derogatory expressions.
• Skeptical questions such as the "How?" of the project. Conversations would go down like this:

Stranger: "How are you planning to meet Jackie?"

Maria Tran: "Well, after flying around Australia in September in 21 days to meet up with JC fans, I will head over to KH to his office with all the video messages, letters, fan mail representing Australia and meet him."

Stranger: "Is that certain? Have you got an agreement?"

Maria Tran: "Of course not. Then it wouldn't be "reality" anymore would it? It may be the case that Jackie Chan doesn't want to meet me and i will have to end the film documentary there."

Stranger: "Then whats the point?"

Maria Tran: "I live once, I've made a movie so the next step is to go see Jackie Chan. Simple. I want to bring hope to other Australians who want to get their messages across to him. If I don't see him, at least I tried. But if I do then the success is not only mine but everyone else. Everyone has an inner desire to meet Jackie Chan, whether they say it or (some even want to fight him). I'm compelled to shed light on this life journey, how hard he has worked to get where he is today, his unraveling connections to Australia, certain positive traits that others can learn from, his generational influences and also a question posed on the future of young people and their storytelling abilities. Finally, for my personal development. To build confidence in embarking on a project of this caliber."

LIKES

• People travelling afar to meet me, get to know and contribute to the project.
• JC symbol is becoming iconic, people have seen the graffiti and the "Quest for Jackie Chan" symbol.
• Meeting up with my inspiring street art tutor Chris Tamm and Bunkawaa
• Being interviewed by Sydney University students who are want to do an assignment on it.

Maria Tran & UNSW & Sydney Uni students with field practice in the art of journalism

Check out more pics below:

Maria Tran & Chris Luu's Jackie Chan artwork at the festival

Maria Tran & the usual 'vox pops'

"Jackie Chan will you make me some pancakes"

"Jackie Chan you're awesome"

"Are you talking about the same Jackie Chan, not the Jackie Chan from Newtown that we know"

"My dad happened to bump into him once in Hong Kong"

"Its my friend's birthday and we haven't got her a present (this guy was my first shirt sale!) yet and she's a Jackie Chan fan"

IN THE MEDIA: Quest for Jackie Chan fans

Quest for Jackie Chan fans

12 APR 10 @ 08:21AM BY LAUREN MCMAH

http://fairfield-advance.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/quest-for-jackie-chan-fans/

WHAT do you get when you combine one legendary kung fu actor, a legion of dedicated fans and the limitless social networking potential of the internet?

You get Quest for Jackie! - a multi-platform, multimedia reality project that seeks to showcase and celebrate Australian fans of the iconic martial artist and movie star Jackie Chan.

The project is the brainchild of Fairfield resident Maria Tran.

“Jackie Chan has got to be one of the most recognisable faces in the world,” Ms Tran said.

“He’s inspiring, has made over 100 films, broken 200 bones and is still making movies.”

Ms Tran’s project embraces new media technologies, including Twitter and Facebook, as well as online video formats such as YouTube and Vlogging.

The 25-year old, who grew up watching Jackie Chan films and hopes to one day meet her idol, said she was inspired by The Chaser comedy troupe and Natalie Tran, the western Sydney woman who was recently dubbed the “queen of YouTube”.

Australian Chan fans are already flocking to the Quest for Jackie! website, where they have been discussing their love for Jackie Chan films and posting messages for the legendary actor.

“One of my goals for 2010 is to travel across Australia to meet and interact with Jackie Chan fans, record personal messages and collect mail for the legendary icon,” Ms Tran said.

Ms Tran, who recently produced Australia’s first suburban kung fu feature film Maximum Choppage: Round 2, said she noticed a growing interest in Jackie Chan-inspired projects during the past five years, particularly in Fairfield.

She attributes the Hong Kong-born actor’s popularity with Australian audiences to his roots in Australia - not only did Chan live in Canberra during the 1970s, but, in an unlikely pairing, is reportedly buddies with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

“I’m quite sure that the country of Australia, despite being so isolated from the rest of the world, has people with stories to tell about this kung fu larrikin.”

Go to http://www.questforjackie.com

- By work experience student Lauren McMah

Quest cho Jackie Chan người hâm mộ

Ngày 12 tháng tư 10 @ 08:21 BY MCMAH Lauren
Điều mà để bạn có được khi bạn kết hợp một trong những diễn viên huyền thoại kung fu, một quân đoàn của người hâm mộ tận tụy và các tiềm năng vô hạn mạng xã hội của Internet?
Bạn nhận được Quest cho Jackie! - Một-đa nền tảng, đa phương tiện thực tế dự án tìm kiếm để giới thiệu và chào mừng người hâm mộ Úc của các nghệ sĩ võ mang tính biểu tượng và ngôi sao điện ảnh Thành Long.
Dự án này là đứa con tinh thần của cư dân Fairfield Maria Trần.
"Jackie Chan đã có được một trong những nhận biết hầu hết các khuôn mặt trong thế giới", bà Trần nói.
"Anh ấy cảm hứng, đã làm cho hơn 100 phim, bị gãy xương và 200 vẫn còn làm phim."
Bà Trần của dự án bao trùm truyền thông mới công nghệ, bao gồm cả Twitter và Facebook, cũng như các định dạng video trực tuyến như YouTube và Vlogging.
Những năm 25 tuổi, người lớn lên xem phim Thành Long và hy vọng một ngày gặp gỡ thần tượng của cô, cho biết cô lấy cảm hứng từ bộ phim hài The Chaser đoàn kịch và Natalie Trần, những người phụ nữ phía tây Sydney đã được thời gian gần đây được đặt tên là nữ hoàng "của YouTube".
Úc Chan người hâm mộ đã đổ xô đến các Quest cho Jackie! trang web, nơi họ đã thảo luận tình yêu của họ cho Jackie Chan phim và gửi những tin nhắn cho các diễn viên huyền thoại.
"Một trong những mục tiêu của tôi cho 2010 là để đi du lịch trên khắp nước Úc để đáp ứng và tương tác với Thành Long người hâm mộ, các thông điệp cá nhân ghi lại và thu thập thư cho các biểu tượng huyền thoại," bà Trần nói.
Bà Trần, người gần đây đã sản xuất của Úc kung fu đầu tiên ngoại thành tối đa tính năng phim Choppage: Round 2, cho biết cô nhận thấy một sự quan tâm ngày càng tăng trong các dự án Jackie Chan-cảm hứng trong suốt năm năm qua, đặc biệt là ở Fairfield.
Cô thuộc tính phổ biến của Hong Kong-sinh của diễn viên với khán giả Úc gốc rễ ở Australia - không chỉ đã Chan sống ở Canberra trong thập niên 1970, nhưng, trong một kết nối không, là bạn bè thông báo với Thủ tướng Kevin Rudd.
"Tôi khá chắc chắn rằng quốc gia của Australia, dù đã được như vậy cô lập với phần còn lại của thế giới, có những người với những câu chuyện để kể về kung fu thằng du côn này."
Tới http://www.questforjackie.com
- Bằng kinh nghiệm làm việc sinh viên Lauren McMah

追求成龙迷
4月12日10 @上午8点21分由Lauren MCMAH
你是什么时候你把一传奇功夫片演员，专用风机和社会网络的无限潜力的互联网军团？
你能为成龙追求！ - 一个多平台，多媒体的现实项目，旨在展示和庆祝标志性武术艺术家，电影明星成龙澳大利亚的球迷。
该项目是费尔菲尔德居民玛丽亚陈心血结晶。
“成龙必须是最辨认之一，世界面临着”小姐陈德良说。
“他的鼓舞人心的，已经取得了突破200骨头100部电影，至今依然是拍电影。”
陈女士的项目涵盖新媒体，包括Twitter和Facebook，以及诸如YouTube和视频博客在线视频格式的技术。
现年25岁，谁看着成龙的电影，希望有一天她的偶像见面，说她是由该驱逐舰喜剧团和纳塔莉陈德良，西悉尼女子谁最近被称为YouTube的“女王”的启发。
澳大利亚陈球迷已经纷纷向寻求与成龙！网站，他们已经讨论了成龙电影的热爱和投寄邮件的传奇演员。
“为我的目标之一是2010年到澳大利亚各地旅行，以满足和球迷互动，成龙，记录个人信息和收取邮件的传奇图标，”她陈德良说。
陈小姐，谁最近印制澳大利亚第一个郊区功夫电影最大Choppage：第二轮，她说她发现在过去5年中在成龙风格的项目越来越大的兴趣，特别是在费尔菲尔德。
她在澳大利亚属性与他的根澳大利亚观众在香港出生的演员的声望 - 陈不仅生活在堪培拉，在20世纪70年代，但不可能在一配对，据说总理陆克文好朋友。
“我相当肯定的是，澳大利亚的国家，尽管这样从与世隔绝，已经与人们的故事告诉我们这个功夫恶棍。”
前往http://www.questforjackie.com
- 通过工作经验的学生劳伦McMah

Quest pour les fans de Jackie Chan
12 10 avril 08h21 @ AM PAR MCMAH LAUREN
Que recevez-vous lorsque vous combinez un acteur légendaire du kung-fu, une légion de fans dévoués et l'illimité potentiel de réseautage social de l'Internet?
Vous obtenez Quest for Jackie! - Multi-plateforme, la réalité du projet multimédia qui vise à souligner et de célébrer les fans australiens de l'artiste emblématique martiaux et star de cinéma Jackie Chan.
Le projet est le fruit de Fairfield résident Maria Tran.
"Jackie Chan a obtenu d'être l'un des visages les plus reconnaissables dans le monde," a déclaré Mme Tran.
«Il est inspirant, a fait plus de 100 films, 200 os brisés et continue à faire des films."
Mme Tran projet embrasse les nouvelles technologies, y compris Twitter et Facebook, ainsi que des formats vidéo en ligne tels que YouTube et Vlogging.
Le vieux de 25 ans, qui a grandi en regardant des films de Jackie Chan et espère un jour rencontrer son idole, dit-elle été inspirée par la troupe de la comédie Chaser et Natalie Tran, la femme l'ouest de Sydney qui a récemment été baptisée la "reine de YouTube".
Australie fans Chan sont déjà à affluer vers la quête de Jackie! le site, où ils ont discuté de leur amour pour les films de Jackie Chan et l'affichage des messages pour l'acteur légendaire.
"Un de mes objectifs pour 2010 est de Voyage à travers l'Australie de se rencontrer et interagir avec les fans de Jackie Chan, enregistrer des messages personnels et la collecte du courrier pour l'icône légendaire," a déclaré Mme Tran.
Mme Tran, qui a récemment produit l'Australie de la première banlieue de kung fu film fonctionnalité maximale Choppage: Round 2, dit-elle remarqué un intérêt croissant dans les projets de Jackie Chan d'inspiration au cours des cinq dernières années, en particulier dans Fairfield.
Elle attribue la popularité de l'acteur de Hong Kong-né avec le public australien à ses racines en Australie - non seulement ne Chan vivent à Canberra dans les années 1970, mais, dans une liaison peu probable, serait copains avec le Premier ministre Kevin Rudd.
«Je suis sûr que le pays de l'Australie, en dépit de l'être isolé du reste du monde, a des gens avec des histoires à raconter à propos de cette Larrikin de kung fu."
Aller à http://www.questforjackie.com
- Par le travail des élèves expérience Lauren McMah

Quest für Jackie Chan Fans
12 April 10 @ 08.21 Von Lauren MCMAH
Was bekommen Sie, wenn Sie einen legendären Kung-Fu-Schauspieler, eine Legion von Fans gewidmet und die grenzenlose Social-Networking-Potenzial des Internet zu verbinden?
Sie erhalten Quest for Jackie! - Ein Multi-Plattform-, Multimedia-Projekt, das die Wirklichkeit zu präsentieren und feiern will australischen Fans der legendären Kampfkünstler und Filmstar Jackie Chan.
Das Projekt ist die Idee von Fairfield ansässigen Maria Tran.
"Jackie Chan hat bekam eines der bekanntesten Gesichter werden in der Welt", sagte Frau Tran.
"Er ist inspirierend, hat über 100 Filme, 200 Knochen gebrochen hat und immer noch Filme machen."
Frau Tran-Projekt umfasst neue Medientechnologien, darunter Twitter und Facebook, sowie Online-Video-Formate wie YouTube und Vlogging.
Der 25-Jährige, aufgewachsen beobachten Jackie Chan Filme und hofft, eines Tages begegnen ihr Idol, sagte sie durch die Comedy-Truppe The Chaser und Natalie Tran, der Western Sydney Frau, die kürzlich die "Königin der YouTube wurde getauft" inspiriert wurde.
Australian Chan-Fans sind bereits Beflockung auf die Suche nach Jackie! Website, wo sie diskutiert haben ihre Liebe zu Jackie Chan Filme und Versendung von Nachrichten für die legendäre Schauspieler.
"Eines meiner Ziele für das Jahr 2010 ist in ganz Australien reisen zu treffen und interagieren mit Jackie Chan Fans, persönliche Nachrichten aufzeichnen und sammeln E-Mail-Symbol für den legendären", sagte Frau Tran.
Frau Tran, der kürzlich produzierten Australiens erste S-Kung-Fu-Spielfilm Maximale Choppage: Round 2, wobei sie bemerkte, ein wachsendes Interesse an Jackie Chan-inspirierte Projekte, die während der vergangenen fünf Jahre, insbesondere in Fairfield.
Sie führt die in Hongkong geboren Schauspielers Popularität mit australischen Publikum zu seinen Wurzeln in Australien - nicht nur Chan leben in Canberra in den 1970er Jahren, sondern in einem unwahrscheinlichen Kopplung wird angeblich Kumpels mit Premierminister Kevin Rudd.
"Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass das Land von Australien, trotz so wird aus dem Rest der Welt isoliert war, hat die Menschen mit Geschichten über diesen Kung Fu Larrikin erzählen."
Zur http://www.questforjackie.com
- Mit Berufserfahrung Studentin Lauren McMah

JACKIE CHAN IS BORN: A Cut above Street Art

After 4 Monday week nights at Pine Sts A Cut Above Street Art with stencil extraordinaire Chris Tamm, I was exposed to this underground form of expression.

Chris introduced the intimate group of 6 to stenciling, pasting, tagging and graffiti art and the various “rebellious” ways that stereotypically street kids would express themselves through.

But the gist of street art is really any form of expression done in a public space, it is pretty much a poor man’s art or art that wasn’t sanctioned by the government.

Types of Street Art

Graffiti artwork: public markings on property

Stencil graffiti: makes use of a paper, cardboard, or other media to create an image or text that is easily reproducible.

Sticker art: image or message is publicly displayed using stickers. Below is Craig's a.k.a "Bunkwaa" red balloon artwork. He also teaches at Pine St Community Arts Centre.

Others include street poster art, Video projection, Art intervention, Guerrilla art and Flash mobbing  

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Click here to have a read of “Ninjas of Dawn” Flash Mobbing social experiment I coordinated with the Rumble Pictures and 9Lives Parkour crew in August 2008.

Im not too great at creating designs but I managed to come up with this little Jackie Chan Bear design of mine during the workshop.

 

This was the original done in free hand with a black marker, then it was scanned and fixed up in photoshopped. I made a felt bear from it, then took a photo of this and cropped it out, reshaped and with the help of Marie Setiawan a more experienced graphics artist, who did some touch up work of it.

Perhaps I might have taken the long way to get this done, but Im still content to get the final product in the end.

So in conclusion, Ive got 5 shirt giveaways across Australia. Just email me in with your details and tell me creatively, where you would wear your Jackie Chan shirt.

Click on the link for the vlog - Quest for Jackie Chan - How to Print on a Shirt - Maria Tran.

STENCIL GRAFFITI: Week 4 of the course and Chris gave us the low down of what stencil graffiti was all about and this inspired me to create the 60cm x 50cm giant Jackie Chan stencil that was permanently installed on that same night at the legal wall in Darlington.

Click on this link for the vlog Quest for Jackie Chan - Stencil Graffiti - Maria Tran

Quest for Jackie Chan via street art? Yes. I think that’s one aspect I will venture down, particularly when I am a poor woo ”man” fundraising my way for my August around Australia trip to extend this project and share it with the rest of Australia. You wouldn’t believe the amount of knock backs I’ve got from the richest law firms in Australia, top investors, business owners, entrepreneurs etc…I know, I’m not Baz Luherrman, Nicole Kidman or their Hugh Jackman nor do I hold a household name.

At the end of the day, I’m just a crazy “Lil Azn grl afta Jackie CHAN!!!!!”. Apparently its more marketable. Bla! Why I can’t be me not so chopsocky!!!

Until next time my followers….

P.S - Shout out to the people from my course!

And of course, other photos!