I just watched the music video for Bleeders on Channel V which I was told would air on the 29th a week ago (absolutely stoked) but what I wasn't prepared for was Jay Z and Kanye West's clip for 'Otis' following straight after.

The fact that they're my idols and the clip I made is being shown around Australia in the same halfhour as theirs... It's too fucking cool.

If you haven't seen their clip, check it out:

In The Edit!

So we're over halfway through editing (just the rough cut) It's turned out to be an extremely long and fun process, definitely one of my favourite parts of making films

A letter from the Camera Department

Look at Willy go!

The office scene that you can barely see, excuse the iphone images!

It's the first time that you get to see your film the same way as it is on the page, comparing them is such a wonderful experience. It's such an exciting feeling seeing your words come alive on screen and the more we get into the edit the more it feels like I'm experiencing the story for the first time. You really discover the pacing of the picture and what the actors bring to it changes the feel of it entirely. Everytime Digby and I finish up a scene I always forget what's next in the story and when I find out I just get super excited because I get to see how it actually looks, something that I've been wanting for quite some time now!

Here's a little video Digby and I put together just to give you a little peak at where we're operating out of, enjoy.

For cunts with girlfriends.

Review: Watch The Throne

I wanted to wait a few days to post this review so I could let the album soak in a bit. Straight up, it’s genius. I think the most important thing I could say about it is that it’s definitely not a Jay-Z album with Kanye West beats, it’s very different to what they both do solo. The album works like MBDTF in the sense that it has a linear story and arc, something that I’m always looking out for in KW’s work. He always works to achieve a movie-like experience when creating his albums/live performances (when working on Jay-Z’s ‘The Black Album’ he described it as the black movie with each song being a scene from it. His glow in the dark tour was also formed around a story about a computer called Jane, who starts the show by telling Kanye that the Earth had lost all its creativity, and he must save us from our banal existence.)

When Kanye made MBDTF I think he finally nailed the formula of creating an album that takes you through a linear experience and here he is applying it again. Jay and Kanye both rap about watching the throne, kings and queens etc and keep that theme constant throughout the entire album. The lyrics are also just as strong as the beats, here’s a few of my favorites:

“(KW) Hello, hello, hello, white America, assassinate my character / Money matrimony, yea they tryna break the marriage up / Who gon act phony, or who gone try to embarrass ya / Imma need a day off, I think I call Ferris up (JZ) Bueller had a Muel­ler, but I switched it for a Miele cause I’m richer / And prior to this sh*t was moving free base (KW) Had a conference with the DJs, Puerto Rico three days (JZ) Poli with the PD’s now they got our sh*t on replay (KW) Sorry I’m in pajamas but I just got off the P.J. / And last party we had, they shut down Prive (JZ) Ain’t that where the Heat play? Ni**as hate ballas these days (KW) Ain’t that like Lebron James? (JZ) Ain’t that just like D. Wade? Wait. “ – Gotta Have It

“(KW) I told my mama I was on the come up / She said you going to school I’ll give you a summer / Then she met NO ID and gave me his number / Ten years later she driving a Hummer / Ni**as hustle every day for a beat from Ye / What I do? Turn around gave them beats to Jay / And I’m rappin’ on the beat they was supposed to buy / I guess I’m getting high off my own supply / Downtown mixing fabrics tryina find the magic / Started a little blog just to get some traffic / Old folks’ll tell you not to play in traffic / A million hits and the web crashes ...Damn” – Made in America

“(JZ) Showed love to you ni**as / You ripped out my heart and you stepped on it / I picked up the pieces / Before you swept on it / God damn this sh*t leaves a mess don’t it / Sh*t feelin’ like death don’t it / Charge it to the game / Whatever’s left on it / I spent about a minute / Maybe less on it / Fly pelican fly / Turn the jets on it / But first I shall digress on it / Wasn’t I a good king?” – Why I Love You

“(KW) It was all good just a week ago / Ni**as feel theyselves and then Watch The Throne drop / Ni**as kill theyselves / What ni**as gon do Hov? / This a new crack on a new stove / I’m in the two-door, true that / Ni**as tellin’ me “You back” / Like a ni**a ever left up out this b**ch, huh? / And if life a b**ch they suck my d**k huh? / And I bet she f** the whole clique, huh? / By the way ni**a, you should f***in’ quit, ni**a / Just forget it, you talk it, I live it” – H*A*M

These are just a few examples of how incredible they are, modern day poets. Please take your time and listen to the album in order, let it soak in, feel the fuckin magic.

Ye and Hov are the shit.

Mr Porter: Tie Etiquette

Read this. It's important, ties fuckin matter.

Wrapped on 'What's He Building?'

Hey Guys

Been a bit slack the last couple of days, the shoot got REALLY hectic, so here's a big post to fill you all in:

Day five we dressed and shot the set that my mates built for us. It turned out extremely well, here's a few pics from the split:

In the script the character Bill falls asleep behind his desk after having a few beers, which allowed us to create our own brand:

How good does it look? The production designer Elise Kowitz did such an amazing job, she's seriously impressed me every fucking day with her work. The name 'Emmets Ale' is after Emmet Brown from Back To The Future (my favourite movie.)

Day six we shot the man's basement, where we find out what he's up too, but you don't get to see any of those pictures...where's the fun in that?! Here's a couple of funny ones to keep you happy:

'The Grips' Digby and Reece, Synchronize Smoke Effects!

Darby, the retard Steadicam operator. Now my movie really is in trouble!

Day seven we finished up with a picnic in the park, a mailbox scene and a car simulation:

Production Designer Elise Kowitz setting up our little picnic!

We had a Jib in for the last scene. My motto is, you can't go wrong with a Jib. It's a good one to live by

The Mailbox, hand-made by Elise. Incredible work

Willy Hawker who chipped in building the interior sets also helped out filling in for an extra who pulled out at the last minute. Look at him go!!!!

We also did a drive simulation which involves lighting and shooting a stationary car in a way that makes it look like it's actually moving. this allows us to control how we light the scene and achieve shots that we normally couldn't make if it was actually moving.

Drive Simulation Setup

Once you learn about this whole process you'll be surprised at how many movies you've seen before that use this technique. This was the first time we'd tried it and it turned out really well.


So, here we are, two years later and we finally shot it. I can't tell you how happy and unprepared I am for post-production. We've got a LOT to do before September 10th, keep watching for updates.

Day Four: The Car!

The hero car! Here we are at day four and we're shooting Tom's character driving home. We managed to get a 1950's car left hand side drive, looks pretty schmick eh?

A day before the shoot we had a complication with the houses and it turned out that we couldn't use their actual interiors to shoot in...so, we built a set!

 I called my boys up and asked if they'd help out, they got their at 7:30am Saturday morning and built this fucker in a day so we could come in and shoot on Sunday. These guys aren't even film related, just my extremely close friends that took their time to help me with my situation. Couldn't ask for better mates, right? Special thanks to Diggers Hogan, Bumble Browne, Timmy Maitland, Toastie Steve-Jones and Willy Hawker, you guys rock my world

Here's Timmy showing his appreciation for me, they sent this half-way through building it! haha

We shot the inside of the man's house last night, Tom's character Bill breaks into his house to find out what he's up to (look at that room, what the fuck is going on?) it was an epic fourteen hour day. We've been on schedule for the majority of the shoot, this was bound to happen eventually!

Next up day five, the interiors!

Day Three: Crane Day!

Day three, a lovely day outside the house, perfect day for a crane!

The start frame of one of our crane shots, how amazing is that? We came down and panned around with my brother Thomas as he walked across to the mans house and knocked on his door. If we keep going like this, it's gonna turn out to be a very well composed picture :)

 Richard Bell (Director Of Photography) setting the camera and striking a lovely pose!

 Hannah Gordon (Producer) and my brother Thomas

This is Rob and I, a bunch of clowns about to break into the man's house. What's he building in there? we're about to find out ;)

Another great day, we're destroying the shot list! Ciao for now

Day Two

Day two today, smashed it! Sorted all the shots we had scheduled, added a few cheeky ones here and there and did some shots off tomorrows schedule

Meet the Family!!! Emma Randall on the left plays Sheryl, Joul Bourke plays Johnny and there's my brother again playing the lead Bill. Together they live in a perfect house on a perfect street, until one day a man moves across from them and changes their lives forever...

 'The Man' played by my dad, Ian Calder.

Aviators and cans, I'm fucking killin it. This has been fantastic because I get to wear headphones and listen to the dialogue of my actors!!!! It totally also makes me look like an official director :P

On my left is Rich Wang, he's literally 50-men in one. He came along for the day and did 5D steadycam/lighting/gripping/camera assisting.

 "Less shit Tom, do it LESS shit...."

Bed time now, 7am call! Later skaters

Day One: What's He Building?

Wrapped the first day of shoot and it went wonderfully! We were on time at both locations and I got all the shots I wanted. God, I have an extremely efficient crew. I'm fucking loving it!

The Slate!

My brother Thomas Calder as the lead role. We had Tom originally playing a supporting role but our lead actor dropped out a week ago. I was a little bit reserved about casting him as he is quite young for the role but as soon as we did rehearsals with him I knew he was right. I've co-ordinated with the makeup artist and we've come up with a few ways to make him look older, which has turned out well!

That's me!!!!!! I cast myself in a supporting role, I figured If I'm to scared to do acting auditions I may as well just write my own movies with parts for me to play, haha. If you look on the monitor left of frame you'll see Rob Griffiths who took over Tom's role, he's a tremendous actor and has brought really geeky characteristics to the role which has turned out hilarious and fantastic.

Coming in tighter for my close-up....Fuck I hope I don't ruin this movie.

Stay tuned for following days!

Day Before Shoot

Hey Guys

It's the day before the shoot which means pre-production is officially over. Finally after two years of work, four attempts to make the picture, nine months of location scouting, auditions, budgeting, costume tests, make-up tests, production design prep, lighting logistics, location logistics, catering logistics, blood, sweat, tears, here we are making this fucker. This has been an extremely stressful/amazing/totally fucking fun ride and I wouldn't have had it any other way. We shoot for seven days. Seven days that could potentially pretty much change everything for the rest of my life. I just came off a day of working on Terranova (15 hours) so I've barely had any sleep, it's 9 oclock now and I've gotta get up at 4:30 for an early shoot call. I just had a meeting with the composer who showed me what he's got planned/what he's done so far, it sent chills down my spine. you're not going to be prepared for how unbelievably amazing this picture will be.

What's he building in there? We have a right to know.