CREATING A NEW WAY

I guess when you start a project, whether it's making a cake or painting a house, you expect a certain result, and the real surprise is what you find along the way. The swatch may not match your final colour, the eggs are a little smaller and so final product becomes something slightly different, a surprise. Part of the wonder that is creativity is to trust the process. It is driven by the intention for the highest, ie. you have to put in the hard yards but there is a great amount of divine, universal influence over the adventure. There is no room for rigid outlook, creativity can't be moulded into a pre-conceived notions of what it 'should' be.
So, things at BELLADONNA central are really heating up... casting, location hunting negotiating, but more importantly we are setting up new structures for the way we would like to work at GLASS KINGDOM and BELLADONNA is our 'seed' project where we have the chance to use tools and philosophies that Marcus and I have collected along the way.
Making a film is a collaborative process, you need someone at the helm who will guide it but ultimately its about people working together, respecting each others energy and not using
'its not my department' as an excuse not to work together.We are collecting the most fabulous group of people both crew and actors whose intention and energy is just wonderful.
A couple of years ago Marcus and I happened to be in Copenhagen at (Lars Von Triers) company for a 9am production meeting which they have every week. Firstly we were warmly greeted by the companies director Peter Aalbaek... he then proceeded to join two other men sitting at the piano and the double bass in the middle of this warehouse space. Later we found out that it was the companies lawyer, on the piano and the director on the drums. Within half an hour the room was almost full and everyone opened their Danish hymn books and started singing together. Marcus and I sat and couldn't believe our eyes, there was a sense of community beyond separation and desperation for funds and fame. Then they proceeded to discuss all the things they have achieved that week,what they wanted to eat for Christmas dinner and where their common vision was heading. A couple of 17 year olds who were supported by Zentropa to make some films stood up to let everyone know about their premiere and after applauding Peter gave then a glass of champagne to celebrate.
Lars and Peter have created this most amazing company, which has made films like Dancer in the Dark, Breaking the Waves, Zentropa. They worked completely outside the system of funding bodies sourcing funds from around Europe to build a community where filmmakers, could have a voice. Now they have programs from internships where you get to work in all areas of production over 3 years, all the way to creating your own company at 'filmtown' and films. This is exactly where we are heading with Glass Kingdom. Building new structures, from financing all the to the way to the way we work on set, this is both exciting and challenging. We are meeting some opposition (more on that later) from pockets of the film world that may see a new way as the 'wrong' because the pathway has always been followed must always stay thesame. But in my opinion something is not working, Australia is producing film that the rest of the world doesn't want to see, and most of the seem to look and be practically about thesame topic.( more on that later )
W have started with a very strong foundation a great accountant, and lawyer some very high ideals and years of practical experience.
If the cells in the human body which are all so different can co-exist and work in harmony to provide life why can't we? So this adventure continues to unfold in amazing and surprising ways. I look forward to sharing more of the ins and outs when we are out of production.
For us onwards and upwards.!!!


Some of the places and times where Marcus and I have talked about our vision for creating Glass Kindgom and Belladonna.(Poland)