Well, I was handed a DVD copy of the film by a very nervous director … telling me, “it is what it is” … “maybe they won’t accept it into Cannes” … “but at least the shooting was a learning experience” etc etc, basically all the thing’s I had said during the shoot and right… Continue Reading
Bonsai Girl – The Absent Set Designer
Ariel is the one in black, posing for the camera. “Ariel, like the little mermaid from Disney” she giggles as she introduces herself to people. Yeah, that’s her English name. She’s the set designer, she’s never worked on a movie before, but she is studying design at a fancy design school in Beijing, “because I… Continue Reading
Bonsai Girl – The Migrant Actresses
Picture: The three actresses, from left: The asylum escapee, the motherly one, the hooker. The pimp is between them and our set designer holding the script. We had been told that if we needed actors they were to be found every morning at the front gate of Beijing Film Studios. Migrant workers who aspire to… Continue Reading
Bonsai Girl – Final Day (of my involvement)
Daisy the assistant producer (my assistant) had gotten us the location of the day through a friend of hers. It was a courtyard café in the hutongs, that her friend owns. Therefore she felt she had added responsibility (in her job) on set… Which was followed by a bigger ego … Then followed by referrals… Continue Reading
Bonsai Girl – Ballad of … Tony
Tony … “Hi I’m Tony, how’s it hanging?” our executive 14 year old producer. Not really 14 years old, but barely over his teen’s and he’s the man we all answer to. What does a kid who’s got it all do when he’s bored? He’s already bought enough designer clothes from Europe to last a… Continue Reading
Bonsai Girl
Just completed producing a short film by director Efraim Smits. It was interesting to say the least, both of us don’t speak any Chinese and we were attempting to make our first film in China, in Chinese and using mostly Chinese crew. With a limited budget of RMB 8000 to work with, things were always… Continue Reading
Robert Ingi Douglas 