A Yowie dawn

After finally getting everyone together in one place and in time sequential order the final editing was done, including the audio striping, and the offline version 'put in the can.' However, this is really only the start of another process: getting the movie into different formats and out into the big world to film festivals and government bodies: to use it as leverage for the next movie. That's right, folks, the next movie! What, are you mad, man - after what you've been through??!? Yes, but this time it's going to be different (that's what they all say). I have been toying with an idea for a short film for ages: to be done mostly in flashback, as part of an 'interview' that runs the whole movie. With a few twists along the way. It's a script and some costume designs at the moment. Watch this space.

Back to "The Yowie." I heard that Cannes only does premiers, and it seems we've missed it for this year anyway. So I really would prefer to premier it here in Australia instead - forget Cannes - and see what the reaction is. There is a short film festival in Canberra soon and I'm trying to get everything done before the final entry date, which closes really soon. So there is no destination, only a journey -(other sententious claptrap coming soon). Seriously, there is always something new to be done or thought about in the world of movie making, resting on the laurels is not possible, especially when there are none to rest on. But people who've seen the film seem to like it, so there's hope. Thanks to all the team.

We entered The Yowie on a sort of central hub site called withoutabox; their job then is to inform you of upcoming film festivals and then farm out your details and your film to the convenors of the festivals. This is really convenient as it saves you having to laboriously apply to each and every one. There is only one problem: It seems to be impossible to upload the film to their site. I tried for three days to do it: after hours of 'loading' nothing appeared in the progress bar and the site informed me my 'video box' is empty. "Contact us for support" they say: I did and was told they could not help me, but someone else who'd had the same trouble was able to do it after converting their film to an MP4 in iTunes (!!). So I tried. I converted it to mobile phone format called m4V (the only option on my mac) Did it work? NO! I tried sending a hard copy DVD to Whistler - they told me it's region 4 and they can't view it - they need region 0 apparently, and they won't go and look at the film online at www.definitionfilms.com/yowie. Their excuse? Oh we have too many films to look at. Very unhelpful. And so we persist, frogs against the dawn (or is that boats against the stream??)