OBSTACLE OF LOVE, Casting Audition in Los Angeles

Location in Los Angeles

This is a low budget short film and possibly an award-winning script, about 20-40 minutes in length. As long as you are interested and confident in meeting the requirements, we would love to meet you!!! We are devoted to creating art in the form of film and are planning to submit this film to festivals nationwide. We sincerely look forward to meeting people who are passionate about acting and the craft of filmmaking. Please, serious inquiries only.

STORY PLOT
This is a story about love, trust, patience, and persistence between two young married couples.
• Imagine your marriage is not consummated
• Imagine your husband is hiding something from you
• Imagine your online friend, who you share your secrets with, was actually your spouse...
Written and will be directed by Giovanni Chen

INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS
• Auditions will be held between Dec 26th and 30th, in Los Angeles. Finalized time and location will be informed to all applicants.
• Sides (audition material) will be provided prior audition.
• The film will be shot in January until early February
• DISCIPLINE and RESPONSIBILITY are mandatory for each individual
• We are willing to work out a flexible schedule that works for everyone
• Non-Union gig
• No payment but excellent experience, credits and copies in returns

Do not hesitate to email us at neogiovannismfilms@yahoo.com with the following attachments:
• 2 recent pictures, one close up, one full body shot
• Contact information (Name, phone number, email, etc.)
• Language fluency – Mandarin and Cantonese preferred (Languages other than Chinese are welcomed)
• Ethnic heritage
• Acting history

CASTING
• Actors with strong acting skills who are able to perform realistically, improvise dialogue, and control their emotions/mood (like laugh and cry instantly). New faces are welcomed.
• We prefer Chinese applicants (Mandarin or Cantonese speakers), but we also welcome other Asians.

1. Male / 18-30 yrs. Requires Nudity (Top). This character is a pessimistic and aimless engineer who works in an office. The actor should be comfortable having his shirt unbuttoned.

2. Female / 18-30 yrs. This character is an adorable homemaker. The actress should be skilled in imitating. The ability to write Chinese is a plus.

3. Female / 18-30 yrs. Chinese or Cantonese speakers preferred (not necessary fluent). This character is a college student cum a part time prostitute, cheerful, and laughs easily.

Basil Poledouris the composer of RoboCop

Basil Poledouris (August 21, 1945 - November 8, 2006) was an American film composer.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Basil Poledouris credited two influences with guiding him towards music: the first was composer Miklós Rózsa, the second was his Greek Orthodox heritage. Poledouris was raised in the church, and used to sit in services, enthralled with the choir's sound. At age 7 he began piano lessons, and eventually enrolled at the University of Southern California to study both film and music. Several short films to which he contributed still reside in the university's archives. At USC he met directors John Milius and Randal Kleiser, with both of whom the composer would later collaborate. In 1985, he scored Flesh & Blood for director Paul Verhoeven, again establishing another ongoing collaboration.

Poledouris became renowned for his powerfully epic style of orchestral composition and his intricate thematic designs, and garnered attention for his scores to The Blue Lagoon (1980; director: Kleiser), Conan the Barbarian (1982; director: Milius), Conan the Destroyer (1984), Red Dawn (1984; director: Milius), RoboCop (1987; director: Verhoeven), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Free Willy (1993) and its sequels, Starship Troopers (1997; director: Verhoeven) and For Love of the Game (1999).

Poledouris married his wife, Bobbie, in 1969 and had two daughters, Zoë and Alexis. The elder, Zoë Poledouris, is an actress as well as a film composer.

He spent the last four years of his life living on Vashon Island, in Washington State, and died on November 8, 2006 in Los Angeles, California, aged 61, due to complications from cancer.

Basil Poledouris on IMDB
Announcement I received from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Great composer, huge respect!




Recipe out of Nowhere

Three recent Screenings

I went to a few SCL screenings these 2 weeks - Happy Feet, Babel, The Queen. Sorry I’m not talking much about them, coz I should really go back to my work.


Happy Feet
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/happyfeet/
Typical hollywood animation... great production thou, but not much surprise if I look at it professionally. Actually, who cares?? I know I’m going to enjoy the film and I truly enjoyed it and came out from the theater with mirth. Isn’t it more valuable?

Penguins a cappella, tap dancing Mumble are simply too charming. ‘Mexican Penguins’ doing Mariachi? hell hilarious! Great music I have to say! John Powell, as usual, had done a stunning score. All vocal music were well arranged and performed! John Powell and the director Geroge Miller were there for Q and A session.


Babel
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/babel/
From hollywood, no?

Damn... a surprising american film for me!!! for many americans too I’m sure. Perhaps Babel is the best film I’ve watched in these 2 years in LA. How should I put it??? Crash, ya another Crash but much better than Crash.

With 3 different stories happened in 3 different places, 3 different countries, 3 religions, 4 languages, 6 different families... but are somehow connected. I love the way the story is plotted. How Alejandro (or the writer) interlocked those relationships (or the crossover) between strangers, between cultures (it’s so far but at that moment they are close), between close family members (but it’s invisibly so far), etc... damn, he is as good as the real mother fucka!!
Telling you stories - someone appears at the wrong place, a wrong person steps into another existing world, and an a story happens at the wrong time, and.... and just TELLING you stories, no conclusion, no hidden meaning, not intended to build any climax... just naked stories. How you wanna take it, your business. Crash is somehow still an american film, giving you a conclusion indirectly and somehow building the plot although the plot is not linear.

Who should get the credit? Director Alejandro is a HUGE surprise. I haven’t heard his name before. (O... he directed 21 Grams!! But I am still surprised!) Script is good too. Music is good, going along with the stories so well, and not intended to build or dig any hole. However, the music is a little bit disappointing when it comes to the Morocco story. Gustavo used the right sound, and definitely the right instrumentation, but he should study Islamic music more. It sounds western played by different instruments, timbre etc... It’s not that bad, I agree, but Gustavo (Composer of Brokeback Mountain) can definitely play around with the sound far far away the box for the Morocco segment. Other than that, he did a tremendous job. I love all the stuff he created for the Japanese segment.
Composer was there for the Q & A session after the screening.... but Alejandro wasn’t there. :(
Not surprised if this is the best film of the year. I watched Prestige few weeks ago and gave some good comments. But Prestige seems so small compare to this. Shouldn’t say much. GO WATCH!

O ya.... Brad Pitt is much better than Tom Cruise. Acting wise, maybe they are close technically. But in terms of CONTENT, Brad is way much better. Tom Cruise should come out with another film talking about his freaking scientology. How good is Scientology I don’t know, his scientology is just a freak.


The Queen
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/thequeen/
I have no comment! There is a purpose behind the film... and I slept through the 1st half. You can’t use a film to plead a monarchy. You either tell the truth, or don’t make the film. DIU.

Anyway, the queen Helen Mirren is fabulous!!!! She is one of the only two reason why audience got in tears. The other reason is because of those reconstructed footage of the period after Diana’s death until the burial. I got my tears for that, and half of the audiences wept when the screen showed those footage.

Charles is a jerk and he still a jerk. No tolerance for this!


Perhaps, it’s true as what english critics said “NOT FOR FOREIGNERS”. The best film of the year? It’s maybe true but not outside the Great Britain.

The composer Alexandre Desplat was there. Music was great I think, but sorry dude, you scored a wrong film... End!

Looking forward to welcoming a film about Diana, uh??

Finally I spent much longer time than I wanted to... I am really terrible.

Stuff to Share

My New pictures @

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hfken
- Shioko’s boyfriend, Mike’s Birthday
- Pictures from Japan Expo at Convention Center, LA Downtown. I went there last weekend, not so happening compare to other expo around and saw a japanese band. They are not super, but I still put their sites here
http://pinklips69.com/
http://www.myspace.com/pinklips69band


What I’m NOW digging +
Friends @ Myspace.com/hfken
Uri Caine - He is CRAZZZY!!
Oops-asia
Big-bangmusic
Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music
Samunori



Yasmin Ahmad’s Blogspot and Flickr Photos
http://yasminthestoryteller.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503074700@N01

Wai and Weng, and Ping

From the picture: Wai Ken Seng Weng.

I have 2 scorpio brothers which are in water sign, I’m a sagittarius, fire.
I had a scorpio high-school girl friend. I’m a sag, hot hot and burning!!!

They all had their birthday this month. Today, Nov 13 is Weng’s 20th birthday, my youngest baby a.k.a. The Mirror :)
Haha he is still underage... sorry he is not available.

My 3rd younger brother, Wai had his 24th birthday last week on Nov 8
... OK !!! You’re the most handsome among 4 of us.
... OKOK !! ‘m saying it from the bottom of my.... ...
...
...
...
...
pencil box.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

OK la, you’re the most handsome one and your girl friend is the most beautiful among all of ours now... but it doesn’t mean much if just a girlfriend. See whose wife is the most xxx...
Whatever... as long as not a “pig-leg” and “vegetarian”... hahaha

I learned to appreciate this brotherhood only after I broke up with Mei Yen, my 2nd girlfriend and someone I thought I would spend my whole life with.
It might be a bit late, but I’m glad I finally realize how important you are to me.
I didn't know how to express my love especially during my high school... regret that I didn't spend much time with you guys when I was at home.

Now after the breakup with Cheshire, I see things more clearly, more wisely, and promised myself I will always put my parents and brothers in 1st priority after I get home.

Miss our old days especially when we played basketball together. Coz that's the time we do things together, the time we have the same goal. Although I am not as good, I really hope that we are always in the same team... for basketball, living, sharing, caring, etc.
It doesn't really matter whether we win or not, but I enjoy the quality of the process and the renascent moment.

Seng, Wai, Weng... I love you.



Ok... This is my high school girl, Ai Ping. Charming huh? We were 17 that year. Unfortunately, we broke up few months later. It was a very pure puppy love.


She is married laaaaa. I’m a loser ok???

Will talk more about her next time... gotta sleep.




Recent happenings I wanna ramble... but next time:
- Screening that I recently attended and the music
- Ai Ping my puppy love.
- My Cousin Keat and his wedding... Hey homies, show me picture!
- My data recovery adventure.... Dork!!!... OKKKIEE my fault... but still.... fuck!
- Mike’s birthday.

New Mix

Click here to listen to the new mix of Arizona, with production sound

Click here to watch the video clip, and my ramblings about this project.

Foong’s Big Day & Grandma

My cousin, Khuen Foong’s wedding procession... 接新娘 YEAH!!!

Click here to watch picture video from Foong 接新娘

My brother, Seng made it :)
Simple and meaningful.
Very touching when there are some pictures Foong facing our grandma’s shrine and said “I became a doctor, and now I’m getting...”

Our grandma must be proud of us, especially Foong. There are engineers, lawyer, accountant, architect, musician (me! but don’t be a musician... musicians and homeless are buddies), and Foong is our only doctor... all of us are your lovely grandchildren that you can be proud of. All of us are holding at least a degree. All of us remember you urging us and our parents: You can be poor, but don’t let the education poor!

We will pass your words to our children and offspring.

I wrote a song in a summer dawn last year for my greatest grandma.

I wrote this for a gig in LA, but it’s intentionally express my regret few years ago for not going back to my hometown one time when she was sick, because of some piddling little gig... and she passed away in a summer dawn, 4 years ago... I thought she would be fine and I promised to see her soon after my work, my stupid meaningless work.

Damn, wepping and miss home.
Click here to listen Summer Dawn.
Don’t feel like talking about getting married and wedding...

I was in tears... almost

I have to sleep.... very sleepy. Just copy and paste an email to my client here. You will understand.
~~~~
Hi xxx,

i got very serious problem here. I accidentally deleted a folder this morning. The worst thing was I didn't check before I emptied the trash. I noticed that in the afternoon when I was about to work on your score... and I couldn't find the folder!!! including another 2 films that I recently scored and the album that I've been working on for the past 2 weeks. All my work in the recent 3 weeks, GONE!
Cry...

Anyway, I spent almost 100 for a Data Recovery software and have been spending my whole evening recover those deleted files. I almost got back all the files, including the LOGIC files that I did for the dreaming scene. Problem is I can't find the 2GB Quick time file that you gave me. I think it's too big for the "rescue trash", and permanently deleted.

Is there anyway that I can get the Quicktime file, maybe from your partner?
Please give me a ring once you get back. My carelessness really put me in deep shit.
I already watched the film many times and I think I can make some rough draft at the meantime.

Enjoy your trip and hope this won't bring you too much worries,
Ken

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think I did something bad recently. The god is punishing me! Don’t do bad things.

CH, don’t peep!!!
Add a Comment
Monday, November 13, 2006

Current Affairs & Ramblings...

Maurico’s Album
- R&B-Pop, Justin Timberlake kinda stuff, a bit of hip-hop taste
- Still arrangement stage
- Will soon go to studio... means it will be finished soon! Yeah!


James Jauregui’s Film
- In progress... still. More info click here

Giovanni Chen’s Film
- Will start composing the end credit song. He will start shooting in January, and I will only get to score it when he gives me the final cut. This film will be a blast in festivals!
More info click here

Orchestral Score for Ken’s Premiere
- Seems like I can’t make it. But I will try my best.

O ya, WanJun told me that her album will launch soon in KL and Taipei. can’t wait to see that! I composed 4 tracks for her, Justin did about another 4 tracks.



HALLOWEEN AFTERMATH........

So Halloween has come and gone.

Had some happening time with Nori and Fumi. We went to Indian’s Oven, a restaurant near by my apartment. I brought too many business to them - ChernHwei, Doreen, my roommates (so many times!), Connie, and on Halloween Nori!!! One of the workers there even called me name. I forgot his name thou... Anyway, they serve real good indian food, even better than most of those I had back home.

Sorry, no pictures to show. I think I should take some when I go there next time.

Something really awesome. We passed by a corner house on the way walking to Indian’s Oven, and there was an open-house show, by the neighborhood (I supposed). They play little opera (haha I don’t know the term, Chern Hwei said Bangsawan, funny). They played american folk stories, bedtime stories, like our chinese opera. Many people, in fact families, were standing around the small little stage and enjoying. They seems like dressed up a lil to attend the “Bangsawan”, showing some respect! I looked like a homeless that day with my green sweater on.

Felt warm in my heart to see people here still trying to maintain their cultures, and remind me about my homies back home... I’ve never seen Chinese Opera (DAI HEI) since long time ago. The last time I saw it was when I went to Penang. Many old things are fading... really sad! I can’t imagine what I can show my children in future. I don’t them to see everything online.... and accidentally click some porn links!

Weeeellll, Halloween is their big day... and they really celebrate it hell out of them!! I had crazy halloween celebrations for the past 2 years, and I was a demon cow (actually not... a female cow with huge nippers). I didn’t join my friends this year. Doreen and Weiyann asked me to go to the Gay Parade, which is a big attraction in LA. I missed a big Malaysian party in Alhambra coz I didn’t get a ride.
But I rather stayed at home, had some drinks with Nori, had a good sleep, then worked the next day.

Meanwhile, we had some great chat during dinner. Some really sensitive topics popped up when we talked about cultures. Fumi and Nori are very interested about Malaysia, and don’t understand how our life look like there. I told them we have real indian food there, and Fumi questioned me “have you been to India? They must be different.” Got a bit harsh at one point...
O hell, we Malaysians maintain our culture very well, somehow, still doing what our nenek moyang (ancestor) were doing. He just doesn’t understand how Malaysia was brought up by 3 main ethnic groups, and we are strongly holding our religions and cultures. At least we are still eating real Chinese, Malay, Indian food back home! China mainland people don’t have religion, Taiwanese are just too modern to do old folk stuff. Chinese in Thailand and Indonesian.... they can barely write their own name!

Talking about China, Nori started venting... kept criticizing China lying about the NanJing assassination.. like China always lies about the amount killed. I got a bit harsh too! I don’t know how many exactly, I ain’t surprised at all if Chinese lie. Chinese are always big-mouth, no doubt! But does it mean Japanese didn’t kill a lot of people when they invaded mainland? Hell! I asked him if he saw those pictures, human stacked up like a hill, the way they killed babies, and what about the fucking crazy experiment of bacteria weapon on real human? FUCK!
and I am not forgetting Japanese came to Malaysia before, and we heard lots of stuff from our parents, not magazine. When talking about NanJing, I see from the point of view of a Malaysia, a person out of China. I say no shit for China, But, I’m a living human and can’t accept the fact - not a murder case, not killing people parties.... it’s far more crazier than that, it’s an assassination of a nation, at the highest magnitude!

We got a bit harsh, but not fighting at all... at one point he tried to change topic. Then I thought why are we doing this? I’m glad that I know such a great guy... who the hell cares what happened in past. We got out of the topic, and I glad we did.

All in all, exactly had 3 huge bottles of Miller Draft, few cups of wine... No more left... Dudes lets gather again when I get my shit done, I’ll definitely drink you under the table, see who falls drunk first.

Nori, is definitely one of the best friends I have in LA, and I definitely my pleasure! Friendship is far more important than those stupid history. Those stupid stuff our nenek moyang did... forget and move on!

Sexy Cantonese

I’ve never met her. I didn’t like her when in the beginning because of her ignorance after Chern Hwei introduced us to each other. I was like... whatever... performance students are mostly haughty if they don’t know you or if they think you are not good. So, whateveeeer!

Surprisingly, we still keep in touch and get to know each other more. She is actually a happy person, such a likable, extremely amusing chick!
Check out her video (chinese)... Hilarious!!!
CY in Berlin 1
CY in Berlin 2
CY in Berlin 3

She loves cooking and always shows off her food. She got a crazy admirer who always gives her hell.
My secret weapon - Don’t love me, I’m a troublemaker. It will sure work.

I call her sexy cantonese coz her accent is just irresistibly seducing.
(sincerely from the bottom of my pencil box)

She sent me her music today. As what I expected, her playing is awfully good. Then I read more about her, damn!! The only american in top 10 of some international harp competition 2005... and is a candidate of the Fulbright program (wow!!!) in Germany. No wonder she is in Berlin now.

I decided to write about her here. I haven’t even written much about my peeps nor my parents!! You gotta carry your delighted smile to see me in NY... only if I write well for my premier. (anxious...)

Hey any cool dude looking for a chick, this is a decent one!!! But you better be cool, really cool like napoleon (Dork!!!)... coz she is 三戀八花!!! Ask me the meaning if you’re interested. O ya, she is a Taiwanese living in the States since high school, a bit (LOT) narcissistic. She loves certain angles, loves candy and her mom loves pork.
Service fee will be applied for contact inquiry. Convenience fee is ...

LOL!!!

Check out Chia Yuan’s music.
http://www.webconcerthall.com/winners2006/liang.htm
or an interview about Liang Chia Yuan at
http://www.webconcerthall.com/interview/index.htm

Happy Day... Hilarious Stories

1.From a sought-after studio musician in hollywood, “I once caught my son masturbating and warned him that he could get blind if he keeps doing this.
‘Dad, I’m over here...’, The son waved his hand and said”

2.Heart’s latest fairy tale about getting her first wedding ring - http://raisinggirls.spaces.live.com/


3.Mom kept nagging her not to eat candy... teeth will drop out soon. All in Taiwanese slang.

Girl: ...gotta eat as much as I can before my teeth drop out. If I don’t eat now, and I STILL ain’t eating when my teeth are all gone... Better eat when I can still eat.

MOM: @#*&%$#&*
seems like rough words... maybe not.

Girl: It’s true right? People said it’s bad to eat pork. Now I ask you, what do you like to eat the most?

MOM: Ngua (Your mom) like to eat pork the most.

Girl: Why are you still eating if you know it’s bad?

MOM: RIGHT!!! Eat till die is better than dying from hunger.

Girl: RIGHT!!! Who am I?

MOM: You are my gurl, dear!

Girl: So, I learned it from you *$&%@#*$*
seems like rough words again

MOM: #*$&*#()%&$)*(&$#^
I’m sure those are rough words!!

4.I watched The Ugly Betty... A jerk dressed up like Betty on Halloween in the show. Damn mean!!!

5.I brought a chopstick to a recording session in my 1st quarter here, and left the baton on the dinning table. This afternoon, I saw that chopstick in a stack of old scores.

6.Listening to Beautiful South’s “Song for Whoever”
I love your from the bottom of my pencil case
I love the way you never ask me why
I love to write about each wrinkle on your face
And I love you till my fountain pen runs dry

The Best Blog I've Ever Visited

Check out some touching stories at
http://raisinggirls.spaces.live.com/blog/

I got some tears to shed when I read the latest post, then my heart got sweeten by a very touching story in the 2nd posting... and I kept reading until 5:30AM!!!!

This blog is listed at about shoehorn page too, under Shoehorn’s friends.

She didn’t teach enough, and I didn’t learn as much as I wanted to. But, as what I said in the description - She has enormous impact on me, the huge encouragement that brought me here, that opened my eyes to a brighter future... and all the reasons I ended up in this dreamland, chasing a dream that I had never thought of.

MOST RIGHT



PS: I have another picture at home... even more charming. kekeke.
I gotta forward it to TED. They probably didn’t know each other that time.

Showhorn's running away again

The Cruel shoehorn is running away from his blogspot, an old blanket that accompanied him going though quarter-life crisis . Sorry for that, iWeb and Mac are just too cool.

So, come visit

Shoehorn's new blog - web.mac.com/hfken

Cool?

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