MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

A unified voice.

A unified race.

A one night show.

Be part of the concert event to be featured in "That Asian Thing" documentary. Live and experience the talent of Asian American artists!

"That Asian Thing Showcase"
Saturday, August 12, 2006
7 pm - 9 pm

Fred P. Hall Amphitheater - Palatine Park District
262 E. Palatine Road
Palatine, IL 60067

Cost: FREE!
There will be a sliding scale donation of $5-$15 to help fund the completion of "That Asian Thing" Documentary.

NOTE: This will be an outdoor event. Please bring a lawn chair, blanket, or just yourselves and enjoy the music!

More info @ http://www.thatasianthing.com

http://www.palatineparkdistrict.com/amphitheater.html




The countdown has begun! From today, July 31st @ 7 p.m. tonight will be 11 days till "That Asian Thing" Showcase. A beautiful day on grass, with friends, and good music makes for a great summer excursion AND the best part is that all these people will be part of the documentary. Not just the acts themselves, but all the people in attendance. I enjoy gaining footage of "the people" because obviously this is for "the people" and about "the people." Aren't all documentaries in some form or fashion a take on social cultures or actions? Therefore, this will witness the congregation of the masses....

Apologies for the recent lack of update as it's been VERY hectic the last couple of weeks. I'm only one person and taking an idea and working with it towards a bigger reality is hard work that makes time limited. Priority, scheduling, and time management works wonders with huge projects. Please keep that in mind for all you filmmakers starting out. I know as an "artist" it can be very easy to go with the flow and work with what comes your way. It's sorta the artistic mantra that makes it tre shiek. However, if you're really trying to make a business out of this, then you definitely have to be on top of opportunity or create it for yourself. A lil'FYI for ya! This is probably how a lot of young filmmakers get weeded out - when they have to start dealing with the business side of things - it's just not as fun as filming.

"THAT ASIAN" FILM:

We've been very busy lately and have gone out to interviews every weekend for the past 2 months. It's been great, but chaotic all at once. I do enjoy meeting new people and getting an in-depth take of their thoughts about my documentary. I would personally like to thank the following people who have sat down with us in the past couple of weeks: Mia Park, Dr. Romeo and Soly Munoz, the guys of Quartermile (Phil, Jon, Shinya, Mark, and Bruce), and Rob Biesenbach. Everyone had awesome feedback and each interview had it's own pizzazz which I thoroughly enjoyed. So here's your insight:

Mia Park rocks! Mia regularly hosts a dance show entitled Chic-A-Go-Go! but still freelances as a musician and actress. She acts with the anatomy collective and will be a few plays this summer. Go and check her out! The environment of our interview added a more lax feel during our conversation. With the Ambrosia Cafe being very accommodating to our film, we were able to get our morning caffiene and munchie. I like interviewing versatile artists because I can play my tangencies according to talent. She was able to talk about playing in Tatsu Aoki's re:ROOTED project, which I thought was a success in the rain.
Mia has experiences w/multiple bands and if you know of Tatsu Aoki's reputation within the Asian American community, it's an honor to work with him. She also told us stories of being part of the band Kim, which is an 3-women all Asian-American rock band. Some of the proposals she's been a part of from some men were pretty ridiculous.

Continuing on, Mia talked about situations she's been through concerning roles that she's played. For instance, imagine watching a play that takes place during the time of settlers and the land of America being young in development. There are many pioneers and young kin making ends meet. The children attend classes at the local school house and then.....this Korean American teacher walks in.

To some, it can be accepted as an actor playing a role, but to others, the race of this actor can add a dynamic to the perception of the scene. Sometimes art is not colorblind and for Mia, the research on her character involved reading up on how Asians made their way into America and how her character in specific made it to where she is now. This was exemplified in the small history lesson that Mia went into concerning that role. It takes lots of dedication and imagination to create a back story for characters. So I commend her on her efforts and hard work to make this character work the role.

This brings me to Rob Biesenbach, an actor/writer based out of Chicago. I've known Rob since my Writing Program stint at Second City. I've always enjoyed his works and thought it would be a great opportunity to get the take of a non-Asian American artists just trying to get more exposure. Again, working from a different atmosphere, North Park Tap had the ability to induce cool, relaxing spirits on a hot, summer day. We were able to talk about acting as a whole and then get into the hub bub of theater production. After getting the feedback from Mia, I was able to play off of that and see the difficulties in acquiring a role. Auditions are pretty crucial for actors and when a director has a specific look and feel for a character, it's up to the actor to try and hit it on the mark during that one shot. When you have that already against you and to add on the interface of being Asian American - sometimes roles are few and far between. We were also able to get into the Chicago scene and how it's a good place for actors to get their chops. Chicago is thick into the theater community and has so many well known arenas to play with that get national recognition. Biesenbach was also able to give insight on the perception of Asian Americans and how stereotypes are somehow formulated. All great feedback from someone that's been so heavily involved in this artform for only 3 years. Thanks Rob!

Speaking of dedication - Quartermile's sound and vibe certainly displayed it's effects. Thanks to Jon for setting this up and having our interview before their gig at Wise Fools Pub. What reminded me of my old college fraternity days - we held the interview in the basement of the bar. Not that it should be so lavish, but it definitely gave it that indie, rock edge to the interview. The members of Quartermile, in my opinion, can be summed up as "loyal." Although 3 members of the group are of Asian heritage and the other 2 were Caucasian, they completely look beyond that fact and stick with the brotherhood of the band. What seemed repetitive but was really an emphisis on the foundation of the group was that it didn't matter what color or culture was present (with no means of disassociation) but as long as the 5 of them are making good music and respecting each other as an individual, they can reach success in all aspects.



That's the honesty I found within this interview and that's what always shines more than the overembellished drama found in some documentaries. As for the show itself - WOW! These guys already have a following in Chicago and they played to their satisfaction. Check out their website to see future events cause they're really good and down to earth. Thanks to all the guys and my friends for coming out to watch them perform.

"THAT ASIAN" CONCERT:

Thanks to Mr. Jeff Greene on working with us per the Palatine Park District. It was a VERY rough road as not many venues would get back to me or price was over our very limited budget. Just to reiterate - this concert is FREE, WITH a sliding scale donation of $5 to $15. We were originally going to charge $15 tickets, but with the date and amount of time we have to work with, it just wouldn't fly very well. So come out and enjoy the summer weather with awesome music.

Check out the Showcase link on the main website: http://www.thatasianthing.com. Tell all your friends and family! It's itchin to be a good show!

Right now, I'm seeking some assistance with running the actual production. We're looking for about 10-15 volunteers to help behind the scenes. I've sent out emails of inquiries and have already gotten some replies. Please don't hesitate to inquire if you're interested. I appreciate all the help and support that I can get. Also - if you're looking for the "What do I get in return?" aspect - you'll get goodies on your way. Just email me to find out (asianthing@gmail.com).

And in goods sportsmanship quality - thank you to all the other venues that I called up. To all the helpful people that directed me to more accommodating places, good luck with other bookings and may your work play to your favor. I know from personal experience that setting up shows and events can be hard work (i.e. any Livingston Concert Organization stuff, AKL events, or family gathering over 20 heads, etc.etc.). Props to y'all and keep keeping it up!

We'll be plastering Palatine this weekend with flyers and posters. Keep a look out and spread the word peoples! This is all for the arts!

"THAT ASIAN" BUSINESS:

I want to personal thank my cousin, Brian Bondad, for looking out for me concerning the financial aspect of "That Asian Thing's" production company - Groovy Ghost Films, Inc. For you young filmmakers, if you know of any places that offer classes about financing a film, I suggest you take it because there's a lot of detail that goes into making movies. Even as independent and low budget as "That Asian Thing" is, there are a lot (A LOT) of things that can add up [film, equipment, paying to go to events, meals for volunteers/participants, marketing, legal set-up, etc., etc., etc.]. In order to become successful, you need to have a precise business plan and budget. Then you gotta stick with that budget and cut corners wherever applicable. Even when that's all said and done, you still need to pay the people that helped you realize this. It's all a giant game of monopoly and you are always looking to pass go.....

"THAT ASIAN THING!" :

I'm getting worn into. Nerves are becoming shot and sleep hasn't been on my side for a couple of months. Sponsorships are few, footage is overwhelming, and editing/writing will be my final challenge. This Showcase will soon be off the list of things to do. Groovy Ghost Films, Inc. will need to learn to stand on it's own two feet in order to survive. The business aspect is starting to show it's devious face to me and no...it's not pleasant.

I actually have the support of my cousin, Wayne, a.k.a. my cameraman by letting me talk a muck before each interview. These are trying times peoples....trying times....