Dancing in the Rain.

                            

Aries Spears. MC Impersonator.

                    

                    

Video of the Month. Part3. Dear God, 2.0

Ante Up.

                    

                    

Homebrew & Dconz [their final gig] @Studio, K.Rd.

a Couple of weekends ago, was a hiphop night out to remember. Decepticonz' final concert as they released 'Evolution', [that music vid is below, directed by my man Askew] ten years together's as Dconz are good innings & much good music. David Dallas, Usual Suspects & Homebrew opened for them & as always, it was great to catchup with the community. TMD, the most documented, were all over with cam's for hands. [Jamie the Deap1 & Rimoni the Brotographer] Shim & TangataPasifika were in the house too. No photos of Homebrew performing, as I shot Vid footage on stage for our ongoing broject. Twas a great, late night.

This is the video that Askew shot, lining up the the old & new schools, much like a distant cousin of Stand Up. I blogged about it a few months ago. Cameos Galore. Spot the scotch pouring asthmatic.  & below that, some footage of the night, courtesy of the AyeBro crew.

             

Yellow Chocolate Ads win Gold Lions at Cannes

The Ads we made last year for the Yellow Chocolate campaign won a bunch of Gold Lions at Cannes for Colenso recently, the highest accolades that TV Ads can win worldwide..  you can see all results here : and you can see the TV Ads that we made & the 7 extended Webisodes here :
Congrats to the whole team involved & to Jae Ahn, who was a part of the dream team, died earlier this year, you should take it as a nod towards your inspiring thirst for life Brother..  

'Music is Choice' ~ Trinity Roots Doco Screening.

Last Sunday at the NZFF film fest, we caught the Documentary 'Music Is Choice' which is a retrospective on Trinity Roots. You can view the Trailer hear : Directed by Sarah Hunter, it was a warm Doco, full of laughs & memories, as you'd expect from these Bro's who I've known for more than a decade now. When I had just arrived back from living 7 years in NYC in the 90's, upon returning to the hometown Welly, I heard 'Trinity' [as they started out, at Fidel's & at 'shopping'] & approached them to say I was keen to document them & eventually to make Music Videos for them. Years later, we made 'Little Things' & then when they disbanded, I proposed we make 'Home, Land & Sea' as a live swan song gift video to the fans. [As well as the 'True Bro' : 'Wassup' parody Ad that we made one sunday arvo for laughs, & these are all posted below] So, to see this Doco at the festival on the big screen, was moving, while also strange to see my self up on screen for the 1st time ever. So Sunday was a long overdue reunion of  an extended Trinity whanau & kids. Yum Char prior, the screening & then a few Pints after across the road. If you are a fan of the band disbanded, I strongly suggest you catch the Doco in the festival. If you are a fan as I am, you may choose to cross your fingers for a reunion concert at some stage, some day, as I am. As it's these types of Little Things that really matter.

               

               

Inspired by these two polar opposite great films @NZFF yesterday...

Grant Smithies reviews 'the Sounds of Hope' Doco [Tamariki Ora]

In the Sunday Star Times, Grant Smithies reviewed the two night spotlight on Child Abuse that Maori TV shone on the topic. Below is what he had to say of our Doco :: 
[Also the link to the 'Sounds of Hope' website, where you can view some scenes & songs from the Doco, as many people have asked, so there we have it & you can view some of it]

"Following each show is Tamariki Ora : The Sounds of Hope', an unusually intimate and affecting doco in which local musicians talk about their own families and sing songs dedicated to the children of Aotearoa. Produced by Michele Bristow and directed with great sensitivity by Sione's Wedding director Chris Graham, each segment is shot in such a way that you feel you are sitting beside these people as they sing. Maisey Rika sings a song to Nia Glassie on the beach near her home ; Young Sid raps from a playground where he used to play ; Little Bushman's Warren Maxwell plays us a song between playing with his kids ; Dallas Tamaira of Fat Freddy's Drop sings on a wild and windy Wellington Night. Che Fu, SJD, Don McGlashan, Hollie Smith and the Kotuku Choir also contribute."

"...And I feel deeply moved having seen it. Watching an advance copy of 'Sounds of Hope' doco had me weeping big salty tears and not just because the featured musicians had transformed harsh reality into beautiful music. I cried because this was about me, as much as anyone. Growing up in Whanganui during the 1960's, my own father would regularly become so furious with the world that he would punch me, kick me, throw me against walls. His violence permanently damaged our relationship. As adults, we barely spoke to each other, and he died a few years ago consumed with regret. I am living proof that very few people in this country are unaffected by family violence, either directly or indirectly, which is why we all have a lot to gain by watching these landmark shows."

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Click here to go the to 'Sounds of Hope' website.

http://www.tamarikiora.com/Default.aspx?tabid=561&pid=7716

the Crew & Post Premiere Screening of our Doco.

Last Saturday we premiered our Doco 'Sounds of Hope' with the production Crew & also the all supportive Post team at Oktobor. They quickly became Fam within a few weeks of work there. The Doco wouldn't have looked as Flash without them. Thanks to the patient skills of Amy, my man Ganesh for inviting us in the house, lean Steen, the sharp eyes of Kenny the Colourist, the titles & flame work of the YanKiwi Andy & the titles of Guy. The author in the back in black with the glasses is my right hand man, Paul Maxwell. He makes me look good. I mean makes my work look good. He is one of the best editors in the country, & was the mind behind making 'Siones' funny, my short film 'DayDreamers' etheral & this Doco as emotive & thoughtful as it is. Cheers Bolo. I mean, your name is Paul. Thanks everyone, eye owe youse.

Knees Up.

I hurt my Knee.  Badly.                   as in Surgery. Bummer. Knee Up.

So my Nephew Sol drew this to make me feel better.  It did.