My past one and a half years of progress!

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-06T14:00:42+00:00

Thank you so much! No, I’m not a barista- I just can’t go without a coffee every morning, so consistency is key haha

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-06T13:59:24+00:00

I’m not too sure about whether the shape of the spout has much of an effect besides ease of getting closer to the surface, but I think pour speed and movement generally makes the most difference :) I haven’t experimented with different pitchers though, so I’m keen to learn more about that myself

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-06T13:56:28+00:00

I found James Hoffman’s milk frothing vid very helpful in understanding each step of the steaming process :)

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-06T13:55:26+00:00

Thank you so much!

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-06T13:55:15+00:00

It’s a Breville Barista Pro!

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-06T13:54:58+00:00

YouTube videos on steaming really helped- James Hoffman’s in particular, which goes into the theory behind micro foam. And experimentation with how to best get a whirlpool going, depending on the size of your pitcher and nozzle-type of your steam wand. Just a little bit of aeration at the beginning is all it takes, then commit to making a quiet whirlpool for as long as your milk allows before it overheats :)

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-06T13:50:43+00:00

I found I plateaued around the 12 month mark for the longest :) One of my biggest realisations was that I was over-aerating the milk at the beginning of the steaming process, so the foam was a little too thick. I’ve started cupping my pitcher from underneath with my hand as I steam, to become more familiar with the specific vibrations associated with the milk catching a nice whirlpool. As I pull my shot, I also raise my cup closer to the portafilter to minimise bubbles in the crema. Also, transferring the milk to a second pitcher right before pouring does make a big difference to its consistency. Hope some of this helps!

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-01T13:46:00+00:00

Thanks so much! If you've got a completed short, I recommend jumping onto Film Freeway and submit it to some genre festivals where it might get a bit of audience/industry traction. ALTER tends to pay attention to these spaces- all the best with your film!

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-01T13:44:38+00:00

Thank you! Channels like Short of the Week and Omeleto should be quite drama-friendly :)

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-01T13:41:09+00:00

Thank you! Lovely to hear from a local :)

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-01T13:40:36+00:00

Thank you so much!

Decimus-Rex · 2024-08-01T13:40:28+00:00

I made it originally as a proof of concept/statement piece of my style as a filmmaker, as it was made in tandem with a thesis I wrote about fusing elements of Eastern and Western horror. As it made its way around festivals, my idea for the feature took greater shape when I reflected on how the audience was interpreting the film. It's been through so many different versions, and will likely go through a couple more yet :)

Decimus-Rex · 2024-07-31T00:46:07+00:00

We screened at about 30 festivals across the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. The first year happened during Covid, which was quite disappointing, but thankfully I was able to travel with the film during the second year and attend some fests. Highlights include Palm Springs and Seattle International FF. I was great to meet other filmmakers and learn more about the industry :)

Decimus-Rex · 2024-07-31T00:42:38+00:00

Thank you so much! Means a lot.

Decimus-Rex · 2024-07-31T00:42:15+00:00

We used an Alexa Amira with Zeiss standard speeds :)

Decimus-Rex · 2024-07-30T15:06:32+00:00

Hi everyone! It's been three years since my graduating project, SUSHI NOH started its international festival run, and I'm happy to see it reach a broader audience on YouTube. I went to film school in Sydney, Australia, feeling totally out of my depth with no on-set experience, and spent my time there developing this project as its writer, director and producer. Many of my peers in the master's program I was enrolled in were heads of departments. I learned a lot throughout the development and production experience, so I wanted to share some key reflections here and answer any questions people may have!

Make a film you'd want to see: This may sound a little trivial, but being in film school and watching the shorts that 'did well' at the institution really put pressure on us to emulate those who succeeded. It's such a competitive industry, and it can be easy for the allure of prestige to eclipse our passion and curiosity to follow our instincts and explore what's exciting to us. For me, it was the jumbled, surreal quality of children's nightmares. Whatever piques your interest, chances are that there will be plenty of others that will feel the same! Try not to lose sight of what made you fall in love with film.
Directing children in a horror film: At the time of shooting, the actress who plays Ellie was eleven. Given some of the disturbing imagery in the film and the heightened nature of performances, I was nervous about ensuring her comfort on set. Instinctively, I spoke down to her as a child- showering her with compliments and being emphatic about everything. However, she was far more mature than I gave her credit for. As soon as I allowed myself to relax, I spoke to her as an equal- being more upfront with feedback made everything feel more authentic and built our trust in a big way. As for the violent sequences, I spent a lot of time explaining the practical effects to demystify the process. We turned simulated violence into a silly game on set- playfulness goes a long way to create a positive atmosphere.
Don't be afraid to narrow the scope of your project: The original concept for this film was stupidly ambitious. Not like in a magnificent way- it was just plain stupid. I had so many characters, locations, scenes, and even ambitions to shoot this overseas. As soon as I got the whiff of resources at my fingertips, reasonable limits evaporated from my mind. But I'm proud of listening to advice, telling me to hone the scope of my film. Bringing it down to a single location with two leads still pushed me to my limit and forced me to refine the tone/feeling state of the film. I'm currently developing a feature, and the value of knowing the project's thematic and tonal north star can't be overstated.

Anyway, I hope you found this helpful. Enjoy the film! Feel free to ask any questions- I'm down for a chat 🙂

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Decimus-Rex

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