2007 SPAA Fringe, now in Sydney, welcomes Hoodlum
Active, Rachael Lucas and Brendan Cook to the line up of key note speakers.
With a strong sense for music, fashion, pop culture
and a background in no-budget music videos, rock n roll guerilla filmmaker and
director of Japanese surfing road movie feature, Bondi Tsunami,
Rachael Lucas. Consistently breaking new ground with multi-platform drama
such as Fat Cow Motel and PS Trixi,
Nathan Mayfield and Tracey Robertson of Hoodlum Active.
He’s won several awards, and his outstanding
video for Gotye’s track Hearts a Mess has been screened at numerous festivals,
Designer and animator, Brendan Cook, has also worked with artists including The
Cops, Paul Mac and Smog
* Hoodlum Active is a digital entertainment
company that has been developing, producing and delivering unique multiplatform
content and branded storytelling since 1999. Hoodlum’s knowledge of film language,
track record in TV and understanding of audience behaviour has been utilised to
tell innovative stories across all platforms. Recent accolades include Fat
Cow Motel, a 13-part, half-hour ABC television series;
breakthrough online drama series PS Trixi for Yahoo7 –
PS Trixi enlisted the audience to help solve a kidnapping mystery via webcam
videos, podcasts, social networking forums and blogs; and their collaboration
with UK broadcaster ITV – a daily online drama, which has been attracting one
million users per day, and runs concurrently with ITV’s long-running prime-time
soap Emmerdale.
In 2006, Hoodlum signed with leading agency ICM in the
US and the UK. Their current projects include an online extension of BBC’s
flagship series Spooks, a top secret project for Pepsi and an
original multiplatform series called Threads.
Hoodlum has also developed their own Content Delivery
System, INCA to distribute all content in a timed manner across any platform.
This technology has enabled Hoodlum to work remotely from Australia to produce
and distribute content to anywhere in the world.
* Rachael Lucas, who’s by line ” ‘No’ means find
another way” has carved her career in guerrilla filmmaking through sheer
necessity. While others would cave to the pressures of logistical limitations,
no funding, no resources and no crew, Lucas flourished, finding her distinctive
visual style and iconoclastic, surreal, sensual and satirical approach to
filmmaking.
Lucas has cultivated a popular reputation as a rock n
roll, filmmaker, with a Japanese bent. Credits include feature film Bondi
Tsunami, about a Japanese surfing road-trip; the 30-minute
rockumentary Malcolm Hill: Last of the Wild Bohemians
(2000), a raw pre-reality TV film which follows eccentric Melbourne musician
Malcolm Hill, performing as the support act on Nick Cave’s Australian tour; and
most recently Electra The Music of Penny Ikinger (2006)
which features Divinyls front woman Chrissie Amphlett interviewing prolific
Australian female electric guitarist Penny Ikinger on her unique rock n roll
journey as a female electric guitarist.
Since making Bondi Tsunami,
Rachael Lucas has become an inspirational speaker and advisor to many other
fledgling Australian filmmakers. Lucas’ debut DIY filmmaking book, The Bondi
Tsunami Rock n Roll Guide Guerrilla Filmmaking (2007) will be
launched at SPAA Fringe this year.
Rachael is currently writing her next two major works;
Johnny Rocku and The Crib Point Syndrome.
* Brendan Cook studied design at The College of Fine
Arts UNSW, and began working as a web designer and flash animator before taking
the role of Broadcast Designer with vfx and post production industry leaders
Garner MacLennan Design. Whilst at Garner MacLennan, Cook created award winning
short films In Darkness Under the Sun, winner of the
SBS eat carpet award at St Kilda Film Festival 2002 and Neon.
In 2002 Cook set up pictureDRIFT his design and
animation studio, creating design and animation for a range of clients
including Nickelodeon, National Geographic Channel, Network TEN and Triple J,
winning numerous BDA awards over the past 4 years.
Cook has also worked with artists including The Cops,
Paul Mac, Gotye and Smog. His video for the Gotye track Hearts a Mess won the
audience award for best music video at the SoundKilda Festival 2007 and has
featured in numerous festivals including the Seoul International Cartoon &
Animation Festival 2007, Platform Festival 2007 and the Brooklyn International
Film Festival 2007. His Smog Rock Bottom Riser music video created with artist
Paul McNeil has featured in over 15 international film festivals throughout 40
countries including Resfest, onedotzero, Ottawa International Animation
Festival and the LA Film Festival 2007.
Hoodlum Active, Rachael Lucas and Brendan Cook join
Ben Batstone-Cunningham, co-author of Second Life: The Official Guide, and a
former Linden Lab programmer and scripting expert, in the line up of key note
speakers for SPAA Fringe 2007.
[release from Tsuki]