October 26, 2006
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas. In this week’s issue: musical tripping, flash and magic, cigarettes as fresh as the forest, my brain remapped, laughing in the Opera House and the quote of the week. Musical tripping Wellington indy music label Loop and the Kiwi musicians who travelled to Brazil for Bacardi OE: Brazil are deservedly getting a lot of attention for their inspired collaboration with Brazilian musos. Last week C4 screened the doco, produced by Nektar Films, which showed some of New Zealand’s finest—Barnaby Weir, Recloose, Hollie Smith and other megatalents—telling the story of their trip in their own words … great telly. The CD of the trip was released last week and Loop has put a trailer and music video on YouTube. They’re not the only Kiwi musos mixing it up with offshore artists, however. Fellow Wellingtonians Raashi Malik and partner Rhian Sheehan visited India last month to collaborate and record with local musicians on a debut album of Malik’s songs. Sheehan produced and has also made field recordings of Indian life that will make their way onto his electronica tracks. Everyone wins in these ventures—musicians, music fans and, in OE: Brazil’s case, the sponsor. By all accounts Bacardi’s sponsorhip of the Brazil trip hit exactly the right note. “The artists wouldn’t have gone if the thing reeked of commercialism, or if we couldn’t secure things like the royalties from the CD sales,” says Loop’s Markus Sawyer. “But if the process can benefit everyone—which OE: Brazil is doing—it’s a beautiful thing.”
Flash and magic International collaborations can just as easily take place in Godzone, of course. Some of the biggest names in the field of movie effects and animation, lured by the extraordinary glow of the Weta empire, are due in Wellington next month at the inaugural AnimFXNZ symposium. It’s part of the official calendar of the California-based Visual Effects Society (VES), which currently runs annual animation and FX events in LA and Frankfurt. If AnimFXNZ goes well it could become a third regular item on the VES calendar. The omens are good. Featured speakers include Sander Schwartz, the president of Warner Bros Animations, Tim Johnson, director of Antz, Lord of the Rings producer Barrie Osborne and creative hotshots from companies like Weta, Pixar and DreamWorks. Weta effects producer Kim Lavery, who is on the VES board and is co-chair of AnimFXNZ, expects attendees to take a keen interest in the talents of our local film industry while they’re here. New Zealand, she says, “is one-stop shopping”.
As fresh as the forest Many Weeklies ago we pointed to an early Flintstones episode which enthusiastically followed Fred and Barney’s enjoyment of a certain brand of nicotine delivery system. But we’re pleased to report that not all cigarette advertising was so ‘cleverly’ placed: Salem was happy to pay for its own ad spots. With a message as compelling as “Brings in fresh air with every puff,” who can resist?
‘My brain remapped’ October is that part of the year where we’ve all been slaving away for months and the silly season hasn’t quite started yet (get those end-of-year invites coming, people! We like parties on boats and open bar policies). So if the weeks are starting to run together, you reckon you need a holiday and you can’t remember when something truly amazing happened to you, here’s a true story, courtesy of Dilbert creator Scott Adams. What a week he’s had. Laughing in the Opera House While you wait for those end-of-year parties, there’s no better place to check what’s on than the Idealog events listings on our website and at the front of the magazine. Pick of the upcoming shows? Since this appears to be Wellington’s week in Idealog Weekly, we’ll go for The Laughing Samoans at the Opera House on Saturday. Tickets from Ticketek.
Quote of the week “There’s something about being taken out of your usual routine, smelling unfamiliar smells, eating new food and generally being immersed in another culture to let the creative steam out.”
—Raashi Malik More at Idealog online Read more on our website: Web exclusives, opinion, Idealog IP and the Idealog blogs. See you at idealog.co.nz. Matt Cooney
Editor
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