Trop night out
Me: Bless me father for I have sinned – it’s been many months since my last post.
Father: Let’s put it down to slackness and move on shall we…
So last night was Sony Tropfest 2007 in the Domain, Sydney screened live to what must have been over 100,000 people in the Domain and many more across the country. Probably 150k plus around the country.
As I’ve mentioned before I’ve been managing Sony’s sponsorship of Tropfest (see Roughcut post earlier). Once again I was taken aback with the quality of the ideas and the technical quality of the films. Outstanding – my personal fav being The Von. Interesting fact for the fact-fans out there – seven of the sixteen films were shot in High Definition. In terms of content, was it me or was there an over exuberance on the part of many of the film-makers for violent, ahem, bodily functions? Obviously, taboo and shock is one way to grab attention but the TSI was sneeze, not spew. Boy, was that yoghurt past its sell-by date.
The VIP area was revamped this year – move to higher ground in case it rained again – with a new covering structure. Looked fantastic, though the sound levels were slightly too high. Nothing compared to tunes being spun in the Zeta Bar at the after-party which were earbleedingly intense.
One Trop tradition that was missing this year – where was the proposal live on stage?!
The TSI for 2008 was announced by John last night – the number 7 – so people can get cracking with their films from now. Plug coming up – eyes peeled for information about Roughcut 2007 later this year. Film-making tips available on sony.com.au/tropfest
Eyes peeled too for the winner of the Sony Ericsson People’s Choice Award which will be announced on Tropfest.com soon. Onwards and upwards to next year.
19 February 2007 at 11:56am
About bloody time, Rubes! Welcome back. I hear animation carried the day last night – I really wanted to go, but I just hate crowds. Sony should sponsor a screen at the Manly Wharf Hotel or at the oval next year. They did it for the Rugby World Cup games, and it was hugely popular. I bet if you did that at several other sites around Sydney, numbers would boom through the roof. But fronting up on a Sunday night trying to find a patch of dirt with 100,000 other people…I just couldn’t face it.
19 February 2007 at 9:45pm
Mate – you missed a cracker. Appreciate what you say about the crowds, and finding a taxi at the end is like some form of living hell. But it is a good night out.
I’d love to extend it out but it all costs bucks so we have to take baby steps. This year it’s gone out to Wagga, Augusta and even to Katehrine for the first time. Next year there will be many more sites for people to see, I’ll suggest Manly.
20 February 2007 at 11:49am
What do you think about the blue blob hoo-ha that’s erupted today? I must say, that seems like a MIGHTY BIG coincidence…
Yes, please, do suggest Manly, gateway to the rest of the Northern Beaches and, of course, the original insular peninsula…I genuinely believe you’d get an awesome turnout. I don’t doubt it’s a great night out, and I’m sorry we missed it. Still, thanks to the Sydney public transport mess, getting home in the lotto win rarity of a cab is really the only option for a Sunday night, and if you can’t travel direct via the water, it all starts to become extreeeeeeemely expensive. I’d rather save cab rides for drunken trips home after birthday celebrations at the Three Weeds and the House of Lawrence. But that’s just me.
20 February 2007 at 8:00pm
Yeah, it does seem like a huge coincidence but Trop knew about the clash when the finalists were selected and the film-maker was asked about it, he sakd that it was absolutely a coincidence. Those are the facts and JP decided to continue with the inclusion of Imaginary. It’s not in anyway Trop’s interest to have a copy-cat winner so I’m with Trop on that one…
re the extortionate cab fares to Manly, you know you can always stay with us. Mon maison es votra maison as they may say en Francais.
22 February 2007 at 12:59pm
Y mi casa es su casa, as they say en espanol.
Well, i’m prepared to give him if the benefit of the doubt too, in that case. Coincidences do indeed occur. If we’re all supposed to have a doppelganger somewhere in the world, then I don’t see why the blue blobs shouldn’t have a twin too.