Author Archives for thedarclaud

Fresh as a Peppermint

freshflix1dYou know how some people do something once and then reckon they’re an expert? Well, I worked on the Secret Garden Festival production week for the first time last month (largely painting signs…), and now my mates and I reckon we can chuck a film festival.

It shall be très bon.

Truth is, we’ve been planning this for a while in our minds and hearts, and we thought it was about time we started planning it on paper and in excel worksheets.

We have a website.
We have accepted submissions from all over ze globe through filmfreeway.
We have a clifftop backyard.
We have some strapping young folk who are willing and able to construct a large screen for us (that’s actually Klaus and I).
We even have the red plastic that we’ll use for a media wall, because who in their right mind wants to go to a film festival and not get papped?

But most importantly, we are still accepting submissions of films 3 mins and under.

So it’s happening. Freshflix Independent Film Festival.

Fest your eyes on our exclusive promo video we shot yesterday arvo. Nothing like a bit of bossa nova to gloss over an uncomfortable situation.

Thanks Crangle and Klaus for being such excellent sports.

So Frenchy So Ciné

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Good heavens! The phenomenal cats at CinéWomen, an annual French Publication have done me the honour of interviewing me about the creation of my feature film Frisky.

While you’re at it, slam those eyeballs of yours on the brand-spanking-new Frisky website here! You’ll find delicious links to the soundtrack and view the trailer, amongst other delightful treats…

Just look at all those gosh darn laurels, would you?!

Bundles of Badass

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Romp DMC? LL Cool Legs? Justin Bib? Cooli’Onsie?! Ice Tee?!? SNOOP LEGGY LEGS?!!

I mean, what part of those product names sound anything less than *HELLA TIGHT*?

I had the privilege of creating the print design, logo design and photography for my very excellent friend Sarah’s new babywear brand, Milk Riot!

Mad kudos to her for keeping the fabric organic, the dyes natural, the production local (Aussie designed and made), and the vibe epic. Tell all those nasties to get on their bike.

Check out some pics from the shoot, starring my extremely handsome godson and his outstanding group of pals.

 

Bridesmaids Gone Wild

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Ya know, when someone asks you to be their bridesmaid, it’s generally a cause for celebration. Really, we do in the vast majority of cases, relish the opportunity to engage in party planning/preening/champagne popping activities with our best friends and family. However, occasionally one will be asked to take on such a responsibility when one couldn’t give a proverbial rat’s arse about the bride in question.

It leaves one feeling confused, bitter, even angry… Gasping one’s self awake in the dead of the night and exclaiming “Why, for the love of all things holy, did Anastasia choose me? I haven’t enjoyed the company of that strumpet since the Passion Pop incident of two thousand and four?!”

And yet, one is obliged.

Balls.

Muchos gracias to the many legends who took the day off work to get chiffon-nasty in a studio in Annandale, my babeshow sister included (whom I happen to be the bridesmaid for currently and am DEEPLY STOKED about so everyone COOL YOUR JETS)… also my best mate who lent me a bunch of dresses (I’d better be on your bloody bridesmaid list too or I’ll be SO CUT).

If you haven’t seen the original Justin Bieber dance video by a bunch of legends in New Zealand which is BOMB DOT COM check it out here.

If you haven’t already liked it, go and show Frothpocalypse some love.

Skate or Fry

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We are all in search of that illusive golden Maccas fry… Figuratively and literally. So when Klaus asked me to slap some new art on his skateboard I thought “It’s a stretch, but I think we can make it work.”

To be honest, I really just wanted to draw a seagull eating Maccas fries as the image resonates so strongly through my childhood (along with the ibis and my chicken nuggets, but that’s a story for another time)… Klaus had just watched Gleaming the Cube so he wanted a “Skate or Die” on it… and then nature just took its course.

Skate or Fry, betches.

P.S. How’s the fake wood lino in my kitchen?

Go Frisk Yourself

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At long last, I present to you the trailer for Frisky.

For the love of all things holy, go and like the Frisky Facebook page. And for heaven’s sake, share the hell out of this video.

When two twenty-something women move back to San Francisco, where they had met on exchange years earlier, their high career aspirations quickly become sidelined by their sexual interests. While wildly crass and charismatic in their public personas, they are in fact fundamentally at odds on many levels. Their opposing beliefs surrounding responsibility and romance, combined with their close quarters while crashing in an acquaintance’s living room, find them thrust onto a fast track to discovering what their friendship is really made of.
Based on true events, Frisky is an honest, tongue-in-cheek look at what it is to be a woman in the limbo years between college and “the real world”.

Written & Directed by Claudia Pickering

Director of Photography Christiana Charalambous

Edited by Julien de Benedictis

Music:
Evils That Never Came – When It Stops
soundcloud.com/evilsthatnevercame/04-when-it-stops

The Outs – Right Or Wrong
soundcloud.com/theoutsband/the-outs-right-or-wrong

Evils That Never Came – Mahmania
soundcloud.com/evilsthatnevercame/mahmania

Hanky Panky Cakey

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What we have here is literal food porn.

When a friend of mine requests a cake that looks like a 70’s glittery leopard shagpile rug for her 30th birthday, that is what they will darn-well get. My superpal Hazel did exactly this, and my other superpal Sarah and I rose to the occasion, delving into the unknown world of fondant to craft this dream into a reality.

We also thought it appropriate to add a scantily clad woman into the mix in the spirit of dirty thirty.

Ohh la la!
We blindly raided our local Spotlight store
Working out the perfect colour ratio for the fondant
roll it out nice ‘n flat
cut it and throw it over a cake, use leftovers to make pillow, add nudie torso
two cakes were baked for height and the tops cut off so they were perfectly flat discs. We used the leftover tops to make the legs! Add icing gel bra – how saucy!
We tried this for the leopard pattern. It didn’t work.
So we did this instead! And added edible glitter!
Throw it on her! (delicately)
Add furry purple trim and text! (so many icing nozzles were used to make this cake) and VOILA!
Best darn cake I ever did see.
There’s me dressed as Freddie Mercury trying to light the thing
Hazel and fam were frothing!

Frothpocalypse!

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My mates Pru, Emma and I have banded together to make comedy sketches on the regular. We call ourselves Frothpocalypse. And we’ve made a website like a bunch of tech-savvy legends.

Check it out here.

Why are you still reading? You should be at the link above.

In the unlikely event that you didn’t bother to click the above link, here is one of our videos that might entice you to do so:

Stay frothy, muchachos.

Quit yer lion!

cheetah

Did you say “GIMME MORE STOP MOTION ANIMATION, POR FAVOR!”?

Can do.

Tropfest, the largest short film festival in le worlde is holding a 6-second #tropvine competition prior to opening for entries for the real deal… and there’s $5k on the line.

Yes please.

After the wild success* of the Winning Formula title sequence which saw Klaus and I become professional** stop motion animators, I thought I should give the method another crack. We found an appropriate dad joke, I printed and cut out a bunch of animals, took a ton of photos, recorded Klaus and myself doing the dialogue then edited it down and… Voila!

If you’d like to see an HD version of the video, click here.

* We really liked it.

** Yeah, you heard. Professional.

UPDATE: My Vine has been honoured as a part of the [official selection] for the #tropvine festival (aka the worlds shortest short film festival!) Woohoo! See all you legends at the festival this coming Wednesday 12 August in Potts point!

UPDATE UPDATE: YOU GUYS, I WON!?