0:01:00 – Speaker 2
Greetings and salutations. My name is Jonathan Nadeau. Welcome to Embrace your Storm. This is another awesome episode for you. We are speaking with JJ and he has at least two films already in the Tornado Music and Film Festival, which is being held August 26th, 27th, 28th at Foxwood’s Casino. There will be links and everything that you can find in the podcast and make sure you make it there. Jj, thanks for coming on today. I appreciate your time.
0:01:29 – Speaker 3
Thanks so much for having me here. I’m really happy to be here, Hello bro.
0:01:35 – Speaker 2
No, that’s just going to point out. Jj is calling in here from Perth, australia, so that’s exciting, jj. How did you get involved in the film? Before we get too far into this, how did you get into writing or producing or directing? I got you interested in all that.
0:01:52 – Speaker 3
I mean, I was a stage actor when I was in uni, like 25, 26, 27 years ago. I used to act and perform and take part in solo acting and do acting competitions and things. I thought after I finished uni that that was the end of my time with film, when real life caught up with me. That was it for many years and until my son was about 16 years old and he started to make animations himself. He’d sit in his room and he’d create animations and he’d ask me how they were. One of them was called Journey. It was about space and it was in a film festival called the Port Shorts Film Festival in Queensland, Australia. It was selected among 15 other short films to that Port Shorts Film Festival. One of the other films was filmed by the 2015 Academy Award Animated Shorts winner.
0:03:05 – Speaker 2
Oh my goodness, wow, wow, yeah, right.
0:03:10 – Speaker 3
From Walt Disney Studios. There was publicity and stuff like that before the festival and all the news was about the Academy Winner’s film that was in there. It was a complete shock that my son’s film won the overall best film.
0:03:29 – Speaker 2
Oh, my goodness, are you kidding me? That’s amazing. That is so amazing. Yeah, that must have been a. I’m not quite the word I’m looking for, but I shot in the arm for him to be like whoa my first film festival and I just swept everyone you know like that’s pretty awesome.
0:03:49 – Speaker 3
That’s right. And like before that I was telling him look, you know, don’t you know, go study commerce in uni. You can do your film on the side and you know, like that’s been a fun you do, and you know you don’t need to study it. Stay away from the arts.
0:04:05 – Speaker 2
Did you get burned with the arts in UDTU JJ? Is that why you were kind of like yeah.
0:04:10 – Speaker 3
Yeah, I did the commerce route and so, like you know, we were with him once we saw that, then we go, oh, maybe he’s got something here and it’s not just me, yeah, and so then he did a double degree, you know, like a film and commerce.
0:04:24 – Speaker 2
No, kidding. No, he was like all right, dad don’t worry, I’ll do commerce, but I’m going to do film. Yeah, that’s really awesome.
0:04:34 – Speaker 3
Yeah, so like, and that that set his you know path, you know, along the animated film path and it pushed me into the film world as well because he was creating films and so then I had to kind of learn my way, or feel my way, around the international film circuit. So, and he had that film called Journey and then a film called irony was next, about social media and its impacts on the youth, and that did really well. It went to seven continents, including Antarctica. Oh yeah, I read that.
0:05:12 – Speaker 2
I read that. That was amazing.
0:05:15 – Speaker 3
Then there’s the Quiet, and then painting by numbers is the film that I think he mentioned has been selected for this?
0:05:23 – Speaker 1
festival.
0:05:24 – Speaker 3
And so, like that, pushed me into the, into the field, and so I started getting opportunities to then do voice acting work, you know, with people other than my son, and then it led to me taking part in what’s called the world monologue games.
0:05:46 – Speaker 2
Oh, that sounds cool. What’s that?
0:05:47 – Speaker 3
Yeah, I mean like it came up because of COVID. You know, like all the actors and filmmakers and stuff like that couldn’t get out right. And as a person by the name of Pete Malaki, he, he founded the world monologue games just after COVID started, and so, with these actors, all you needed was one camera, you know at home or wherever and so the emphasis was on the acting performance rather than you know, like the the camera work or the you know.
So it was like yeah one, you know, like one shot, one actor you know, and that’s it. You know so. And I got to the world final with Soulcatcher and got the bronze for for a monologue, Wow. And we decided to transform that into a short film, proper, you know like, with a proper camera and yeah like, but still do it as as one shot, one take, you know, and so, like that was a bit of a challenge and we managed to do that, and so, like, that’s the other film. So one animation and one live action with with Soulcatcher.
0:06:50 – Speaker 2
I love because you know, because when people see it you’re, because I, because I’m totally blind, I’m assuming it’s just like the camera on shot like on you, right, it’s just you talking, right, Like kind of a headshot.
0:07:02 – Speaker 1
Yeah what’s that?
0:07:03 – Speaker 2
Yeah, but but your voice, like the way, the way that you perform that part, like your inflections, with your voice and your, you just do a great job, like with with just the way you use your voice, that it’s hard to you use your voice as an instrument. I would say, in this part, when you’re reading it, and and the way that you say the words and how you do it is is makes it everything that it is. It’s really great. In my opinion. That’s what, that’s what I got from it. You know, for me personally, as a blind person watching it, it was really great.
0:07:34 – Speaker 3
Like.
0:07:36 – Speaker 2
I don’t want to say I can tell when people are kind of being truthful or lying or whatever. I mean I’m not going to say that by their voice or whatever, but I can tell when someone kind of like means what they’re saying and I could tell you were all in when you were doing those lines. That’s what caught me. It was just really great.
0:07:57 – Speaker 3
I mean, that’s the type of role which I mean that’s the great thing about the monologue games as well is like, is you can put yourself, you cast yourself basically in the role you want. Right right, Right. Absolutely love that script. It was written by this Australian ex cop who’s who moved to China and he’s kind of teaching English in China. Ex cop turnwriter. And he wrote that piece for me. After seeing me perform something else, I thought hey look.
0:08:30 – Speaker 2
I can write something for you. Yeah, well, he hit the nail on the head with that for you for sure. Like that was, it was really great. Like, what do you like about this whole process? Like the filmmaking, like the writing, the directing, producing, like what part of it, like this whole process, do you like the most?
0:08:50 – Speaker 3
I mean, like, for me it’s like the act, like I love doing, you know, voiceovers I really like and acting as well in front of camera, something else I’m doing more for my, you know like I started out trying to help my son, you see, and then like, trying to get him where he needs to go and to, you know, get him in the right festivals and find funding and get his film seen around the world. And you know it’s pretty successful at that because of the quality of his, of his film, you know, and you know, like I say, his live actions, his live action films, seem like strong student films but his animations, you know like, are capable of. You know, straight away, we’re, we’re, we’re.
You know, literally, from the start you know we were targeting Academy Award qualifying festivals and you know and so like it’s at that level, you know, we, we, we, we, these animations, and so you know, like that kind of makes it thrilling for me to be part of something that you want your, your kids to succeed.
0:09:56 – Speaker 2
Exactly exactly. And and not only do you want him to succeed, but it’s like you’re seeing him succeed in something that you enjoy too, Like yeah.
0:10:05 – Speaker 3
And I can be part of you know. So. I narrated the quiet. I narrated a film called Irony and some of two of his other films Journey and Painting by Numbers didn’t have any narration, it was just. It had no, no dialogue. So, like 50% of his, you know big, successful animations I narrated and you know produced it well. So it is great to be part of something that that you know your kids successful at and that’s not doing really well.
0:10:35 – Speaker 2
With speaking of painting by numbers. We mentioned that just kind of in passing. Do you want to give kind of a synopsis of that for the, for the viewers?
0:10:42 – Speaker 3
Yeah, sure, I mean like with painting by, by numbers. It’s a film like. The brief synopsis is a child’s encounter with classic masterpieces triggers a confronting epiphany, so we didn’t want to kind of give give too much away. It’s kind of an experimental animated short film where we’re kind of trying to show the dangers of humanity’s accesses with the planet and how a human, human activity is impacting the planet in negative ways, but showing it through some of the most famous paintings in the world and the famous, most famous artworks in the world and the, and also using the seven deadly sins, you know right.
Yeah, Each, each artworks so.
0:11:39 – Speaker 2
Yeah, no, it’s really, it’s really great.
0:11:41 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and you see, like the girl with the pearl year, one of the artworks is the girl with the pearl yearring and then you see her going through like 50 different costumes of different types of clothing and then as she’s, as she’s consuming all these things you know we would close them stuff. You see the background, where it’s the way it’s a forest and it’s trees and lush background, it’s kind of degrading and degrading and you end up with her, with her, with full.
We were the fully green you know attire in front of like a barren landscape and stuff like that. So that’s how it’s.
0:12:14 – Speaker 2
Yeah, well, that’s why I wanted you to explain. I knew you would give it more justice than I could, but it’s a great film again, which is why it’s in now, when you’re, when you’re working on these films, like, at least for you, I would say, like what, what is it like? I mean, you kind of got away from it from uni like you’re saying you graduated and kind of you know, did that, did what you do when you get out of college and stuff. But you know, your son, your son kind of got you. Your interest had peaked again later in life. Like what, what was it? When you started kind of getting back into it? Were you like man, why did I? Why did I stop doing this? Or you know why, after I got out of college, did I not try to do this more or whatever? Like did you kind of feel that that little burning flame in you kind of kind of get lit up even more as you started kind of creating again or getting in the film again?
0:13:02 – Speaker 3
Um, yeah, I mean, like I was in like when I finished uni I got straight into it and I kind of got, you know, like got married within six months to eight months of finishing uni, was really hard. The first couple of years, first six, seven years, I’m sure I was working in logistics. I was working in Malaysia, working in Japan, working for like 8 am to like midnight and stuff like every day. Wow, yeah, that that type of thing, so you know could hardly think of. You know, stuff like that, and I kind of give like little comedy performances every now and again here and there. You know, in did that in Japan like I kind of used to perform before and I’d do a kind of funny take on, you know, snowing in seven to hours.
That’s cool, I’m doing those and things. So like I do these whole performances, which were kind of not stand-up comedy but, like you know, like comedic performances yeah, and so like I could kind of have them in my back pocket and I can whip them out, you know, whenever there was a party or something like that, and you know, just keep in touch.
0:14:12 – Speaker 2
That’s all.
0:14:13 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and so you know, I just never had any because of work and stuff like that and I can’t really dedicate the time I need to do any stage acting and things like that. I had no kind of avenue to go into film, and yeah, so it’s only once his film started gaining traction that I was forced into that world and then like it’s not meeting people who are creating films in Western.
Australia or Australia you know you need to travel to film festivals outside of Australia as well, and so you know that pushed me in. And then, like some other people asked me to do some voiceovers for their films, and you know like I did some of that, but like the big thing that made me go in front of a camera again was the world monologue game, you know, and so like with the success.
And you know, because I didn’t have a show reel. You know like. So if I approach an agent or something and say, hey look, I’d like to be on TV or on a film or something on my CV, I say I used to act 25 years ago. Yeah, yeah, really. And you know like, with someone who’s ethnic as well, you know like in Australia I mean, they aren’t that many great ethnic roles you know like, yeah, that’s true.
You get a line here or two, or like a cameo performance. You know opportunity here and there. But with the world monologue games I could cast myself in my dream role, see so that’s pretty awesome. Yeah, so I had fantastic content to show others after I did it, you know. And then, like, then I started getting roles and I my first role in a feature film. I did that, you know, early this year and so, like that film will be released at the end of the year, so like that’s something to watch out for.
Violet, and it’s the second feature film created by Stephen Malovich and, like you know, work for that one, you know. Hopefully it comes over to the US as well.
0:16:20 – Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Um, that’s pretty awesome, jj, it’s. I love hearing you know people stories like yours. Actually, yours is really cool in the fact that I like that your son started kind of doing what you know. Like I play music. None of my kids really play instruments, which is fine, like they’re going to have their own thing, but it would be cool if one of them did like playing and and that. And what’s even cooler, though, is like you weren’t really into films or anything at that time, but he got into it and it kind of drew you back in. Like it seems like now’s your time to get back into it. So that’s so cool that your your son kind of brought you back into the world and got you, and now you and him are working together, which is awesome also.
0:17:03 – Speaker 3
Yeah and like, and he’s even today. He’s discussing the films he’s currently making. One of them is called Bird Drone and, like that’s about unrequited love between a seagull and a drone.
0:17:15 – Speaker 2
That sounds awesome. Yeah Well, is there? Is there anything you want to like? Mention JJ is like anything you’re working on or anything you know, any projects you’re looking for help with, or anything like that.
0:17:29 – Speaker 3
Well, the the other film that that just been released is called the Saint, and so hopefully I know that in your film festival there’s so many people who submitted films to your festival and it’s still going through many of them. Hopefully you come across the Saint and what’s unique it’s, in a way it is it’s one person again, you know, on camera, and that’s me in a play. You know, we with another really gritty role that I love, but this one’s in black and white and and with a hint of red only, so everything’s in black and white and and there’s one streak of red. You see throughout the film and you know, like it’s with Soulcatcher, you see two different sides to an individual and you see the intenseness in the character come right at the end. You know, yeah, yeah, soulcatcher with the Saint. It is throughout, from the start till the end. You know, maintaining the level of kind of what you felt in the last one minute of Soulcatcher, throughout the entirety of the Saint.
Ah okay, so, yeah, so like this is I mean like and they’re different films completely, and like the feel of the films are completely different as well, and kind of the the interaction that the audience has with these characters would be different too. But you know, so like I’m kind of excited to see where, where that one goes, and I’m working on a couple of scripts for the next World Monologue Games which you know we, which will open sometime May, june, july, and you know, like those following the games that would be able to see I mean like it’ll be kind of broadcast and the World Monologue Games are pretty many rounds, regional finals and World Finals are all broadcast live and okay, and it’s open to everyone to to watch and so, yeah, watch out for that, watch out for that.
0:19:31 – Speaker 2
Awesome, that’s very cool. So, jj, I thank you for your time coming on and looking forward to showing your films in the in August at Foxwood. So everyone, yeah, don’t forget to go to tornadoorg. You’ll get to find everything there. And don’t forget, on August 26, 27, 28, we’re gonna have tornado music and film festival at Foxwood’s Castino and, jj, thanks for coming on, thanks for your submission and being part of this festival and, you know, I wish you well on the next upcoming year with all your other work.
0:20:02 – Speaker 3
It’s a pleasure, jonathan, and thank you so much for giving this opportunity to so many people.
0:20:06 – Speaker 2
Now, it’s my pleasure and everyone. Thank you for listening, thank you for downloading and embrace your storm, see ya.
0:20:13 – Speaker 1
See ya Tornado with Jonathan Nado. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe now. See you first to hear new episodes with more stories of inspiration about the highs and lows of life and how embracing the storm is so much more fulfilling of a life than being crushed by the weight of the world. And until then, we hope you’re inspired to do something, whether it’s creating, participating or learning, whatever leads you to your personal passion.
