... Maui Beckons

So, you guys may have noticed that my blogging frequency has dropped substantially.

I wish this was because I am always studying, but it's really more to do with the fact that I'mnot. You know when you're really busy, and as a result, uber-productive? That's why last year, while I was busting my ass for fifty hours each week training for ITU Worlds, I was able to blog all the time. This year, I do so little that I waste the time I do have to blog, doing nothing.

Anyway.

48HOURS Dunedin was... redundant. You may remember my apprehension about the weekend - this largely stemmed from the fact that it was to be the first film I was working on without Thom (since the weekend he's said "just be thankful you're still a Radioactive Reptile"). I did have doubts about the production value of our film, based on our lack of sound tech and editing. In the end, of course, it was the editing that became our unraveling.

I quickly realised last year, during the 48 hours, how privileged I was to be working with Sophie, Jono, Bevan, Katie and Thom. These guys are graduates of "Moving Image". They're pretty good at what they do. It's not that the team I worked with this year aren't awesome too, they just didn't have quite the level of expertise of my Reptiles back in Hamilton. There was also the minor (read: MAJOR) detail that editing was left solely to our director, Serena. She had about four hours, total, of sleep during the weekend. With 1 minute and 8 seconds remaining until the deadline on Sunday night, Serena didn't have time to view the DVD our team submitted. And that's how Disaster One happened.

On Tuesday, Decile One packed into a bus and headed to Dunedin's first heat. What happened there was literally a living nightmare. I can't really explain the utter and complete disbelief I felt while watching our DVD. Within moments of it starting, I was texting Thom. "Our sound is horrible." But that was only the beginning. A few seconds later it became evident that something had gone horribly wrong with the editing and final burn. Scenes were out of order. The sound was completely (I mean completely) out of sync. There were frames that froze completely, creating an ambient house music sound (which I rather enjoyed, to be honest). The audience cringed. Audibly. Even now, almost a week later, I feel that a description doesn't do the full disaster that was "The Rook" justice. It really has to be seen to be believed. And, judging by the reaction I got from my team when I asked for a copy (to show Thom, of course), that's just not going to happen.

My musings about what I've affectionately referred to as "48HOUR FAIL" on Twitter have received advice such as "make note of what you did wrong, and how you can fix it for next year". It's times like these I really wish I'd paid attention as I watched Sophie work her magic on "There Will Be Blood" last year. Or, at the very least, known more about a computer than is necessary to use Twitter. My only rectification for next year is that I WILL be back in Hamilton next year with Thom and co. If there's a team I want to fail miserably with, it's Radioactive Reptiles.

Their film "Sid & Kate", is looking like a finalist, and to that end, I've booked flights home for May 8th. 48Hours Hamilton final, my brother's birthday, and Mother's Day, all in one hit! I like this.

In the last week, I received a copy of XTERRA PLANET magazine. And, you guessed it, I'm so getting back into that shit next year. Maybe it's that, compounded with the excitment of my stupidly talented cousin Scott winning his first XTERRA NZ title on April 17th, that's got me all worked up. Whatever it is, you can expect to find me on the start line at Blue Lake next year. I. Am. SO. Excite.

And then there's Maui. XTERRA World Championships. The original goal was to win this year, but due to some incident - which I now look upon as a momentarily lapse of reason - which resulted in me now living in Dunedin, 2011 looks to be a go. This afternoon, I showed Jelle part of a ten-minute highlights video from last year's event.
"Um, cool." he said. "Yeah, you can do that. I'll just wait in the hotel room."
Nice.

But whatever; can't win em all, eh? Maui better watch out. I am so there.