Lil Late, but Homey's Bro Made His Movie Directorial Debut!!

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Old 03-18-2006, 05:04 PM
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Arrow Lil Late, but My Homey's Bro Made His Movie Directorial Debut!!

EDIT: Wed, 3/22/06 The Premiere was a SOLD OUT+PACKED HOUSE event........CONGRATS to my friend's bro, Richard Wong aka director+producer+SOLE financier for the "Colma: The Musical" movie project, H.P. Mendoza aka one SUPER talented cat---wrote the entire screenplay+ALL the songs for the movie+soundtrack+AND basically STOLE the show as one of the lead actors!! LA Rengen aka lead actress and everyone else involved w/the project also deserve much respect for jobs well done. You guys+girls ROCKED the house last night!!

brief recap of the premiere night towards the end (will update w/a more detailed+organized account later today.......i'm POOPED!!)



Hey y'all,

Just showing some love for my friend's lil bro, Richard Wong, who just made his directorial debut for a movie called, "Colma: The Musical"

The flick is a small, low-budget, and Indie/artsy type film (haven't seen it yet, but will this week at a film festival at an AMC theater in San Francisco, CA).

I'm not sure if Colma been picked up by a major studio yet or if it's going to be released in other areas. I'll get more details when I hook up w/my homey w/in the next few days or when we meet up w/others at the film festival premiere. My friend said his bro has been doing interviews at the Universal lot in Hollywood, so maybe that's a sign of good news for the flick and his bro......could be just there for other work though....he does camera+behind the scenes stuff for tv shows & other films too. I'll clue y'all in later after I get the scoop.

Anyways, friends+fam are naturally very proud, and it's cool for me to see how far the kid has come cuz me and his bro go waaaaaay back to when we were just rugrats (my Mom+Dad went to school & were friends w/his parents)

Well, just wanted to spread the word and get him & his project out there. Hopefully if "Colma" gets picked up and turns into a wider release, some of y'all can check out the film and show some support too. (I'm not only rep'ing for the dude cuz he's a fellow yellow brotha, but I'm always down for peeps who go after their dreams and stay on the grind to get them. Plus, I miss the old school movie+musical genre.....films like Singin' in the Rain, Grease, Bye Bye Birdy, etc. There's too much cookie-cutter BS in films+entertainment--tv, music etc. these days.)




Here's some media stuff that's associated w/the flick if anyone wants more info:

http://www.colmafilm.com/contact.html (Official Site for the film)

http://www.sunsetbeacon.com/archives...rentissue.html (article on my homey's bro from a small local paper)

http://www.asianamericanfilmfestival...etail.php?i=32 (online article on movies+details)

My friend sent me an mp3 of one of the interviews his bro did on the Universal Studios lot, but I'm at my pops' and he only has dial-up. I'll try to upload it later.

Last edited by CLsmooth71; 03-22-2006 at 05:24 AM.
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Old 03-18-2006, 07:05 PM
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btw, just in case some people are questioning the content of this Colma flick......

it's not the movie+entertainment biz w/out critics. everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

My friend's bro is only the DIRECTOR of "Colma"......it's not his screenplay or idea.

his name is tied to the film tho, so we'll see how things pan out. as mentioned, my friend's bro already has been in the industry for a few years and has worked pretty steadily. regardless of how this Colma movie does, things are only looking up for the kid. hopefully, the flick does get picked up by a major studio, or, at the very least, he at least gets some buzz for his directing job, so his career keeps rolling w/a bit more steam.
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Old 03-19-2006, 05:47 PM
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posting the article on my friend's bro cuz I just got around to reading it for the first time too.......has some good background info and few details on his short (so far) career



Richard Wong working on the set in Hollywood.

Musical about Colma to debut at Asian American Film Fest

http://www.sunsetbeacon.com/archives...ch06/Wong.html

Richard Wong working on the set in Hollywood.


by Ronitte Libedinsky

Richard Wong, 29, and H.P. Mendoza, 29, never thought that anyone else would be interested in watching a movie musical about three friends who just graduated from high school in Colma. Yet, "Colma: The Musical," Wong's directorial debut, is scheduled to premier at the 24th annual San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival on March 21.

"We really believed that the movie would be just for us" said Wong, who spoke by phone from Los Angeles, where he was putting the finishing touches on the movie.

"It's a story about three best friends, fresh out of high school, who now have to deal with the question of what to do with their lives. What choices do they have, now that they're no longer restricted by school? And how do these choices affect their friendships?" said Mendoza, who wrote the screen play.

Wong, who graduated from the Academy of Art College, grew up in the Richmond District. His love of photography led him to work as a cinematographer in Hollywood. In the past five years, as more TV shows were being filmed in video, Wong began working as a video engineer as well.

A cinematographer, often called director of photography, sits behind a camera and is in charge of filming the movie or television show. Cinematographers make lighting and camera decisions and make sure the director's vision is being carried out.

A video engineer is also in charge of making decisions regarding the color and lighting of a movie or TV show. But in this case, the movie is shot on video instead of the traditional film, so a video engineer sits behind a computer screen during filming.

Wong has worked as a video engineer for TV shows including "Oliver Beene" and "Arrested Development," both on the FOX network. He's also been involved with some failed television pilots and movies.

"It's hit or miss in Hollywood. I worked on one movie that had a lot of big name actors and it was supposed to be a hit, but it bombed. That's the way Hollywood is," Wong said.

In 2005, Wong grew tired of the Hollywood grind and returned to San Francisco, where he planned to spend a year away from the television and movie business.

But he could not stay away for long. A chance encounter reunited Wong with his former college friend, Mendoza, whom he had not been in touch with for 10 years. They first met at the College of San Mateo, which Wong attended before the Academy of Art College.

Mendoza grew up in the Bay Area but he had moved to the East Coast, where he worked in theater and music. As a joke for a high school friend, Mendoza had written a series of songs about their high school years in Colma. When Wong heard the songs, he knew that a movie could be made based on them and convinced Mendoza to write a screenplay.

"This was the opportunity to have complete control over a movie," said Wong, who financed the entire film.

Mendoza agrees.

"This movie afforded us a lot of freedom to do things that we wouldn't have been able to do with a big studio."

And so began the hectic process of making "Colma: The Musical." Even with Mendoza in Philadelphia and Wong in Los Angeles, the screenplay was a collaboration between the two of them. Mendoza would write a draft and send it to Wong, who would comment and make suggestions. One month and seven drafts later, the final screenplay was finished.

Wong and Mendoza then spent two months preparing for the filming of the movie, which lasted only 18 days.

"Normally a script will be worked on for much longer - shooting low-budget films averages about 25 days," Wong said. "So the process was a whirlwind compared to big Hollywood movies or even standard low-budget features."

Wong will soon be promoting the film in Los Angeles and hopes to find a studio that will distribute it, but "the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival is the ideal place for our movie to premier. It's such a local movie and everyone who worked on it will be there for this," he said.

For more information on "Colma: The Musical" visit www.colmafilm.com/index. For more information about the film festival, visit the Web site at www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org.
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Old 03-19-2006, 05:53 PM
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as an addendum, I was a little inaccurate about Rich's participation in the project..........While I was right in commenting that he did not write the screenplay, he DID have a hand in brainstorming the project's premise. (thought he just had a directorial role)

What's more he financed the ENTIRE thing on his OWN (according to the article).

I'll have to confirm that and other details on the project w/his bro or the dude himself, if he's not too busy w/the local press+basking in the moments, w/in the next couple days or at the film festival Tues nite.

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Old 03-19-2006, 07:42 PM
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Thats Dope!!! Much respect to your friend as I'm sure he worked his way from the ground on up!!!
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Old 03-19-2006, 11:41 PM
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^^^^thanks for the props+support.

i just remember Rich as shy kid that I just used to say, "What up," to when his bro & I used to hang out all the time. I never knew he had aspiriations of working in the entertainment biz, but I guess he finally came out of his shell a bit cuz networking+schmoozing is vital in that industry.


anyways, I just talked to his bro, and confirmed that Rich did finance the whole project on his own......crazy even for a low budget Indie flick. I gotta hand it to the kid for that alone....he & their fam aren't loaded or have the industry connects like the Sofia Coppola+Coppolas of the world either......before going to the Academy of Art and getting into the biz he was working at Costco.

on another note, my friend just told me that tickets for the Tues night primere of the flick are SOLD OUT.....nice news for Rich+everyone involved w/the film, but, unfortunately, that leaves me and some other dudes out of luck and trying to hit up various other connects for passes. I wasn't sure if my schedule would permit me to attend & couple dudes have kids or are on baby patrol+lockdown most of the time, so we were late on giving our buddy the go-ahead to reserve our tickets. Serves us right for lagging, but, oh well, if they can't score us some tickets for the premiere, we're planning on meeting up at the afterparty.

As for viewing the film itself, plans are for the the movie to be sold in DVD format through the official website after the premiere this Tuesday night If any of you is interested in checking out/purchasing the film, please visit the site.

http://www.colmafilm.com/contact.html
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Old 03-22-2006, 05:25 AM
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just got back from the premiere of the movie. I'm tired as hell, so I'll have to drop my recap of the movie and night later on today.

All I can say now is...........

1. I have a newfound respect for film makers, actors, and ALL others associated w/movie making, especially those who do it very limited resources like Indie film makers do.

I have known others that have had their hands in larger+more well known major studio projects, but what I saw tonight was inspirational on MANY levels.........more on that later.


2. If you haven't heard about "Colma: The Musical", you should look into it. Even though my homey's bro directed, produced, AND financed/paid for the ENTIRE project on his OWN, I was skeptical about the film's theme & how it would be received too, incl by myself. But I went in there w/an open mind, and I'm very glad I did. It was a very worthwhile, enlightening, and entertaining experience.


anyways, I'll elaborate more on the premiere, the movie, and a couple of other things later on.

In the meantime, you can check out more info on the movie, cast members, and my homeboy's bro, Richard Wong, the director+producer of the flick by visiting the sites mentioned in my previous replies.

The soundtrack is an especially good look, and it can be purchased later today, 3/22/05 on OFFICIAL "Colma: The Musical" site.

http://www.colmafilm.com/index

There's 18 original tracks of original tracks, and the overwhelming majority of them have definite "replayability"

Listen to an mp3 teaser of the soundtrack here:

http://www.colmafilm.com/teaser.mp3


The dude, H.P. Mendoza, that wrote the screenplay and ALL the songs for the movie+soundtrack is one HELLA talented cat. He was also one of the lead actors, and basically STOLE the show (no dis to my homeboy's bro), but I'm pretty sure peeps will be hearing a lot more from that dude in the not so distant future.


that's all for now....i'll clean up this mess of an update later today and, as mentioned, will elaborate mor on the night+film.......i'm tired as hell.

BIG UPS to Richard Wong, H.P. Mendoza, LA Rengen & everyone involved in the "Colma: The Musical" movie project. You guys+girls rocked that PACKED+SOLD OUT house last night!!!

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Old 03-22-2006, 08:16 PM
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Hey all,

Thanks to everyone that contacted me about the film and offered your congrats+support. I'll be sure to pass along your kind words+warm wishes to my friend's bro, Richard Wong aka the director+producer+sole financier for the Colma project, who will undoubtedly relay the sentiments to ALL of the other very deserving Colma project members.

The movie premiere last night, Tuesday, 3/21/06 at the AMC Kabuki Theater in San Francisco, CA went off w/out a hitch and was presented to a SOLD OUT+PACKED house Unfortunately, many in line had to be turned away, but, hopefully, they'll get to share in the viewing+musical experience at a future theater viewing or through other distribution channels (more info on that TBA later) Thanks to all of you that did make the trek out to offer your support and join in on the festivities. Your presence + generosity was very much appreciated!!

I don't want to make this recap too long, but I was really pleasantly surprised+entertained by the film being that it was prefaced by its title as a "movie+musical" project. However, I went in w/an open mind and was really impressed+inspired by several different aspects of the film---its content/messages, all the....pardon the cliche....."blood, sweat, & tears" the actors+film crew+etc put into making the project, and especially the film's soundtrack+musical #'s. Aside from my own perspectives on the movie, more importantly, most of the audience at the premiere last night seemed to enjoy what they saw+heard too. It was very warmly received and, hopefully, that will only continue as Colma continues along to make its way to audiences in other regions.

As lamented by director Rich Wong during the Colma premiere Q&A session and in other interviews, the music+soundtrack is definitely the centerpiece of the production, but it's not just one huge sing-along filled w/a smattering of corny dance #'s. There is a good amount of carefully planned+executed choreography, but the music tracks and accompanying dance scenes are employed purposefully during the film to set up+puncutate the various moods/storylines. It's similar in context/structure as Rent and other movie+musical predecessors.......lower budget+slightly less frills of course since it's an Indie project, but it's a fun ride just like Rent and bigger box offerings were/are.

I've only had the soundtrack for less than a day, but I did let a couple friends+fam members that didn't get to attend the premiere/see the flick listen to a few cuts, and most of them were pretty impressed with the compositions. You can check a teaser mp3 and/or pick up the soundtrack on the Colma film site. It should be available for purchase on there very shortly if it isn't already. (haven't checked to see if it's up yet.....been tied up all day)


In closing, I hate to single out just one individual from the presentation; each and EVERY person involved in the project played an integral role, but H.P. Mendoza deserves a special commendation for his hand in writing the entire screenplay, all the music+soundtrack #'s, AND playing one of the lead characters as well. There was quite a buzz after the premiere about H.P. and his muti-faceted role in the project. I'm pretty sure a growing # of audiences are going to be learning+seeing+hearing a bunch more from that guy in the future.

Once again, thanks to all that have expressed interest and offered support for "COLMA: The Musical" movie project. Keep supprorting the underdogs of the world + enjoying GOOD+quality entertainment!


p.s. as for some of the ???'s a few of you asked pertaining to future distribution/wider release of the film and other more specific technical/behind the scenes aspects, i'll try to comment more after i get clearance on what I can and can't say. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm sure those involved w/the Colma project greatly appreciate your interest and thank you in advance for your understanding.
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Old 03-22-2006, 08:17 PM
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added some multimedia bits:







Listen to an mp3 teaser of the soundtrack here:

http://www.colmafilm.com/teaser.mp3

Purchase the SOUNDTRACK here:

http://www.colmafilm.com/soundtrack.html

Check out the movie trailer here:

http://www.colmafilm.com/trailer-page.html

Check out more info on the film, cast, etc here:

http://www.colmafilm.com/index

Last edited by CLsmooth71; 03-22-2006 at 09:33 PM.
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