Feature Article courtesy of the R.I.F.F. (Rabbits in Film Foundation)
RIFF: Thank you for joining us today, Mr. The Rabbit.
Ronnie: Call me “Ronnie”. “The” is my middle name.
RIFF: Alright. So tell us, Ronnie, what is this project you’re currently working on?
Ronnie: Well it’s actually a series of commercials. We’ve written and filmed 6 videos already, but there might be a few more produced later.
RIFF: That’s quite a lot!
Ronnie: It is. Each one has its own unique style too. For example, one of them fits the action/suspense genre, while another is a pure love story. Our team wanted to make these commercials feel like mini-short films.
RIFF: How did you get involved with this project?
Ronnie. Well, I was doing acting and comedy in London for a number of years, which is where I chose my stage name…
RIFF: So your real name is not Mr. Ronnie The Rabbit?
Ronnie: No. I chose the name because my 2 heroes were the 2 Ronnies (Ronnie Barker & Ronnie Corbett). Their acting and sense of comedy was brilliant. I always aspired to be like them, but for the rabbit film & TV world.
RIFF: So you were in London… then what happened?
Ronnie: I left. Couldn’t find a job. It’s a tough gig there for a rabbit in show business. I moved to Vancouver, Canada, where I met my current agent, mentor, and friend: Marcia Yu.
RIFF: The actress?
Ronnie: Yes. I saw her in a play and knew I wanted to work with her. She actually appears in one of our videos!
RIFF: That’s fantastic! Who else is involved?
Ronnie: So many wonderful people… you know, because of this project, I’ve met people from Korea, Russia, China, New Zealand, Japan, the US, and of course: Canada. This was also my first chance to work with the writer/director: Andrew Zeller.
RIFF: Never heard of him. Did he do anything good?
Ronnie: Well, he’s not very well known in most film or advertising circles. In fact, this was his first commercial and his first time shooting with an HD camera.
RIFF: Wow, weren’t you nervous if he could do a good job?
Ronnie: Not at all. Andy (Andrew) is deeply committed to his work and to his friends. It never seems like work when you’re shooting, because everyone is having so much fun. He’s chosen the best of the best for his team, in my opinion.
RIFF: Did the team face any major challenges during production?
Ronnie: Of course! All films have their own challenges. For me, I had to gain weight for the role. I was eating 6 cups of carrots everyday!! I was literally stuffed! There were some other technical and scheduling problems, but Andy and his team found solutions.
RIFF: What has been the most rewarding experience of working on these videos?
Ronnie: That’s a hard question! Working with the super professional makeup artist/photographer: Renee Jin… or meeting my lovely co-star Xianxian? Seeing the work of artist and photo editor Youmi Choi? I really can’t choose.
RIFF: It all sounds very exciting. But you haven’t told us anything about what the videos are advertising, or your real name.
Ronnie: Those are both secrets!
RIFF: Arrghhh!!! (sigh). Can you at least tell us the progress of the videos and when we can see them?
Ronnie: Certainly. Andy and I are currently doing video and sound editing. You can expect the first video to be released on Youtube by March 13th! Now, I must disappear into this magic hat. Farewell!
I have recently created a 2 minute film and entered it into the ICBC 180 film contest. The film must promote safe driving. I was inspired to write a story which I believed no one else would tell. The prizes also motivated me, as 1st prize is a new HD camera! (Our film is one of the only entries NOT shot on a HD camera, so perhaps if someone else wins, they could donate their older HD camera to us?) Win or lose, this film has been a great learning experience for me. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who contributed to and supported the project.
Please watch the film on Youtube and leave a comment, share it, or click “like” if you feel moved to do so. Many Thanks!
About the Film: Driving fast gets your adrenaline pumping and gives you the thrill of speed. But is it worth the risk? Here is one person’s story.
Starring: Mark Ristich, Angela Feng, Alex Ristich, Steven Hung
Written & Directed by: Andrew Zeller
Story Consultants: Jimmy Gaffney, Alvin Pingol, Sungeun Kim
Filmed & Edited by: Xiang Zhou
Crew/Photographers: Shian X. Zou & Jenny Li
Drivers: Geoff Lo, Steven Hung, Shian X. Zou
Original Music by: Cristina Istrate & Nick Cat
Catering by: Sun Sushi
Special Thanks to ICBC for inspiring Filmmakers, to my parents, and to everyone who supports us.
This film is dedicated to the families of people whose lives have been traumatically altered by speed-related car accidents. May healing and comfort be brought into your lives.
Here is a brand new music video created entirely by multi talented filmmaker & musician: Alvin Pingol. It is his instrumental cover of the song “Wishery” by Pogo. Alvin and I have worked together on numerous films and creative projects. (Little Known Fact: we even played in a band together in High School!!) So I can say that I knew him BEFORE he was famous. Congratulations on the new video, Alvin! It’s the COOLEST thing on Youtube now by far.
If you enjoyed the song, visit alvinpingol.com to download the track for FREE!!
My latest film is now complete. After 16 months of hard work, I’m happy to be finished so I can share it with you! Check out the updated poster and trailer below:
Alternatively, you can watch the trailer on Youtube here, but I’m not as happy with how much the video is compressed in that version.
I would like to recommend this TV series, produced by HBO & the BBC, to all of you. It is based on the series of novels by Scottish author: Alexander McCall Smith. As you can probably guess from the title, it deals with crime, solving mysteries, and female empowerment. It is filmed on location in Botswana, Africa, and is the first major TV/Film production to take place in that country. If you’re curious to see beautiful landscapes and people that you have never seen before, this show should be appealing. There is light-hearted comedy and a fun playfulness to the series, which coexists with a darker undertone dealing with drama inspired from real life. I particularly enjoy the performance by actress Anika Noni Rose, who plays the secretary of the main character. She is a very talented actress. I have purchased the first book of the series as well, but have not finished reading it yet, so I cannot tell you if the show or books are better. But having watched all of the TV series on DVD, I can honestly say that it’s one of the most interesting shows currently out there.
After 5 days of intensive filming for my new movie, I had to leave for Japan to begin my TESL class & practicum. I was unable to thank each person properly for his or her hard work and creative contributions. So now, I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Alvin, Kelly, Alex, Min, Shanshan, MK, Youmi, Marcia, Yuri, Ling, Anita, Juran, Soomin, and Jaspar. This movie wouldn’t be possible without you.
The night before my flight, I was able to take some still images from our video and put them on a USB. I brought the files with me to Japan, where I have been preparing them to be viewed and shared. I hope you will forgive the wait and enjoy these sneak peeks of the upcoming film!!
These pictures are stills taken from video footage shot by Alvin Pingol in June 2010 for an untitled comedy/adventure film project directed by Andrew Zeller. The story is about a Korean woman (Juyeon Park) who travels to Vancouver to see her younger sister: Sonya Park. But finding Sonya will be a considerable challenge, especially when an amateur detective, a thief, and two dangerous reporters are searching for her too.
My good friend and fellow filmmaker: Alvin Pingol just completed a short film in 3 parts about his travels in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Macau. “Paglalakbay” is a Filipino word that roughly translates to “travels,” or “journey.” This film chronicles the adventures of Alvin and his family during the first 3 weeks of January 2010. I enjoyed it from start to finish, and only wish there was more!! Thanks for sharing your trip, knowledge, and heritage with us, Alvin!
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr-V4y0l_S0PS: If your internet connection can handle it, I recommend watching all 3 parts in 720p HD. If you don’t know what that means, just ignore it. Enjoy!
Here is a short film directed by my friend: Bobo Zhao. I filmed about half of the movie, and I also make a small appearance as one of minor characters. All of the actors speak in Mandarin Chinese even though many of us aren’t Chinese. (Don’t worry, there are also English Subtitles.) I would describe the film as a dramatic love story which playfully makes fun of some stereotypes of Asian TV dramas (soap operas). I really enjoyed being involved in the making of this film and seeing the final result! Hope you enjoy it too!!
