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Trish’s Blog

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Trishy Dishy Karr
18 October

What an amazing night! I must say a huge thank you to all who came to Witness my Journey.  What a huge turnout we had!  Thank you to those who travelled from interstate and thank you to all of you for making the effort to be there!  From the moment I stepped out of the Limo to when it finished I was truly overwhelmed by it all and just want to say a huge thank you to Steve Rogers my Producer/Director who did a fantastic job with the film because I’m no easy woman to deal with as you all know!  Lol…also a big thank you to my daughters Chloe and Jessie who were so honest on camera I love you both so much and to Johnny for putting up with me you deserve a medal!

You are one amazing beautiful soul and thank you for being you!  I hope you all enjoyed the film and so glad its finally out!  Here’s to the next chapter in my life, it can only be onwards and upwards for Trishy because thats the only way I know how!

 

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Morning Everyone!  NO MORE SLEEPS!  Tonight is the night! I’m so overwhelmed and excited and a big mixed bag of emotions right now!!  We have around 700 Guests coming tonight and that is truly AMAZING! I’m honoured that they are all making the effort to come see this film that means so much to me!

In the last few days I’ve had several EX Jehovahs Witnesses contact me and show their support and wanted to basically tell me good on me for speaking out and telling all about the religion they grew up in and too afraid to say anything. Many still have families that are in the religion still that wont accept their way of life now and many are finding it difficult. My heart goes out to them because I feel their pain. Without saying anymore you will see in tonights film a little background into the beliefs of the JW’s and you will understand the hurt many have had to go through because of what this religion does to peoples minds.

I’m ready to open my door and walk you inside and show you Trishy from a different perspective you could call it a different world if you like and then I will show you why I created what I did in this world and why I want to inject just a little more love.

For all those haters and people who have judged me in the past I hope that you get a chance to see this film because it may just open your eyes a little and open your heart.

Trishy Dishy xx — feeling excited.

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Funny how I can walk the Mardi Gras Parade and have thousands watching me yet for tomorrow I’m stressing cause I’m nervous as hell!  Mainly because I’m opening my door to the unknown but know in my heart this is going to help others be strong and learn from my sheer determination to succeed.  You must be strong and go for your dream never give up no matter what obstacles get in your way!  Just want to say to all of you a huge THANKYOU for supporting me if it wasnt for you guys I wouldnt be half the person I am today!  x x

We’re on Our Way! – First 3rd of Filming

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Excited by the rushes from the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade I was dead keen to crack on with my film. Faced with so many great story lines I knew it would be a challenge: Jehovah’s Witness; clubbing; breast cancer; ageism; relationships. I allowed, to a degree, the action, the characters and the events to dictate the film’s journey. Constantly considering how I was going to mesh everything into a building, flowing plot. So I planned to film at every available opportunity. Yes the parties themselves. But also behind-the-scenes Mardi Gras prep, and Trish at home chilling with her family.

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It was about a third of the way through filming that I brought on board my first editor, Paul Dinnerville who began putting together a rough assembly edit. Since we both worked on Final Cut v7 it proved easy sharing ideas via project files. There was no doubt bringing Paul on board this early proved crucial. Paul was impartial, less precious, more objective. I was becoming too close, wanting every shot, every emotion, every character. Paul soon put a stop to that!

If this first, albeit crude, cut proved anything it showed we needed something to bond the scenes together. A ‘God-like’ voice [be it Trish, me, a friend or a professional VO artist] wouldn’t be enough on its own. What we needed was an extensive controlled interview with Trish from start to finish, which cameraman Mark referred to as ‘his slab.’

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Our ‘slab’ interview comprised a two camera setup on tracks. Mark ensured we had full coverage handling the Master Shot, whilst his colleague Dominique Flanagan provided 2nd angles and cutaways.  We rolled cameras and just talked. I intentionally made it informal, relaxed, not like a conventional Q&A but more a private conversation. I was hoping to gain a deeper insight this way, get more of the raw emotion out of Trish.

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By day’s end we had 4 hours of footage, from Trish’s past life to her present family, from discovering she had been diagnosed with breast cancer to promoting her first Hot Kandi event. Yes, I had notes based on research, an order, some sort of structure but I allowed the interview to flow without interruption. This style of IV later proved time-consuming since real conversations rarely have any chronological order. Points are forgotten then remembered, so the chat goes backwards and forwards. Those of you who have worked this way before will be only too aware of what’s coming next. Yep, this exposed a number of continuity issues. Some were overcome by means of cutaways but many weren’t. This also exposed a number of holes. But I decided to worry about that later. The key was to lay down a narrative which not only answered questions but also served to drive my story forwards.

With 50 minutes on the time-line it became obvious which pictures I needed to ‘show’, rather than ‘tell’, my story. I discovered anything longer than 2 or 3 minutes on the same set-up, even with different angles, was too long. I needed more pictures … a lot more! It was during this time that something became obvious – other peoples perspective to either endorse or provide an alternative experience. Yet this presented a slight problem. I quickly discovered, whilst many were supportive of this film, some preferred not to be interviewed since, not knowing me, there was some suspicion as to what this film was really about.

It became abundantly clear, if I were to gain the respect and trust of these people I had to join them! Oh the sacrifices of being a filmmaker!!

So at home that night I told my wife to put her dancing shoes back on as despite being in our mid and late 40’s we were going clubbing again.  Being a former Moulin Rouge dancer my wife took took the news rather well.

And here’s the surprising thing, I can safely say some of my most recent and fondest friendships have developed from meeting folks at these events. People, many, like us, with kids, who don’t sit at home watching Mardi Gras Joan Rivers Interview with World Famous Trish the DishTV but after 10 – 15 years of marriage continue to go out partying as a couple. This entire experience was so interesting from a relationship prospective I’ve decided to dedicate a short blog on this very subject later on.

Trish Karr / Joan Rivers interview – Mardi Gras 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiTvgY79X-M

Mardi Gras – Taking Oxford Street by Storm

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Trish had three weeks, but I had three days to get organized if I were to take advantage of the behind-the-scenes prep for Trish’s Mardi Gras float.  Unsure whether this idea would have the legs of mass popular interest, this was too good an opportunity to miss so I decided to get the Mardi Gras shots in the can and re-evaluate.

190706_1606496602428_1236567467_31384900_2164680_nHad I been in my native London this would not have posed any issue.  I could have crewed up with reliable talent and expertise on the strength of a single phone call, but I was in Sydney where the industry is far smaller.  No Dean or Wardour Street here!  It’s all over the place.  I literally jumped online in search of experienced cam op’s & DP’s.  I contacted a few and was immediately struck not by their creative interest but keenness to lock in price first! There was one exception, Mark Camwell of iCam Pictures.  Funny enough Mark’s rates were right up there on the top tier!  I would have saved money hiring one of the other guys, but I immediately warmed to this Mark Camwell.  Yes, he had bills to pay, a family to support and a mortgage to service like the rest of us but with Mark it was about the creative input first, financial remuneration second.  I liked that.

On meeting Mark for the first time, over a coffee in King’s Cross, just two hours before Shot 1, Take 1 my instincts did not let me down.  Of course I still needed to see any rushes – but I was of the mind, I had found my cameraman.  That said I had to set the tone of how I work, just to make sure.  Whilst by no means a guerilla filmmaker, not in the illegal sense [unless you happen to include racing around Paris clutching a bag of replica weapons on a low-budget action feature … pre 9/11 of course! But I do like to shoot on the run.  I’ve always worked with film, 8mm, s16mm and 35mm, and it took more than once for Mark to get me to slow down “this is video we can afford a greater shooting ratio.”  I soon adjusted.

DSC09887Whilst a doco I storyboarded every potential shot.*  I once worked with Hollywood veteran DP Gene Talvin who taught me always to cut a film on paper/in your head before shooting a single frame.  This was a valuable lesson.   Later I worked with DP Gordan Hickie who once told me “I like working with young directors without money, since anyone can make a movie with finance.” **

Our first set up was to capture Trish’s dancers rehearsing.   This was my first exposure to the colourful, fun, vivacious characters attracted to the Trishy Dishy way!  I then wanted to capture the transformation of the truck, from arrival to what later proved both a public and organisers favourite, but then how can you fail – 20 glittering tasseled dancers all dressed in pink.

48170_371999546192700_1939214615_nOn the day of the parade itself we encountered our first production hiccup.  Apparently media passes do not permit directors or anyone without a camera to accompany the floats!  My entire project now rested in the hands of Mark.  We’d got along well but only worked together for two hours.  Would Mark actually deliver the shots I needed?  Was he capable in that short time of knowing me, to get inside my head and provide the vision I had envisaged?

An antagonizing two days later we sat down and viewed the not-so rushed rushes.  I needn’t have concerned myself – it was awesome!

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Highly recommended

*Film Directing Shot by Shot by Steve D Katz [awesome storyboard examples]

**Rebel without a Crew – Robert Rodriguez [inspiring]

Guerilla Film Makers Handbook – Chris Jones & Genevieve Jolliffe

In the beginning

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The beginning – Blog #1

Ok. Let’s start at the beginning.

I first met the remarkable Trish Karr, aka Trishy Dishy, back in 2008.  She was parading conspicuously at the entrance of The Columbian Hotel in Sydney (a thriving bar on the renowned Oxford Street strip) brandishing a dazzlingly pink umbrella and accompanied by two ripped (shirtless) guys.  Subtlety clearly wasn’t her style.  “I’ve arrived darlings”, she announced to anyone who cared to listen. A man next to me spoke in astonishment. “Who the f..k is that?”.  Who indeed. ‘That’ in fact, was Trish, rapidly becoming a well-known partygoer in the Sydney club scene.  And that encounter in 2008 was the beginning of the bizarre and unpredictable journey, which culminated in this documentary.

I began seeing Trish around town, each time discovering that, invariably, there was more of her to discover.  I was in LA at the time when I received news; Trish had been admitted into hospital to undergo a severe breast cancer operation.

It was some weeks later I caught up with her and whilst not fully recovered, Trish declared she was going to start organizing her own parties.  (I guess many people who undergo experiences such as these re-evaluate their lives, dreams and desires).  

Whilst unfamiliar with party promotion I have a number of years experience of film and theatre production and figured I might be of use.  This was the turning point in our relationship and we met frequently to discuss venues, themes, budgets and sponsorship.

Following the huge success of Trish’s first party held at the stylish Slide nightclub, hardly a week had past before her facebook page was being inundated with requests for more.

The secret of Trish’s almost instant success was her insistence in being involved in every aspect of the operation. I called her The Conductor.  For unlike many promoters who simply hire a venue and market the event, Trish’s involvement was total; individually evaluating the specific requirements of each one.

She put herself in the spotlight and lead by example – more akin to a pop star than a party promoter.  But that’s what sets Trish Karr apart from the rest.

Photo: Courtesy HM Photography

Photo: Courtesy HM Photography

Some weeks later I met up with Trish and her husband Johnny. We were discussing the success of the first parties when Johnny said “not bad for an ex-Jehovah’s Witness.”  Excuse me? What did he just say? An ex-Jehovah’s Witness? What a story that could make. And then came the news from Trish. “I’m going to enter this year’s Mardi Gras supporting Breast Cancer Awareness.”  And that was it.  I needed no further convincing.  Now I had a story.