When I first started the conceptual planning of the show, I read a lot about mono-myth. The idea that many hero stories have parallels, Star Wars, Wizard of Oz, The Odyssey, Jesus Christ, etc.
Stories about heroes getting a bunch of people together and having adventures, good and bad, but eventually coming out of it with knowledge, or other gift, to pass on to humanity.
So as I've progressed with the show, the actually planning and building, it has become a mono-myth itself.
I've had to get people together, had highs and lows, triumph and adversity, and ultimatly the show will be the gift we pass on to the people that come to see it.
Of course, I've been mostly enjoying the positive aspects of the hero story, people banding together, supporting the show and of course the unexpected funding at the last minute when we needed it the most.
But of course, as with every adventure story, there have been constant negatives and nightmares. The biggest drama being that the production company responsible for all the main build, dropped out 2 weeks ago meaning the entire show was on the verge of collapse with none of the large sculptures in production.
So I spent the most sleepless week of my life begging at the doors of every carpenter, metalworker and production house in HK. So close to the show opening many just couldn't handle it, were too busy with other stuff or wanted crazy money but finally we found a few guys that were up for the challenge and handed out the deposits. So finally, today, it's all under control.
At the same time, now that we're in with the government., there's been an insane amount of paperwork to handle. Contracts, licensing, insurance, accounting...it's truly monumental the amount of stuff that has to be submitted, quantified and checked. I've had to employ and accountant, lawyer, secretary and assistant and get them all motivated and moving. Luckily we seem to have scored a really good team who are all working overtime.
Of course there's still much to do but man, that was a tough couple of weeks. So now we're getting into the last few weeks. We make the last few films over the coming 2 weeks, there's a ton of editing to do, costumes to make, staff to find...it's pretty hectic. And once the show is up, there's tours, forum, lectures, all kinds of activities that keep the place energised. Am gonna need a hell of a holiday once this is done.
The biggest problem with all this, and it has been a problem since day one, is that I've been so busy project managing, I haven't had enough time to fine tune the content of the show. Most successful artists just concentrate on the art and have many people working for them on the realisation but I guess I'm not quite in that position yet. But my biggest fear is that I've lost too much time to the meeting and planning and PR discussions and trying to raise support and that this all has a negative impact on the actually art in the show. We shall see but there is a chance the whole thing will suck.
So, it ain't been all fun and games but we're getting there. And this couldn't have happened anywhere else in the world I'd say, only in Hong Kong.
The only place where you could get a 30m long Vegas style neon sign to be built within 2 weeks!
OK, gotta keep this short, am squeezing this in between more meetings.
Live long and prosper.
aw... cool!
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