Indie-Pendent

Lara Perkins on...Lara Perkins

Indie film in HK is organic. There's basically no funding from the gov. There a a couple groups of English-speaking filmakers who are trying to resuscitate English language filming. It's hard for actors, but also interesting. We do 'guerrilla' shooting - shooting on the run before security tries to stop us. It's very hands on. I get involved not only in acting, but directing, script-writing, prop-sourcing etc. So it's a great way to learn all aspects of the business. People are very gung-ho in HK. They're not afraid to try things.

We're seeing alot of interest in HK and China. In fact I keep getting info about various film festivals wanting shorts from HK or made in HK. However there are barriers for foreign films wanting to get into China. This is why the documentary area (gov. approved of course) is booming as there's not big money in it so gov. is not so interested in it. In HK, business (and therefore funding) has not been interested in supporting the film industry. There aren't mentors, institutions etc., that support English language film. for example - The Performing Arts Centre offers courses in Acting, Directing etc. in Canonese only.

Good news - Local enthusiasts have started their own film festivals - 'I Shot Hong Kong Film Festival', 'Hong Kong Gay and Lesbian Film Festival' to name a couple. The first, was started by an Australian documentary producer.

A friend a mine who started her own business teaching filmaking (in English) to kids, is now being offered funding by the government (under the banner of 'education') to make films with kids and have Youth Arts Film Fests. So the HK filming landscape is slowly changing.

Recently, big films have been coming to use HK as a location ('Spiderman', 'Batman', 'Push', 'Largo Winch' - all in 2007). Unfortunately for actors like myself - they bring the English-speaking cast with them, and only look in HK for extras or Asian bit-part actors.

I got into acting the long, round-about way. I've always loved acting: won a school talent contest at 15 for performing an Iago soliliquy. Did commercials in different countries, went to acting classes in different countries. I always had great feed-back from people who saw my act - I could do improv., Shakespeare, ad-lib., drama etc. Even as an extra for international commercials and films, I would be spotted and asked to do more, or be 'featured' (no dialogue), and have had commercial directors come to me and say that I was the best 'extra' they'd ever worked with. In fact on the set of 'Boarding Gate' - directed by Olivier Assayas - the assistant director yelled at the Casting co-ordinator for not putting the Caucasian female extra in the scene. Actually, I had been in the scene for all three takes that had been filmed. It turned out that my acting had been so good, that the assistant director didn't realize I was the actress in the scene (it was an un-closed set at the airport). He was so excited and amazed that he went around telling everyone and patting me on the back, congratulating my acting after each scene I was in.

Yet despite this, I never looked for an agent or 'seriously' pursued acting. (Only last year did I know what Imdb was). I didn't keep copies of my work or even have a decent head shot. In Asia, acting work is basically from modelling agencies, and I never considered myself a model...So I put my name and photo with one modelling agency and one 'extra' agency and basically thought 'Well, if it's meant to be...' The acting work I've done has mostly been through word of mouth.

The reason I didn't go all out into acting as a career? Stupidity. Ha ha. Actually I thought it too self-indulgent when the world was in such trouble. I thought that if I want to be of service to the world, then I should be a doctor or something. But I didn't think I could be a doctor... I also listened to everyone who told me I couldn't be a successful actress (the fact that those people had never actually saw me act, wasn't strong enough logic to prevent me from believing them). But I would sneakily do acting jobs here and there and feel guilty about it. It wasn't until after spending a year in a slavish, poorly-paid, mind-numbing, full-time English teaching job in a HK tutorial centre that I decided it was do or die, with my acting. (I could elaborate if you'd like!). So I quit. Although I was scared and sick of instability in my life - I thought I'd rather be poor and happy than miserable but knowing where the next meal was coming from. Anyway, if you're unhappy - the food tastes like crap anyway.

I love the people in this industry. I love stories. I love to get into a character, squirm around inside it, bring it to life - touch people. I love comedy, drama, adventure and especially I love stories that uplift people or portray human beings as not just black/white, good/bad. Humans are complex and not static. I think this is an important message. As is forgiveness and finding joy in life by discovering it within oneself.

As to getting serious about this career: I just got some great head shots that will be ready Tuesday afternoon. I now know a Casting director in L.A., I have an agent in Bangkok (where a big feature starts casting this week), and I'm going to utilize technology to get my showreel, and face out there in the world - physical boundaries are no longer sufficient to contain people nor curtail dreams. I've never been so happy.