SERIOUS: All Asian do not look the same!

After a recent forward by a facebook triple "A" (Asian-Australian Activist), Timothy Ly and I have been recently linked to the most unrelated article to date. I don't know where friggin' mainstream media stuff up at, but the person who thought.."Hmm....Asian and Kung Fu, where do we get the most chopsocky pic that may look like it relates to this exotic incident".

So they chose our pic, which, has got nothing to do with the "oh..my god...Asians do kung fu...on airlines!". The photo that I took with Daily Telegraph was in conjunction to Maximum Choppage: Round 2 and Bruce Lee's outdoor film screening (Click here).

Seriously the story itself (which is about HK Airline training their staff in Kung Fu) is less than fascinating. Asians do kung fu everywhere, at home, the workplace, the toilet...whats the big deal that now its airborne. Its the same thing as Aussies eating weatbix everywhere, at home, the workplace, and if they are lazy, maybe the toilet. Yeah, I know what you may be thinking, Maria, your god damn racist. No, not at all, I'm just making my point that Asian stereotypes are simply so boring nowadays.

Now back to the picture, its not that I'm trying to make a big deal about it, I'm more than happy for you to use the pic News.com.au. It would be nice to at least let me know about it and to think that you'll get away with it....No way...Asians are everywhere in this country, we are disguised as "nerds" but our excel in maths, sciences and in a lot of case English (we read newspapers three times over to make the most of it) so it would of eventually come back to me.

But don't they get it? Mainstream ignorant actions can have dire consequences, even if it only affects two Asian people amongst others in Australia. An affect that could mean that the next time I fly out of the country, other passengers will recognise me as the face to "Kung Fu Militant Airline Association" and place their own life in my supposingly Kung Fu skills that really, I don't have. Imagine a whole plane or so, thinking I can save them, placing their bets on my competency in Airline Kung Fu training.

Unfortunately, I will fail them, and probably drive the friggin' plane into something iconically Australian at the same time.

Think, Hundreds dead, hundreds more injured and I blasted most of the Australian Protectionist Party's Headquarters. Its not my fault, its all news.com.au small error.

20th March, 2011 - TEST FIGHT - Maria Tran & Natalie Tran

Another D.I.Y dodgy looking fight sequence as provided by me. This weekend I got the chance to do some fight chorie with a newbie - Natalie Tran. I feel her pain and teen angst as she shares her name with THE NATALIE TRAN Ms Community Channel. But hey, won't it be fun to hypothetically, one day, have a fight sequence with with my fan adored long lost sister?

I'm still on the "Quest for Jackie Chan!" and in the meantime, time to get inspired and into "action" with a quick clip.

Camera operator: Quan Tran

Editor: Maria Tran

Choreography by: Maria Tran

Actor: Maria Tran & Natalie Tran

Equipment: Dragon Vision Productions

Quest for Jackie Chan Trailer

May 15, 2010 — Finally, My home-made edits of the Quest for Jackie Chan Trailer is available for public view.

It has screened at Kinos #36 Film event in Sydney and also at the 2010 Colourfest Film Festival this year. I've had great responses and excitement from people who are Jackie Chan Fans across Australia who also want to know what's in store in August this year.

Here's the story:
Being Asian and living in Australia can be hard if you have dreams of becoming something beyond an doctor, lawyer, solicitor (no that there is anything wrong with that).

I want to break beyond the stereotypes and take a risk, a chance and go on an adventure of a lifetime. To do things I've never dreamt of doing (meeting Jackie Chan).

So from 1-21 August my ultimate goal is to travel non-stop across the major cities of Australia (Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart & Melbourne) delivering free workshops on for young people from culturally diverse backgrounds on how to run their creative projects and transform ideas into realities as well meeting up, collecting Jackie Chan mail and recording video messages to Jackie Chan.

I've decided to leave work and delve in my little piggy bank to get this baby project going.

First stop is Canberra and that will be a roadtrip with 6 young persons from Western Sydney who have martial arts background and together we will be choreographing a comedic fight sequence in dedication to Jackie Chan.

Hopefully, once I finish my trip around Australia, I will be home for a month and edit the video footage in the lead up to mid November, where I will take a risk and fly over to Kong Kong in the hope of personally giving him these messages on behalf of AUSTRALIA.

Ambitious? Yes. Nerve wrecking? Totally. I'm not related to Jackie Chan and he doesn't know who I am (I might look like some crazy Asian from downunder - I hope not) and Jackie Chan is super busy. So that is the dilemma. How does a nobody like me meet Jackie Chan?

Only time will tell.

Please join me on my "Quest".

www.questforjackiechan.com

P.S - Subscribe and leave a message.

IN THE MEDIA: Actor channels her mum

04 APR 10 @ 07:05AM BY CARLEEN FROST

SHE’S played an assassin, a Japanese schoolgirl and a ninja - but one of Maria Tran’s most challenging roles has been to portray her mother in a new children’s series.

Tran, 25, will play a 35-year-old Vietnamese mother in the new ABC series My Place.

She modelled the character on her own mother, Betty Tran.

“It was an interesting experience,” she said.

“I had to do research and follow my mother around the house jotting notes on her behavioural patterns, rummaging through her old clothing and go through her old ‘80s photos to make reference.”

My Place is based on the award-winning book by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins. It will debut on Thursday, April 22; with Tran expected to appear in the series on May 10.

The Fairfield West resident is no stranger to the big screen, having already appeared in several locally-made films.

Tran starred in the independent film Maximum Choppage and was recently part of a reality documentary titled Quest for Jackie Chan.

And when she’s not in front of the camera; she’s behind it writing, producing and directing. The former Canley Heights High School student produced and acted in the ABC mini-series Downtown Rumble, and directed the Vietnamese documentary Happy Dent. On top of all her film commitments, Tran helps organise youth projects at the Information Cultural Exchange in Parramatta. She admits she’s got a lot on her plate. “I’m juggling a whole bunch of projects at the moment,” she said.

Tran, a psychology graduate from the University of Western Sydney, is well known in Fairfield for helping promote local film projects. Last year she received a Fairfield City Council Australia Day Achievement Medallion.

2010 SmartARTs Festival

Event: SmartARTs Festival, 64 Pine St, Chippendale.

Time: 12-6.30pm

The day started off with some frantic last minute shirt printing, then rushing to get to the festival to set up my "Quest for Jackie Chan Stall". In addition to the "Rush Hour" came a flat tyre on the way to my destination. Thanks to "Marka" a local Carramar Pacific Islander who too the time and heart to lend me a hand and change the flat tyre.

Then I continued my journey and hit the scene by 11.15am, priding myself on the super uber close car spot and setting myself next to textile artist "Andy" and jewellery artist "Jimmy" who ere super groovy and so down-to-earth characters.

Maria Tran & Andy

Maria Tran & Jimmy

SETUP: I had 20 shirts of all sorts of colours on sale for $15, hundreds of badges, a message book and a camera set up for people wanting to send their messages to Jackie Chan.

"Quest for Jackie Chan" clothes rack

The assortments of mini badges

Stall visitors send their regards to Jackie Chan

OUTCOMES

As you know, after months of learning the art of shirt silk screening, badge making and graffiti art (legally [although disputed]). I ended up selling 3 shirts (for $10 so people can afford them) and a handful of badges at 50c each). Its funny how people ask where the profit goes to when really I'm making a loss. Lol! But that's not the point on my quest. The point is to see my capabilities, be creative and guerrilla about certain ideas and risks. Also to connect, I had about a hundred of people coming from all sorts of backgrounds from Jackie Chan fans, and anti-Jackie Channies alike who just want to leave their mark.

PROFESSIONAL RANDOMIST: Jack Ngu & Maria Tran

HIGHLIGHTS

• Meetings twitter pal CaptainOz2002 whom I only connected via twitter prior to this meet. The story is he met me when he signed up for twitter and search for things he like, "fitness" and "Jackie Chan".
• Meeting people who are enthused of the project.
• 

CaptainOz2002 sport his cinema ticket as he tuned into "The Spy Next Door" recently.

HO-HUMS

• People making comments that my project is stupid, unnecessary and that Jackie Chan and high profilers alike hate people like me.
• Anti-Jackie Chan fans expressing their extreme derogatory expressions.
• Skeptical questions such as the "How?" of the project. Conversations would go down like this:

Stranger: "How are you planning to meet Jackie?"

Maria Tran: "Well, after flying around Australia in September in 21 days to meet up with JC fans, I will head over to KH to his office with all the video messages, letters, fan mail representing Australia and meet him."

Stranger: "Is that certain? Have you got an agreement?"

Maria Tran: "Of course not. Then it wouldn't be "reality" anymore would it? It may be the case that Jackie Chan doesn't want to meet me and i will have to end the film documentary there."

Stranger: "Then whats the point?"

Maria Tran: "I live once, I've made a movie so the next step is to go see Jackie Chan. Simple. I want to bring hope to other Australians who want to get their messages across to him. If I don't see him, at least I tried. But if I do then the success is not only mine but everyone else. Everyone has an inner desire to meet Jackie Chan, whether they say it or (some even want to fight him). I'm compelled to shed light on this life journey, how hard he has worked to get where he is today, his unraveling connections to Australia, certain positive traits that others can learn from, his generational influences and also a question posed on the future of young people and their storytelling abilities. Finally, for my personal development. To build confidence in embarking on a project of this caliber."

LIKES

• People travelling afar to meet me, get to know and contribute to the project.
• JC symbol is becoming iconic, people have seen the graffiti and the "Quest for Jackie Chan" symbol.
• Meeting up with my inspiring street art tutor Chris Tamm and Bunkawaa
• Being interviewed by Sydney University students who are want to do an assignment on it.

Maria Tran & UNSW & Sydney Uni students with field practice in the art of journalism

Check out more pics below:

Maria Tran & Chris Luu's Jackie Chan artwork at the festival

Maria Tran & the usual 'vox pops'

JACKIE CHAN IS BORN: A cut above Street Art

After 4 Monday week nights at Pine Sts A Cut Above Street Art with stencil extraordinaire Chris Tamm, I was exposed to this underground form of expression.

Chris introduced the intimate group of 6 to stenciling, pasting, tagging and graffiti art and the various “rebellious” ways that stereotypically street kids would express themselves through.

But the gist of street art is really any form of expression done in a public space, it is pretty much a poor man’s art or art that wasn’t sanctioned by the government.

Types of Street Art

Graffiti artwork: public markings on property

Stencil graffiti: makes use of a paper, cardboard, or other media to create an image or text that is easily reproducible.

Sticker art: image or message is publicly displayed using stickers. Below is Craig's a.k.a "Bunkwaa" red balloon artwork. He also teaches at Pine St Community Arts Centre.

Others include street poster art, Video projection, Art intervention, Guerrilla art and Flash mobbing  

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Click here to have a read of “Ninjas of Dawn” Flash Mobbing social experiment I coordinated with the Rumble Pictures and 9Lives Parkour crew in August 2008.

Im not too great at creating designs but I managed to come up with this little Jackie Chan Bear design of mine during the workshop.

 

This was the original done in free hand with a black marker, then it was scanned and fixed up in photoshopped. I made a felt bear from it, then took a photo of this and cropped it out, reshaped and with the help of Marie Setiawan a more experienced graphics artist, who did some touch up work of it.

Perhaps I might have taken the long way to get this done, but Im still content to get the final product in the end.

So in conclusion, Ive got 5 shirt giveaways across Australia. Just email me in with your details and tell me creatively, where you would wear your Jackie Chan shirt.

Click on the link for the vlog - Quest for Jackie Chan - How to Print on a Shirt - Maria Tran.

STENCIL GRAFFITI: Week 4 of the course and Chris gave us the low down of what stencil graffiti was all about and this inspired me to create the 60cm x 50cm giant Jackie Chan stencil that was permanently installed on that same night at the legal wall in Darlington.

Click on this link for the vlog Quest for Jackie Chan - Stencil Graffiti - Maria Tran

Quest for Jackie Chan via street art? Yes. I think that’s one aspect I will venture down, particularly when I am a poor woo ”man” fundraising my way for my August around Australia trip to extend this project and share it with the rest of Australia. You wouldn’t believe the amount of knock backs I’ve got from the richest law firms in Australia, top investors, business owners, entrepreneurs etc…I know, I’m not Baz Luherrman, Nicole Kidman or their Hugh Jackman nor do I hold a household name.

At the end of the day, I’m just a crazy “Lil Azn grl afta Jackie CHAN!!!!!”. Apparently its more marketable. Bla! Why I can’t be me not so chopsocky!!!

Until next time my followers….

P.S - Shout out to the people from my course!

And of course, other photos!

MEDIA: They’re After a Hero

BY JENNY HUA

24 Feb, 2010 03:07 PM

WE'VE watched him kick villains' butts and we've laughed at his singing in Rush Hour, but how does an Asian girl from Sydney's south-west meet Jackie Chan?

Since Maria Tran came up with a documentary idea six months ago, she's been working hard to get it up and running by creating a Twitter campaign and a Facebook page and by uploading videos on YouTube.

Quest for Jackie! will be a reality documentary presenting messages from Jackie Chan fans across Australia.

Ms Tran hopes to spend a month filming and wants to fly to Hong Kong in August to meet Jackie Chan, who is a martial arts legend.

``Jackie Chan has got to have one of the most recognisable faces in the world,'' Ms Tran said.

``He's inspiring. He has made more than 100 films and broken 200 bones and is still making movies. Young people, particularly those in the west, see him as a multicultural icon.''

Ms Tran has been consulting several people for support.

She has interviewed people who have met Jackie Chan.

``The goal is to collect mail, personal messages or video clips from people who want to send a message to Jackie Chan,'' she said.

Although the final goal is to meet her idol, Ms Tran said the documentary was also about encouraging social change of ethnic representations in the media.

``He's still an outcast in Hollywood,'' she said.

``He plays characters who can't speak English properly.

``We want to push forward and empower culturally diverse people to tell their stories and to get mainstream representation.''

<> Ms Tran has coped with several rejections and people who say her project is ``over the top''.

She won't be giving up and she also has a back-up plan ready.

``People say I'm obsessed, but I call it passion,'' she said.

``Anything is possible.''

GIVEAWAYS: Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier @ Event Cinemas

Hi everyone!

I have 4 tickets to give away for the viewing on Jackie Chan's recent film "Little Big Soldier" out in EVENT cinemas in Australia for a short time. This is definitely a movie not to be missed and I found it personally inspiring and the character development of Jackie Chan was such a great watch.

For your chance to get your complimentary ticket, please email me back with the following details. Tickets will be drawn 25th of February @ 5pm.

Special thanks to Event Cinemas - Macquarie Park & Vendetta Films.

Name:

Age:

Nationality:

Describe yourself: (in less than 50 words)

E-Mail (Can be removed if requested):

Suburb/City/Country:

Homepage URL:

What Attracts you to Jackie & his films?

What do you admire the most about Jackie?

Name the 3 Jackie Chan films that come to mind?

What is your most favourite Jackie Chan film and why?

[Complete the sentence] Did you know, Jackie Chan…

Leave a personal Message for Jackie:

BLOG: Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier @ Event Cinemas

By: Marie Setiawan

Little Big Soldier starring Jackie Chan & Lee-Hom Wang
Saturday, February 20, 20109:30PM, Macquarie Centre Event Cinemas

The Q4JC crew (Maria Tran, Andy Minh Trieu, Steve Ada, along with Shaun Chang) headed off to Macquarie Park to watch Jackie Chan’s feature “Little Big Soldier” at Event Cinemas, Macquarie Centre. Known as one of the few cinemas to screen Asian Cinema, Macquarie Centre’s Event Cinemas is one of the largest complexes in Sydney.

From Maria Tran:
“One is an old soldier who only wants to survive. The other is a young general who is aspiring to conquer. After a bloody battle, the two are the only ones alive.When the soldier finds the injured general, he decides to kidnap him and brings him on a long journey to collect a reward, thinking by doing so he will no longer need to fight a war.

The general, feeling insulted, attempts suicide but is saved by the soldier every time.Somewhere along the way, the soldier and the general find themselves becoming allies in a fight against the real villains.The story of “Little Big Soldier” is mapped out by Jackie Chan who had conceived it for 20 years.

Chan told Sohu.com in an interview that he has talked about the story with many people. But director Ding Sheng was the only one who has translated the colloquial story into a screenplay.
Ding Sheng also directs the comedic road film, starring Jackie Chan as the soldier and Lee-Hom Wang as the general. Jackie Chan, who supervises the production, says the film is about lives during wartime and is a strong message that peace is priceless.”

My (Marie Setiawan) thoughts on the film: I grew up watching Jackie Chan films, and this one didn’t disappoint. Famous for his action choreography mixed with comic relief, Jackie Chan delivered. The film was entertaining, but not stagnant that it would slow its pace. It wasn’t as punchy as his Hollywood counterparts, such as Rush Hour or Shanghai Noon, but it brought back the roots of Asian cinema again. It brought me back to the films I adored and loved as a kid. But what I really admired was the underlying message that was coming across through the entertainment. I agree that Jackie had successfully pulled it off and it came across so powerfully in the end.

Overall, what do I say about the film? It’s MARVELOUS!

Jackie Chan Fan Meet Up @ EVENT cinema "Little Big Soldier"

Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Time: 9:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: Macquarie Shopping Centre Herring Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113

"Quest for Jackie Chan" vox pop artist Maria Tran and her camera crew will be at the EVENT CINEMA screening of Jackie Chan film "Little Big Soldier" at Event Cinema - Macquarie at the 9.30pm session.

Adult $17.00Child $13.00Pensioner $14.00 Senior $13.00 Student $14.00Seniors Club $8.00

An opportunity not to be missed!

This is your chance to deliver Jackie Chan a personal message!
One is an old soldier who only wants to survive. The other is a young general who is aspiring to conquer. After a bloody battle, the two are the only ones alive.When the soldier finds the injured general, he decides to kidnap him and brings him on a long journey to collect a reward, thinking by doing so he will no longer need to fight a war.

The general, feeling insulted, attempts suicide but is saved by the soldier every time.Somewhere along the way, the soldier and the general find themselves becoming allies in a fight against the real villains.The story of "Little Big Soldier" is mapped out by Jackie Chan who had conceived it for 20 years.

Chan told Sohu.com in an interview that he has talked about the story with many people. But director Ding Sheng was the only one who has translated the colloquial story into a screenplay.

Ding Sheng also directs the comedic road film, starring Jackie Chan as the soldier and Lee-Hom Wang as the general.Jackie Chan, who supervises the production, says the film is about lives during wartime and is a strong message that peace is priceless.

"Little Big Soldier"
Director: Ding Sheng

Cast: Jackie Chan, Lee-Hom Wang, Yoo Seung-Jun, Lin Peng, Xu Dongmei, Wu Yue

Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Release Date (Chinese mainland): February 14, 2010

Get Set for - Quest For Jackie

Source: Special thanks to Joseph Hieu Dinh for profiling this.

Hello everyone my name is Maria Tran and I’m on a nation-wide search for quirky Jackie Chan fans from Australia, individuals and/or groups who have pursued “Jackie Chan” inspired projects (made a film? wrote a song?).I want to hear from you (and perhaps…Jackie? You never know :p)Cut and paste the following details, Email me at maria.tran85@gmail.com.

P.S - Individuals outside Australia are also invited to submit their details.

CLICK FOR SURVEY