SINdie - Singapore Films Only

Production Talk on 'Dance Dance Dragon/ 龙众舞' with director Kat Goh

2012-01-29T13:24:00.001+08:00

We caught up with seasoned TV director and first-time feature film director Kat Goh to chat with her on her maiden feature film Dance Dance Dragon or 龙众舞, which in Hokkien sounds like 'Everything Also Have'. Nice cheeky title if you understand Hokkien.

Here is the brief synopsis:

Dance Dance Dragon or 龙众舞 tells the story of Mother Loong who desires to have a grandchild. However, none of her three children have plans for any children. Things change for the Loongs on the first day of the 2012 Year of the Dragon when a newborn boy is found on their doorstep! It stars local stars Kym Ng, Adrian Pang, Dennis Chew and Malaysian artiste Auntie Lai Ming and Melvin Sia. Packed with hilarious twists and turns, Dance Dance Dragon 龙众舞is a wholesome family comedy aimed at the funny bone during Chinese New Year 2012. It is written by Kelvin Tong and Marcus Chin and produced by Mediacorp Raintree Pictures.

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SINdie: Congrats on your opening, what were some of the best things people have said about this movie?

Kat: The best comments that I've gotten so far is that the movie made them laugh and cry and they left the cinema with that warm and fuzzy feeling.

SINdie: How was your experience making your first feature film?

Kat: It was definitely a very tough and tiring shoot due to the little time we had to get the movie onto the big screen. At first I was a bit nervous. My stomach had butterflies on the start of each shoot day, anticipating the immense pressure of a director. But as I get into the shoot, I was just concerned with getting all the shots I needed within the limited time I had with the actors. On the start of each day, I'll check with my AD who I had to release at what time and aim for that. Once the first actor is released, then it'll be "who will I have to release next?"... :)

SINdie: How different has it been for you directing this compared to your other works?

Kat: I've only shot a drama series and a short film before. The drama series was all laughs even as we were shooting it and the short film was quite easy once I got the correct actors to play each role. DDD is slightly different. I had to constantly think of the audience. Whether the scene is funny enough or whether the humor is too crazy for the audience to handle. The actors are a great help. They have a lot of ideas in their head and we'll discuss it through till we get the correct balance.

SINdie: Comedy is not easy, and your last short film was more family drama, how did you approach creating laughs in this film? How would you describe yourself as a person, a ball of laughs or someone more serious or in between?

Kat: Actually I have my own perspective of humor and I know what makes me laugh. I just go with my own feeling most of the time when shooting a comedy.

I would say I'm a secretly funny person. I don't really joke when I'm working. But among close friends, I crack them up with my ridiculous comments or musings at every little thing that happens. Sometimes I just don't understand why they kept laughing at whatever I'm saying. :P If they are reading this post... "YES I'm talking about YOU!"

SINdie: What were the greatest challenges in making Dance Dance Dragon?

Kat: The greatest challenge is to DELIVER THE MOVIE ON TIME, ON BUDGET! The next challenge I would say are all the scenes with our baby Nigel. We had to shoot around his nap time and feeding time. There are some occasions where we had already rehearsed, lighted the shot and I turn around and see him KO-ing in his mother's arms. We tried shaking him and calling him but he'll be out cold. That's actually really funny if not for the fact that we had to re-light for another shot since he will only wake up half hour later. But we still love him. :)

SINdie: What is your favourite scene in the film?

Kat: I have a few favorite scenes. I love the scene where the baby rolls the lipstick to Kym. I also love the scene where Kym contemplates putting on lipstick for Adrian, as well as the scene where Kym first appears in a dress for Adrian. But what always cracks me up is the scene where over-zealous Mother Loong (thinking Adrian is Auntie Lucy's boyfriend), tells Adrian to sleep in Lucy's room and "敢敢给我拼一个出来" (hurry up and make a baby for me).

SINdie: I understood you came a long way from starting out as an assistant producer. These days, there are several filmmaker who start out making films immediately. Would you have done it differently if you had a chance?

Kat: Not really. I like my process. I was first introduced to TV dramas and had a really challengingly tough time in MCS where we had to do almost everything for the production, sometimes overlapping a few projects at the same time. But my time in MCS toughened me up to face any kind of challenges that I might face outside. Plus, it also instill in me the 'never say die' attitude. We use to have a saying among fellow APs. If we can survive MCS, we can survive anything. These are the basics that a film-maker need to have to face the challenges a young film-maker face in a tough market like Singapore. The rest will come naturally.

SINdie: In what way has your producing days on TV influenced your craft and style?

Kat: The only 'technique' I learnt from TV shoots is to be always ready for any setbacks on set and work around it. I am fast to solve any problems that might arise on set, be it changing shots, scenes, dialogues, wardrobe, props... It works really well when you're on a tight dateline and budget, but sometimes it might lead to certain things being compromised. Luckily I have my usual dedicated production team whom I can trust to keep me on track.

SINdie: In a short paragraph, tell our readers why we should watch Dance Dance Dragon.

Kat: Dance Dance Dragon is a feel-good CNY movie that's filled with laughter, tears, action, pyrotechnics and our very own, really really cute SINGAPOREAN baby who'll make you unknowingly saying 'awww... so cute' whenever he appears. Go catch it and have a great time!

SINdie: What would you personally have done if you received a baby at your doorstep?

Kat: I'll ask him "Ei 你会演戏吗？" (Can you act?)

Catch Dance Dance Dragon 龙众舞 in cinemas now before it runs out!!

Not Naughty but Definitely Bad: We Not Naughty Bombs

2012-01-26T19:57:00.008+08:00

(John's first review is here.)

Steeped in Jack Neo’s trademark brand of histrionics and suffocating proselytism, We Not Naughty is Neo’s attempt to recreate the magic of his big hit, I Not Stupid, but ends up being a tiresome exercise in platitudes. It’s a charge his supporters like to dismiss, and the standard defence for such drab garbage is that the values Neo sells are important, and that his films' themes are relevant to modern Singaporean society; yet with this film, Neo has contrived a moral message not just dated, but grossly superficial in treatment.

Shawn Lee and Joshua Ang, two of Neo’s protégés whom Singaporeans have seen grow up on screen through several of Neo’s films, play Wei Jie and Jian Ren, best friends in a fictional polytechnic, both suffering from a series of familial tribulations lifted straight out of an episode of Oprah. Wei Jie has a gambling addict father and his mother (Xiang Yun) belittles him. Jian Ren comes from a well-to-do, comfortable single parent family but has a strained relationship with his mother, in part due to his mom’s favouritism towards his brother. He becomes rebellious to spite his mother and even becomes a runner for the loansharks.

CK (an oddly miscast Daniel Yun), their lecturer, tries to build rapport with Wei Jie and Jian Ren and ends up being snubbed. Later on, in a ludicrous act of solidarity with his students - he foolhardily accepts a forfeit imposed by them - earns their ‘respect’ and support. As if such a ridiculous event – a slap in the face to any self-respecting teacher – wasn’t enough, Neo takes CK’s savior complex to a whole new level when the latter makes huge personal and monetary sacrifices to bail his two favourite rascals out of trouble.

The film is shoddily cobbled together, padded out to an overly long run time with intermittent gags that are more repellent than funny (such as a scene when a character goes into labour towards the end). While there are still some scenes that may tickle, (though few and far between,) in We Not Naughty there is little sign of Neo’s instinctual feel for where comedy and commentary intersect, an artistic sensibility that helped make I Not Stupid so hilarious, provocative, and heartfelt at the same time. The film lacks an organic quality found in some of Neo’s earlier works, and naturalism and tonal consistency are almost non-existent; everything feels overly calculated and yet wildly uneven here - one moment Neo is laboriously engineering a laugh, the next he is (outrageously) bidding for your tears, in slo-mo scenes of melancholy played out to overwrought music.

Accusing Neo of shallow sentimentalism is, of course, something which is not new. But this time round, with We Not Naughty, Neo’s mechanisms for emotional resonance are not merely simplistic, they are ineffectual. Never has there been a Jack Neo film filled with such a densely packed array of incident – Wei Jie’s mother concusses in a domestic fight, Wei Jie’s sister gets attacked and shaved of her hair; and those are only some events in the first half of the film – that has such a glaring absence of emotional impact. For all its sentimentalism, there is a lack of feeling.

Part of this has to do with the acting, which is consistently terrible, if not abysmal. I really feel bad for saying this, because we really do try to support local films and actors here, but the performances are so half-baked that they make a typical fame seeker on any given reality television program look like a frigging Oscar winner. (Snooki, looks like your Hollywood ambitions may come true after all!) Stubbornly persisting in keeping the bar on scene-chewing, Neo has made a film where every actor drowns in histrionics rather than act. It’s easy to overlook this and say that they suit Neo’s style of cinema, but isn’t that really just allowing mediocrity to perpetuate?

The same goes for the insipid humour in the film. While it is consistent with Neo’s lowbrow humour found in many of his other films (and that is perfectly fine in itself), here the lack of verve and inspiration sticks out like a sore thumb; most of the funny scenes come across as afterthoughts, pushed to the backdrop in favour of Neo’s moral messages. People who defend Neo say that his humour reflects the taste of the nation, and that this ‘cock’ (a term coined by Colin Goh of talkingcock.com that means nonsensical jibberish) humour is really the Singaporean humour. If box office receipts are anything to judge by, there may be some truth in that. Given Singapore’s lack of cultural capital, I can understand Singaporeans’ eagerness to claim this humour as their own; ‘cock’ humour has become their bad religion, and Neo its true apostle. And yet while slapstick may well be an inextricable part of local comedy, it must be done right – with imagination and zaniness, like in last year’s hilarious Homecoming and some of Neo’s earlier works – and not become a mere excuse for lazy writing and crassness, as is the case here.

But these are the least of Neo’s crimes in the film, chief of which are his specious messages. Here, he peddles the same old feel-good uplifting sentiment that has formed the backbone of many of his previous films: every young person has talent and worth; familial love is an all-powerful force that survives any hardship; that it is never too late to start anew in life. Praiseworthy, perhaps. What annoys is Neo’s hard-sell, which manifests in his disdain for any subtlety and nuance, and in the numerous plot contrivances that simply exist to facilitate the introduction of Neo’s messages. His commentary holds little weight because we never view any of the characters as flesh-and-blood people – they come across more as mere ciphers for Neo’s digital sermon, and their revelations never feel authentically earned. There is no plausible change of heart in any character. Instead of gradually developing characters, they change radically over one scene, such as when Wei Jie’s sister starts crying out “I love you” at least ten times to her mother after a traumatic incident. (I could understand the crying, and maybe a hug, but all the “I love you-s” were just waaaay too far-fetched.)

Whilst the messages of I Not Stupid, and to a lesser extent Money No Enough, came about in a time where they were relevant and important, the key to their resonance was that they captured the zeitgeist of their times, which was partly because such issues had never been broached on such a public scale before they hit screens island-wide. With We Not Naughty, it is anachronistic for Neo to assume that we still needed him to repeat the same old messages, as if our society hasn’t grown (and he certainly hasn’t as a filmmaker). It is also insulting for viewers, because Neo so forcefully sells his values, it borders on chastising us, as if we lacked a moral compass ourselves.

Neo so overreaches in social commentary that all the issues he explores are stretched too thin, and there isn’t a single satisfactory resolution or adequate exploration of any. Circumstances magically shift to accomodate the happy ending in the end, of course, since this is a family-oriented Chinese New Year film, and it seemed every major character drank the Kool-Aid and they all decided to get along. Of course, given that this film is timed to coincide with the Chinese New Year festivities, one have to accept its limitations as a family-friendly film, and call me shallow here, but I just wished that the film was a little more fun.

LUNCHBOX Series #9: Tzang Merwyn Tong

2012-01-24T13:09:00.001+08:00

It was a Sunday afternoon at LaSalle College of the Arts, and Tzang Merwyn Tong – or Tzang as he prefers to be known – has joined us for an interview. Comfortably perched on the lush faux greenery in the campus foyer, the affable storyteller was both candid and beguiling in sharing his experience and alternative visions in his film direction.

Tzang may not exactly be the most prolific local filmmaker around. But he has established himself with the success of A Wicked Tale and V1K1, the former having gained a cult following from Germany to Canada. In 2011 he had also helmed the direction of the CATS Classified Ads flash mob on SMRT, which can be checked out on Youtube.

Yet exciting times lie ahead for the multi-hyphenate, currently a part-time lecturer at NTU's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. He will soon add to his CV a theatre play and a full-length feature.

SINdie: Thanks for agreeing to this interview! Just to let our readers know your background a little bit better — how did you get into filmmaking and when did you discover your love for it?

Tzang: I think I got into filmmaking purely by chance. When I was much younger, I just loved to imagine and put ideas down on paper. It need not necessarily come in the form of film; I read a lot of comics, but I also wrote and drew my own stories. Towards the end of my diploma course [Tzang is an alumnus of Ngee Ann Polytechnic Mass Communications, before pursuing a degree at Australia’s Curtin University] I had this idea to create something.

I told a few friends, we rented the school’s camera and… We just shot it. There was just the three of us and we didn’t even know what a producer does (laughs). I didn’t have that many friends. I was socially awkward and didn’t have that many friends to creatively bounce ideas off. Among the three of us , there was a half-Mexican girl, a Malay guy and me, I’m Chinese. So we always call ourselves the 3Ms – Mexican, Mat and Munjen team. So we decided, OK, let’s do something.

I called some other friends, she called her church friends, he called his friends and we had a meeting. We all sat in a circle, and we said: “We want to make a movie. We don’t know how to make a movie but we’re going to make a movie.” I sat them down and told them the whole story, which was written in script but I doubt they wanted to read the script.

The small group got excited and each person called their own friends. Before I knew it I had 30 people on set, everybody contributing their own wardrobe, props and all. We rented the school’s equipment, not quite properly. We asked the lecturer, who said he’ll think about it. And I told the equipment rental guy that the lecturer has endorsed our project. It was very crazy but we did it, and we shot it.

And that was my introduction to film, to my passion. I’ve always loved movies but I’ve never known that I would be making it. But through film I turned from being a socially awkward person to someone who managed to get things done with people. That film, e’TZAINTES, taught me a lot. And from there something got ignited, so I continued pursuing stuff like that.

Shooting began in 1999 on this Asian format called the Silver VHS. We only finished it in 2003. That was because I did not know how to make a film and was figuring things out along the way. We filmed for three weeks but only in 2001 did we have a first cut. We then added our own music and premiered it in January 2003. It’s really a labour of passion.

SINdie: Your difficulties back then were…

Tzang: At first it was starting out. It was not knowing anything. That makes us a little brave, but also a little stupid because we do not know what we cannot do or what is impossible to do. We just felt everything can be done. This ignorance made us a little delusional. But this delusion is the quality that actually got me quite — not knowing what really is impossible has driven me to constantly seek out things that are quite hard to do but I want to do. Not because of any demand or trend out there, but more because of the excitement and the challenge.

SINdie: Indeed, I mean, with A Wicked Tale. How do you feel about it being labeled the most f@%#-ed up Singapore film ever made?

Tzang: Philip Cheah [the former curator of the Singapore International Film Festival] said it, and he has his own brand of humour. I appreciate his kind of sense of humour, and you know what, I think I loved it. After he said it, I looked at him and said ‘wow’ and he said: “Yeah, rock and roll!”

SINdie: So you feel honoured.

Tzang: Coming from Philip, definitely. I know the context, what he was trying to say when he said it is the most f@%#-ed up film ever made. It’s quite cool. I did not intend for it to be a f@%#-ed up film, but one that explored the extremities of the human psyche. And I am happy people reacted to it. In many ways, in many countries, the best thing is seeing a creation of yours exist that was once a piece of imagination in my head.

SINdie: How did you come up with A Wicked Tale? Did you identify with some of the elements?

Tzang: I had an affinity with the Little Red Riding Hood story itself. When I was growing up I didn’t know there are darker versions of the story, for example the other Grimm Brothers version or the other French version that was way darker than the fairy tale version you read.

But even when I was reading the fairy tale, the glossed-up, nice, candy-coated one, I felt there was something very, very dark inside the fairy tale. It is the same with Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Beauty and the Beast. These are the stories which have so many subtext about human psychology that may be very difficult or wrong to put into words. So they put it into a story.

SINdie: And they mask it with a happy ending?

Tzang: Yeah – all those endings are very weird. Even the children’s version.

SINdie: While you were reading the tales you were growing up… You could see all this subtext even from a young age?

Tzang: Of course I didn’t have the words to put it into but I felt something was very wrong. Why is she doing this? Doesn’t she know it is not the grandma in her bed? It was somebody so hairy on the bed asking her to disrobe and step into the bed. And obviously, her voice. How dark can the room be with the voice? Was she really that stupid? Or was she really palying a game?

Look at this in real life. Is the game that little girls play when they start discovering they have a power over people who appear to be interested in them? It is a growing up thing, you know. Like the mindset of a little girl going through puberty. Suddenly I am a pretty attractive woman, so what can I do with this newfound power?

SINdie: Did you share these thoughts with anybody? Or were they internalised?

Tzang: You see, I was socially awkward. These are the kinds of things you don’t share, else people think you are weirder (laughs). You don’t say out everything that you think.

Society has taught me not to do that. So I expressed it through art, which somehow gave me the license to say things without actually saying it. I think what art has done for the human psyche and the human race is truly wonderful.

SINdie: Have you shared your drawings and stories with the world? Or did all those accumulate into experience you brought into your films?

Tzang: I’ve been asked this question before, but those drawings and stories are very personal. They are mine. They are the worlds that I have been to and from; maybe you can say that I have really been learning from them. But for me it was more of a space to go into. That space has helped me a lot personally and artistically. It is not that I am able to write technically or with a specific structure. It’s more of a streams-of-consciousness type of writing, which I am still doing now.

It helps me put into stories or drawings what is going on in my mind. Sometimes it is words with pictures, or pictures with words. Sometimes it is diagrams – anything. I don’t know if most people are able to understand it, but maybe only I can make sense of these things I draw.

SINdie: Where do you find your inspirations for all these? Are they all rooted in fairy tales?

Tzang: My inspirations change with time and age. It is as much in all these mediums that my inspiration lie, not just in film. My inspirations also come from comics, movies, music, paintings, digital art, graphic art. Even typography. It could even be done by somebody online whom I haven’t met. It need not even be a famous person or artist. If something has the ability to draw me in and I can see there is something more to it than just “a chair is a chair”, I can see a story and meanings and metaphysical aspects of it. These are my inspirations.

SINdie: So anything that may well seem random to an everyday person can resonate with you?

Tzang: Yes, really. They can appear anywhere and everywhere, not just in notable works.

SINdie: Any particular examples you feel comfortable sharing?

Tzang: When I was growing up, I loved bad movies. Like terrible movies.

There was this film called “Cry-Baby” (1990) with Johnny Depp before he did “Edward Scissorhands” (1990). Many years later as I became a film critic and a film lover and someone who studied film, I realised the film was done by a trashy director, John Waters, who is known for trashy movies. But this does not legitimise it in any way; at the time when I watched it I didn’t know. I just found it an incredibly funny, bad movie that hardly anyone knew about. I didn’t even know it was Johnny Depp but I felt it was freaking cool.

Another one in the “so bad it’s good” category is “Shake, Rattle and Rock”! (1994) which stars Renée Zellweger before she was Renée Zellweger. It was a really fun rock-and-roll movie set in the 1950s about kids who want to fight or debate for the right to rock and roll.

To me, though, these are very charming movies that I get a lot of satisfaction from and I feel something for. I dare say these are my inspirations alongside Kubrick and all the other greats.

SINdie: What different kinds of inspiration do you get from the greats as compared to the supposedly bad?

Tzang: There is no difference. Socially, in situations and parties, of course a lot of people like to have these names they can drop. But that is the only difference. When I was a younger filmmaker I got really frightened when people ask me who are my inspirations and who did I like. Maybe I was younger and I was still insecure, but I felt so worried that people might be going to judge me for my taste. But I’ve gotten past that.

Now even a Korean TV drama, or a single episode of Taiwanese ou xiang pian that I happen to chance upon while eating horfun at a coffee shop, and I watch that single episode, I can see some charm or beauty or genius into that. Oh but Channel 8 is still bad (laughs). The genius is not just a B-zombie movie, but can even be in a campy, cheesy ou xiang pian.

SINdie: How did Ngee Ann Poly’s Mass Comm help you become a better filmmaker?

Tzang: I think it was the environment. Back then I was still trying to find my calling and my area of specialisation. I loved design and was doing the school’s magazine. Being part of a team trained me to be a little entrepreneurial, to be part of a team that puts everything from start to finish and be responsible for the success or failure. Making decisions you have to be responsible for, really. That is helpful for a young mind who was just flying, floating and doing my own thing.

But all my real experience I had clocked when I was doing my own films, really. They taught me, in a deeper sense, how to be social (laughs). How to be entrepreneurial, how to communicate, how to sell ideas, how to present ideas. I have knocked on doors, approached bodies big and bodies small, institutions, corporations etc. All these have taught me more than any university or school can teach.

The hardship I faced as an independent filmmaker trying to make a feature film has taught me a lot in – long pause – the machinery, the commercial aspect of it in order for me to make works that are relevant to the industry. To be relevant doesn’t mean to sell out at the box office. Just relevant in a way I get to explore an angle to take my work out there such that it reaches more than just a small circle of people.

SINdie: What do you feel of the success A Wicked Tale has been generating abroad? Do you wish it can be translated back home?

Tzang: Oh yeah. But I am very impressed with A Wicked Tale. It has taken on a life of its own. I knew from the get-go, right from early on that it is a small film, a 45-minute film. A 45-minute film is not even supposed to be sold on DVDs or released commercially but it is (laughs). So that amazed me quite a lot. And (pause) I want to do more.

I hope for the audience to be there and for the world to see something different that can come from Singapore that is not predictable. We need that for the industry to grow.

SINdie: Did you watch the Hollywood version of Red Riding Hood? How do you think it compares with what you created?

Tzang: No comments (laughs heartily).

SINdie: But in a way you got there first —

Tzang: Not really; but I get a kick out of knowing that the director Catherine Hardwicke [she also directed Twilight (2008)] probably had watched my film as she did her research, because the pitch is very similar. The pitch of a dark, erotic Little Red Riding Hood, that is. But it is all right. My film is a small film and I know that. I am happy for a small film like mine to have gained a little bit of a cult following in Germany, a series of underground screenings in Canada. What more can I ask for?

SINdie: After A Wicked Tale you went on to make V1K1. How was that, considering that sci-fi is not a big thing here?

Tzang: It was very exciting. I was a part-time lecturer at ITE and my task was to work with students on any project. And I thought being on a film set would excite students. So why not just go all out and do something that could really test their limits? Especially for ITE; I think there is a whole underdog mentality going on there and a lot of exciting things to prove. This excites me.

I told the students our goal was to change people’s impressions of what they would normally think of an ITE production. It was my script and under my direction. But the student crew handled pre-production and casting, location scouting, wardrobe. I entrusted responsibility into these kids, a lot of them who were doing film for the first time. Half of them were Year Ones who had not even touched a camera before. Then I told them to turn a camera on. I told them: “Are you ready to shoot? It’s OK if you make a mistake but even so I am still going to use it. So try to make less mistakes.” (laughs).

That was the mindset I had. There are bound to be mistakes and I may not get what I want, but I need to use whatever I have gotten to fit something together. We did it. In post-production, we even had a student publicity team that did all the Youtube videos, that sort of thing. Everything was very beautifully put together.

SINdie: You’re trying to make a feature film. How is that coming along?

Tzang: Not easy, but actually really exciting. I’ve been through multiple ups and downs. Until you have made it you don’t know if you will make it — or the general public do not know that it is going to be done. I am now going through that phase. I mean, I have done stuff and presented my work but I am also about to do new things. The going about to do new things mean there are greater challenges in my way. They have put me down many times but this is simply something I feel I have to do. I used to say this: ‘Everybody has their own cross.’ I think my film is the cross the truth will carry.

SINdie: What about making a commercial mainstream film? Have you considered venturing down that path?

Tzang: ‘Commercial’ to me is not a dirty word, maybe it just means something that people will watch, enjoy and love. I see that as something that I am already doing, or that I am about to do. But of course the kinds of worlds I put people into are the kinds of worlds that people will go: “That one is commercial meh?”

People have an idea that there are two types of films in Singapore right now. First, the Eric Khoo/Royston Tan arthouse type of films which many young filmmakers aspire. Very budget-friendly, very attainable, has the narratives and the draw. Then there is the other way which has proven to be very successful in Singapore and Malaysia, which is the Jack Neo way. A lot of people think of ‘commercial’ as the Jack Neo way — “ha ha” humour. How Jack Neo does it is quite amazing. He manages to inject social issues within and make it commercial. But for the other less-funny kind people see it as uncommercial. But there is no such thing as two types of films, you know.

When Steven Spielberg made a movie about killer fish – doesn’t that sound like a B-grade movie? And now Jaws is considered a commercial success, but doesn’t the pitch about a killer fish that goes around killing people and people running around sound like a terrible movie? That is precisely the formula for a B-movie, a monster movie. We don’t need to stick to a type of formula; rather we need diversity. We need (pause) some form of craziness to come out. It was the same with V1K1. People said: “Why do you want to make a sci-fi film? What kind of budget do you have? What gave you the guts or the balls to try to make a sci-fi film?”

Yes going into V1K1 I knew we didn’t have the budget for a sci-fi film. It is not realistic and was going to look terrible. But remember the 1970s when technology and special effects were not so happening? We had bad effects yet we had stories people fell in love with. So what makes a sci-fi film. Is it the budget? The intonation? Just look at that and see what you can do, and just bravely set the world ablaze.

SINdie: How do you feel about yourself currently playing a part in inspiring a new generation of filmmakers? I mean, you’re lecturing and all.

Tzang: I really don’t know. I will leave my students to talk about that. But to me it is my privilege actually, to be able to share what I have. It means I have something worth sharing already. I didn’t have access to information and advice when I was starting out; I did not know who to approach at that time. So this gives me a chance to share the things I learn. But it always comes with a caveat, that what I’m sharing may not always be true because I am still learning. I always tell them: “What I’m sharing with you may not always be right because I am still learning. Maybe in six months I will come back and say, ‘hey, that was the wrong way’.” So we’re all learning and discovering all the time. I think that is how it should be for an emerging industry to stay healthy.

SINdie: I understand you’re directing a play as well. Quite a multi-hyphenate, aren’t you?

Tzang: Right, it’s really interesting and very experiential… This is my first play and let’s see what opportunities can await and what it allows for as well.

SINdie: What inspired you to diversify?

Tzang: Telling stories was my dream job from young, so the medium is not important so much as telling the story. But I’m trying to take things one at a time. I already have quite a few things in the pipeline. It is important to get things out right instead of planning too many things at the same time and each is not taken care of enough.

Film has become the main avenue that gave me the chance to be a storyteller. My dream is not so much the camera or that piece of celluloid. Rather, it is the stories and ideas that can be put out there. These are from all my heroes; the rock stars, musicians, music that I listen to. These ideas come from the heart and it’s out there. It means something to people, who live and swear by it, and love it. It helps them get through their lives. Music, comics, stories, fables and fairy tales that get passed down. These are the things I want to do. I want to tell stories.

SINdie: Concluding the interview is a question that has been a Lunchbox special. Would you starve for the sake of your art?

Tzang: Would I starve? I HAVE STARVED (laughs).

From 1999 to 2003 I was in NS, half-studying, working many jobs. I worked as a Gardenia mascot; I had to put on this bloody thing because I wanted some part-time job that did not require too much use of my brain. So I went to food fairs in this gigantic mascot shaking hands with kids, giving out bookmarks, getting hit by them. Many times I’ve quit my job for A Wicked Tale, for this feature film, to buy a little bit more time to put things together or get the right people together.

Again it is the cross you choose to carry. But this is not something I will recommend for anybody who is a budding filmmaker. Everyone has their own thing and it depends on what you want to do. For some people, if the film is a means to get a career in Hollywood – then do what is worthy of you to do. But for others, if the film is a means to gain honor or to say something of a forgotten culture, then that is your calling.

For me, a story lies in exploring things that haven’t been explored much. To ignite the imagination of people, or get into creating something that means something for people. This is the cross I am willing to carry and it doesn’t not make sense to me.

Trailer Central

Watch these trailers to whet your appetite on Tzang's works!

A Wicked Tale (2005)

V1K1 (2011)

e'TZAINTES (2003)

2012-01-23T00:20:00.001+08:00

A very delayed and late review of some short film in 2011Best of First Takes! I shall not delve into plenty of excuses such as I wasaway for a short break in Dec and being overly caught up with Christmas, NYE,and now CNY for that matter. Better late than never!

10 short films have been selected for the Best of FirstTakes

They are:

I make T Shirts
Summer and its rain
Trio Dekil 1
Trio Dekil 2
Movie Star – Sleeq (Opening Reel)
Epiphany (Read Jeremy’s review of Epiphany here )
Skate
Complacency
An Unconventional Love Story
Yours Truly

There are some good ones, but alas with predictablestorylines that have been shot again and again such as An Unconventional LoveStory and Skate. Some have pretty interesting I have picked 3 of out of the 10short films to review. Not necessarily the best, but the films where I have themost ranting to blog about. They are:

I Make T-shirts
Complacency
Yours Truly

I make T-shirts(IMDb link here)

Director and writer Stephanie Bousley shows off her talentin writing dialogue in this short I makeT-shirts.

It is a fictional biography of Rick Shamus, who designs andprints the ridiculous T-shirt designs like iPood etc. I especially love theinterviews, the voiceovers. The dialogues are extremely well written, anddelivered by the actors who made it believable.

Actors played off each other really well too. Chi Laughlin,who plays Rick Shamus was great. Rick Shamus clearly believes wholehearted inhis business of designing T-shirt slogans that would sell. And he portrays tothe camera that he works hard in thinking of designs to put on a T-shirt.

Like Watson is to Sherlock to make any Sherlock detectivestories work, we are introduced to Shivani, the intern who provides a more indepth perspective of Rick Shamus. Shivani, who was duped into the internshipwas stuck with him internship because she had to fulfil her credits and also,not to go crawling back to her family to complain about her situation. Throughthe character Shivani, audience is introduced to the other side of Rick Shamus.Humans usually like to think of themselves as hardworking, sensitive, sociable (insertother positive adjectives here.) However, with Shivani, we are introduced toRick Shamus, the deluded slob who is utterly blindsided by his faith in hisdesigns.

What I love most is how tight the directing was. Paired withcocky dialogue from Rick and the emptinessin the scene like at the meeting with the investors (there was only one.)showed the irony and the sad, sad world Rick Shamus leads.

I am really looking forward to more works from Stephanie!

Complacency

In light of the success of The Artist and the come back ofsilent film, I thoroughly enjoyed Complacency.Although lacking the finesse of TheArtist, Complacency embraces whatwas so special and unique of black and white silent films then. The storylinewas absurd (how do you find a wooden well in the middle of a plain field inSingapore? And also, such a husband who’s aim in the short was to please hiswife?), but comical. The exaggerated acting? Check. The cut to the frames and the text? Check.

Great attempt at exaggerated acting. This is one of my favourite scene as the husband tries to pull himself out of the well.

And the wife is still not happy he nearly died in the well trying to find out what she is satisfied in life.

However! There are still plenty of modern slipups in theshort. For instance, the scene is set in modern Singapore, where the 5 Cs(Condo, Credit Card etc) are still prevalent. The fonts and the presentation ofthe text are very modern. It irks me to see the text roll out alphabet byalphabet, kind of like a Powerpoint Presentation.

Personally, I wished that they could haveput in more editing effort to make it more “realistic” even if the setting ofthe short is in modern times. You can also see slipups in the take as well,like when the well moved, you can almost see a hint of a pair of human feet asthe make-shift well lifts up. I would appreciate a little more directorialeffort to make it more seamless.

What was also clearly modern in this short was the movement of the camera. In those days, the camera was still while the actors moved within the frame. Closeups were never gradual as the technology were not to advanced then. But it is refreshing to see how the director played it up to their advantage to tell the story.

Overall, good effort in attempting at a black and whitefilm. Now, excuse me while I reload Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times on Youtube to reminiscence the good old era of B/W silent films...

Yours Truly

Yours Truly is a short directed by Kevin Chan. Set in Australia ittells a devastating love story between Chris and Rachel. Ladies from Singaporemight be familiar with the actor playing Chris. He is Desmond Chiam, winner ofCleo’s Eligible Bachelor in 2011.

The film shows mature editing and directing, utilizing cuts,stills, close ups to tell the story. However, the short film reminds me toostrongly of this Korean music video “Kiss – Because I am a Girl” that I watchedmany moons ago.

Of course, themusic video was not copied entirely. I chose to review this film because thoughit did remind me of the music video, it was not as grossly self-sacrificial.

What I found in this short a kind of personal redemptionfrom the utterly ridiculous plotline of BecauseI am a Girl. A brave take to another parallel universe of whatmight-have-been. Although it still follows a cheesy pick up at the beginning ofthe short where boy meets girl and they fall in love, they try to use a morerealistic take to what could have happened for the girl to lose and gain backher sight.

The editing of the film however, falls back into a minimusic video where Chris discovers Rachel has tragically and very irresponsiblyleft him via a letter in a box. The stills, edited into black & white, inmy opinion played no significance to the scene. Perhaps it could have been doneto play tribute to the music video it copied, or just done so to amplifyDesmond’s looks.

See what I mean? But anyway, somebody just offer this guy a role in some major Korean drama already! This fella literally eats up the camera. And I guess the director also realizes this and decided to milk it for all its worth. Hopefully in his next short he can explore something else rather than tragic romance. It's already overplayed in many Korean dramas for that matter.

That’s all for Best of First Takes 2011, and this is to avery huat Dragon Year to all Sindie readers!

Production Talk on 'Paper Boxes' - by Melinda Tan and Jia Jian

2012-01-22T14:30:00.000+08:00

What happens when memories are packed up in boxes?

Paper Boxes is a short film that explores the notion of friendship, memories and growing up through the eyes of two best friends, just before one of them migrates to Australia. As they attempt to pack for the move, the girls have to discover for themselves if memories can indeed be packed up into boxes.

We speak to the creators of this short film Melinda Tan and Jia Jian about their film and their thoughts on making this.

***

SINdie: Yes boxes are indeed a repository for memories. What inspired you to choose this visual image for your film?

Melinda: I have a box where I keep letters, cards and little gifts from friends over the years. As I went through the items one day, I was struck by the vividness of the memories that flooded my mind. These memories made me smile but were also tempered with a bittersweet sense of nostalgia, when I realised that I’ve lost contact with many of these childhood friends. As I spoke to more people, I found that many of them, like me, had a “box” (albeit in different forms) where they stored “memorabilia” from their childhood. This inspired me to write the script for Paper Boxes.

Jian: For me, ever since I relocated to Singapore for my studies and now, work, I am constantly on the move, shifting in and out of hostel rooms and temporary apartments. Hence, the image of a packing box, which features prominently in the film, has an added poignancy for me, and was something I was able to identify with readily in the script. What do I take with me and what do I ultimately leave behind with each move? Memories exist in the things we choose to keep.

What kind of memories are talking about here?

Melinda: Memories of moments spent with friends, be it a long-forgotten adventure, a shared secret or joke, or even promises of staying “best friends forever”. When we look back at our youth with the lens of an adult, it is often these simple, seemingly uneventful lost moments, that make us ache a little inside.

Many films are about friendship. What's special about this one? Why was it a film that needed to be made?

Melinda: There are many stories told about friendship but the treatment for each of them is different. In Paper Boxes, Sabrina and Michelle are two best friends at a crossroad in their friendship. We wanted to capture a slice of that moment, with its underlying, unspoken mixed feelings of optimism and uncertainty. Being a character, rather than plot-driven film, our aim was for Paper Boxes to be a simple story, well-told.

What were some of the things you learnt about friendship and memories as you made the film?

Melinda: Working on the film made me reflect on the fragility of friendships. Sometimes, despite our best intentions to keep in touch, there comes a point where we may drift apart from certain friends, simply because our lives, goals and dreams have become so different as we grow up. Past shared memories alone cannot sustain a friendship. It requires the hard work of constantly creating new memories together.

Jian: Agreed. What I found close to my heart for this shoot was actually the process of the whole production itself. As much as we were encapsulating memories and friendships in a film, being on set with friends who are fellow nuSTUDIOS (a student film production house at the National University of Singapore Centre For the Arts) alumni, was in a way, a form of memory creation in itself. Similar to how many of us meet up for dinners with old schoolmates, this production was like a reunion "meal" for us.

Anything interesting or amusing happened during the shoot?

Melinda: Jian is Malaysian so he doesn’t actually read, speak or understand a lot of Chinese, which was the language that was used predominantly in the film. Even though we knew that working with the language barrier would not be easy, we both agreed that the film would work better in Chinese. So on set, Jian had to rely on a specially-prepared script which included the English, Chinese, and Hanyu Pinyin versions of the script! Listening to Jian trying to pronounce the Chinese lines turned out to be quite an amusing experience for the crew. (But I dare say his Chinese has improved a lot since the production!)

Jian: Another amusing incident was when we had a problem “taming” the hair of Foo Fang Rong, one of our actresses. She had a fringe which covered her eyes and we wanted to keep it up so that it wouldn’t be too distracting in the film. Unfortunately, it appeared resistant to any form of product. Our stylist Kate Lim used wax on it at first, but on close-up, we later discovered that we could see white bits of dried wax in her hair. Other products made her fringe clump up, falling unnaturally. We ended up having to wash the products out of her hair and restyling it before each shot.

What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in producing this?

Melinda: Paper Boxes was our first independently-produced short film. So while our previous films produced under nuSTUDIOS received funding from the NUS Centre For the Arts, this film was completely self-funded. Despite the limitations in our budget, we were adamant that production values of the film would not be compromised. As such, we had to be very strategic with how we spent our funds. Thankfully, we had such immense support from the people around us. We managed to borrow a camera and some equipment from friends, had relatives who allowed us to shoot in their house, and very talented friends who believed enough in us and the project to crew for us. We were also given much support from nuSTUDIOS, which also had some of their committee members on our set as crew. It was a very humbling experience, and we owe them all a debt of thanks.

Jian: Our other big challenge was having to work around our crew’s full-time day jobs and conflicting schedules to make this film. In order to minimize the demands on cast and crew’s time, we made the decision to complete principal filming for the film within one weekend, which as you can imagine, meant much stress and very little sleep for the both of us in the weeks leading up to shoot. We took 6 months to develop the script, and another 6 months for pre-production. Post-production, which involved editing sessions that commenced at the end of our work day till midnight, took us another year. Our editor, Derek Tan, travels a lot for work, so editing sessions had to be arranged around those periods. Looking back, pulling through late nights with work the next day was exhausting, but it was definitely worth it.

What's your personal favourite scene in the film? Why?

Melinda and Jian: We will cheat a little and say we love the last two scenes best (but no spoilers here). We were moved by the performances of the three actresses, Kelly Lim, Foo Fang Rong and Victoria Chen. They captured the emotions needed in the the scene(s) beautifully.

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To stay in touch with this film and know where you can catch it, check out its Facebook Page here.

Review: We Not Naughty

2012-01-22T09:29:00.001+08:00

So how is Jack Neo’s latest piece of work different from his rest?

We can’t tell, really. Like the bespectacled director’s Ah Long Pte Ltd (2008), Love Matters (2009) and Being Human (2010) before this, there are a few must have ingredients which are seemingly essential to ensure good box office results. We still have characters shouting hysterically at each other. We also mustn’t forget the characters crying their hearts out to an overbearing music score. And what about characters changing for the better after realising that they have done wrong? Check.

The script for Neo’s latest work may offer nothing new from your nightly family TV drama series, but you can bet Singaporeans will lap this movie up, simply because it offers slapstick humour, over the top drama and a happy ending, a sure win formula which Neo has confidently concocted over the years.

To be fair, the commercially successful filmmaker has rightfully pointed out a few relevant social issues in this movie about the trials and tribulations of two rebellious teenagers studying in

Singapore

. Although it offers no new insights, the 137 minute production does feature noteworthy performances from its leads Shawn Lee and Joshua Ang. Also, seeing local artistes Loi Fey Hui, Eric Moo and xinyao (a genre of Chinese songs which was very popular in the 1980s) singer Yan Li Ming on screen just cracks us up.

This is not a movie you’d expect subtlety from (instead of being informative, the product placements are hilarious), but if this genre of commercial cinema rocks your boat, then Neo has delivered another winning hit.

And here’s the online trailer which has garnered 80,000 hits within a month:

ShoutOUT! : Video art and experimental film submissions for VIDEOvoiddeck

2012-01-21T22:56:00.000+08:00

Makers of video art and experimental videos, here is a showcase opportunity for you! Instructions in the poster ad below:

ShoutOUT! : Very Short International Film Festival Submissions now

2012-01-21T22:48:00.001+08:00

Calling all art, film, media and/or design students, staff, alumni, peers and/or practitioners! The Very Short International Film Festival 2012 is back again and will be held in Singapore on 11, 12 and 13 May and 15+ countries and 70+ cities around the world “everywhere at the same time!”

Submit your short films [of 3minutes or less] for consideration for both the International and Local Selection [International and Local Selection entry closing date 10th February 2012, Local Selection ONLY entry closing date extended until 29th February 2012].

The festival is open to any and all themes and genres of communications on screen! The pivotal condition/requirement is that it must be said in three minutes or less!
There is also a special category: “Give Love a Chance” is the special category theme for VSIFF 2012 in collaboration with Social Development Network [SDN] Singapore.http://app.sdn.sg Make a short film and ENTER the “Give Love a Chance” special category to WIN $4,000 in CASH!

How to Submit?
The Very Short International Film Festival has two Selection Processes and Sections; The International Selection and the Local Selection.

The International Selection is processed, selected and judged in Paris by the parent organization of VSIFF, Festival international des Très Courts [Trés Courts] managed by Nanosphere Productions. It is this Selection that will be viewed around the world in up to 20 countries, 80 cities all at the same time, 4-13th May 2012. In 2011, 46 films were shown in the International Selection.

The Local Selection is processed, selected and judged in Singapore by Very Short International Film Festival [VSIFF] managed by ZoMedia Pty Ltd. The Chief Judge will be Eric Khoo, four/five other judges are to be announced shortly. This Selection will be shown in Singapore alongside the International Selection during the Festival screenings 11, 12 and 13th May 2012. In 2011, 26 films were shown in the Local Selection.

For a film to be considered for the International Selection please send the film on a DVD along with a completed and signed registration form to ZoMedia. This must all reach ZoMedia no later than the 10th February 2012. These films will also be considered for the Local Selection.

For a film to be considered for the Local Selection only, please send the film on a DVD along with a completed and signed registration form to ZoMedia. This must all reach ZoMedia no later than the 29th February 2012.

Check out the VSIFF website for more detailswww.vsiff.com

Finally, be inspired by the promo trailer!

Crossing Over - Dom Ow

2011-12-31T11:55:00.008+08:00

From commanding a troop of men in green to directing a production crew - is it really that different? We talk to Dom Ow, an army officer turned filmmaker whose feature film Red Numbers we can't wait to see. He tells us how he went from the easiest job to make money to the hardest.

SINdie: How did you become being an army officer before this?

Dom: I was in Officer Cadet School during NS and was offered a scholarship. I felt it was important to get a good education and to get started in a career that would be challenge me in many ways so I accepted the scholarship.

SINdie: What inspired the switch over to explore filmmaking?

Dom: I’ve always wanted to be a filmmaker, and I did in fact major in film (along with Literature) when in university. When I was approaching my mid-30s, I felt like I had accomplished much of what I had set out to do when I joined the armed forces, and if I did not take that big step, inertia would set in and I would be less inclined to switch later.

SINDie: did your ex colleagues/ family/ friends react to your decision?

Dom: Most of my colleagues in the military were quite surprised. My military career was coming along well and I can understand some of their thoughts that I was “throwing it all away”. My family and closer friends, however, always knew that there was a filmmaker in me waiting to come out of the shell. But by and large, whether they agreed with my decision or not, almost everyone who knew me offered their support. I guess there’s a bit in everyone about wishing to follow his dream and pursue his passion.

SINdie: Was there stigma knowing that you'd be seen as a "first time filmmaker" with your debut piece of work? How did you deal with it?

Dom: Everybody who aspires to become a filmmaker dreams of making a feature. A feature film, in many people’s eyes, is still the measure of heaving reached a certain level of expertise and experience. In a sense, you can direct shorts, TV and it won’t be as challenging as making a feature. So to me, there was no stigma about being a “first-time filmmaker”. I wanted, I felt I needed that opportunity to make a feature.

SINdie: Ever regretted the decision, or thought of going back?

Dom: I sometimes joke that I went from the easiest job to make money to the hardest. It is not a slight on people working in the civil service or uniformed services – I think that there are many hardworking people in the public sector. But the fact is my previous job was an iron rice bowl. Still, even from the perspective of financial security, I have no regrets, none at all. Money is important but I believe that if you do what you love, and work hard at it, money will come naturally (perhaps with a little slice of luck like in Red Numbers!).

We at SINdie wish Dom all the best in his filmmaking adventures, and we look forward to seeing Red Numbers!

If you know of any other individuals who have "crossed over" to the world of filmmaking, drop us an email at sindieonly@gmail.com - we'd like to feature these inspiring souls!

Who's Shooting What in 2012? Series 1

2011-12-31T01:44:00.001+08:00

2011 has been a bumper year in terms of local movie releases, particularly among the commercial movies where several movies broke the S$1m box office record, including 2359 and Already Famous. That is not forgetting the 2 Chinese New Year Blockbusters - Homecoming and Great Great World. While many new players with the money and entertainment industry backing broke into the scene, the familiar independent names like Royston Tan, Boo Junfeng, Tan Pin Pin, Sun Koh took time out to focus on smaller projects while theire next feature film idea was well in gestation.

A tradition of SINdie is to offer a peek into some of the projects filmmakers are up to next year in our 'Who's Shooting What?' series. We bring you a selection of the upcoming projects. Here is the first series of 5.

***

Project Title: Hugging the Buddha's Foot
Filmmaker: Liew Shi Xiong

Brief Description: A play on the Chinese idiom: 临时抱佛脚／ Hugging the Buddha's foot at the last moment. Ill-prepared for the upcoming exams, 2 teenage boys embark on a journey to hug as many Buddha feet as they can find, in a bid to gather as much luck as they can and pass their exams without having to work too hard.

Tagline: More Feet, More Luck!

***

Project Title: Liminality / The Red Route
Filmmaker: Iyvone Khoo

Liminality from Obsquare on Vimeo.

Brief Description:
Iyvone made Liminality as one of her graduation videos and it was chosen to compete for FutureMap 2011 and will be showing at the Zabludowicz Collection in January 2012 among other festivals. She will be looking to make another series along similar veins. At the same time, she will be working on a documentary 'The Red Route', which is shot over the death of my grandmother who passed away at the aged of 107.

***

Project Title: 想你 I Am Thinking Of You

Filmmaker: Lai Weijie and Elizabeth Widjaya

Brief Description: A woman returns to Singapore to revisit a childhood love that was never fulfilled. Meanwhile, on a cruise to nowhere, a man mourns the recent loss of his father. The invisible navigate themselves through the new Singapore landscape, bound by the past and their memories before she went missing. This work imagines a life ended abruptly and a ghost child that grows up along with the cities she was lost in. Ghosts are often portrayed as taking on the form of how they last looked in life but what if this ghost allows her image to grow, as she would have wanted to be if she had been alive? She haunts Singapore, until one day she meets a boy from her past...
Tagline: This work is dedicated to the ghosts of us, to the lost pasts and the eclipsed futures.

***

Project Title: Taxi Driver

Filmmaker: Kelvin Sng

Brief Description: My debut feature film to go into production in June 2012. Inspired by the local best seller "Diary of a Taxi Driver"
Tagline: The best journey in life is the one you are not prepared for.

***

Project Title: UnPeaceable
Filmmaker: Graham Streeter (who made 'Cages')

Graham Streeter on the set of 'Cages'

Brief Description: Made under imperative Pictures and to be shoting in Los Angeles this Winter, this is a psycho-thriller where dreams and reality collide.
Tagline: When a girl screams in the forest and no one is around, does she really make a sound?

Crossing Over - BK Lim

2011-12-24T18:10:00.018+08:00

The grass is always greener on the other side - or is it? What does it take to switch careers into something you may not be so familiar with? We talk to Lim Beng Kooi, or more affectionately known as BK Lim, director of the short film "One Sunny Morning" (the film has been travelling quite a bit on international film circuits), and find out why the former banker decided to cross over to the world of filmmaking.

SINdie: How did you become being in the banking industry before this?

BK: I "drifted" into banking. As an ASEAN scholar at The University of Singapore where I majored in Economics and History, I was offered a job by a local bank while still in the midst of sitting for my final exam.

Then, somehow, I remained in banking all my professional life; the first 6 years with this local bank, and the next 25 years with a European bank (which included three overseas postings of about three years each assignment).

SINdie: What inspired the switch over to explore filmmaking?

BK: I've always been passionate about films. I'd watch a film several times over for its technical and artistic angles. And over the years I've amassed a fairly large collection of films, first on VHS, then on laser discs and then DVDs. And now, blu ray. Arguably a good or bad “investment" depending on the pace of technological evolution.

I used to joke that I was a filmmaker trapped in the body of a banker.

Through my love for films, my wife ad I got to know several local filmmakers, including professionals such as lawyers, who make short films as their hobby. One evening at dinner, a local filmmaker 'challenged' me to make a short film, offering her technical support, saying that with my huge Criterion Collection of films, I 'have already been to film school'.

So I took the plunge. In early 2004 when I left banking, I made my first experimental film. With friends. While I like my script, the colour and the sound are awful. Watching it hurts one's sensory nerves.

The following year, I did another experimental film, with no dialogue. Again with friends. Then over the next five years, nothing happened. No inspiration. No motivation.

Then suddenly one day, I felt the urge to make a film, sparked by an image of the very first opening shot of a story based on an episode in the life of a Parisian friend. That story didn't take off. Then over dinner with some friends, they suggested that I do this story, about a relationship between an older guy and a younger guy. And they helped with the script.

SINdie: How did your ex colleagues/ family/ friends react to your decision?

BK: My strongest supporters and believers are my wife and our three sons. This filmmaking thing is very much a "family business".

Among my relatives, no one's surprised as everyone knows that since my secondary school days, I'd watch two to three films every week, starting from Friday afternoons through to Sundays. Among my wife and sons, whenever we run out of things to talk about, which is, never - we'd invariably talk about films. I think the best legacy I'd leave to our three sons would be my massive and varied collection of films and music.

In that sense, I feel that it's a good investment : it's not a selfish hobby as the whole family and friends get to enjoy it, and, depending on technology, it could even be highly durable.

And now, to add on to these, as my wife puts it, our sons will always have the remembrance of the films I've made.

This, in turn, places a certain sense of responsibility on me, in ensuring that I do not make films that could potentially embarrass my family. This doesn't necessarily translate into making 'safe' films, but what it means to me is that I should be a responsible filmmaker and be able to justify my story and my visuals (Read : no cheap sensationalization of scenes deemed exploitative... Read again: no gratuitous sex scenes).

Among my friends, especially my banking fraternity, it's a slightly different scenario. Most of them are pleasantly surprised at the pace and passion in which I have taken to filmmaking. But they're all very happy for me. And they are tremendously supportive. My wife and I are very appreciative of their help and support at the recent Private Screening of my film at The Arts House.

Among my favorite feedback from my banking friends are that I have re-invented myself...and that I've found a new lease in life...and my favourite : ' How does a hobby end up in winning him an award?'

SINdie: Was there stigma knowing that you'd be seen as a "first time filmmaker" with your debut piece of work? How did you deal with it?

BK: One Sunny Morning is my first 'real' film, in that it's the first time I've worked with a full team of professionals, from the cast to the crew. I was the only 'newbie' on my own film set.

Hence winning the Best Director Short Film Award came to me as a massive shock. But with hindsight, it's also an acknowledgement of the combined talents of my cast and crew in this film.

I did it as my 60th birthday present to myself. From the outset, I decided I'd finance everything myself, as I've no filmmaking credentials and experience. And as an 'old uncle dude', I am unable to get free technical help unlike student filmmaking projects where one can afterwards reciprocate by helping back the others.

These, plus my desire to do my first film my way, guided by my passion, enthusiasm and my instincts resulted in it being a self-financed project. And as my wife puts it...even if I were to make mistakes, these would be my mistakes to learn from and they're not life and death issues.

I was extremely fortunate to have met Looi Wan Ping as my cinematographer. We hit off immediately given too, his vast and in-depth knowledge and appreciation of art-house films. When I told him that I'd want to pay homage to Michelangelo Antonioni in this film by putting in the mimes, he immediately understood what I meant and which scenes in the film 'Blow Up' that I was referring to.

More than that, throughout the entire process, from pre- production through to post-production, he continues to inspire me and not only shares my vision, but, in fact, enhances it through his extraordinary visuals. And we've incorporated a fair bit of that Antonioni effect, including long takes, the incorporation of scenery and architecture and set designs, in this film.

Given that I was the only rookie on my own film set, there were times when I wasn't aware of what I was doing and made mistakes. But I always relied on my instincts ad to how I'd want a scene to be filmed. I was helped too by a capable and helpful crew including my Assistant Director Koo Chia Meng, and my cast Keagan Kang and Nicholas Bloodworth.

My debut filmmaking experience was enhanced and smoothened by capable n creative talents not just in the production process but also in post production, particularly with sound. The guys at StudioMB, Neil, Kevin and Kenny were terrific. Patiently explaining to me the concept n value of sound post and then just as patiently helping me with it afterwards.

It was an intense four days of shoot and several months of pre and post production. Intense, but fun. Certainly much more enjoyable and fulfilling than banking.

SINdie: Ever regretted the decision, or thought of going back?

BK: As mentioned above, I'm having fun. I'll never go back to banking. In fact when I left the bank in early 2004, I received offers to return to banking, and to the corporate life... But I've never accepted, or even considered it.

This newfound lifestyle of filmmaking is so much more enjoyable and fulfilling. And my ideal situation going forward is to be able to make a film a year, or every other year.

And now that I've won an award, I'm hoping that I have some credentials to fall back on and it'd be heartening to be able to get sponsorship for my projects, even if only partially.

I'd like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to my friends who believed in me, inspired me, and helped me through this filmmaking journey - Wee Li-Lin, and Charles Lim, Zhang Wenjie, Michael Kam, Tan Pin Pin, Sun Koh, Alan Goei, Ang I-Ming and my newfound friends and cinematic soul-mates, Looi Wan Ping and Anthony Chen.

To my wife and our three sons, my love to them for being my anchor and for putting up with me.

Trailer for One Sunday Morning:

We at SINdie wish BK all the best in his filmmaking adventures, and we look forward to his next work!

If you know of any other individuals who have "crossed over" to the world of filmmaking, drop us an email at sindieonly@gmail.com - we'd like to feature these inspiring souls!

Parting Shots at the final Sinema Showoffs!

2011-12-19T13:18:00.000+08:00

Urban redevelopment. That's what they call it. I hope its not another condominium. So screenings are coming to an end at Sinema Old School. We popped by two of their final screenings - Sinema Showoff! Whatever... and Curator's Picks, for a series of parting shots .

'Thank goodness we were not assigned to the Night Safari!'

SINdie writer Raymond Tan, moderator for the 'Whatever...' evening prepares his script

One of the things to be missed, this great chill-out area

This pre-show conversations outside the shop will be missed

The signature Sinema Showoff group shot

Sex sells. Senior sex even more. The filmmakers behind, Post-Love, a documentary on seniors and their sexual lives draws the most questions

Directors deep in thought when Raymond asked for an introduction to their current or next project

Sinema Showoffs offered an important platform for filmmakers to reach new fans of local cinema, and people who are willing to brave the 120 steps to Mount Sophia

We are really packing up this time.

Nooraini, director of 'Window of Dreams' and Rajasree, curator of the Showoff! series

Since the walls are coming down, might as well paint something nice on it right?

The crowd at the Swansong edition of Sinema Showoff!

Rajasree moderates the swansong edition of Sinema Showoff!

(from left to right: He Shuming, Anthony Chen, Rajasree Ramasamy, James Khoom Kelvin Sng)

Showoffs are a chance for actors, crew as much as film buffs to gather. Lead actor of 'Hentak Kaki' (second from right, in black t-shirt, next to the lady with the white shawl) takes time out to support James, the director of the film

Final questions?

This is it! Click! Snap! And save it for our memories.

Finally here is a mini-tribute to the Sinema Showoff! series consisting of parting shots and

Win a LomoKino Contest - Deadline extended to 25th Dec!

2011-12-18T12:39:00.000+08:00

We have extended the deadline for the LomoKino contest. Last day to send in your entries would be 25th Dec. Christmas Day! It's easy to enter, send them in now!

Check out our previous link on what the LomoKino and the contest is all about.

Here is how to take part in the contest and win the LomoKino:

1. Think of a 3 min film you would make with a Lomokino.
2. Send us a photo and an accompanying line of text what your Lomokino film will be about.
3. Send it to promotion.sg@lomography.com
4. The best 10 entries will be loaned a LomoKino to produce their film.
5. The films will be screened at a Lomography x SINdie film workshop at Lomography Gallery Store where the best 2 will be picked at a live judging to win a Lomokino they can keep forever!

Lomography will provide guidance to the 10 finalists on using the camera to shoot their films.

Prizes

1st Prize: LomoKino + 3 packs of film. He/she will also get to be a Lomo Amigo.
2nd Prize: LomoKino
8 Runner up Prizes: Lomography button badge set + 10 Piggies (store credit in our online store; 1 Piggy = 1 USD)

'Flight' by Boo Junfeng, part of the CREATE Film Festival

2011-12-17T02:04:00.001+08:00

Boo Junfeng puts new steps into old tunes with Flight. One who has watched his films will find familiar the army boy polishing his boots (a troubled one at that), the fatherly figure with a strange affinity for the defence forces, people all around whose rigid ways mimick the rules-obssessed system and that final plane flight at the end that seemed uncannily similar to the award-winning Keluar Baris by Boo. Even the dilemma of duty and personal calling rings a familiar echo.

Flight is another short film made under the CREATE Film Festival, again bound by the agenda of Create Tomorrow SG, which is of course to make engineering cool or at least allow everyone to uncover the engineer in them. Jeremy grew up with stories told by his dad about how planes fly, without knowing that his dad harboured hopes of him riding the plane one day. During the his military coming-of-age, Boo borrows the familiar situation of the army aptitude test to depict Jeremy's inner conflicts. By subverting the typical expectations around the aptitude test and how most are likely to want this 'key-to-a-high-paying-career-as-a-pilot' opening, Boo gives a new spin on an old issue and he does it with narrative economy and subtlety.

While Boo achieves credible little moments throughout the film, the film really 'took flight' with the final scene in which a plane roared across the sky over the two characters separated by ideals that fail to meet. The duality of the engine's blast, in the way it represented 2 different aspirations, brought the film to a ponderous end, which, thankfully does not place a judgement on who or rather which aspiration is right.

Written by Jeremy Sing

'Hi, I'm an engineer' by Melvyn Lim - part of the CREATE Film Festival

2011-12-15T00:16:00.001+08:00

Many guys would have fallen for the insurance agent as well. She appears in immaculate make-up, perfectly-tamed hair and sharpness of manner that commands not just attention but the skipping of a beat in any hot-blooded male. But she appears in the wrong scheme of things. This after all is a film that extols the virtues of the engineering profession, commissioned under http://createtomorrow.com.sg - an initiative to get more people to choose engineering?

‘Hi, I’m an engineer’ by ad agency veteran, Melvyn Lim, presents a beauty parade of women in the context of a speed dating session. The protagonist, Khai, meets a bevy of women, each attractive in her own genre, in hope of meeting someone he could take home. Well, as the agenda dictates, you know he’s going to take home an engineer for sure and she will be the last to appear. But the thrill in watching the film is seeing how he brushes up to the other women in the sequence and the director’s deliberate setup of a guessing game for the audience.

There is the hesitant teacher-like Susan who thinks engineers never leave construction sites. There is of course our dragon lady of insurance. Then, there was almost a footsying brush with Miss Glamour-Puss. Then, I cannot understand how someone can say 'I like lawyers', of no offence to my lawyer friends but that statement seemed a little contrived. Of course, Ling provided the happy ending being the sweet, sensible civil engineering girl who would also fit right into an MOE be-a-teacher ad.

The visual profiling of the women kind of reminds of the pointedness of advertisement messaging, where little room for interpretation can be afforded. But the stroke that makes this film engaging despite the pointed messaging is the use of word tags that replace the presence of any dialogue. The word tags are like speech clouds, which echo what the characters are thinking and saying. The choice of singular words add a sense of mystery and keeps the audience guessing. While Citibank reigns as the pioneer of the use of text labelling in its famous 'price tags' advertisement, this film brings tagging to another level. My only complaint is some of the tags are too telling, spoon-feeding the audience with who's right and who's wrong for him.

Written by Jeremy Sing

Catch the other films in the CREATE Film Festival here.

By the way, engineer or not, the lad playing the guy's got a bright dating future ahead of him. Check out this Razor TV video.

Your thoughts about Sinema Old School to go into a documentary

2011-12-14T12:20:00.004+08:00

JD Chua (currently based in LA) and Aaron Ng, both Singaporean filmmakers, are out to make a tribute documentary on Sinema Old School, given that Old School will son be torn down.

If you've ever sat on the cushy red sofas of Sinema Old School watching some of the best local short and feature films, if you have ever chilled in the 'hill-top sanctuary of a place that's Old School, if you have something to say about losing this equivalent of an artist's quarter, please email your thoughts to the directors. They will go into the documentary.

It can be:
What you like about Sinema Old School
What will you miss about Sinema Old School
Memories or stories about Sinema Old School
And it does not have to be long.
Please email them to chuajd@gmail.com with the heading Sinema Old School. If featured, the filmmakers might ask if the contributor can be featured in the doc.

Marking a mark before it goes

How it looked before the red cushy sofas filled the room

Voices will continue to echo

The team behind Sinema Showoff poses for their swansong screening

This project is produced under Ground Glass Images and supported by Nicholas Chee, Founder of Sinema Old School and SINdie.

ShoutOUT!: Open call for Young Filmmakers and their works to travel to UK

2011-12-14T10:42:00.000+08:00

Singapore Contemporary Young Artists (SCYA) has an open call for WEYA (World Event Young Artist) for participants and works to travel to Nottingham, UK in September 2012.

They are currently looking for Film-makers, Visual Artists & Spoken Word Poets to submit their best works from now till the deadline 20th Jan 2012.

SCYA is the official partner for WEYA (World Event Young Artist) 2012 and host for this Open Call for aspiring young film makers, visual artists and poets from ages 18 to 30 years old. This will be an exciting opportunity for artists to be showcased and to represent Singapore in an international and prestigious setting! For more details, please visit our website or facebook page.

Production Talk with Michelle Chong on the already selling-fast 'Already Famous'

2011-12-13T16:20:00.001+08:00

9 years ago, actress Michelle Chong wrote a movie script with the aim to give herself an opportunity in acting. 9 years on, Michelle, 'already famous' from 'The Noose' has still held on to that dream and has finally brought it to life. That movie is 'Already Famous'.

With the movie already selling like hotcakes and having crossed the half a million USD mark, Michelle must be pleased she kept the script somewhere in between hundreds of call sheets over the 9 years.

Michelle spends a moment with SINdie to share some of her thoughts on the movie and answers some of our burning questions.

Synopsis

The place, Yong Peng, a small town in Malaysia. The girl, Lim Ka Kiao, aka Ah Kiao. Ah Kiao sells televisions, but she wants to be on television and adores the likes of Zoe Tay and Fann Wong.

We follow Ah Kiao's journey across the causeway as she sets out to fulfill her dreams of becoming a star in Singapore, A story of hopes and dreams, Already Famous is not just about the trials and tribulations of making it in showbiz, but also a message of truth and heart to anyone who's ever wished upon a star.

***

Congratulations on your directorial debut! Why did you decide to embark on the difficult journey of directing a feature film?

Thank you! Because I could not imagine anyone else telling my story, and I had limited budget, so I decided to do most things myself.

I understand this was a story you have been harbouring to tell, what inspired the story?

Being in the industry inspired the story. The promises, the rejections, the frivolity and careless of people in positions of power inspired me.

How much of Ah Kiao was in you about 10 years ago?

I was as passionate and enthusiastic and determined as Ah Kiao, but I had better dress sense. I think.

If I am not wrong, I saw you playing a cameo in a Malaysian accent as well in Eating Air, was that beginning of the making of 'Ah Kiao' the character?

No you are not wrong. I played Porsche Zeh Zeh in Eating Air, but other than both of them having the same nationality, they are completely different.

How long did you take from script to wrapping the shoot?

As I wrote the script 10 years ago, I would say 10 years then, ala Wong Kar Wai. No, I'm kidding. I took about 1 week to write the script, and then forgot about it for years, the pre-production took about a month and I wrapped filming in 20 days, so I would say the total amount of actual time spent on the project till wrapping of the shoot would be about 2 months. Editing and post-production took about another 2 months.

What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in producing this?

The most challenging thing is getting people to believe in your project: From the crew to the wardrobe designer to sponsors, investors, distributors and cinema operators.

The trailers showed you multi-tasking between directing, acting and possibly even producing, in a film where you manage so many characters, how did you juggle all these? (watch this video to get an idea of what we mean)

I had a very good team of people working with me. They lightened my workload a lot!

How was it like trying to get Alien Huang to become a 'localised' boy-next-door?

He didn't really have to be very "local" since he's playing a Taiwanese in the movie, but he had to look at home in the coffeeshop. That was no problem, since that was the only place he hung out at during his first 4 days of shoot. He only appears in 2 places in the movie, 80% in the coffeeshop, and once at a movie theatre.

What's your personal favourite scene in the movie? Why?

Oh I have so many! The scene where all the neighbours in the Kampung gather around to watch me on TV is one of my favourites, because everything just worked out for the best, the technicality of doing that scene was challenging, and I had to convince my team the shots would work, and everyone's acting is very natural, including that of the extras. Watching that scene always moves me because the extras are SO good! Its them, and Jalyn and James (the actors who play my family) who made the scene funny and sad at the same time. The sound design and camerawork for that scene is well done too, so kudos to the whole team!

Any plans to turn one of The Noose characters into a feature film as well?

Ha, I have some ideas but Mediacorp owns rights to these characters, not me. There'll be some negotiation to do, if I really want to use the Noose characters for a feature film.

Would you want to be another Sylvia Chang (a famous actress-turned-director)?

No, I would like to be another Will Smith.

***

Catch Already Famous at all major cinemas at selected timings now!
Check out their Facebook Page here for more scoops and photos.
Finally enjoy this cute behind-the-scenes video on the film!

Production Talk on 'Godaizer' - an animation short by Hillary Yeo

2011-12-13T00:40:00.003+08:00

Hillary Yeo, a fulltime lecturer in Animation Art programme in Lasalle College of the Art has won the First prize at Digicon Singapore for his animation short film, Godaizer. And it will be screened at the upcoming Siggraph Asia 2011 in Hong Kong this coming 13-15 Dec. We catch up with Hillary behind the scenes on this production.

Synopsis

An independent computer animated short about a robot repair warehouse run by a old man and his grandson where old decommissioned giant robot Godaizer is kept.

When a giant monster is awoken, its time for Godaizer to rise again and defeat it. But at what cost is it going to take to take down the monster?

***

What inspired you to make this short? Why the choice of robots in a nostalgic heartlandish setting?

I loved watching Ultraman, Godzilla and other Japanese cartoons featuring super robots during my growing up years in Singapore and these formed the foundation of my interest in animation. Other movies such as Karate Kid (1984 original with Pat Morita), Cinema Paradiso and the old Cantonese kungfu movies are also the inspirations behind Godaizer.

I wanted to project the feeling of poignancy and nostalgia by basing the story context on mighty giants locked up in a lonely warehouse, forgotten and neglected by the current generation. I used to travel on the highways in Malaysia and see these huge fields, old abandoned buildings and kampong houses and be struck by how much character there are in these places. These sights and memories subsequently became part of my personal references.

Are you partly inspired by transformers and Real Steel?

Actually, no. J Real Steel was not even made when I started on the project.

How long did it take for you to make this? It looked very elaborate?

From the initial idea conceptualisation right up to the final sound and music mix, it took the team and I almost four years.

What was the most painstaking part of the making process? What were the challenges you faced?

The most painstaking part was coming up with a believable emotional connection between the grandfather and the grandson. Especially one that both the Western and Asian audience can relate to. Benjamin Chee (Editor/Storyboard artist) and I really struggled behind the scenes to come up with the rationale and motivations for both characters to live with each other, and hint at their personal sacrifices.

Other challenges include dealing with the logistics and manpower.

For a start, we had to look for a studio space to work in, which proved to be very difficult. I was renting a small shophouse space (about the size of a bedroom) until my current bosses at Lasalle College of the Arts, Wolfgang Muench and Christopher Shaw, kindly extended the offer of complimentary studio space at the College to me, while I teach part-time.

The other challenge was raising sufficient funds to pay the guys that worked on the project. Although I was very fortunate to have received funding support from the Media Authority of Singapore, I still had to come up with a substantial balance to fund the project.

Despite the fact that some of my team members were only student interns or fresh graduates then, I wanted to be fair by paying them. I had also wanted to give them an opportunity to work on something that they could add to their resume/portfolio. At the same time, I had to supervise and guide them to ensure that the quality of their animation was up to standard.

We had to work at creating numerous digital models, props and background paintings and translate them into 18 minutes of story-boarding and animation. Thankfully, the hand-picked team that worked on the project were all competent at what they do.

The art direction is meticulous and the attention to visual details is noticeable, could you elaborate more on the work done in this aspect, how did you create the look?

Basically, you try to treat everything as a character. The prop, the background, the environment, the robot etc are all characters. And you have to design and create these characters and give them their history. Where they have been, how they have aged and do they fit in that era etc.

We also had many photo references. As I had grew up in a kampong environment, it also allowed me to know how things were supposed to look and feel. I also traveled to different garages in Singapore and overseas to look at their layouts. The mechanical designs were based on existing robotics designs.

Most of the time, I have a rough idea in my mind. And these methodical researches sort of fill in the gaps and crystalise the look that I am going for.

Of course, having Ray Toh (www.raytoh.com) onboard as a concept designer was a god-send. Being of similar age, we both grew up knowing that genre. He understood the visual look immediately and was able to be spot-on on the aesthetic style pretty much from the very beginning.

Is there any reason why you chose not to have dialogue in the film?

I have always loved the idea of being able to tell a story without having to use words, where everything is shown or implied and not “in your face” via exposition dialog.

I took it upon myself as a personal challenge to tell the story and portray the relationships purely through the visuals.

How do you feel about winning the award?

Elated! I had the privilege to go to Tokyo to receive my award and be hosted by the gracious folks from TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System). There, I was able to absorb the energy and beauty of Tokyo, eat lots of ramen, drink awesome beer and buy many art books.

On a serious note, I was glad to obtain a better understanding of the workings of the animation industry there. I also met Gareth Edwards, the British film director of the independent sci-fi film Monsters, and upcoming Godzilla reboot. We chatted and he shared with me the struggles he underwent to be where he is today.

What advice do you frequently give your students on making an animation film?

Understand the intention of making the short film. The earlier you know what it is you want, the more time you have to get it done. If it is to find a job as an animator then a simple, short and well-executed animation that showcases your abilities is the way to go. If you want to develop your skills as story teller, then the challenge is to establish a balance whereby the audience can identify or relate to your short in some aspect and be drawn to it.

Singapore animation films are few and far in between, what kind of local animation content would you love to see here?

That is a really hard question. But I would say appealing content that is created with honest story telling as the prime motivation and investment. One should not have a risk adverse mindset and create a piece of work with unoriginal characters and a cookie-cutter plot, in hope that the mass audience will buy it.

You can view his full animation short via this link

You can also view the official website for his animation short via this link

Hillary is now a full-time lecturer in the Animation Art programme at Lasalle College of the Arts. He is also working on his next animated short. Read more about him and his works on his blog at: www.hilscreate.blogspot.com

Man-handling the LomoKino at the opening of the 1st Lomography Gallery Store in Singapore

2011-12-08T23:21:00.000+08:00

That's me, Jeremy, getting my hands on this wicked toy called the LomoKino. It is an analogue film camera that can create awesome flicks like this:

Street Surfer - LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.

You can also get your itchy fingers to test it out at Singapore's first Lomography Gallery Store, newly opened at 295 South Bridge Road. It is the second largest Lomography Gallery store in Asia. The same stores are found in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, London, Paris, New York and Rio.

As mentioned before, Lomography has tied up with SINdie to launch a special filmmaking challenge. To make a short funky film clips using the LomoKino. And you can take home the LomoKino.

Here is how to take part in the contest and win the LomoKino:

1. Think of a 3 min film you would make with a Lomokino.
2. Send us a photo and an accompanying line of text what your Lomokino film will be about.
3. Send it to promotion.sg@lomography.com
4. The best 10 entries will be loaned a LomoKino to produce their film.
5. The films will be screened at a Lomography x SINdie film workshop at Lomography Gallery Store where the best 2 will be picked at a live judging to win a Lomokino they can keep forever!

Lomography will provide guidance to the 10 finalists on using the camera to shoot their films.

Prizes

1st Prize: LomoKino + 3 packs of film. He/she will also get to be a Lomo Amigo.
2nd Prize: LomoKino
8 Runner up Prizes: Lomography button badge set + 10 Piggies (store credit in our online store; 1 Piggy = 1 USD)

Meanwhile, check out photos here from the store opening today (8 Dec)...

It is heartwarming to know crowded stores and queues are not the sole property of iphone shops and boutiques like Uniqlo and H&M. Singaporeans have a life!

Yes, there are special lenses that can help enhance your works

They are becoming like iphone casings

A lucky duo that found 2 of just 5 seats in the whole shop

'Coloured water makes me happy'

The Singapore LomoWall - literally more than 1,000 lomo pictures depicting scenes of Singapore

Imagine stop-motion Lomographs - that's what the LomoKino does

Bling Bling Diana!

I am taking this home!

The pair behind the LomoKino Contest - Jeremy (SINdie) and Shuyun (Lomography)

Ew! Pink Soil makes off-colour worth a second look

2011-12-08T00:50:00.000+08:00

BARTIMAEUS" by Martin Hong

This short investigates the idea of television and reality, confrontation both onscreen and offscreen. Is the lens an aperture of truth or merely a blinding decoy?

Deflowering unfamiliar, off-color and curious video works from young and talented Singaporean artists. 'Ew! Pink Soil', a mini film festival under SEED, premiered new works from Daniel Hui, Martin Hong, Nelson Yeo and favourites from Loo Zihan and the Zhuang Brothers. 'Ew! Pink Soil' is a film program curated by Wesley Leon Aroozoo as part of SEED: A Series of Underground Art. Held over 1 and 2 Dec, the films all embodied the 'unusual'. Perhaps even the word 'alternative' may be an under-description.

The programme had been curated by Wesley Leon Aroozoo, himself a proponent or flagbearer of the 'strange' category of films, having made shorts like Pak and Sons Travel and Peep. Wesley graduated from Nanyang Technological University and is now pursuing his Master of Fine Arts at NYU Tisch Asia. He is part of 13 Little Pictures, a film collective in Singapore and as well as Studio Thirteen, a collective of visual artists, writers, curators and educators based at the Goodman Arts Centre.

The underground art festival didn't look too underground with the gold opulent interiors and is that bright spark a chandelier?

The list of films screened included:

Two Fingers Imitating Legs Walking by Wesley Leon Aroozoo / 8 mins

Absurdism by Bani Haykal / 6 mins

BARTIMAEUS by Martin Hong / 5 mins

My Faminely by Ang Geck Geck / 4 mins

No Images by Daniel Hui / 8 mins

3: 33 by Nelson Yeo/ 8 mins

BIRTHREBIRTH by Kiyoko Mori / 3 mins

VOID : ECK by Ruyi Wong / 2 mins

Sleep by Benjamin Cheah / 5 mins

Fresh by Ashish Ravinran / 15 minutes

Embryo by Loo Zihan / 6 minutes

Warped by Marlisa Rosli / 5 mins

The Dreamer by Ng Yi Qin / 3 mins

Contained by Henry and Harry Zhuang / 5 mins

Prenominal Modifiers by Amos Yee / 1 min

Bomeo and Juliet by Amos Yee / 2 mins

About Anna by Esmonde Luo / 7 mins

The Zhuang twin brothers get all tactile when talking about stop-motion animation

Wesley Leon Aroozoo (in black T-shirt) attends to a fan of his film

Class excursion? Or Class Reunion?

Sidetracking was part of the main act

'Glad my Mohawk is getting the attention.'

Girl caught in between members of the Justin Bieber fan club

SINdie writer Vicki Yang gets busy on her tweets after the event

ShoutOUT!: Make a short film and get it aired on Syfy channel across Asia

2011-12-07T00:28:00.000+08:00

Entertainment channel Syfy is giving young filmmakers in Asia the chance to explore into the far reaches of their imagination. The imagination-driven brand which brings to Asia exclusive programming in the science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and adventure genres, announced that they are organising a short film competition to look for up-and-coming talents in the region.

Dubbed as ‘Syfy Shorts’, this is the first time the entertainment channel is extending to its viewers in Asia a chance at showcasing their works on television prime time. The competition bids interested parties to submit an original five-minute film that is of science fiction, paranormal, adventure and fantasy genres, staying true to the Syfy brand. To further the challenge, participants have to incorporate the channel’s theme of ‘Imagine Greater’, either as part the storyline or dialogue.

Renowned industry personalities will join Syfy as part of a jury to determine which entries will make the cut. The panel comprises Singaporean filmmaker and director Eric Khoo, Managing Director of award- winning visual effects and animation studio Infinite Frameworks, Mike Wiluan, Taiwanese Director Lin Yu-Hsien and Syfy’s VP of SEA Channels, David Gunson.

Syfy Shorts aims to provide a platform for fresh talent to get recognised for their creativity within their community and industry. Syfy will be hosting the competition on-air and online (www.syfyuniversal.asia). Deadline for submission of entries is 31st December 2011 at midnight. Selected Syfy Shorts’ submissions will be aired on Syfy across Asia.

shnit International Shortfilmfestival (Out of Curiosity: Sinema Showoff! Rojak)

2011-12-06T22:21:00.001+08:00

The Sinema Showoff! curatorial team recently screened a selection of local shorts as part of shnit International Shortfilmfestival. This marks their virgin stab at collaborating with an internationally acclaimed film festival. Some of the shorts have already been reviewed here before, so I've chosen to review the one that left the strongest impression on me.

Love In Any Genre (Directed by Suffain Zain)

Love In Any Genre is part romantic comedy, part parody, and an absolute riot - funny, charming, imaginative. Reminiscent of some of the comedy sketches by Youtube superstars like Kevjumba and Niga Higa, there is an attention to detail - the colouring, the costumes - that distinguishes the film from its internet counterparts.

The film comprises of four segments, each featuring the same pair of lovers, in the vein of the Hollywood, Bollywood, Korean and Malay film genres. While indeed reminiscent of a run-of-the-mill Youtube video parody, there is a strange heart to the film, despite it ostentatiously poking fun at the different genres; in essence, it has weight as both a romantic comedy and a parody. By carefully attending to the details of conventions in the genres it spoofs, the film also shows an ironic reverence to them. When it could have all too easily devolved into a cynical, tasteless mockery of genres - and don't get me wrong, it is still a parody, no doubt, but with more sweetness and less revulsion - its final message that love is an universal language ends up validating all the absurdities of the different genres it spoofs.

I liked that it is also alert to the bewildering phenomenon of the Korean pop culture wave; people all over the world who don't even understand the language- Americans, Europeans, South-east Asians - are getting hooked onto Korean drama and pop music, and here in Singapore there is a growing number of Malay people who are riding on the K-drama wave.

Review: Already Famous

2011-12-01T21:24:00.009+08:00

It was like a strange disease: Just a few months ago, this reviewer was religiously visiting YouTube to hunt down video clips of local TV star Michelle Chong’s impersonations of a Filipino maid, a Sarong Party Girl (more affectionately known as SPG-er) and a Mainland Chinese KTV bar hostess. Yes, if you hadn’t been living in a cave, you’d be familiar with Leticia Bongnino’s hilarious encounters with her “boi boi”, Barbarella “something something”’s stories as the president of the SPG-ers, and Lulu’s advice to Singaporeans to “hei sio hei sio” like the pandas in China. Oh, how can we forget Adrianna Wow’s pretentious newscaster’s accent?

This was how wildly successful Chong was in the weekly parody news bulletin The Noose – she got the island talking about her side splitting performances on the small screen. Viewers had to wait for seven painful days before seeing what she had in store. In the meantime, they (at least that was the case for this, err, very free columnist) could only survive on what YouTube had to offer.

So it is without a doubt that this movie is highly anticipated. Some time ago, Chong announced that she was going to take some time off to be the scriptwriter, the director, as well as the main lead for this production. Could this be the funniest local movie of the year? Would fans be hungry for more after first viewings? Are Singaporeans going to lap this up like how they tracked down Chong’s YouTube clips?

The story itself sounds promising enough: A girl from a small town in Malaysia yearns to be a TV star in Singapore. She comes to our little island against all odds and finds herself in the not so kind situation called showbiz. What’s a movie without a love story? Here, she meets a kopi boy (who somehow happens to be from Taiwan to accommodate Taiwanese host Alien Huang’s casting) and, well, sparks fly between the two. You can also bet a happy ending is in store for the girl from, of all places, Yong Peng.

Chong playing a girl with a Malaysian accent? We are sold. There are lots of potential in the movie, with sly references to the trend of actors from across the causeway enjoying success in Singapore. One would expect a commentary on local showbiz, with laugh a minute gags to have you in stitches. However, due to a probable case of mismatched expectations, the 118 minute movie wasn’t a hoot as we thought it would be.

Chong’s movie starts off earnestly enough, but eventually meanders into a predictable and sometimes directionless tale about a small town girl making it big in an unkind city. There are the occasional jokes which manage to make audiences chuckle (thanks to performances by who we assume are Chong’s good friends in the industry), but they seem somewhat incoherent and rambling in the bigger scheme of things. A likeable Huang tries his best to portray the boy next door, but ends up appearing bland and uninteresting next to his more entertaining co stars.

Watch out for appearances by a slew of familiar faces and some behind the scene celebrities. Of course, like many other local productions, expect product placement to be blatantly thrown in your face.

To be fair, viewers who are familiar with local TV would have an enjoyable time catching the crafty jokes littered throughout the movie. Gossips and scandals on Caldecott Hill, anyone? The picture would also appeal to those who have tried their hands at being an extra on a local drama serial. If we were to take a step back to empathise with their woes, we would probably appreciate this movie more.

Chong’s efforts are apparent from the decent production values of the movie, and the hard work put into producing her labour of love can be felt, which may just be the point of what the story is trying to tell us.

The movie trailer is quite a hoot though - check it out here:

Reviewed by John Li
Source: MovieXclusive.com

Shoot Your Own Lomokino Movie and take the Lomokino home too!

2011-11-27T18:58:00.000+08:00

Lomography and SINdie co-present a new filmmaking challenge – Shoot your own Lomokino Movie!

Just in case you don't already know. The Lomokino a real film camera that with give Lomography enthusiasts another reason to get busy. Filmmaking buffs will also love its rich visuals and analog feel. Check out our previous posting on the camera and what it can do!

Just to refresh, here is how LomoKino looks like:

LomoKino - Short from Lomography on Vimeo.

And here is an example of what it can make.

Salvation Mountain - LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.

How to take part in the contest and win the LomoKino:

1. Think of a 3 min film you would make with a Lomokino.
2. Send us a photo and an accompanying line of text what your Lomokino film will be about.
3. Send it to promotion.sg@lomography.com
4. The best 10 entries will be loaned a LomoKino to produce their film.
5. The films will be screened at a Lomography x SINdie film workshop at Lomography Gallery Store where the best 2 will be picked at a live judging to win a Lomokino they can keep forever!

Deadline for entries: 11 Dec, Sunday

Lomography will provide guidance to the 10 finalists on using the camera to shoot their films.

Prizes

1st Prize: LomoKino + 3 packs of film. He/she will also get to be a Lomo Amigo.
2nd Prize: LomoKino
8 Runner up Prizes: Lomography button badge set + 10 Piggies (store credit in our online store; 1 Piggy = 1 USD)

For more information on the Lomokino, check out the following links:
http://microsites.lomography.com/lomokino/
http://asia.shop.lomography.com/lomokino

Send us your entries NOW!

Production Talk - Red Numbers by Dom Ow

2011-11-27T11:29:00.014+08:00

How lucky are you, or are you not? That's the question Red Numbers asks. The story revolves around a guy who, according to a fengshui master, only three lucky minutes in his miserable life. His fortune is wrapped up with a greedy family whose grandfather holds the key to the winning combination in the 4D lottery. Three minutes, four numbers, a lot of money - or maybe not.

Red Numbers was originally conceived by director, Dom Ow based on conversations with bookies about Ang Zi (Hokkien for red numbers) or popular betting numbers. It was re-written by writer-producer Koh Teng Liang in early 2011. Shot in April/May 2011, Red Numbers features an eclectic and exciting ensemble cast comprising Singapore TV veterans such as Chen Su Cheng, Hong Hui Fang and Edmund Chen, up and coming stage and screen talents, a real fengshui master, and a first-time actor who scored a major role on his first ever audition. Photographed, production designed and coloured in the style of magical realism, Red Numbers hopes to be a very different Singapore film, with a little bit of luck.

We speak with Dom and find out why the former army regular took the big step to become a filmmaker.

*****************************************************************************************

Tell us about the experience of switching from an lieutenant colonel to a filmmaker. What inspired the change in industry?

I have always loved films and filmmaking. I made my first sync-sound slide show when I was 14 (sigh yes…I’m that old). I remember desperately trying to control my bladder until the intermission when I saw Ghandi at the movie theatre. Practical concerns took over when I grew up and I signed on in the military but not before I had a great education where I majored in film. After spending more than decade as a soldier, I felt it was time to pursue the dream I had as a kid or lose it forever. So I took that big step…

Does the label of a “first time feature filmmaker” bother you? How so?

Not at all. First of all, it’s factually correct. Second, every film director who’s credible or significant had to make his or her first feature. And thirdly, the label actually affords you some advantages. I think the cast and crew seemed that little bit more patient with me when they knew it was my first feature.

How much do you believe in the concept of feng shui and luck? How has it shaped your life?

I believe there is a force bigger than all of us that influences our lives and our world. To some that may be God, to others fengshui, but in the end, we might all say, “some things were meant to happen.” I also believe that there is a balance and harmony in life and in the environment. Some people say that it’s fengshui to place objects in a certain way or to create buildings a certain way. I guess some other people would just call it good taste.

What were the easiest and most challenging aspects of making this film? Were there any memorable experiences that you’d like to share?

Easy? There are no easy aspects of making a film. A film production is a recipe for disaster and it’s really a modern day miracle that films actually get made. I think for me, what was particularly challenging was working with a large ensemble cast, none of whom I had worked with before, and trying to appreciate very quickly, their strengths, weaknesses, motivations and quirks so that I could create the right environment for them to perform.

How was it like working with veteran actors like Chen Shu Cheng, Hong Huifang and Edmund Chen? How would you rate their performances?

I have nothing but respect for the veteran actors like Sucheng, Huifang and Edmund. First of all, it’s not easy being an actor, to put yourself out there to be judged all the time. But I think what I admired most about them were the professional values they brought to the set day in day out. They were always on time, knew their lines, studied their characters, had their energy levels up, and were ready with constructive suggestions to improve theirs and everyone else’s performances. If their performances were anything less than top notch, audiences can put it down to my direction.

On the other end, you are also working with a first-time actor. What was the experience like working with him?

Rubing was a first-time actor but he was a natural. There are some things you can learn in acting school or through experience: diction, hitting your marks, cheating for the camera, adapting to direction. He had none of these skills so he had to pick them up quickly or we would all have had a heart attack (or killed him) by the end of day 2. But when I say he was a natural, I mean that he had such a relaxed composure in front of the camera. He didn’t have to psych himself up to perform. After he got over the jitters of the first day, he simply walked on and became the character.

How is this film different from the many other local productions out there?

I think many local productions try to tell realistic, gritty tales or they (especially the ghost stories) are filmed in a realistic, gritty way. Red Numbers, I feel, is “unreal”. The story is a crazy caper and the film is shot, production designed and coloured in the style of magical realism. You won’t be coming away from this movie saying, “Ah, this looks exactly like my life,” or “That’s what happened to me today!”

What do you hope viewers take away after the end credits roll?

I think many viewers, particularly Singaporeans, take their 4D gambling very seriously. Without giving too much of the story away, I hope they can walk away, have a laugh at themselves, and not take their punting so seriously.

Why do you think this film is worthy of more people’s attention?

As much as this film is styled in magical realism, I think it reflects the interesting contrasts of Singapore today. Here I am, essentially an English-educated guy making a Mandarin feature. We have a very educated population whose students win the Math Olympiad but whose gamblers also believe that some 4D numbers have a greater probability of winning than others. We have scenes of the modern iconic Flyer but also icons of the past like the Bukit Brown cemetery and Rochor Centre. We have Chinese characters who don’t speak Mandarin and Chinese characters who can’t speak any dialects on screen or off. I think if you took a step back after watching Red Numbers, you just might find yourself saying, this is a little strange, but it is Singapore.

After a number of grueling months making this film, do you foresee yourself making more films? What’s in store next?

I definitely see myself making more films. From the perspective of survival, every first-time feature filmmaker must try to be good enough so they can get a second shot. There are few Tarantinos in the real world. If Malcolm Gladwell believes 10,000 hours is what it takes to become an expert, then that is what every starting filmmaker must appreciate the journey entails. I hope audiences see enough merit in Red Numbers to let me make my second feature. In the meantime, I’m busy making the second season of Every Singaporean Son. Ah…documentary work, that’s another interview altogether…

More information about Red Numebers can be found on the film's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/rednumbersmovie

Cine65 Winners Roll

2011-11-24T14:35:00.004+08:00

Announcing the winners of ciNE65 2011!

Congratulations to all the winners and may your future filmmaking endeavours be as successful!

Open Category Awards	Student Category Awards
Overall Best Film (Winner: “The Team”) Cash Prize $3,000 + Sony NXCAM NEX-FS100E worth $9,800 + Trophy	Overall Best Film (Winner: “Homebound”) Cash Prize $3,000 + Sony 3D Handycam HDR-TD10E worth $2,999 + Trophy Learning Trip + Submission to regional Film Festival
Best Direction (Winner: “Home”) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299	Best Direction (Winner: “Long Ride Home”) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299
Best Editing (Winner: “The Team”) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299	Best Editing (Winner: “Homebound”) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299
Best Screenplay (Winner: You Can Take The Boy Out of Singapore…) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299	Best Screenplay (Winner: Why Do I Keep Ticking?) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299
Best Sound Design (Winner: “Walking”) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299	Best Sound Design (Winner: Year of Independence) Cash Prize $500 + Sony HD Handycam with Projector worth $1,299

A Visit to Sinema TV at the soon to be demolished Old School

2011-11-24T14:28:00.000+08:00

SinemaTV is an alternative YouTube channel started by the folkd at Sinema and they feature a range of videos that cover a spectrum of topics across film, art, lifestyle, fashion, music and even ghosts! They are 'Exclusively Singaporean. Strictly alternative.', as their tagline says. SINdie pays them a visit at the soon-to-be-demolished Old School where they produce all their glossy, thoughtful videos.

If you have something you want to see on TV, tell them. SinemaTV is interested to create content that you (yes you!) want to watch. SinemaTVSG has no official website just yet but do follow them on Twitter @sinematvsg !

www.youtube.com/user/SinemaTVSG

Michelle Cheong's 'Already Famous' Gala Premiere

2011-11-23T13:51:00.001+08:00

The much awaited Gala Premiere of Already Famous was held yesterday, 22 November at The Cathay. Level 5 of The Cathay was packed with eager fans who were waiting for their idols’ stage appearance. First up on stage were the cameos, Nat Ho, Li Teng, Ho Ailing, Cynthia Koh (who plays an auntie!) and Patricia Mok who shared their experiences working with Michelle on the film Already Famous. Then the male lead, Alien Huang and female lead/director/scriptwriter Michelle Chong made their appearance on stage to greet their fans before going around to 8 halls to greet the guests who were invited to Already Famous gala premiere.

The cameo cast of Nat Ho, Li Teng, Ho Ailing, Cynthia Koh (who plays an auntie) and Patricia Mok

The cast revealed their dirty on-set secrets

Welcoming an 'Alien' in numbers

The dress theme for the evening was Charlie Chaplin's 'Hard Times'

Michelle has her share of male fan too

Charles Dickens would be proud

Michelle, woman of many hats, looks for a moment 'a little getai' here with her bouquet and her hat-obsessed duet partner

See the trailer here!

Review: 2359

2011-11-21T21:11:00.016+08:00

It was something just waiting to happen, wasn’t it? All those years reading chapter after chapter about haunted army camps in Russell Lee’s “True Singapore Ghost Stories”, all those nights listening to supernatural tales narrated by friends who have enlisted in the armed forces before us, all those moments scaring ourselves silly during guard duty shifts – it all led to this. A feature film about an army ghost story which boys (who have since become men) can identify with.

So it’s only natural that this columnist is curious to find out whether writer-director Gilbert Chan’s debut feature film will send chills down his spine. After all, this self-declared fearless mortal did his part of serving the nation more than 10 years ago. This just means that he did his national service on a five-and-a-half-day week, and beat this – lower allowance. Most importantly, he had slept in one of those run-down bunkers which can easily let your imagination run amok.

Chan’s script tells the story of a group of army recruits staying on an island which is supposedly haunted by an insane woman who died at 23:59. A cowardly soldier claims that the spirit has been visiting him every night. The next thing his fellow recruits know, he is found dead after a route march. Strange things continue happening, and the soldiers’ worst fears come true.

Conceptually, this story does have a lot of potential to scare the hell out of local audiences (especially those who have served their national service offshore). Who isn’t afraid of that strange old lady who appears at the door every time you open your eyes in the middle of the night? Who isn’t freaked out by that strange noise emitting from the bushes whenever you patrol the camp with your buddy? And aren’t you damn sure that there is a pair of eyes watching over you as you leopard crawl through the twigs and branches?

Rated PG13 for horror theme and disturbing scenes, this movie won’t be the scariest picture you would see. Chan tries a little too hard to set up the frights, and although there are a few effective shocks, they are few and far between. Besides the fact these moments come across as cheap scares, what you’d get from a large part of the 78-minute production are soldiers looking disturbed, frightened and anxious.

Headlined by local comedian Mark Lee who does his best to inject some light-hearted moments in the otherwise dreary movie, the decently-produced flick also stars Malaysian stars Henley Hii and Josh Lai. The two good-lookers are convincing as army boys (it’s amazing what a shaved head can do to your acting), but the show is stolen by, err, a badly deformed girl who creeps out from the corner to shock the hell out of unknowing audiences.

That said, marks go the makeup team for creating such a hideous creature. Also, the production values of this averagely-rated movie aren’t too bad. From location scouting and art direction to cinematography and sound design, the team deserves commendation. Maybe it’s just a case of this demanding (and ahem, fearless) columnist who does not know (yet!) the true meaning of fear.

Here's a creepy theatrical trailer to whet your appetite:

A sequel is in the works, and if you have any ghostly experiences to share, write to: 2359_sequel@cloverfilms.com.sg, and you may see your nightmares translated on screen!

Reviewed by John Li

'One Sunny Morning' by BK Lim

2011-11-21T00:21:00.001+08:00

Many people 'took away' with them the clowns walking out of One Sunny Morning, BK Lim's award winning short film. It defies narrative logic and realism and creates an obvious mental node for the audience. For fans of art-house cinema, they will find the visual a familiar reference. In Michaelangelo Antonioni's iconic Blow Up. a troupe of mime actors perched on a moving lorry arrive at a tennis court and start creating a surreal pandemonium. In One Sunny Morning, a troupe of clown with similar mime make-up hijack protagonist Juan route to work, blurring the lines between realism and expressionism. Quite aptly, BK was quick in defending his off-tangent stroke and seeming act of plagiarism as a tribute to the arthouse films he's been a huge fan of. The stroke hits half the time and misses the other half the time, feeling like strange transplant.

For me, the film resonated on a different frequency. For a first time effort, the actors slid snugly into their well crafted roles. There is Juan, the married man who takes a step off his conventional path and take a chance with a fresh, young, hot-blooded stud he met at the swimming pool. Likewise, Nick, the young stallion at the pool wanders off the muscle-fraternity into mature territory with Juan. Sounds like an HIV prevention ad? Well, kind of, only this one digs deeper into the characters. Indeed, the conversation that follows in the morning after reflects the seasoned eyes of someone who's seen through the traps of relationships. It is intense, yet not psychotically so. Nick is as unsure as much as he is feeling the loss of Juan. Yet, somewhere in between dilemma and loss was room for some humour that lifted the characters beyond being the token halves of a break-up scene.

The film appeared to be a tight and rather successful collaboration between the 2 leads and the director. Keagan Kang and Nicholas Bloodworth. Both actors nailed hue of emotion to near perfection and with economy and restraint despite needing to show how smitten they were by each other. Getting straight actors and a straight director to recreate what is potentially a complex gay relationship is not like novices figuring out how to make explosions look real on screen. It is not rocket science and BK's chosen rather appropriately to address affection as pure affection, with no strings tied to sexuality. One of the best parts of the narrative is exactly its economy - how it chose to 'tag' clues of Juan's married life, how a simple 'I Love You' drew the film to a bittersweet and also disturbing close. The only fissure in the plot could be the difficulty in reconciling how a one night stand can affect young Nick whose vulnerability seems an incredible surprise.

BK mentioned about the circularity in his plot during the Q&A. My first encounter with this film adds special meaning to it. I walked in late, in the middle of Juan and Nick's pensive conversation. It was not difficult to sink fast and deep into their tangle. The film ended with Nick creeping in from behind and whispering the famous three words to Juan. Like a kind of reverse cliffhanger, my payoff came when I stayed for the re-screening of the film and finally saw the opening, making me believe this was one lesson in telling a love story I needed to take home.

Written by Jeremy Sing

One Sunny Morning ( 2011 ) Trailer from BK Lim on Vimeo.

(Back to) First Takes!

2011-11-20T00:56:00.001+08:00

White collars mingle with artists post-screening at First Takes

It's been a long time since I paid the folks at First Takes a visit. We have been partly missing out on the First Takes reviews because some of the films have already been reviewed by us. It is just amazing how First Takes continues to be that stage for new filmmakers to say 'at least we've got a public screening!' And of no judgement to the quality of films selected, First Takes also seems an important platform for certain films that have been subject-driven rather than craft-driven, for the post-screening Q & A also throws up useful dialogue and food for thought.

'Mi Fa So' was one such film. It is a documentary about a blind girl who finds her calling in music and playing the keyboard which she uses a colour code to recognise. Apparently, she can detect variations in light and some colours. She is the eldest of 3 daughters and the film had moments like her younger sisters saying how they try to help big sister that drew a smile on me. However, the film fits into what some would say a TV format - find a gripping topic, interview key players in the story and string them together in a classic 'all sides of the story' documentary, when sometimes, the documentarian would have done himself or herself a favour by asserting a point of view, rather than just presenting an observation. One might also argue the choice of the subject is part of the craft. This is where I must give credit to the filmmaker for finding a blind girl who has a hungrier feistier spirit that people around her. Interestingly, when she proclaimed 'I love you' to her mother in front of the camera, one wonders if she is being expressively herself or her condition has blinded her to the kind of social awkwardness many Asian display, being less comfortable with expressing their love in public, least of all in front of a rolling camera.

Find our earlier-written reviews of some of the other films screened at First Take November.
Homeless in the Heart
Balik Kampung

'Please vote, your vote is secret and we will try to incinerate the ballots at the end of the year.'

Written by Jeremy Sing

Makes movies like these with the new LomoKino!

2011-11-19T20:17:00.002+08:00

For those of you who like the nostalgic or saturated colours of lomo-photographs and wished those images could move, here is something kickass, it is called the LomoKino.

It looks like this.

LomoKino - Short from Lomography on Vimeo.

And it makes movies like this.....on 35mm, no kidding!

Salvation Mountain - LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.

A Sunny Day On The Southbank - LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.

Sea, Smiles and Slides - LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.

Jetsetter - LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.

Street Surfer - LomoKino from Lomography on Vimeo.

Bringing analogue back to the movies with a bang in the 21st century, the LomoKino is a Lomography movie camera that shoots short, creative movies on 35mm film.
t’s here to bring the unpredictable, unique and original qualities of analogue photography that we love back into moviemaking. It’s here to offer you something truly beautiful and authentic – An analogue movie camera that opens up a whole new direction of experimentation and a world of creative possibilities.

And you use it like this:

Load your film
Load the LomoKino with any kind of 35mm film that takes your fancy – Color Negative, Slide, Black and White; the choice is yours

Focus
Shooting a subject over 1m away? You don’t have to do a thing to focus. Want to shoot closer than 1m? Just hold down the close-up button on the front of the camera and you can focus up to 0.6m

Control your aperture
The LomoKino has continuous aperture settings from f/5.6 to f/11 – There is no step between each aperture, so you can effortlessly adjust the aperture setting at any time during shooting

Shoot!
Shooting a movie with the LomoKino is easy – After you’ve loaded your film, just rotate the advancing crank to start making your movie

Wanna know more, check out this website.
http://microsites.lomography.com/lomokino/

And here is the most important bit, YOU can win one of these cameras!

SINdie and Lomography have tied up to co-launch a fun filmmaking challenge for everyone. You get to play with this camera if shortlisted and we have 2 Lomokinos together with other prizes to giveaway! Stay tuned to SINdie for more details!

For more information on Lomography and the Lomokino, check out these sites!

http://microsites.lomography.com/lomokino/

http://asia.shop.lomography.com/lomokino

ShoutOUT!: Fairytales 童话 DVD out in stores

2011-11-19T16:55:00.000+08:00

Fairytales or 童话, a short film by Kelvin Sng is now out in stores. In Fairytales, Jason, Amanda and Guna are three teenagers studying in the same school. On the surface, they are just like any other teenager out there, facing typical challenges of growing up. However, beneath this façade lie rooted issues that have grown too deep for them to handle, causing them to become disillusioned by making choices that lead to disastrous consequences. Nonetheless, the trio soon discovers that no matter how many wrong choices they have made in the past, it is never too late to choose again.

The DVD comes with the following features:

1) Trailer
2) Behind the Scenes
3) Music Video
4) Highlights of Gala Premiere
5) Director’s Statement
6) Photo Gallery
7) Director’s commentary

Available at all major video stores such as Popular CD-RAMA, Gramophone, HMV, Kinokuniya, Poh Kim Video and TS Laser. Grab your copy now!

Trailer of Fairytales

Help to fund a film!

2011-11-16T23:51:00.000+08:00

Three People Films was born in the depths of a cold, dark studio in the basement of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication, NTU, Singapore. They are made up of, *drumroll* 3 people of course! Get to know more about these 3 student filmmakers here.

Score good karma points, help to raise funds for them to produce a short film, Staring at the Sun.

The Thee People Films will create 1 second of film for every $1 you donate above $30. These awesome people are also giving away lots of other goodies including postcards, tshirts, DVDs and personalized posters to say thanks for the support!

Head to http://threepeoplefilms.lizzaeh.com/donate/ to feed the starving student filmmakers!

Chattering up Cine65 - student entries + Predictions!

2011-11-16T12:10:00.000+08:00

Here is part 2 of the Cine65 dialogue between SINdie writers Jeremy and Yizhen. This time, it is the student category. Part 1 of Cine65 dialogue can be read here.

Jeremy: It is interesting to see how people interpret Singapore at this juncture when it is a country that in the middle soooo many changes. I mean the election, more online commentary and all

Yizhen: For sure. proliferation of online channels for people to go to for more sources have changed the scene drastically

J: What's are yr first thoughts on the entries?

Y: I think for the entires this year for cine65 is really impressive. it is interesting to see how different people interpret how they see

Singapore

as home and how they view what are the essential national values. how about u?

J: I see quite a spectrum. The good ones are really good. But there are also mediocre ones that are almost like total defence ads.However, there are no bad ones.... and i must say also that everyone seems to have access to very good quality cameras!

Y: My sentiments exactly!! If it were a few years ago, it'll be harder for people to get good cameras… but i guess that also goes to show how far sg film making has come to

J: Yes. And I bet many were shooting on the all-too-common 5D Mark 2 to give that film and TV ad look. I must also say that some of the student entries were neck and neck with the open professional categories. That being said, of course, students also = film students, not just secondary sch students haha

Y: There was also a primary school entry that got selected!

J: Was it the one with all the boys from the 3 races playing football?

Y: nope, it's "We must ourselves defend Singapore" nominated for best sound design

J: Ah, I remember that, students training in the jungle hahaha

Y: i assume "CCKPS Production" means cChua Chu Kang Primary School Production

Jeremy says: Haha, I did wonder for a while but CCK is a commonly used acronym for Chua Chu Kang in SG!

Y: yeah it is. don't we singaporeans love acronyms?

J: I hate it when people abuse it. And I love it when people use to unintentionally hilarious effect

Y: idea for next year's Sindie national day vid? :p

J: Possible. :) Looking at the student section... Favourite actress? (strange category though considering the little screen time each gets)

Y: yeah, agreed. but i think they judge on how endearing the actresses are to the viewer/judge?

J: Hahaha, that's funny. My fav among the nominees is the mother in why do I keep ticking? She is classic and does not mince her words! I have to say many of the other actors and actresses were more in posey shots.

Y: she is the most natural in front of the camera out of the rest of the nominees and the way she speaks is very relatable as well!

J: Like your mum? Haha

Y: YES

J: So you think she is best actress?

Y: for this category, i personally think its a close fight between Project Home actress and mother from Why Do I Keep Ticking. Si Ling, the little sister delivered her lines pretty well though the screenplay may be a little too staged… have to give credit to her as well, in my opinion.

Project Home

J: In Project Home I preferred the Ah Ma than the girl though :P

Y: haha the last scene when the ahma wiped her tears away got to you right

J: Yah. and I could not tell if the white hair and wrinkles were make up or not, some parts seemed to suggest that lady acting as the Ah Ma was a little younger than the real character.

Y: yeah agreed

J: Moving on, the favourite actor category is interesting. I mean even the Filipino guy in S.I.N.G.A. whi played a bit part got nominated!

Y: hahaha. It is a very interesting choice What's your take on the nominees? my favorite is the prata man how about yours?

J: Not difficult to make that choice, ain't it?

Y: among them all, yeah. he is very genuine when he delivers his lines and is v believable

J: He's the one who makes the most effort and his humour works! He's got such a knack for interacting with characters, especially the small girl

Y: haha yes! and the group of customers when he introduced his Singapore Prata

J: And I bet he did not need to rehearse too much!

Y: why do you say so?

J: He looks like a natural and his interaction with the little girl was a breeze. I think if he needed to rehearse a lot, it would have affected the little girl's performance, esp if she was made to do it over and over again

y: in short, he's a natural actor, somebody hire him already! wait, let him win this category first haha

J: Haha Notice this category is called the 'Favourite Actor' category

Y: so i guess we both agree the prata man should win?

J: not the best actor category. Yes I agree Prata man wins hands down

Y: yeah, so like i said, they are probably choosing actors who are most endearing to the judges not whether they have the longest screen time

J: Like the young in Homebound, he's more like being an eye-candy poster boy than acting his role. And what did you think of Butter Chong, the miniature singer? Haha

Y: true. he can be replaceable with any other good looking boy. i think butter chong is really funny! not bad

J: I would not say funny, but ernest, yes! What do you think of that video actually? The miniatures one?

Y: its cute. both actors really put in a lot of effort with all the exaggeration i think it helped to pump up the MV for some reasons i didn't mind the exaggerated acting for the mv

J: Yeah, I think it works and it is really spirited! But I wished they would cut down on the 'big' guy's reactions shots. We could have done with less repetitions. Made him seem a bit 'acting up'

Y: true but the original song they came up w is really catchy

J: Alright, away with the cynic in me, agree. :P

Y: that MV is not bad, they are nominated in other categories as well!

J: Yes, and I think they deserve to win Best Art Direction! Playing with miniatures, cuts outs, was a nice novel way to represent the over-used icons of Singapore. Sorry, correction , nauseating icons haha

Y: such a cynic! but i did enjoy this very lighthearted take about youths no longer knowing the history of

Singapore

J: Yes, I think overall, it is very novel.

Y: how about cinematography who should win?

J: So you agree that Year of Independence deserves to win Best Art Direction?

Year of Independence

Y: yeah its the most interesting out of the other nominees

J: What's god art direction for you? I mean Year of Independence is an obvious choice, but if we take that out, which one would you have chosen?

Y: I think 2365. You?

J: I guess so. I am puzzled about the nominations of the other entries, they are good in other ways but art directon? Questionable

Y: hmm

2365

J: I have to say 2365 looks too ordinary though, with the best art decision in the film being the choice of using the shot from the inside of the letterbox. It's an ordinary shot but in the context of all that letter writing, that angle I felt adds visual meaning to the film. So much for a camera angle, haha, let's move on to cinematography

Y: haha alright

J: Whats yr choice?

Y: the singapore river. very iconic but then again, its an easy choice to shoot

J: Argh, we need to find one where we disagree! haha! So tell me why this is your favourite?

Y: hahahahah actually i kind of dislike and like the

Singapore

river choice

J: OH! Tell me why?!!!

Y: because the Singapore river location is such an easy location to think about but i believe other students would also shoot the

singapore

rivers as well i really enjoy the beautiful vintage feel or the cinematography

J: Yeah, the smooth and flawless tracking shots bowled me over

Y: the cinematography also works with the narration

J: Yes, the filters...but most importantly, I think the DOP mastered the pacing well

Y: yes

J: and the camera movements were well-timed with the character's reactions and movements

Y: however i found this video very similar to the 2011 SIA commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lto5IomU25k)

Jeremy says: You just hit the nail of what I was about to say! The video definitely very TVC, and even more, it looked strangely familiar

Y: agreed. we seem to be agreeing a lot!

J: I have a complaint about many of the entries. And it kinda shows how some Singaporeans still see Singapore. There is a lack of questioning. Most of the entries are little exercises in taking Singapore at face value and just putting on a rosy set of lenses

Y: then again, this is cine65 is launched by nexus. its a government body and the contest is to help with national education

J: Pretty little works but nothing much to scrape off the film. True

Y: actually i think Homebound could be the only one that might hold a little tinge of doubt from the way it was shot i might over read into this

J: Oh tell me why?

Y: but i feel that in his motion of using photography to capture whatever "essence" he felt he was missing from Singapore

J: What did you see in it?

Y: is kind of a desperate move because, for photography, as well as in film you choose to film what you want to see and in the action of photography, you choose what you already thought you know about

Singapore

or in the case of the boy, who came back from the States after being away from Singapore for a long time, will know much less of what he thinks Singapore is

J: That's an interesting point.

Y: and if you realize he put up a collage of his neighbours and not iconic

Singapore

momentos and when he came back from the army, he was greeted by his neighbors and thats where he calls "home" not, the usual

singapore

locations or icons other entries used

J: It was surreal but it worked for me

Y: and what is unique about this is how the States is similar to

Singapore

in a way that both countries are multiracial an assimilation of cultures when he comes back to

Singapore

, this multiracial aspect is what is similar to

Singapore

so i guess, he still could not clearly identify what is home but then again, i might be reading into too much of such a short clip

J: I must say on my first impression of viewing the film, I did not take too much away from it. In fact, it seemed to be like the boy in Boo Junfeng's Keluar Baris who is rediscovering his country and immediate surroundings, except, being less emotional and cynical about it. BUt it is interesting that you have pointed that it is one of the few films that are tinged with a bit of self-questioning. One favourites appear again in the Best Sound Design nominations - The Year of Independence. What's your take?

Y: i think they should win because of the effort they took to write and compose an original song but not fair because they did a music vid let see the other nominees

J: I agree. This is quite a no-brainer category though I must give special mention to Why Do I keep Tickiing?

Y: agreed

J: I liked it because its simple use of the ticking of the clock synched in well with his race to finish his 'Singapore All-Star Buffet'

Y: i enjoyed the way they used the ticking to signal urgency and in-between the meals there were the use of clicking of plates and cups. faster, and more urgent

J: Yes, sound design should not just be about music. Moving on, how about Best Screenplay?

Y: i really liked Why Do I Keep Ticking because of the twist at the endthe rest have cliché endings, except for SINGA, which i really enjoyed as well, so for me its SINGA and Why Do I Keep Ticking

J: I have to agree that the rest of the nominees pale in comparison with SINGA and Why Do I Keep Ticking. Key is like a filial piety ad by MYCS. Project Home could have explored the senility of the Ah Ma more instead of using the 'project' framework which diluted the message. Jeremy says: I felt the story of giving back to Ah Ma already answers the competition brief

Y: hmm actually i think its a bit of woody allen to see the director direct for Project Home

J: Haha

Y: but lacks the speak tot he audience bit. then again, its very expected, and screenplay can be improved

J: I find it a bit difficult to draw the link between Woody Allen and that film though

Y: as i said before i think the girl was very natural in her role in the short clip

J: I have a love-hate relationship with Minimart. Can you guess why?

Y: the screenplay? and choice of actors..

J: Love and hate for the same reasons. love cos the revelation of the girl's blindness added a nice touch to the film. BUt at that same time, it was exploitative. Remember the ad about the blind girl aired during YOG? Rings the bell doesn't it?

Y: yeah. somehow, we have already identified 2 entries that have drawn inspiration from gov ads already...

J: What do you think of SINGA? I feel it's like a roughly cut stone with some potential

Y: that too. perhaps can give a little more backstory on why there is this SINGA test and what are the stakes then will make the story more compelling

J: Yeah, that was pretty random. haha. I found the humour rather kooky but the approach quite refreshing. The Filipion guy was of course a nice touch to the story

Y: which i think thats why he is also nominated for favorite actor, haha

J: That for me, makes Why Do I Keep Ticking stand out as the best screenplay. It is actually a story that work better on literature and the written word than the visual because it is driven by a whim, an almost unrealistic one. But packing the food into the luggage as a visual statement added quite a punch and of course, the nice circular end to the story with Ah Ma's chicken. :)

Y: yeah. the screenplay was well thought out, even with that last punch on remembering he has actually missed out home cooked food by his ah ma. favorite entry for screenplay for sure

J: I am rather hesitant about the Best Editing category because some of the best editing do not serve to help the winning stories That makes it hard to decide.

Y: yeah, I found it hard to make a choice as well. makes me wonder why some of the films were shortlisted in the said catergories

J: Yes, A calculated guess for me would be The Year of Independence

Y: becus of the small magical man ? i wonder what are the criterias for the categories

J: The novelty, but I would give my personal vote to Homebound.Because the editing does more than piecing together a montage. like in 'I am Singapore', it is not linear like 'Helping Hands'. The time transition touch from colour to black and white was quite nifty though. The criteria for best editing?. What do u think?

Y: from what u have mentioned it should be original, and different and at least an effort to make the film stand out ?

J: In a way, yes, but it should work in parallel with the story/screenplay to bring the message across strongly. How about you? what are yr thoughts on editing?

Y: i liked the editing of I am Singapore

J: Really?

Y: looking at this competition to be a competition about national education

J: I am surprised it did not nominated for cinematography

Y: works for me. brings back to the qn on how the films are nominated..

J: mmm... Don't you feel it is too STB?

Y: yes. it is also very similar to this series of tourism clips that recently went viral on fb, from STA travel australia

J: Ha!

Y: instead of move, learn, eat, this film uses the 5 senses

J: But what works in 'I am Singapore' for you?

Y: transitions are smooth while jumping from 1 of the senses to another

J: Maybe that's where I need to pay more attention to craft. Nominees in this category aside, were there actually other entries not nominated that caugt your eye for editing?

Y: just for this category? that'll b why do i keep ticking

Why do I keep ticking?

J: yes

Y: and 2365

J: Why 2365?

Y: smooth editing

J: A la I am Singapore?

Y: makes the linear storytelling very compelling

J: That's true, esp when linear stiorytelling can be a let down

Y: lots of cuts closeups and pans with the closeups to the writing of the letter to the long shots to the girl writing the letter. i liked it

J: Okay, I just found it too run-off-the-mill

Y: especially when this film was to emphasis on how singapore has changed from 4 digit code to 6. probably so as well. so for u, which film would you pick?

J: I also have to disagree with you on Why I keep ticking. It is one of my favourite films that largely rests on its unique and decisive storytelling. the editing however, is more a slave to the story, nothing very extraordinary there. what's yr take before I share what I observed

Y: hmm, as we discussed before some are really good. those who are impeccable pale in comparison to some others.

J: Any thing, style stand out in particular?

Y: hmm

J: Any interesting observations made about how the students directed the videos across the board? not just the nominees?

Y: they like long takes, and then using fast cuts to show anticipation. always from 1 persons' POV.

J: Yes, I noticed that

Y: and to be honest i think for such a short time for cine65 the directing may not be fluid. they either cover it up with the sound

J: Cover-ups... the cynic in me noticed a range of tools used to fill and cover up storytelling gaps. I felt all the entries were clearly told and the images presented in a polished way. But the way the direction seemed to lack punch. The storytelling gets too linear sometimes and many of the videos sound like video blogs. In which the narrator, supposedly the lead character goes through a tell-it-all exercise from the point the day begins to the point the day ends. Having said, several entries have come up with rather meaningful ways of representing the sense of home

Y: yeah those entries who did not exactly have an overarching storyline works best for me. like the postal code, living abroad, minimart

J: as in those that were more free-form?

Y: yes

J: Any examples?

Y: hmm, postal code as in 2365?

J: yes

Y: why do u say these few films you have selected to have came up with ways that are meaningful?

J: Well, I applaud them for not drawing out the obvious elements like food, HDB flat, Mother's cooking etc

Y: which film is for living abroad again?what is the title?

J: Homebound and Long Ride Home

Y: is it because they focus more on people relations rather than aspects of Singapore life? thats why they mean something to u? i guess that also represents how u see Singapore as well? because you can relate to those films

J: You brought out a gd point. Perhaps that opinion of mine is a personal opinion, not a qualified general opinion that Singapore to means represents the personal friendships and relationships and ties. Singapore to me means XXXXXXXX

Y: yeah i get what you mean. I think this competition actually suss out what people see of Singapore

J: Yes, back to my former qn, which entries were u referring to that were did not have an overarching storyline?

Y: oh, like Singapore Prata, conducted like an interview style

J: Ah!

Y: or the film that's translated into an MV, i think those entries are pretty refreshing. it's a totally different take

J: I buy what you say about Singapore Prata being able to change the overriding beat if the entries, it's refreshing

Y: so what you think should deserve to win that category of best directing?

J:I feel if I said Singapore Prata, it would just end the conversation haha. It is a clear winner in its own right, directed with lots of heart and generous dashes of humour. I need to give credit to the nuanced touch in Long Ride Home, the thoughtful shot compositions in 2365, the pure acting gold in Key and the well-deliberated storytelling in Homebound,

Y: these students did do their best in directing and creating these films. their style of directing showed us what mattered to them about Singapore and what the brief meant to them. As for Long Ride Home, I noticed that homebound is made by a photographer. The film has very good shots, but directing wise, it is not tight enough.

Homebound

J: True, but I liked how it had a circularity to it

Y: the way the actors were placed, the camera angles were all very good for shots, to me, the choices where the angles were placed and how the camera moved did not work tightly enough with the plot. i think it's more of a photography project than a directorial one

J: However, I disagree that the direction only reflected his photography training. I feel there was still a strong, overall narrative direction to the video. everything drove towards the 'surprise' ending. Which part did the shots not meld well with the narrartive?

Y: for me, it was the scene where the 2 boys were sitting in at the CBD area in front of the river. shot from the boys back/cut/shot from in front of the boys talking. It was a bit unrealistic, and staged. For these shots did not work for me. I understand the significance for the "moment" of the story to be held at the CBD area where they were talking about life and career, but it felt awkward to me.

J: Yeah, a little too deliberate

Y: and the filter of the shot also made it seem very "photography". if i paused that scene. it will look good. and if i paused the scene where the shot was of the boys' backs, these 2 shots will be part of a photographer exhibition of the same theme. perhaps if directing wise, you can do the faceshot/cut/shot back and forth at another location will work better.

J: My peeve is more the acting and the casting. The way the taxi's son interacted with his father at the end seemed he was self-consciously delivering a punchline. But I still its nomination is justified, even for best film. What's yr take on the nonimees for Best Film?

Y: What are the factors for best films i wonder. what should be considered? all of the other sub cats?

J: Well, I feel in the best film, the sum of the ingredients do not make the cake. It is beyond 1+1=2. What's yr view?

J: if thats the case is very subjective right? if criteria not set in stone. but question again is how to justify good films. i think best film should have a unique interpretation of the brief, good storyline, and directorial style

J: Agree. I feel it can be an entry that may not have appeared in the other nominations.For me, it's a gut feel thing. If you walk away remembering a film, its done its job

yizhen says: if a film have to leave an impression on you, to walk away and remember the film, i argue that it has to have a strong content, storyline and together with tight directing, then it will leave impressions on people.Which of the films then do it for you?

Y: to me the obvious is Singapore Prata. it is original relatable acting and the directing and editing are seamlessly. Topnotch.

Singapore Prata

J: For me, it is a tough choice between that and The Year of Independence.Both spirited in their styles

Y: besides being spirited.why the year of independence worked for u and why they should win overall film?

J: Putting an endearing guitar strumming guy amidst miniature cutouts of Singapore landscapes.

It sings for me

Y: directing skills? what do u think of that film

J: Brownie points for conceptualising, not necessarily directing.

Y: ahhhh, ok

J: I only remembered a lot of grinning in that clip lol

Y: for me it was a lot of exaggerated actions, but i was laughing along

J:If you were to walkaway remembering only one film, which on would it be among the nominees?

Y: actually, it will be SINGA

S.I.N.G.A

J: Interesting

Y: because of the storyline, not necessary of the choice of actors, directing skills or cinematography. that was the only film that poked fun at our fear of the ISA, overtly used it in their "SINGA" test as the source of fear and then turned back and questioned. what we should be as Singaporeans. we don't need a test to determine whether we are Singaporeans. we should know we are. those Singapore icons, locations, food, relationships, need not necessary make us singpaorean. we should know

J: A film that has BALLS, that what you like :)

Y: wahahhahaha

J: Yes!

Y: i guess, it also reflects what i have been feeling recently about singapore, with the influx of foreign talent. with the various actors used in the film, and the ridiculous answers that were given, it shows of the "multiracial" aspect singapore gov is aiming at. it is also reminded me of the test all immigrants in US have to take to pass before getting their official green card

J:I'd like to take the 'ballsy' stance too but the romantic in me is also just as loud

Y: do we necessarily have to have that test implemented in singapore, to determine whether one needs to have a PR status as well? i mean, yeah sure. but these systems all have flaws. i like a film that questions the systems. not just a romantic or nostalgic or a demoralized view about Singapore, which almost all films have captured

J: True true. As a final note, I can also see that Singapore Prata is quite ballsy too. In not trying to lyrical and art-housey

Y: yeah.

Our Predictions for the Winners

Overall Best Film

Jeremy: Year of Independence
Yizhen: Singapore Prata

Best Direction

Jeremy: Long Ride Home
Yizhen: 2365

Best Editing

Jeremy: Year of Independence
Yizhen: I am Singapore

Best Screenplay

Jeremy: Minimart
Yizhen: S.I.N.G.A.

Best Sound Design

Jeremy: Year of Independence
Yizhen: Why Do I keep Ticking?

Best Cinematography

Jeremy: Year of Independence
Yizhen: 2365

Best Art Direction

Jeremy: Year of Independence
Yizhen: Year of Independence

Favourite Actor

Jeremy: Butter Chong, Year of Independence
Yizhen: Ahmed Ali Khan, Singapore Prata

Favourite Actress

Jeremy: Ah Ma, Project Home
Yizhen: Mother, Why Do I Keep Ticking

Chattering up Cine65 - Open Category + Predictions!

2011-11-16T01:25:00.001+08:00

Independent filmmaking have been on the rise. More competitions have popped up to cater to the need to suss out emerging new filmmakers, and to provide an opportunity for amateur filmmakers to submit their works to.

ciNE65, is a short film festival launched by Nexus, called for for entries from Singaporeans, or even people who are currently residing in Singapore, to submit a film that will best depict what Singapore means to them. Just looking at the list of nominated films, it is really astounding to watch all the creativity packed into a 3-4minutes short film.

So one afternoon, SINdie team writers Jeremy and Yizhen had a little chat online to discuss the list of nominated films for ciNE65, another short film competition.

Jeremy: I find the favourite actress category nominations strange, in fact questionable. In Singapore Transformed, it was the big sister that got nominated (not the small one who actually stole the show). In Ah Ma, Ah Ma was more watchable than the daughter. What's yr take?

Yizhen: I think they nominated too few favorite actresses. Not enough for 2. If its favorite actress, then I don't see why the younger sister in Singapore Transform is not on the list as well.

J: So who stole your attention among the Open category films, if you are similarly unimpressed with the nominations

Y:I think it should be the little sister in Singapore Transformed. There aren't any female leads in the open category to choose from.

J: I would also give due credit to the American woman in Champion, certainly a cut distinct from the rest of the typically shy, sometimes insecure, female characters always in emotional dilemmas. Haha!

Champion

Y: That could dangerously e an offensive generalization !!! (pause) But she does act out the vivacious visitor ! Not all women are that emotional!

J: Can't help it, it serves to accentuate that delicate emotional Asian woman. (pause)okay enough of stereotyping, let move to the men! For me the choice is clear, what's yours?

Y: I like Brian from You Can Take The Boy Out of Singapore.

J: He made me smile. Okay, more than smile.

Y: He made me cringe and laugh at the same time haha. The filming style is very 90s MV style.

You can take the Boy out of Singapore

J: Mmmm.... why 90s MV?

Y: At 0:28, it reminded me of a very old Faye Wong MV. Even the choice of font used for the title, and credits, they did not use the hip Helvetica and other clean fonts.

J: Haha, for 0:28, you mean the guy dancing with the girl thinking she was real?

Y: When the blond girl was in the centre of the film, dancing.

J: The framing? With the back lighting?

Y: Yes!

J: I see your point, yeah the film is sincerely entertaining and it seeks to be without trying to be stylish, I think usually with unstylish directors, their sense of style is typically a generation back. Just my theory. But love the guy, love the film.

Y: What’s your take of the nominees in art direction?

J: Let me add a bit of suspense, I tell which nominees baffled me with being nominated. I am surprised Monopoly and The Team got nominated. The Team is a well-made film but not for art-direction. Monopoly, well most of the art direction has to be credited to Hasbro. (pause) This leaves Home, Can't Take the Boy and Where we love is Home. (pause) I think Home must take a prize for overall look, it is a very pretty film in which the colour grading complements the art direction. But my top 2 are the latter.

Y: Well, if these films are nominated based on public votes, then these people do have a lot of friends man! I think Where we love is home has better art direction than Can't take, although the message of the film for Where we Love is very strange.

Where we love is Home

J: Well, can I just say the two eye-candies seemed to be part of the art direction :P (pause) And what is your favourite?

Y: My top choice is Home, even though I liked the idea of the split screen for Where we love is Home. I like Home for art direction because of how the choices made in the film stimulates the mood of the film. The nostalgic lens, the luggage, the choice of toys, luggage etc, all very carefully placed. It's a simple yet beautiful film

J: Yes agree with 'carefully placed'

J: You know, i have a feeling we don't have to dwell too long on Best cinematography because we may unanimously agree on the same film

Y: Quite an obvious choice ain’t it?

Singapore Food Encyclopedia

J: And I really feel this winner should be commissioned by Singapore Tourism Board to do a video for them.

Y: Cine65 is launched by Nexus, which is already a stat board from the government that focuses on national education. So I'm not too sure whether this video submissions' copyright will go to the government anyhow, including STB.

J: It would be sad if it was right?

Y: So maybe don't even need commission, STB can just take the film.

J: I would hold a facebook protest if that happens!

Y: But it'll also be a great honor for the director, and his team to be commissioned to create a *brand new* commercial for them. (pause) Hahahaa!! the public doth protest!

J: Yes, Singaporeans have claws ok! (pause) Too bad there is no award for Best CGI.

Y: It is really quite impressive though!

J: And well shot too! Notice they played on the term 'transformers' in 'transformed' with that robot. (pause) The Best Sound category also has an obvious winner for me, not sure about you. Oops I take that back, there are 2 entries that stand out.

Singapore Transformed

Y: How would you select the winners for Sound Design?

J: Well, I see the visual as only half the film. Good design fills the other half or lifts otherwise ordinary visuals up beyond what they literally represent. And of course, something that surprises me off my chair as a bonus! What then is good sound design for you?

Y: Hmm, if it was for this sort of competition, I would look for originality and how it would support the visuals of the film and compliment (or surprise) me.

J: And which one(s) stood out for you?

Y: Honestly, it'll be Walking.

J: Interesting, my two favourites are Singapore Transformed and Team. (pause) Why Walking? I only notice a drone :P

Y: Haha, it's not easy to mix different drones together.

J: Lol!

Y: So for the sound design in Walking, the mix of different tones, voice overs and the harmonica(?) sound, brings a sense of nostalgia that accompanies the film, which I think its a perfect compliment. It's a very different Sound Design than those 2 films that you have pointed out.

J: Mmmm... I feel like the boring one now. I like Singapore Transformed because the sound design was functionally perfect i.e. look like the sound does not make the robot look too B Grade. And the Team because it recreates a bigger atmosphere out of a simple neighbourhood playground. (pause) And sorry I still think the complex blend you were talking about is a drone. :P

Y: I think because I used to have training in Music (taking Music Elective Programme, and piano) that's why I know it's hard to craft such sound design.

J: OK, you win! (pause) Moving on…. where it gets more exciting, away with the technicals, let's look at the heart and the ideas, what's your take for Best Screenplay?

Y: Haha! Anyway, the Best Screenplay nominees seem to have very dialogue heavy screenplay. My favorite for the win is The Team.

J: For me, first of all, I would not nominate any film that lazily puts together a montage and overlays it with a monologue. There were many of them. It's a lazy way to tell a story. Thankfully, there is only one in nominees - Brother, which is not too bad in the way it marries the narration with the visuals. For me, it's a tough choice between The Team and Can Take the Boy out of Singapore.

Y: Though I must add my personal favourite is Home which is not nominated.

J: Why Home?

Y: The dialogue between the boys is relatively smooth, and in literature, there is a use of puns and metaphors. for this film, I think the screenplay use these functions and translate into film. Such as, the choice of the size of the actors, what they should wear, what they should be doing, what they should be carrying are all symbolic.

J: I didn't like the ending though. It was too convenient.

Y: Yeah but I think honestly, with 3 minutes I can't think of another way to end it. I like happy endings but not convenient endings.

Y: Who doesn't? I think it's the challenge for all directors, and screenplay writers to find the perfect endings

J: So what's yr favourite for screenplay then?

Y: My favorite to win the screenplay is The Team. I liked that they use the various languages for the various races and they use the very Singapoream Oh-ya-bey-ya-som to choose the team.

The Team

J: I like the intentional 3 racial teams, though you knew how it was going to end but still to give credit for the thought.

Y: Yeah. I think it works very well… and I love the ending where the director tied in with the line, "accomplishments have no color"

J: Yes, I like the line, it's bold and actually touches on quite a sensitive nerve

Y: Exactly. In all honesty, we can be quite a racist country sometimes.

J: Especially when racial differences and misunderstandings are quickly swept beneath the carpet without properly resolving them. And they are often resolved with a National Day song or a Banner that predictably photo-shops 4 races standing next to each other.

Y: There is the Racial Harmony Day, remember?

J: Haha, yes

Y: But it's funny we don't celebrate it when we are out of JC. It's like, appreciation of other races stops after 17.

J: That's when racial harmony appreciation needs to recognise differences and reconcile them as well. (pause) Anyway, Best Editing is quite a difficult choice.
Singapore Transformed is great in terms of aftereffects for obvious reasons. Where we love is Home is a strong contender. The Japanese one is funky but it plagiarises a YouTube viral video I have seen before - especially the last portion when the guy walks towards the camera and the scenery changes. The Team's editing is seasoned and does justice to the screenplay.

Y: So among these 3, if you have to pick only 1, which short film should be awarded?

J: I would put my vote to Where we love is Home. I think it was a difficult edit and definitely a film made in the cutting room

Y: I personally like Story of a Foreigner. With a (monotonous) monologue overlaying the film, the edit have to be interesting to bring the whole film together.

J: Good point!

Y: Which the editing did help a lot to bring the film together and it make even more interesting

J: Like I said, I would have given it more brownie points if not for the copycat ending

Y: But what is creativity if it's not copied (aka inspired) from other creative sources :p Even Steve Jobs steal ideas!

J: Okay fine, while there are plenty of copycat stylistics and narratives in the entries, I must say I was pleasantly delighted by some of the originality observed, especially in directing

Story of a Foreigner

Y: For instance?

J: Home like you said had very tight and coherent overall direction. Same goes for the team, I even like the little touches of putting famous soccer player names on the back of T-shirts. You can take the Boy out of Singapore is in a class of its own. What's your opinion on the directing?

Y: For me, the most important aspect of directing should be how they use certain camera angles, pan shots, even (fast/slow) shots and montages to deliver the idea, message or story. It should be smart, and leave an audience to think about the film. Honestly I think Boy out of Singapore has a very 90s MV feel, as I have mentioned before. For Home and The Team, I enjoyed both direction. For Home, what impressed me was the use of pan shots for the two different characters as well as the choice of camera angles when it comes to showing the dialogue between the two boys. (pause) It tells of a different, more sophisticated directing where the camera angles and pan shots actually mean something, which I personally feel it is lacking from some filmmakers.

J: I agree Home was a delicately pieced together film that paid attention to the visual nuances.

Y: Maybe directors should use Battle of Potemkim as reference to what I am trying to say.

J: What about the Battle of Potemkim?

Y: Directing using the various camera angles, lighting that brings tension to the storyline. Mind you, last time film don't even start out with recorded dialogue!

J: That's true, it really trains the director!

Y: Or to put it more relatable and simplistic, can look at films directed by Charlie Chaplin, like Modern Times. If your film can do without dialogue, and still tell a story with just the angles then I'll be truly impressed, and of course, the choice of actors, location, props etc…every tiny detail should work.

J: But I would also go on to argue that it is a fine balance between meticulous craft and bold whims. For me, I need to see his or her whims fleshed out in order to 'hear' the voice of the director. A director with too much craft and no voice leaves no impression too. (pause) It seems difficult to please you in terms of good direction, I am then curious to know what the Best Film must have?

Y: Hahahha! I'm just speaking from the grounds of a humble film student. I'm sure it's even tougher if one is actually on the ground directing

J: Yes, when you are on the ground, you fighting with time, location, passers-by, actors forgetting lines and security guards who tell you cannot shoot cannot shoot that! (pause) But what would make Best Film for you?

Y: Tie between Home and The Team

J: I have a simple criteria, the film that makes me want to watch over and over again and locks something into my brain wins. In fact, I would trawl through not just the nominees for this answer. For me, I would watch Home and You Can Take The Boy out of Singapore again. Home when I am feeling languid and nostalgic, You Can Take the boy when I want to be entertained. How would you decide between Home and The Team, they are quite similar, young boys in the play area.

Y: Both films carry different messages, to me, and I especially liked Home because of the way it's shot and the choice of the actors, props and location. It gives me a different perspective whenever I go back to re-watch it.

J: I must say meticulous art direction, cinematography, a moving soundtrack aside, nothing touches me more than the genuine look of loss on the protagonist's eyes when he says 'I am going away'. (pause) You know what?

Y: What?

J; As a befitting end to this dialogue, it sounds like we are coming 'home' on common ground if you are choosing what I am choosing.

Y: Yes. Home for Best Film!

J: Yes. And incidentally, it was the first film I watched.

Home

Our Predictions for the Winners
Overall Best Film
Jeremy - Home
Yizhen - Home

Best Direction
Jeremy - Home
Yizhen - Home

Best Editing
Jeremy - Where we love is Home
Yizhen - Story of a Foreigner

Best Screenplay
Jeremy - Can Take the Boy out of Singapore
Yizhen - The Team

Best Sound Design
Jeremy - The Team
Yizhen - Walking

Best Cinematography
Jeremy - Singapore Food Encyclopedia
Yizhen - Singapore Food Encyclopedia

Best Art Direction
Jeremy - Where we love is Home
Yizhen - Home

Favourite Actor
Jeremy - You can take the boy out of Singapore
Yizhen - You can take the boy out of Singapore

Favourite Actress
Jeremy - American lady in Champion (not nominated)
Yizhen - Little sister in Singapore Transformed (not nominated)

The results will be out 16 November. Stay tuned to http://cine65.sg !

Everyone's Got to Start Somewhere - some earlier than others

2011-11-13T12:54:00.000+08:00

Everyone has their own story of how and when they first experienced their involvement in film – from the cerebral process of being traumatised by deaths in children’s movies (Littlefoot losing his mother, anyone?) as audiences, to the film student’s physical act of film making for film school assignment, to learning to react as a film-maker when critics rip works apart almost lasciviously.

That’s what makes this segment of this year’s SIFF rather pleasing. To debate the quality of these debut films and the film-makers’ subsequent ratio of potential to fulfillment since then– some of whom have gone on to make feature films, others possibly recovering from their first, and yet others who are still biding their time -, would perhaps be missing the point. Instead, there’s a sort of intimacy, the idea of sharing the filmmakers’ personal timelines, all relative to each other, through the screening of what marks their first self-defined foray into film.

For one, Wesley Leon Aroozoo’s concept of his debut film was certainly quite defined along strict horological lines. Aroozoo took the SIFF segment literally to heart and offered up his very first attempt at filmmaking, made at a tender age of ten. Made with a family video camcorder (serendipitously won from a lucky draw then), Dick Marlow (1995) was directed, produced, and acted in, by himself and his sibling.

Dick Marlow is an example of sincere, heartfelt filmmaking, even if what seems like children’s playtime was at the heart of it. These are in fact credentials that one can’t get past, simply for the incredulous show of narrative comprehension their playtime as filmed, reveals unwittingly, and received with great pleasure. It’s as if all the pop culture influences that surround the young Aroozoo, have been distilled into the most elementary and identifiable forms in the world of the film’s story.

The eponymous hero of this film is a criminal-busting, Giodarno-costumed FBI cop, played with obvious relish by Wesley Aroozoo. Marlow takes his street patrolling seriously, twisting his portable plastic steering wheel with great gusto, as much as the speed limit will allow him. The conflict is set up pretty niftily when Marlow acts on a mission to arrest the two villains (both played by Wesley as well) involved in illegal arms trading. A bloody battle of gunshots and swordplay commences in a skillful handling of shot-reverse shots, which culminates in justice prevailing evermore.

In spite of the then ten year-old Aroozoo’s distinct dichotomy between good and evil, the characters manage to avoid being bland and non-enjoyable stereotypes. The dialogue is pricelessly hilarious in its economy and familiarity with certain clichés, such as “you can run but you can’t hide,” the mastermind snarls. Aroozoo infuses each character with concise and accurately stylistic gestures: the junior baddie gets a characteristic swagger and a jeering tone, the main villain is reinvented with a creepy nasal inflection. Aroozoo also manages to build up the requisite suspense of the confrontation with death scenes that can only be described as delightful, in its direct melodramatic copy of clichéd processes of dying in film.

There’s a certain accidental consciousness buoyed up in Dick Marlow. Yet it is this simple, if not blatant love of what they’re doing, or playing, or shooting for that matter, that stretches the imaginations of the audience along with the Aroozoo siblings. Hence, all have access to a discordant but convincing place where illegal arms imports are represented by two swords placed in Laser Propax boxes meant for A4 printing paper, and a lavender-painted bedroom with a teddy bear nestled in the background, is a perfect labyrinth for a cop versus baddie chase. And it is this same love that makes Dick Marlow such a terrific joy to watch, and most importantly, desire to share.

Here's the real thing - 'Dick Marlow' by Wesley Leon Aroozoo, enjoy!

Children can be absolutely wonderful to watch onscreen, even coo over (though probably have less of a delightful reputation to work with). Thankfully along the same vein of lovable children in film, is Yeo Siew Hua’s Waking Monkey (2006), where they’re placed in a lasting situational conflict they’re usually represented to be in (or at least in Sunday comic strips): the archetypal separation crisis between children and cookies.

A young girl struggles to reach for cookies, but that can seemingly only be attained by someone older and presumably taller, namely her sleeping brother. It seems a simple story and solution to be presented there, but Waking Monkey which won the Substation’s Best Film Award for Best of First Takes 2007, ends with a caveat for elementary wish fulfillment. It’s soon revealed to be less a situation of snack time in dire straits, than an intended birthday celebration for the sibling that refuses to be woken up. Hence, the maturity that presumably accompanies the height required to alleviate the former mistaken cookie crisis, is eventually revealed to be in the precocious tot’s possession all along.

Besides Waking Monkey, etched at the start of Yeo’s filmmaking timeline from his days in Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Media Studies, is Cotton ‘N’ Candy (2006). Inspired by a real-life local bank heist, the designated driver for the apparent get-away car, and dressed in a bunny costume, attempts to kill himself after a lengthy monologue, more a reverie of indecisiveness than self-loathing. Similar to Waking Monkey, the personal crisis dissipates when the larger issue enters the picture. The accomplice in a carrot suit comes back, and a sort of trigger-happy suspense of impending suicide is replaced with a dose of quaint charm instead. More robbed of their identities than anything, the presumed robbers fight over the gun instead and eventually drive away. It’s almost sad to laugh at them, seeing that their situations, be it the heist or the suicidal attempts -, are left hanging.

But this sums up what we’ve been doing for so long, and what we seem best at in the face of seemingly hopeless situations: laughing, and at ourselves. It’s our response of recognition to the conflicts we face, our nod to social commentary and criticism, but thrown in with an inconspicuous and non-threatening smile. A prime example of such a vessel is the popular parody, of course, from Internet podcasts to the theatre, realms in which the value of entertainment and social criticism form the best combination: not mutually exclusive, but defensibly interchangeable, if anyone asks.

That’s the situation which Jacen Tan’s Tak Giu finds itself in. Made in 2004 and put up on the Internet, it became a viral hit as Internet-goers warmed up to the seemingly straightforward premise of three youths trying to find a field to play football. The youths are however constantly barred from their goal by rules and regulations: the charge of trespassing in unused but otherwise glorious fields, the need to apply for permits for fields already there. When they eventually give up and play in a non-permitted space, the fun is interrupted by a patrolling police officer.

Of course, it’s also a tongue-in-cheek poke at what we’ve come to see as normality, or at least as the average situation – the draconian laws around us, however ridiculous. And so what seems like cheesy, unbelievable slapstick in Tak Giu, actually works in Tan’s favour – that the draconian laws have infiltrated and penetrated into daily life so insidiously, where urban planning meets playtime, and thus also in ridiculous ways, where cops chase boys in extensive scenes.

Yet there in our laughter lies the crux of the comedy and back at our own giggling selves. The huge gap between the inspired reality in Tak Giu and the utter incredulity of certain situations is where audience find themselves most in. For instance, the warning sign of a man kicking football at a void deck is interpreted instead as the prohibition of kicking any ball at a certain angle just as the man is drawn. It’s a ludicrous interpretation far from reality, but when this huge gap is bridged towards the ending of the film when the boys find their perfect field with the same sign without its prohibitive red lines, it’s a golden and important moment. We laugh hard at this final happy end, because we hardly expect things to be such, and sadly the closing of this gap between the sad reality of things and wish fulfillment that such films can bring, is the strong and funny point of Tak Giu as long as it also remains illusory.

All grown up now....

Wesley Leon Aroozoo

Chris Yeo (far right)

Jacen Tan

These films were screened during the recent Singapore International Film Festival in a special Singapore films programme for 'first-time' films by some known local directors.

Written by Vicky Yang

Dance Dance Dragon! A quick scoop with Kat Goh, the director

2011-11-09T01:45:00.000+08:00

It is great to know that newer talents are given the chance to step up to a bigger stage. Kat Goh from Boku Films, who also won Best Film at SIFF, will direct first feature and will bear quite a big load. It's the annual Chinese New Year blockbuster and she goes neck and neck with possibly another Jack Neo film at the box office.

She will be directing MediaCorp Raintree Pictures’ Chinese New Year family movie Dance Dance Dragon! Dance Dance Dragon tells the story of Mother Loong who desires to have a grandchild. However, none of her three children have plans for any children. Things change for the Loongs on the first day of the 2012 Year of the Dragon when a newborn boy is found on their doorstep!

With a budget of 1.2 million, Dance Dance Dragon stars local stars Kym Ng, Adrian Pang, Dennis Chew and Malaysian artiste Auntie Lai Ming and Melvin Sia. The film is penned by Kelvin Tong and Marcus Chin, and marks Kat Goh’s directorial debut.

Shoot commences in November and be done entirely in Singapore. The movie will be distributed by Cathay-Keris Films and is slated to screen from mid January 2012.

We catch hold of Kat before the madness of shooting starts for a few questions.

How do you feel about having CNY film as a feature debut? (box office pressure and all?)

CNY films have always had a special place in my heart. Being so busy the whole year, Chinese New Year is the only time when I can get together with my family, relatives and friends and catching a movie has always been part of our itinerary. To be able to shoot a CNY movie is really an honor and I'm very grateful to Raintree for having enough faith in me to task me with a slot that's in such high demand. There's definitely pressure in regards to the box office but I have faith in the script and the actors and hopefully the shoot will be a really fun ride.

What will be the special Kat Goh touch to this film?

Actually, I have not shot enough projects to really have a Kat Goh touch. But to me relationships is a topic that's very important to me, whether it's between siblings, between a parent and a child, between 2 lovers, between friends. That'll be the thing I'll do my best to bring out amidst all the very colorful, loud and fun lion dancing, dragon dancing, ballroom dancing and Chinese New Year celebrations. Be prepared to feel a thug at your heartstrings.

What's special abt this film? compared to other CNY films?

Like Raintree's previous CNY movie, "It's a Great Great World", we have the full support of MCS so expect to see quite a lot of cameos as well as talented comedic actors like Kym Ng, Auntie Lucy, Adrian Pang, Marcus Chin and the very charismatic Malaysian singer-actor Melvin Sia and the very well-loved Auntie Lai Meng.

How much are you involved in creating the story (i know Kelvin and Marcus are doing the screenplay)?

Kelvin is the main creator of this story with a lot of input from Mr Man Shu Sum. I've worked with Kelvin for a very long time and he knows quite well what type of genre/story I like and what I can shoot well. So in a sense I'm very privileged to have him write the screenplay of my first feature. I do give my input as the script comes along but most of the time I'm already laughing as I read the script.

About Kat Goh

Cutting her teeth as an assistant producer on epic TV productions, Kat’s work on the small screen include blockbusters such as The Adventures Of Wisely, Dare To Strike, Cash Is King, Thank You Teacher and Tastefully Yours. In 2004, Kat made her television directorial debut with the highly-rated comedy series Durian King. In 2008, Kat’s first short film, Swimming Lesson, won the Best Short Film and Best Director Awards at the 2009 Singapore International Film Festival. More recently, Kat produced the 2011 blockbuster, Kelvin Tong's It’s A Great Great World.

ShoutOUT! : Create Film Festival - Singapore's first social cinema (whatever it is!)

2011-11-05T14:34:00.001+08:00

They call themselves Creators of Tomorrow. They are a group of young and enthusiastic engineers, entrepreneurs, designers and independent thinkers who have come together to start a platform, a space for celebrating anything that is creative and helps build a better tomorrow. They believe behind every improvement is the hands of an engineer, which led to an unintentional first thought that the Create Film Festival was to encourage more people to study engineering and fill the talent gap in Singapore, especially when EDB is one of the organisers of this festival. Apparently, this is not too far from the truth the website literature reads. Check out http://createtomorrow.com.sg/Filmfest/festival

Well, of course, the Create Film Festival is meant to be more than that. It is to celebrate the spirit of realising change. In the same spirit, the film festival is also 'engineered' as the nation’s first-ever social cinema. They can choose seats and book tickets for themselves and friends for free through a virtual box office. In the cinema hall, no one will shush them, no one will tell them to silence their mobile phone. In fact, they’re encouraged to chat with friends as the short films are screened. Unlike YouTube, the home online viewing experience is no longer a lonely one.

First up are 3 short films that are viewable at daily time slots from now till end of the year. Not a bad way to distribute a film!

***

“Hi I’m An Engineer”
Directed by Melvyn Lim, Executive Creative Director of OgilvyOne Singapore, it looks at an engineer’s first-time speed dating session where he encounters unexpected responses and hilarious situations.

“Flight”
By acclaimed director, Boo Junfeng who directed “Lucky 7” and “Sandcastle”, it tells the heartfelt story of a young man pursuing his love to build planes despite parental objections.

“Building Dreams”
By up and coming local director, Anthony Chen who directed “Ah Ma” and “Haze”, it features what every kid dreams of – a documentary on someone who plays games for a living.

By watching the films, you can also stand to win prizes through weekly draws. They include the iPad 2, free movie tickets and vouchers from Garrett Popcorn, H&M, Frolick and Ben & Jerry’s.

Cine65 - The Singapore Identity - as we each see it

2011-11-05T00:38:00.000+08:00

Another year passes and another video competition about home comes along. The question of the Singapore identity and sense of belonging is indeed one that draw much debate. With the questions raised during the elections and online about who Singapore really belongs to these days, there is a wealth of material and emotions to base these short films on. Cine65 is yet another short film competition that provides a platform for Singaporeans and people living here to express and embrace the Singapore identity. It seems to mirror 'Home is where the Heart is' a short video competition organised by the British Council last year, except that the entries need to be longer and it is organised by the people most concerned about national identity, Nexus.

A set of commissioned pieces were created to set the tone and inspire entries. What's novel about the pieces is that they are all different sides of a dice. 6 sets of characters, all in the same premise appearing in all the 6 clips, but each clip is told from the point of view of one or one set of the characters, which seems like a novel way to inspire people to give their version of the Singapore story. The clips are well-made but the titles insipid. Here are some cheeky suggested alternative titles. Enjoy!

Peanuts are expensive, you don't know what you are missing

SingaPAW

Globalisation in Singapore - an inconvenient truth

Who's your daddy?

'Becoming Royston'

The birth of Singapore