This is a students’ film

Don’t just discount student’s film, we have ambitions for it. Yet at the same time, allow us some slack, for which we really want to enjoy the process. It’s an educational process, to learn. Learning should be fun and enjoyable so don’t stop us from learning, please.

Director of Photography

Director of Photography Pang Sern Yong goes by many monikers in school.

The guys call him Tun Datuk Pang and Bruce Lee, while the girls call him Hunk or Metro. But on set, he is THE DOP. Not just any DOP, but, THE DOP.

As you can see from the title, it is a very important job, just like how ‘Tun Datuk’ is a very important title in Malaysia. He basically presides over the grips, gaffers and camera assistants, and similar with the director, has the last say with lighting and camera angles (Wikipedia say one). Hence, it is o wonder that in many film sets, the DOP and the director ends up rolling on the floors with their fists up.

Thankfully, such a thing will definitely not happen (hopefully ><) on the set of this film.

Afterall, who wants to pick a fight with a doppelganger of Bruce Lee?

The Producer

The Producer’s biggest fear is when the production team comes up with crazy ideas that threatens to blow the budget into pieces, and this is exactly what is happening now.

P.S. The Producer aka Mama Zixin is the Mother Hen of the group (the rest being Otaku Girl, The Hunk and the Alpha Male).

Onset a Cambodian documentary film. Zixin also likes to take photos of herself.

Thoughts

Sometimes I think the team must be crazy to try and attempt a period/war flick. How do we convince more than 80 people kind enough to give us their well-deserved rest during the weekends? Not to mention the period costumes and props that we are now  still searching for on every inch on the island.

It is not easy, really. Our finances are still terribly in red and along the way, we’ve found ourselves entangled into all sort of unpleasant situations outside of school. Whatever it is, this project is a summation of all the dreams and hardwork that we have been doing for the past 4 days. It has to be done.

But not to sound too angsty, we are still thankful for the support that we have found from the past few days. JTC has so kindly sponsored us a shooting location and the freelance crew team has also give themselves a pay cut, just so to help us in our student film.

But it seems daunting still with just a month to go, not to mention the dreaded exams in end November.

What is however most important is still to let us enjoy the final stage of our university education and for us to present to you our sincerity and gratitude for the friendship and memories in NTU here within this student production.

Counting Down

36 more days to rolling the camera.

Principal Photography

Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is actually shot, as distinct from pre-production and post-production.

Principal photography is usually the most expensive phase of film production and its start generally marks a point of no return for the financiers. While it is common for a film to lose its greenlight status during pre-production (for example, because an important element such as a cast member drops out), it is extremely uncommon for finance to be withdrawn once principal photography has commenced (and is usually regarded as a catastrophe).

Once a film concludes principal photography it is said to have wrapped, and a wrap party may be organized to celebrate.

During post-production, it may become clear that certain shots or sequences are missing that are required to complete the film, or that a certain scene is not playing as expected, or even that a particular actor has failed to turn in a performance of the required caliber. In these circumstances, additional material may have to be shot. If the material has already been shot once, or is substantial, the process is referred to as a re-shoot, but if the material is new and relatively minor, it is often referred to as a pick-up.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal_photography

Casting Updates

We have just completed Round 3 of casting and should be firming up some of the roles. Still, if anyone is interested, do feel free to contact us.

 

Cheers

Dr. Stephen Teo

If you are an ardent follow of wuxia films and Hong Kong Cinema and constantly pour over literature on the subject, then the name Stephen Teo will be all too familiar to you.

I’ve been a crazy fan of Hong Kong films, especially those by Wong Kar-wai. So imagine my elation when I realised that the school has managed to secure the services of reknowned film scholar Dr. Stephen Teo! Now this is the man whose books, thesis and reviews we have been reading for years and now he is right here and it’s almost like a fanboy moment!

So everything is sort of surreal as it comes full circle, when Associate Professor Stephen Teo accepted our invitation to be the supervisor for our thesis film. It is almost dreamlike. I mean, imagine you have been reading his books and devouring his ideas and now, suddenly, he’s the supervisor of your thesis film!

“What Doesn’t Kill You, Makes You a Stronger Filmmaker.”

- Juan Foo

Casting in progress

It has been a tough week for us but the song above is a good reminder to keep on moving. It has sort of become our anthem.