What stemmed from a childhood game that I used to play combined with the surroundings of my darling girlfriend's neighbourhood and her own memories made me write a film called 'Note of Love', a film that ask if a 6 year old can comprehend love and maybe so much more so, than we agenda filled adults.So after the story was set in white bleached flattened tree pulp...I set out to make my film. After crafting out the scenes, I went to find the locations, the neccesary permits and the camera, cast and crew.

The Time and Place
On the 5th of December up till the 10th December, I shot the film in PJ old town. It's very much a tribute to the place to...in all it's dirtiness, in all it's derelict, there was this charm of a town where people lived and grew...where dreams started...My dear camera assist looked and me and actually said, we can't shoot...there's too much garbage strewn around....I was telling him...that's exactly the point...not everything needs to be model like beautiful...sometimes strewn garbage(now I am not advocating littering) weaves a beautiful tapestry.

Ambitious Project
It is my most abitious endeavour yet. From firemen to create artificial rain to a camera used by george lucas on shooting episode 1. I decided to pull all the stops...why? we should put money where our love and believe is no? I was nervous and anxiety filled from the onset but I tell myself that...I can and will...I can and will....

The Cast
Many says don't work with animals or kids...I had 5 of them...all around the age of 6.You know what? Many was wrong...despite some minor mood swings and temporarily stopping productions, the kids were a joy to work with. They truly touched my heart even as I looked through a small black and white viewfinder. Imagine the emotions blown up to a big screen...they'll blow people away....My actress, a budding dancer studying in Singapore named Alice (who was reccomended to me by her friend Trina) was also both gorgeous and alarmingly lovable despite being a little blur...she doesn't know mattel's barbie's ex was ken and pubic hair is not the term for the hair you shave off your chin...but no matter, guys will swoon for her when this movie is out.

The family
A terrible tremble...I've spent alot of money on this film...will this work out? will it be a disaster...schedule change,last minute cancellation by actors,a fishshop that changed his mind about letting me shoot.... The feelings I felt on bringing this film to life...fluctuated from near heart-attacks to moments of absolute bliss with the cast and crew...where smiles and well wishes were evident all around...but this is the organic way in which a film is created...an organic ever changing and magical process, in the midst of it all I am sure the term family found.

Postscript
There's still two more additional days of shoot required to finish this film that'll hike my cost further and though much less stressed...I still have to gear up for it....but seeing the visuals I've shot...not to be vain...not by my merits...but by the merits of all who were on this film...I feel the film will be a nice gentle touch on one's heart...exactly what I set out to do on my Note of Love.

Froggie's New Film!!!

If any of you remember me making a post here looking for young boys to act in a film…well…I have been away as I have been working very-very hard fine tuning that film’s script and so far a lot of people whom I have entrusted to read the script as panelists said wonderful things...

…the approach for the quaint feel is good –
Vinsen cinemaonline boss…real world businessman

…touching, though I find it quite hard to believe someone can fall in romantic love at the age of 6..
Rebecca, student and dreamy storybook reader

…good script…now it all depends on how you film it…
Lishen, works in publishing gay man who blogs at jessism.blogspot.com

Yes, they may be trying to cheer me on but I did tell them to be honest…brutally…

But there is still a lot of work to be done…final selection of locations, shots wanted, equipment required and what I can afford…working on a low, low budget as sponsors didn’t want to support the project even though they thought it was a good project…to quote one sponsor in verbatim…

Maybe we will give it a pass this time…You do have the talent and the persistency and you will definitely score…..i am also confident- identity to be left anonymous

Well, one day they’ll support me…and when that day comes the amount will double if not triple because my production scale will go up !

One sponsor actually made it very clear to me why they don’t sponsor…it’s not that they don’t believe in the project but marketing people like brand managers who approve sponsorships… work for a regular pay…they engage an agency to do most of the marketing work and from there…they just tick off on approved agency projects…and should any project fails, they are allright because the agency was engaged by the company, not them…but should they decided to sponsor me…they are putting their heads out on a chopping board…they are trying an untested and untried route…if it succeeds, well good…but they are unlikely to receive any bonuses…however if it fails…they’ll land in hot hot hot soup…so why take the risk and put yourself at a limb? Why not take the safe route and just earn the regular salary? I completely understand this as part of the process but what I didn’t appreciate were company that beat around the bush before giving me the no…thanks to the few that really considered but gave a a straight no…

so yeah…with every rejection a lot of dissapointments and heartaches but well it’s part of my trials …1000 bad bulbs before osram rite? :P Well I am bursting through my bulbs…and would get to the thousand soon…

That’s moviemaking for you…deep downs but also with it great ups….And it's important to have great ups...make sure you balance your deep depression with a good feeling of tipsy high sometimes...

today…I had a surge of happiness exploding within me…I…I … I was swept by what I think I’ll call a sudden well of personal inner joy. It was a wonderful feeling and although alone and having been awake the whole night…I dropped a disc into a CD tray, turned up my hi-fi, sang my hearts out and dance in my most awkward manner myself…sounds crazy…well who cares…I have an overwhelming feeling of happiness! Hahaha. I finished personally drawing the storyboards for the entire film…working every scene out in every detail…what angle I plan to make and how I see everything…

I am very happy with what the film look like on paper myself and I am trying to enjoy myself as much at this moment…soon the quiver inducing process of putting it into camera starts…two weeks to complete preproduction and soon time will come when I ‘ll be painting with my camera…and nervously, I try to hold my brush steady to make a beautiful picture…pray for me or wish me luck…I need all of it!!!

Happiness, dissapointments and the process of filmmaking...

Frogcroaks



Finally I posted my first video online....and finally there's a real frog croaking on thefrogcroaks.blogspot.com...This is a painted frog or also known as a chubby frog (Kaloula pulchra), one of the four I have in a 3 foot aquarium they share with two green paddy frogs. They've been around as pets for two years already(if you check, they appeared on pictures in my blog way back in January 18 and 27, 2005) and I love them the most, amongst all my other frogs because they are non-aggrssive, give me the most pleasure in observing and children simply adore them. The don't jump as much, but they can jump quite a distance when they want to...them charging up first by tensing all their muscles before a leap and landing with a plop is hillarious.

As I am writing this, a friend told me that she is scared of and doesn't like frogs...I think that's a great misconception. Frogs are nice and they don't do anything wrong. They are not dirty and 'being ugly' is often a matter of personal taste. Hey, ever thought that they may not think much of your looks too? I have seen 'loving mothers' beat to a pulp a frog that was unfortunate enough to hop into the presence of that...that... more accurately described as horrid beast of a woman.The irony is...that same horrid beast of a woman would later buy a golden plastic frog to place on a shelf to better the feng shui.I wish she gets reincarnated as a frog so some other woman can beat her... :P

Frogs are generally harmless and handling them probably pose more harm to them than you.Our skin are thick so germs probably can't penetrate and it'll be okay if we just give our hand a good wash after before eating anything or licking our fingers in weird fettish. For the frog however, our rough and warm skin can hurt their smooth wet skin and disrupt their cold-blooded system. Touching a frog probably feels like the reverse of having a doctor's cold cold stethoscope pressed on your warm chest...and now imagine if that stethoscope is larger than you...it'll be quite a shocker no? So do run your hand through some tap water and cool it down before grabbing a froggie friend...

...If you are thinking of starting a hobby keeping frogs...i wholely encourage it, as it will better your understanding of them,animals and nature. But please do care for them properly and be whole-hearted and commited as a petkeeper. Don't neglect your pets...they are living animals capable of suffering.If you ever give up on your hobby..be kind enough to bring your froggie to a clean stream for him to go back into the wild or call me up and I'll do it for you...don't just chuck him in a clogged polluted drain.

For more info on the care of painted frogs check out
www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/caresheets/asianpaintedfrog.html

Fat Froggie Croaks!!!!

click on image for larger view of montage



I always wanted to make films and i am happily on my direction there(to be a fully estalished filmmaker able to tell any stories of my heart) Along my journey, I once worked as a wedding videographer for couples to earn my keep while persuing my still distant dream.From weddings, I honed my skills till i was an event videographer and from there I hopped over to corporate video and commercials. So it was quite an irony(coming full circle?) when i directed a commercial over the last weekend that required me to set up and shoot a wedding scene, the concept being the product is so good, you'll want to marry and fully commit to it!

When i first heard the concept over the phone, my first reaction to it was ??? then hahaha...but then i thought the corny idea actually posed a welcome challenge for me to test my skills, as in what can i do to make the idea workable and do what it is suppose to, sell the cosmetic product.

So there are two ways to go about it...one, go all out tacky like the gatsby commercial with the clapping hair which i simply adored...or go neo-realist as in try to make it as real aside from the slightly fantastical idea...I decided the later. I threw out a church wedding as one, the limited budget doesn't permit a large number of extras and if I wouldn't be able to fill the pews of an entire church and thus lacking the scope defeating the purpose of a church.I decided and sold the idea of a small wedding...a modern garden one beside a pool of japansese carps...that way the location lends to a beautiful imagery and also limits the number of extras I need to make the place look filled up. I used a jib and a track to make a descending and reversing camera to capture the best man's(who people will mistake as the groom) smile before slowly going back into a full shot with dropping petals, cheering friends and the bride standing staturely in the middle of the screen.

I had wonderful extras who applauded wonderfully and on cue. And God was kind to give me good slightly cloudy sky lighting that wasn't too harsh so I only had to add a little bit of light to compliment the look for the first shot.

The second shot was just as easy but huge sheets had to be stretched across the pond this time as we were dropping confetti from above and we didn't want any expensive japanse carp to devour and die from it requiring a cost in reimbursing a fish. It was quite hard to stretch the big piece of plastic over the pond with strings...my crews didn't want to jump right into a pond. I was so wanting to just jump into it and do it while enjoying the swim inside but as a director overlooking everything I can't...ah well....

So here are the screenshots of my latest work...(not the full commercial the opening and closing shot)leave a comment on what you think? the bottom pic is a shot of the entire production crew and talents.

A Fake Wedding