*..I love film analysis!..*

I know this sounds crazy, but sometimes I find it really fun.  Got carried away with the writing and couldn't stop googling interesting facts. Hmm I should sleep soon.

So last week for International Film Survey module, we watched 2 films! They didn't seem fantastic at the start, but was mind-blowing thereafter. Especially upon after-thought. So much intent in the characterizations and story decisions by the filmmakers. Hmm sometimes foreign films have so much more meaning to them than commercial films.



(1) En Couer En Hiver (A Heart In Winter)- A French film.

xq's posting (Click to enlarge).

(2) Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown) - A Spanish film.

  

xq's posting (Click to enlarge). 

On a lighter note, it's WEDNESDAY tomorrow, my favourite day of the week cos no school on Thursday! Okay, not really, have to still go to school on Thursday. Just no proper classes. 

And panda has complimentary tics for us to the Lion King musical at the Marina Bay Sands tmr night! YAY! googled and and it's apparently a highly-acclaimed one. Looking forward! MEOW!

Okay xq quick go sleep! You don't want to fall asleep tmr!

OH HAPPY DAY! It was a happy day with panda today, simple but happy! And it's going to be another happy day tomorrow! =)

(ignoring the fact that I'm going to die under the tremendously crazy workload in the next 9 weeks)

Until then!
Goodnight world! =)

*..IP MAN 2..*

Been busy and not blogging, cos too many things been going on and too much for updates. Okay, I mean, I've been lazy.

Anyhows good news! After going for IP MAN 2's Press Conference @ HK FILMART in March, it's finally gonna be released in SG! =)


The better news is, Chapman got us free passes to the movie premiere @ GV Marina tmr...WOOHOOO!


Hope slave can come somehow *cross fingers*

Trailer of "IP MAN 2"



sigh back to work, or maybe I should sleep early tonight. Dreading the mid sem paper on wednesday.

*..Little joys in life..*

Last Friday, xq and slave went for the SIFF Non-Competition screening of Store-Bought Love. Rushed down from Dead Over Heels shoot @ CCK to SAM, pretty far but it was all worth the time.

They finally screened the correct version of the edit aka the newest edit. Kino 2010 screened the old version much to my dismay. And the school sent the old version out to SIFF, so I found out about it and went down to Havelock Road office to submit the newest version of the film edit.

For some reason, when the opening credits played and I recognized it to be the new edit, everything just went right from there on.

It made me realize why we first started out on making a film. The applause and laughter from the audience makes every sweat and tear worth the moment. Didn't see Chin Hwee there at the screening, but he would have been even happier than me, if he could be there to observe audience response.

Of course, there were several other really interesting short films screened together with ours too. Notice that these were mostly Tisch or NTU Comm studies films.

The happier part came when the audience come through you to let you know what they think about your film. This guy actually searched for SBL Facebook page and commented there. And later added me to FB.


HAHA ok abrupt end to conversation cos I didn't know how to continue...

And just a moment ago, Xinying showed me this from the SINDIE website.


Just a little disappointed that my parents hadn't been able to watch KINO or SIFF screening. Don't know when the next screening would be, but probably no more? At least, not for now.

And Kaixiang, my ex-oak 3 friend, actually came to support. He's been wanting to watch since we were at the post-production phase in Jan 2008. LOL.

Most of all, thank you pigger low! For going down straight from work to accompany me to the screening. And for ferrying me about to get and return the hard disk during re-edit period. And for accompanying me at the school's FCP room till 9pm just to take me to dinner =)

PANDA!!!

Disappointed that we didn't get into any official selections but I guess at the end of the day, as slave said: "It's not about winning awards, it's about the audience's enjoyment..."

Was watching a bit of 《就想賴著妳》 idol drama, Ella said this line which totally made sense: “东西有没有那个价值，就要看拥有它的人懂不懂得珍惜它， 在乎它。。。”

人生短暂，
知足长乐就好！ ＝）

*..Store-Bought Love Screening #2..*

xq's FSV thesis film project is gonna be screened tomorrow. Yes, I know this is late notice, cos school's been crazy and haven't had time to type this out. Haha I only found out about it on Monday anyway, after JJ called me to ask. We've been in our own world and out of touch with the outside world from Location Filmmaking shoots the past couple of weeks.



Venue: Singapore Art Museum (Auditorium)
Date: 16th April 2010 (Friday)
Time: 7-8.40pm
Film: "Store-Bought Love"
TRT: 22 minutes


xiaobai, fionna, mole, yitong, emily yeo and martin wu has caught it the 1st screening @ GV Grand on 10th Feb 2010. The rest of you, must support xq ah! =)

Hope I can go after Dead Over Heels shoot tmr, shall leave a little earlier for travelling time!

Check out the following website for Singapore International Film Festival Shorts screenings on Friday and Sunday. Free Admission!

Support other FSV films as well =) CLICK HERE FOR SCREENING LIST

- My Sister's Secret (directed by TOUFYY)
- Love Song (directed by uncle calvin, starring joanne-marie my laopopo!)
- An Urn Full of Ash
- Director's Cut (Directed by Yinghao, starring Jack Neo's scandal haha)
- 5 rivers of Morigan

Hmm strange, how come no "Scot Free" in the screening list.

Here's what KEWEI, our female lead, posted on
Support other FSV films as well =) HER BLOG =) And xq finally burned 122453487 DVDs for the cast, shall mail them out tmr. Been too busy and hadn't had time to pass them the latest edit.

Today's a day to clear to-do lists. Not in the best of mood though. Sigh.

*..So in love with Pixar now..*

One report and One presentation later...for "Overview of Producing", Producer's Profile for John Lasseter, Academy Award-winning American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Wahhh fascinated by all the nice images Mary Ling & I got from the web. I must watch all the Pixar films! and short films too!

Some of my favourite toons and mostly I haven't watched!! Except for Toy Story 1, UP, Ratatouille. The rest I have vague recollection of. And the even larger number that I haven't watched. Shall raid the school library!








All these toons wouldn't be possible without HIM! THIS GUY! Father of all animations!! John Lasseter! Such a cute caricature...


okay the real him! =)


Okay not good to be hyper about such things at 330am in the morning. 4 more hours to sleep. =( SIAN.

Chapman screened "Darah" at Preview Theatre after school today and it overran like mad cos Gary Goh was caught in a jam. But it was all worthwhile a watch. An eye-opener and visually intriguing (or grotesque) hardcore gore, bloody, horror (not ghost kind of horror, but horrified of the violent killings). Co-production between Indonesia and "Gory-Lah Productions". Gee, out in theatres Oct 8th. I'd cringe if I had watched it in a cinema. At least in Chapman, everyone (lecturers and students) screamed, laughed and cursed together at the &$&%$& scenes which were Director's cut by the way...So cinema's won't be as gory I guess...After censorship and re-cut...

Lastly, thanks slave for waiting for film screening to end and take me for dinner =) Awww. Excited about the birth of slave's car tmr, but the demise of APB (Ah Pek Bike) kinda *emo* Sigh, shall see how we can fit in a photoshoot!

Goodnight world!! sian, this is such a looooong week. Almost neverending. Got school on Fri somemore. -_- WHY DID THE BIO LECTURER POSTPONE OUR LECT TO FRI, aka my free day!!!!!!

*..OH MY LORDDDDDDDD..*

waiting for slave to end work in school study area now, had wanted to do some assignments but brain is oversaturated and I'm just stoning and watching a Pixar documentary on youtube now. Mary Ling showed it to me as part of our presentation materials.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH it's thursday, thus friday tmr. By right, should have the "YAYYY" factor, but somehow I can't feel it. All I'm feeling is lethargy from school and the annoying flu/cough/phlegm/bad throat that has been with me for one week exactly. Put all together, I feel ANGSTY.

We've survived 2 weeks of school! well, not sure if we'll survive the following week cos it's killerrrrrrr. 856275628 assignments to complete over the weekend. xq learnt from her lesson of trying to complete the work the night before or on the morning itself as evident this week. Not gooddddd. So must finish all by sunday or monday!

Now let's list down what's to be done.

Screenwriting module: 2 write ups (might postpone 1), read 1 feature length screenplay and do an analysis, 1 script.

Overview of Producing module: short write up on one trade market article, Proj with mary ling due (consists of 5 page formal report + 15 minutes presentation on Pixar producer John Lassiter)

Producing for Broadcast module: 1 write up, research for upcoming group presentation in 5 weeks' time.

not to mention 4598265824 readings for just about every module. Think by the end of the 2 years, we'll all be pros at reading and writing out chunks of materials. Actually, these are things I like to do, but in excess...it's just.....URGH! -_-

so pek chek and put off by the workload that I just ate a whole sandwich though I wasn't hungry. Just wanted to chew on something to vent. hahaha!

randomly surfing facebook and found some photos from Blood Ties gala premiere which I had wanted to blog about but no time no time.

xq, and the 2 behind-the-scenes photographers (Anthony & Jacky) who were also engaged for the Boku Film's feature shoot. Hilarious, think I was searching for slave, stan & peipei. Didn't realize it was caught on camera UNGLAM-ly.


check out the 3rd row from the back. the green shirt guy is eric. xq's beside. Then peipei and stan beside us. HAHAHA like that also can recognize!


tadah. Picture of the day. Has cinegear's jackie and mimi, stan & pei pei, just nice cut off my face, charlyn, zoe-ann etc. so many pple!


okay that's all folks. May the sick get well soon!!!

What a depressing week at school. So much for looking forward to a niceee weekend... =(

*..Sacrificing is?..*

Helloo world!

xq went back to school today for a Chapman Uni seminar session with the girls, maryling, uncle sw. Producer Lord David Puttnam was invited speaker and I thought what he said were really thought-provoking and meaningful.

Watched the next screening at 6pm with slave, toufy and mary. It was "Tokyo Godfathers"(2003), Directed by Satoshi Kon.



Christmas in Tokyo, Japan. Three homeless friends: a young girl, a transvestite, and a middle-aged bum. While foraging through some trash, they find an abandoned newborn. Hana, the transvestite with delusions of being a mother, convinces the others to keep it overnight. The next day, using a key found with the baby, they start tracking down the parents, with many adventures along the way.

Here's the trailer.


Really liked how the plot unravels and also its storytelling. Somewhat like a tapestry of the 3 heroes' lives. Sure enough they've found an abandoned baby, and them being homeless signifies some sort of abandonment from society that scoffs their poverty. And in their respective lives, they each face abandonment of some sort with regards to their families--be it them being abandoned by loved ones, or abandoning loved ones.

And it all ties in, how a kid never forgets its parents, how a parent never forgets its child. How love finds its way back into everyone's lives. The emphasis on the importance of a complete family unit, how it's a gift from god.

wow, amazing how this show encompasses comedic effects and thought-provocation simultaneously; how it could be hilarious, touching, heartwarming, restrospective--all at once.

Was really drawn by these lines "Lady Hana" aka tranny in film spoke, although simple and cliched.

"When you try to achieve something,
someone's bound to get hurt.
You always have to sacrifice something."

How very true huh.
Isn't it heartless, how in the process of getting to where we want, or what we want, we inevitably hurt someone in the process? Dog eat dog society, 不是你死，就是我亡。

To lessen the guilt, maybe make sure that the person who gets hurt isn't the one who matters most to you...a stranger maybe? Oh well, but what if both are important to you in their own ways? Who do you sacrifice? The one who matters less to you?

I've been feeling really bothered by something, and to make myself feel better, I often have to remind myself to remember who chose to "sacrifice" me in the process of achieving something many times before.

Perhaps, all it takes is to be a little hard-hearted to feel more detached from someone. But that's just...cruel isn't it? Hmmm, so be it.

goodnight. long day tmr.

*..xq loves film screenings!!..*

Helloo world!

Many film screenings coming up in the next 2 weeks! And many many more weeks to come! I shall attend any screening that catches my eye if I have the time to! Substation la, SAM la, sinema la, FMS la etc. Love it.

This one seems interesting! SMU Film Fest. Can drag DAO KIA aka yeekai there or sth. This is in conjunction with SMU's Arts Festival activities. Take a look at their OFFICIAL WEBSITE for a list of events or rather, a calendar of it.


They actually have a blog for it with the details RIGHT HERE!!

Found the program booklet outside FMS (aka school) office few days back, and was delighted. Hope xq can go!!! pls pls pls! Cos tentatively gonna have some filming on the 1st 2 days of the screening. *sob* Nvm, I'm left with the final day! Erm but I want to go the 2nd day! =(

When I got home & checked my email, Michael Kam aka lecturer sent us another mail. Our faculty has screenings once a week, film maker series aka film-maker (usually the director) comes down for Q & A session after that. Really like listening to them tell stories, and talk about their experiences. Just went for one yesterday, erm but I fell asleep here and there. Britain short films. BUT MARILYN SLEPT MORE. HAHA ORH HOR! she woke up when the credits were rolling! =p Guess british short films just aren't our cups of tea.


Date of screening: 13th January (Tuesday)
Time: 6.30 - 9.30pm
Venue: FMS Preview Theatre (Blk 52 #09-05)
Seminar guest: Cheng Ding An, Director - Merlion Pictures

About the film: "Kallang Roar" may possibly be Singapore's first sports bio-pic.
The film centres on veteran football coach Uncle Choo, who is not only battling diabetes but an entire board of officials who are ready to oust him when he returns to the Singapore scene in 1977 to lead the national team. Together with a rag-tag group of players, the unorthodox coach trains his men to attempt the near-impossible: break the Malaysia national team's 12-year unbroken winning track record. The film stars veteran actor Lim Kay Siu, FMS alumni Randall Tan and Santhanaram Jayaram.

Wow didn't expect them to screen this film that soon. Watched the Kallang Roar short film version the other time. Shall go for this if I can make it. =) Might have a shoot on that day too.

And the next one, loveee it! Have been wanting to catch THE DAYS, but the screening days/times always clash with my schedules.


Date of screening: 20th January (Tuesday)
Time: 6.30 - 9.30pm
Venue: FMS Preview Theatre (Blk 52 #09-05)
Seminar guest: Boi Kwong, Director - Originasian Pictures

About the film: "The Days" is based on a true story set in the 80's about an elder brother's misguided efforts to help his younger brother by introducing him to a gang, and the dires consequences of his actions. The film stars Justin Chan, Ivan Lim and veteran actress Yeo Yan Yan (881).


YAY HAPPY ONLY!

erm not really, just excited. Having quite an annoying fever now all of a sudden since the 74 bus journey. Temperature shot up and I've been trembling since. B-rrrrr so cold only. I shall sleep early this once tonight.

*..Ratatouille saved xq's day..*

Yesterday, the rat saved my day! my very boring day. hahaha! Okay la not say very boring.

was supposed to go 4th singapore short cuts at 2pm sharp today, with toufyyy and caleb. But we were all lateee. So when the show we most wanted to watch "AH MA" by anthony chen screened b4 our arrival, THEY CLOSED THE DOORS! and only let us in after that film was done with. And we had standing/sitting "tickets".

WE DIDN'T FULFIL OUR AIM! RAHHHHHHH =( and the school screened the show and invited Anthony chen down, BUT DIDN'T ANNOUNCE EH! hope they screen it again.

but the other films were not bad, except didn't really get one or two of the films which were rather abstract.

the Q & A session after the screening. Rather draggy, kinda made me veryyy drowsy.


Anthony chen and boo junfeng seem rather interesting personalities. Like ordinary yet not-that-ordinary people. Hmm and royston tan too. We saw him smoking by the door and was telling caleb & jy that we should take a pic with him, with our fingers gesturing "8", "8" & "1". of cos you all know what kinda response I got from them. *roll eyes*


was supposed to meet sw, melvin and qam in school for some magnum force (cheerleading team) thing..so I pangseh-ed jy and caleb who went for some photo exhibition in town. (JY! HOWS UR DATE WITH CALEB? *revenge*) too early to go to school, so i loitered around in PS! went into every interesting shop I saw.

Hmm there's this scrap booking store on the 3rd floor. Eye-opener! 1st time I've entered the shop, usually walk past only. GIft idea eh! idea meaning, I'll improvise my own method...cos the price of the materials there are head-chopping...Like you could get the same stuffs elsewhere for a lower price...like a quarter of the store's price..

heh, so inspired to decorate my photo albums now! Like tonnes of photos to develop! =) Excitedddd. Plus I bought some stuffs cos I knew I'd need it some day. Erm, wrapping papers at pasar malam @ heartland mall. So cheap, good quality paper and damn nice designs. Those I loveeeee. 10 cents each, so I bought 10! Could have bought more, but scared mum kill. Gift wrapping paper make very good scrapbooking bases! hmm, can't wait to get started.







then i went into lotsa weird shops and gift shops, and like gift ideas started popping up here and there! =) Not bad ah, mind-stimulating only. Daiso's a great place to get materials for DIY stuffs too. Ohhhh sooo many things I wanna get, gotta clear space in my room 1st. I've dragged packing of my room for 3 week! Shall get started today! PROMISE!

anyhows, walked there for 3 hrs and bought 3 cans of pringles cos sudden craving, and wanna bring home for bro too. Then took train home, decided have dinner with the family! cos it's only wkends that we get to eat together on one table. Which meant, I pangseh-ed sw and gang. AHAHAHA!

was so bored after dinner, I ate half a tub of durian icecream! alot of pringles. And was still bored. Watched taiwan variety show on channel u. still bored. Soooo, i decided to switch off all the lights, plug in my earphones and watch RATATOUILLE!! damn nice show, right from visuals to storytelling to characters. All nice la. =)

hahaha the mouseeee so cuteeee, can talk and cook. And I think we better keep melvin, the kitty in identity crisis, away from Remy the mousie, else he'd eat it up! And mew at it.



argh, must find a better way to spend my remaining hols! =(

*..fly me up, UP and AWAYYY!!..*

haha! wth, pls kill me. 4am already, and xq's ultra hyper! brimming with highhhh-ness. *hic* I must be drunk...on...erm...tau sar piah? sighhh, I just ate finish the last 2 pieces. MUMMY BUY MORE LEH! lovessss.

hmms, so today ended on a high note, compared to my ohhh-sooo-boreddd morning. I was so bored, I woke up taking these pics!


then i turned my palm around. haha yes WTH...

then as if I was outta my mind, pia-ed right to the piano before brushing up and all, and recorded one song. Failed many times. ahaha like kept hitting the wrong keys.

yup then jerry confirmed about the screening stuffs. JJ, caleb, louis, jerry and me went. caleb and xq were to meet the fongs on board the 161 from sengkang bus stop. AND GUESS WAD! xq was the earliest! and caleb! I HATE YOU LEH!!! stop staring at me can? make us feel awkward only. Caleb has the habit of staring at others for prolonged time periods. ^$%$*$*^&^(!!

there were 3 screenings, phone buddy starred in 2. WORXXXX popular ahhh? hahaha. One was Ricebowl, the other was Carousel. Quite fun la, like saw recognisable faces in it, cos he's been telling me about them. And saw one of the female lead at the airport with jerry and stefan the other time. Singapore's really small you know.

hahaha laughed like mad throughout, mainly at the mother role in carousel love and the gay bro. And at phone buddy too, tickles me like mad only! YOU SHOULD GO BE A COMEDIAN! Still not used to seeing a friend on screen, like I was holding back my laughter on set last sat too, else if I burst out laughing, phone buddy might get distracted, get him into trouble only. Yeahh will post photo post on that shoot some time soon. =)

from ricebowl

victor, starring in carousel love.

victor, having some wet dream. hahaha nahhh, but seriously! LOOK AT THAT FACE! HAHAHA! =p okay better shut up, before I get slaughtered.


anyhows, republic poly damn niceee! like nicest sch I've ever stepped foot in. Everywhere's air conditioned! gee, nice toilets too! I LIKEEE! and the LTs all nicer by 6564574747 times compared to our sch.

hmm the screening was fun I guess, hearty laugh and all. Nice environment. But the quality wasn't too promising, yeah, alot of jump cuts in editing and discontinuities in wardrobe and lil things. Footages were bad, out of focus and all...auto focus was on...which explains...and dunno, their style of editing all the same! Like different from how we'd do things.. different school of thought I suppose...

an everybody-is-happy photo. that's when carrying a digicam everywhere you go, comes in handy! wahaha! I feel like buying a new one! I need, a money tree! lai! who has the seedling? *brrr* wassup with xq.


haha then after much contemplation, all of us (except pangseh king aka louis) went to meet CW and the director to discuss further details about post production and upcoming shoot. Gee, gotta compose more songs.

can imagine sw's voice when he comes back from his m'sia shoot only.

SW: "xq! 2 more weeks to compose soundtracks for calvin's film!!"
xq: "shut up laaa!!!"

LOL!!
yeahhhh guess I'll have to coop myself up for the next few days to play moreeee, tunes? haha! oh yah gotta go sch tmr! sians!

had a loooong train ride btw. Cos meeting pt was at bugis. gee from woodlands?! KILL US! was bored, so took pics of those opp me. And phone buddy scolded me for being ZI LIAN! when I was taking whose pics?! then...he realised and began posing! HELLOOOO pot calling kettle back only!!!

fong, lee, fong. Some pattern?
nice try ah, xq!

from phone buddy's point of view!

haha east west line got dim lighting, which explains the grainyyy pics. Same phone model! so we have equally "cool" quality pics! lazy take out digicam la.


then phone buddy and his friend alighted at amk s11 for dinner. Ohhh, damn long nv go there. Fav hangout with poly friends only! erm, the uncles I mean. For old people. like...calvin la, singwei la, melvin la..jj la...oops.. =p

jj let us watch the cheerleading aka magnum force video they edited. touching only. I WANT! and yeah, I wanna start playing with FCP. gotta edit cousin's wedding footages. Promise only!

Oh well, then to kfc at bugis to have production meeting. Whee, to my surprise! the 2 of them brought CDRs. with sat's pics! so plus mine, there's like 400 odd production pictures. There's another in the cameraman's DSLR, shld be 500 odd in total. Guess who's the happiest? LOUIS! cos most of the pics are of him. cos he's the male lead. Cos 3 outta 4 of the cameras were handled by *ahem* xq. Haha! 2 digicams and 1 DSLR! thankewwww. I lovee taking photos of other people. sighh so very little of me, damn sian.

and i got Jay chou's "Secret" OSTs from jj!! thanks ah! AHHHHHHH! DAMN NICEEE! gimme the piano scoressss! AYE AYE! jy also want! hahaha! damn zai la! if i can play just like them. *faints* running notes only.

totally photo overdose! was looking at the nice pics! and posting some on friendster. been awhile since I updated the pics. Then sent some pics to the photo addict.

Look at the number of photos! 19 only!!! 2 earlier on. so 21! shall burn the rest into CD for you!

Dad's nagging at me to sleep. Sooooo GOODNIGHT!!!! 440am! haha gettin the hang of hols!

and sorry bq! forgot to msg you about sunday. Was thinking we shld meet up on another day instead cos mole had to leave early. PLUS U GOT 4 DAY WEEK LOR! showoff! okay, badminton again someday! or erm, "walk walk"? HAHAHA!! later legs break! plan again!

HAPPY SCHOOLING DEAR FRIENDS! and happy holidays to the rest.