SIMTech Break-in

Dear Ross,

I was never a fan of break-ins but….

SIMTech Break-in

What a funny experience. Campus Security wasn’t aware of the change of padlock and gave me an old key instead of the new one :( I think I will suggest providing my own padlock for the shoot period…

Thankfully I’m small sized enough to fit through the door and to bring two props in. frown

11-11 Tech Recce

SIM-Tech NTU

Collected the glass door key from the Campus Security (that place is so well-hidden, I felt like I was some secret agent reporting to the security) so we got to enter this place through a proper door.

There’s a flight of stairs leading up to the glass door which will be our main entrance for filming.

SIMTech 1

And this side is for us to wheel our equipment up + unload equipment. We’ll either unload at the carpark and wheel it up or something else which I will discuss with the AD at a later date. This road is a slope so it’s a bit dangerous for unloading.

SIM Tech 2The good thing about shooting in a space like this is that we have plenty of space to put our equipment + station people.

SIM Tech 3

Note to self: Bring portable chairs and fans. Possible to get portable mini fridge? (This is for the potential dry ice prop as well). Find a make-up corner.

SIM Tech 4

Thank god the door is wide enough for most things. Note to self: Bring a door wedge.

SIM Tech 5

SIM Tech 6

SIM Tech 7

REP Office

It was a battle to get this place =( and it made me realise more flaws I have and how much harder I have to work to be a producer, even just for fyp. It reminded me of some problems I faced when I was an intern producer with a production company.

Anw, REP Office has space for us to put equipment / set up make-up corner as well. Note to self: Take note of plugs when setting up make-up corners.

REP Office 1

REP Office 2 REP Office 3

 

The bathrooms are also easily accessible :) Gotta go back to SIM-Tech to test the sockets for the hospital ward scene + look out for usable toilets. We saw one at the lobby the other day but I gotta recce it again.

R e p, r i p me.

I was just thinking to myself how I don’t have a place to write down all my thoughts and OSS came to mind. Oh hi OSS. *waves*

OK so things to take note of today for The Becoming…. (Sigh it’s hard to switch between two projects.)

So Adeline called today to tell me that she couldn’t give me official approval to use REP office’s teaching lab, but the door is unlocked :)))))) Richard (Surprising I had his number saved in my phone. Turns out he was the Richard who told me he’s got nothing to do with the room. I’m going in circles that’s right Ross.) then called to ask me about the filming and how many people are going to be on set. I said 20+, around max. 30 people on set. Which is true if you add up everyone including the cast. That’s almost like a default number. He then asked me if everyone was going to use the toilet. (outside REP office) I said erm yes….. What are the concerns maybe we could work around them? I was thinking if I should have suggested me setting up my own portaloo somewhere. But abit weird har.

Anyway so yep he was concerned with the number of people on set and then another person from ODFM called. He told me he was concerned and if we could just use the lift lobby to shoot, whether it’d be sufficient. I told him we’re looking at a laboratory setting and the teaching lab is really the best place for us and we could try and work things out and make sure what we do doesn’t bring inconvenience to them.

So it was the number of people on set and number of people who’re going to move in and out of the office. And he said there might be activities or seminars during that period. Thank god I asked Adeline before and she assured me there’s nothing going on in december. Like literally almost no one will be there…. But then again it’s their office and we gotta respect their space. So I suggested I could station my crew outside and they will only need to come in when necessary. He was kinda convinced but needed to talk to his staff first so yup will wait for a reply…. :( sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The Story of Evon and REP Office/LKC

Story of Evon trying to get the permission to film at REP Office Teaching Lab and Muscular Biophysics Lab:

  • Contacted NTC, NTC says nope, it’d under REP Office
  • Contacted REP Office and emailed them, no reply
  • Went down and talked to an officer from REP Office
  • Officer had a chat with me about film photography in Singapore, as well as told me the rooms are under LKC
  • Officer brought me to the Singapore Phenome Centre to look for someone who would know
  • No one went to the door. Before we left REP Office, knocked on Singapore Phenome Centre’s door again and a man came out.
  • Asked him if he knew who I could talk to
  • He told me to contact his manager, N. S. P (Shall not reveal his name, ha ha).
  • Called N S P and he’s in a meeting and told me to call at 4pm
  • Called at 4:05pm instead in case his meeting delayed a bit
  • N S P said he was still in a meeting :(
  • N S P called back later and said the labs are not under them and that REP Office thought it’s under LKC, but nope.
  • Asked if by any chance he knew who’d know, he told me to contact Richard, whose surname and contact number he doesn’t know. He knows that Richard’s an Indonesian though.
  • Contacted REP Office and asked for a Richard, got his number and confirmed with the lady that this Richard is an Indonesian.
  • Called Richard and SADLY, he’s at a meeting too.
  • Called Richard again today and Richard said..

THE LABS ARE NOT UNDER THEM =)

They are under LKC.

How?

Film Festival Workshop

During Pre-production, think about:

  • What kind of film you’re making
    • Be clear about what kind of film you’re making
    • Are you making the film to show your technical craft, you want to get a job, you want to show your cinematography skills or you want to get into film festival?
  • Why you’re making the film
    • What’s the point of the film
  • Don’t make a film to suit a film festival
    • It will be obvious to the film festival judges
    • Make a film that you’re really interested in
  • Has your film been made before?
    • Generally we see Singapore films, we know there’s a certain sort of theme
    • How do you make your film different?
  • Attend the festival prior to submission to the festival
    • Get a sense of the community at the festival
    • They get so many submissions for shorts, if they met them before the festival they will go ahh oh ya I remember I met this person
    • Watch what you will be competing with
    • Get the standards of the films being screened
  • Film Festival Submission
    • People usually submit right before the deadline
    • Best time to submit is the first week of film festival call for submission
    • Singapore film festival – april to august
    • Usually by end of august, confirmed 70% of the programme, so submit earlier
    • Be very careful about the duration of your film
      • Cut it to the best possible length for the film
      • Each festival has different duration for film
      • The longer a short is, the more difficult it is to programme
      • The longer your film is, the harder it is to programme
  • First impressions count a lot
    • Once programmers watch a film once, you cannot they won’t watch your next few cuts
  • Don’t take film festival rejection personally

SEA section – 20 shorts

Singapore Panorama – 10 shorts

Don’t ask them for feedback

23rd November – 4th December (Singapore Film Festival)

Don’t(s)

  • Bad acting
  • Filmmakers who take themselves a little too seriously

If you want to address social issue in a short film, there’s a story independent of the issue and the issue just happens to comes in.

Let the programmers watch the films in the best possible scenario.

The most troubling thing

So here I am sitting in Fiction Writing class and our professor wants us to do our weekly automatic writing. Today’s topic is on “The most troubling thing” that happened this week or last week, and since it revolves around fyp, I might as well post it here.

Cast

The cast has almost been confirmed but the doctor character is still hanging nowhere. We’re waiting for people to get back with their video auditions but only 2 “nurse” characters have gotten back with theirs – Carey and Jasyika. Even though I told them to send me by Monday :( and to let me know if they couldn’t. I will drop them a text soon, maybe later today.

Locations

I emailed a couple of hospitals and dining areas but few has gotten back. Shooting at Bright Vision costs a bomb – $100 per 30 minute scout, $4000 per filming day. Right then, I wished I  was rich. Saint Andrew’s and Yishun’s Community Hospital said no to filming. There are a couple more. I’m mainly waiting for the university health centre and ntu medical school to reply to my email because those are the places where I’ve placed my highest hopes.

As if the hospitals will not cost enough, dining areas cost a bomb too. Be it we book a field and set up our tables and tents or we book a restaurant with a nice backdrop, and 80% of the art is already done up. I’ve asked around and everyone said it’s going to be expensive. Am thinking of other ways and I hope ideas come up by the end of today.

Also, it’s pretty troubling that I lose track of what day it is every single day.

Location Scout at Rochor Centre

Went on location scout with Judith yesterday. We wanted to cover both Rochor Centre and Queens St Bus Terminal in 2 hours but we both spent too much time at Rochor and didn’t get to Queens St.

photo-1-10-16-9-42-32-amphoto-1-10-16-9-53-55-am-2

The Becoming Auditions

Got the background image from Brenda and did up the Casting Call Notice for The Becoming:

The Becoming Casting Call Notice

The Becoming Casting Call Notice (Supporting)

I broke the casting up into main cast and supporting cast so that the Shermaine and Evelyn can focus on locking the main talents first (also to have a peace of mind). So on 22 September 2016 I sent out our main cast casting call notice.

Our auditions are held on 27th, 28th September 2016 and 3rd, 4th October 2016. 28th and 3rd are at Scape Media Hub whereas the other two are, and will be held in school. One thing I learnt from doing the auditions arrangement is that it is a lot easier if I confirm audition day and locations first before inviting the talents to auditions.

I wasn’t around on 27th cause’ I was at Scion audition at Scape, but I could tell Shermaine and Evelyn had fun auditioning our first two talents :)

Reading through FYP documents

So I’ve decided to print out all the FYP documents and read through them. I only had the syllabus printed out previously. So here are the important things I got out of the documents:

Film Equipment Booking Procedure

  • All equipment via Web-checkout
  • Book equipment 14 days in advance, maximum 7 days use, including check-in and check-out
  • Check-out timing 9am – 11am
  • Check-in timing 1pm – 3pm
  • Producer has to be there at check-out and check-in
  • Max. 12-hour shoot
  • At least 12-hour turnaround

Soundstage Booking Procedure

  • Fill in the Soundstage Booking Form and submit to Shukor
    • Name and Matriculation Number
    • Year/Level
    • Subject and Course
    • Purpose of Use
  • Booking to be made 14 days in advance, maximum 7 days use

HD Edit Suite and Sound Suite Booking Procedure

  • Fill in the Use of Room Notice Form and submit to Shukor
    • Name and Matriculation Number
    • Year/Level
    • Subject and Course
    • Purpose of Use
  • Booking to be made 14 days in advance, maximum 100hrs per semester
  • Bookings to be made in blocks of 4 hours, maximum of 3 blocks consecutively

Greenlight Form Details

  • Project Title
  • Principal team (with Matriculation numbers)
  • FYP Project Supervisor
  • Dates of Shoot
  • Documents
    • Shooting Script
    • Shooting Schedule
    • Call Sheet
    • Crew and Cast List
    • Equipment List
    • Location List
    • Soundstage Booking Form
    • Use of Room Notice Form
    • Clearances
    • Releases