Produced by:
Shoki, Xinyi, Darren, Jacob.
An adaptation of the Truman Show into a 90’s Asian setting:
We got together to pick a narrative we all liked before starting on the plot of our adaptation. We picked The Truman Show because of its dark theme revolving around great powerful corporations infringing human rights and the exploitation of people in difficult circumstances.
With that, we came up with quite a few ideas but decided on what we thought was most feasible, realistic and emotional. We decided to toy with the idea of unethical drug experimentations on people who are in need of quick money. To dramatise the scene and to pull forth the emotional factor, our main protagonists are orphaned siblings.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS:
Time was an important factor in the process of our filming. To maximise our efficiency, we worked in a systematic procedure that can be summed up as follows:
- Researching on existing movies and stories, and deciding on one that we deemed feasible for a 5 minute adaptation.
- Drafting the storyline and script.
- Creating a storyboard to envision scenes and how they would be filmed. (camera angles, lighting, sequences, time of filming etc.)
- Discussing roles, and the availability of props, locations and equipment (especially important since we wanted to recreate the time period of the 90s.)
- Finalising a script by splitting it into its respective scenes. This was useful as it allowed us to keep track of all the scenes we could film in each location, as well as the props needed for each scene.
- Dedicating a full day to filming.
- Editing the recorded footage and researching on appropriate soundtracks to complement the film.
- Creating the title near the end of the film.
- Presentation!
REFERENCES:
To get the traditional 90s video effect, we used a VHS camera app on the iPhone. Most of everything else that gave the 90s vibe was largely from the props we put together, some of which were inspired by the following:
Taken from: Ilo Ilo, Fighting Spiders, Paranormal Activity, VHS Camcorder app, Remembersingapore.com.
STORYBOARDS:
FINAL SCRIPT:
LOCATIONS:
Fishing area near Changi Beach:
Old and unused security room:
Abandoned Swimming Complex along Andover Road:
USE OF EXTERNAL LIGHTING:
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT:
sound recorder:
makeshift dolly:
CLOTHES & PROPS:
EDITING ON AFTER-EFFECTS AND PREMIERE PRO CC:
sounds and music:
turning footage into a story:
SNIPPETS OF THE SLIDESHOW:
REFLECTIONS:
JACOB:
The difficulties in planning, filming, and acting. All that time and effort spent on a single 5 minute film. I experienced these problems and more in this project, yet I can safely say that I would want to do it again. The satisfaction upon seeing a completed film is simply euphoric. I felt that this was an excellent way for me to learn the ropes of filming as I worked with very talented and dedicated group members, and managed to take away many lessons from working with them.
I’ve always appreciated film, but this project has made me appreciate it to a level far beyond the average viewer. From technical to ideological detail of creating stories that can evoke feelings and emotions in a viewer, this project has reminded me of aspects of why I loved movies so much in the first place.
DARREN:
There were many ideas that we bounced off each other initially. However, the general mood was set when we came up with the initial storyboard for the film, N2230. Through our thoughtful and well-planned pre-productions, I am really thankful for the positive inputs that my group has given to create such a smooth and enjoyable experience throughout. It really helps me appreciate much more how much effort goes into making a short film or a movie.
Looking back, I feel much more experience on our part was needed to visualise how much footage will fit into a time span of 5 minutes as our storyboard had about 12 minutes of footage to be used. To me I feel in this day and age it is important, as trailers and short videos will have to be much better planned to cater to a younger generation with much shorter attention span as compared to what we already are used to.
XIN YI:
This project was truly an eye-opener for me. I never had any experience with filmmaking before, thus, from this, I’ve learned a lot. I must admit it is painfully arduous but it’s really fantastic breathing life into the ideas you have conjured in your head. I have never appreciated filmmaking so much until now.
SHOKI:
I really enjoyed making this film with my group. The story idea was something we were all very excited about, which made the filming process so much more enjoyable. Making this short film made me realise that ultimately, planning is the most important process in filmmaking. I feel that we did a thorough job during pre production to plan out the film visually and logistically. With proper planning, we were able to execute our production in a single day.
Looking back at the short film, I probably would have done some things differently. Regardless of this, I am really proud of our work and I believe that making films is continual learning process. Plus it was so much fun!
