N2230

Produced by:

Shoki, Xinyi, Darren, Jacob.

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 7.09.38 pm

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:

 

  1. Researching on existing movies and stories, and deciding on one that we deemed feasible for a 5 minute adaptation.
  2. Drafting the storyline and script.
  3. Creating a storyboard to envision scenes and how they would be filmed. (camera angles, lighting, sequences, time of filming etc.)
  4. Discussing roles, and the availability of props, locations and equipment (especially important since we wanted to recreate the time period of the 90s.)
  5. 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.
  6. Dedicating a full day to filming.
  7. Editing the recorded footage and researching on appropriate soundtracks to complement the film.
  8. Creating the title near the end of the film.
  9. 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:

paranormal-activity-has-created-a-spooky-virtual-reality-game-that-is-sure-to-make-you-cra-469670Screen shot 2015-10-11 at PM 02.00.03

hqdefaultkimberly_chia_12homerunIloIlo2-400x300tpvet

 

Taken from: Ilo Ilo, Fighting Spiders, Paranormal Activity, VHS Camcorder app, Remembersingapore.com.

 

STORYBOARDS:

dcb49176d43d7c6e82da2e9a154d4190 2ee9f25c3e560ab2a3f292a0494dd6ac dc2a1546de44f55838e28cef46c34a4d04c1b13f3e7f202c4cbeb403d099e684 d87ab1fbc59cd566a4d26c3786b55012da94509af82071fd15af4603de193005

 

 

FINAL SCRIPT:

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 6.58.06 pmScreen Shot 2015-11-13 at 6.58.50 pm Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 6.58.39 pm Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 6.58.28 pm Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 6.58.17 pm Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 6.59.00 pm

 

LOCATIONS:

Fishing area near Changi Beach:

IMG_0827 IMG_0823

Old and unused security room:

IMG_0819 IMG_0811

Abandoned Swimming Complex along Andover Road:

IMG_0808IMG_0797

 

 

USE OF EXTERNAL LIGHTING:

IMG_0840 ddea0be59aa2db38d220557849f16ce8IMG_0839IMG_0815IMG_0810

 

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT:

 

sound recorder:

IMG_08386c043f2a4bfe950bebf90c4c1c9f046b

makeshift dolly:

IMG_0817

 

CLOTHES & PROPS:

IMG_0764 IMG_0762  e1ceb5c786756f562407bc59fa02cb3b c00996ab7da2461dd01a734bca12d1b6 c9a6da64612addc091a535b9a58be65d109696fdf5c4df2f2d706227d3e9828812f0cf4e9c6ba96eb5d936a526304be3e48a42472c9aafdee350669c11ed0e56  0288dd1bbf9a8772658989aaff2f04db627f31d0d9725877b065f0c74bf0b1dd  33a2cac99261fac5b87c225b7a195ebc    09d1e9e72dc44a8c1d6b93d3eb9449d2

 

EDITING ON AFTER-EFFECTS AND PREMIERE PRO CC:

sounds and music:

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 7.53.20 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 7.53.53 PM

turning footage into a story:

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 7.55.48 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 7.56.08 PM

 

 

SNIPPETS OF THE SLIDESHOW:

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 7.10.46 pm Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 7.10.15 pm

 

 

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!

 

IMG_1152

Leave a Reply