Tay-irteen:

You have always been here for the past 13 years of my life, until then. With everything else changing, thankfully this place still remains the same.  Everything is still where they are supposed to be and these never fail to remind us of your presence, something I treasure deep down.

“Tay-irteen” is a short documentary exploring him as a person back then and his various interactions with the people around him.

After getting the 8 clips, I proceeded to consult Prof Robert regarding the content of the clips. He said that the content was fine and that my grandmother has a comfortable voice (AHA!). However, since most parts of the clips are in Hokkien, I will need to do a translation with their respective subtitles in the video.

I went home for the weekends with the thought that my grandmother will be there for me to do any more touch-up interview if needed while editing. However, I went home to face another crisis again. My home phone lines and internet connection was down from Friday till Sunday. I actually survived without internet access on my laptop and meddled with imovie functions by myself and learn it manually instead of the usual youtube tutorial method. (And in case of what you are thinking, nope, I only have 100 Mb worth of mobile data a month so hotspot was out was the question.)

I spent ample amount of time learning how to get the functions and effects I wanted fro the imovie and a huge portion of it went to finding ways on how to put in subtitles on my images. Afterwhich, I began editing slowly and edited the audio and trimmed out the unneccesary portions. I also looked for relevant visuals in regards to the conversation as well. After much frustration (without internet) and bullet sweat drops, I finally got the editing done.

However, I was faced with another problem. No matter how hard I tried, I could not export the imove project. I tried about 53 times if I did not miscount. Hence, I have no choice but to present from the laptop instead. (Special thanks to Margaret for loaning me her Mac)

I will find  way to export the video and post it on OSS some time soon. (sorry about that)

Meanwhile, here are some screenshots of the editing.

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Initially, I wanted to do a video regarding a day in my grandfather’s life but then I was faced with the lack of materials. After consulting with Prof Robert, he suggested that why not I do an interview about him with my grandmother instead. It will be more raw and real then.

After deciding on it, I made a short list on what to interview my grandmother on and proceeded with it. However, it proved to be difficult to make any progression as my grandmother found it extremely hard to talk about my grandfather. She would sob heavily after an interview question and the audio will either be too muffled or filled with her high pitch cries, making them kind of irrelevant in the video making process. After several tries, she got angry and refused to carry on further.

I proceeded to consult Prof Robert on the situation the next week since I have near to 0 progression on the project. He felt that I can make a video on how hard it is for my grandmother to talk about my grandfather and it can be as raw as her trying to talk about it but she could not. However, I felt that it was kind of cruel to her in a way.

Subsequently, the next week, I resumed my interview with her and I landed myself in the same situation. She then asked if I am going to do anything with the sobbing audios I recorded. I told her the ideas and she was appalled. She then refused to do any more recordings again and did not allow me to use the sobbing recordings I had  for the project and reminded me not to put them on the web or let anyone else hear them. Respecting her decision, I have once again landed myself with 0 progression with the project.

Prof Robert mentioned in the next consultation that it should be fine to just show the clip to the class and post it on OSS for marking and that I can always take them down after that. However, I felt that it was important to respect my grandmother’s decision.

The following week, I tried to psycho her and gave her long prep talks before the start of the interview and let her know that she really plays an important role in this project. After many tries, she finally began to relax and loosen up gradually. We did the interview several times and I got 8 clips in total.

Remnants is a continuation of the series “Routine”.  It is a series of photographs documenting the belongings left behind by my grandfather. Many of them are everyday objects that we have shared together, are used to and have thus taken their presence for granted while others are his personal belongings with a hint of nostalgia. The process of creating this series allowed me to reflect on how we gradually take things for granted and assume that a person is going to there as long as we need them to be until he or she really leaves us. It reminds us of the importance of appreciating them before they are gone forever.

The series consist of his photos, tracing his youth, carefully placed in between pictures of his belongings. I hope to bring out his character and snippets of his life through such a placement while reminiscing the joyful times we once had together.

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Additional photos that were not used eventually:

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vision-compressed (PDF folder of the initial idea)

ViSiON is a series of photographs that narrates how my view of the world changes as I grow up. From the younger and vulnerable self to the curious and inquisitive me to the times when I trip and fall and finally to the gradual maturation during the process of picking myself up. This is a process of growing up and I would like to use nature to depict the narrative for my series.

However, after the consultation with Prof Robert, he mentioned that it will be better if there is a more obvious link to my first project (Routine) since the images chosen for ViSiON were too literal and lacked the space given to the audience to think about the work. Besides, the images chosen were “too pretty” for the series. He then suggested that I can do an “observational study” of my grandfather in greater detail, such as taking pictures of this belongings (mass obsessive study) and perhaps include some of his older photos. This then lead to the development of my 2nd series, Remnants.

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Prior to this trip to NTU CCA, I have only been to art galleries such as the National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum etc, so this first trip to CCA (a film exhibition) was rather refreshing to me. When I first stepped into the exhibition, I was a little overwhelmed by the extremely dim lighting and had a slight sense of discomfort maneuvering in the darkness.

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I remembered having to sit on rather uncomfortable benches while watching The Scene of Crime, a beautifully crafted, slow paced and immersive film.

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Initially, I could not really understand the random images flashing past with occasional text appearing and I felt like walking away when the others did after a while. img_20160927_153442

However, I chose to stay and watch till the end of the film, hoping to grasp something out of it.

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The scene of crime is a film portraying the resistance of local communities to the industrial interventions that have been taking place in the state of Odisha since 1999.   In this war by the state against its own land and people, the film takes me to a place that is systematically pillaged by mining and other industries. The industrial exploitation of Odisha creeps into existence without any particular concern for the immeasurable humans and environmental repercussions of these developments and Amar Kanwar dedicated his time for a prolonged investigation of the situation before coming up with this eventual exhibition that acts like a bridge, connecting the people there and the outside world, calling upon international awareness.

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The rather slow paced of the film allows the audience to enjoy the film in greater detail instead of the faster paced film we are now more used to. It leaves some space for the audience to process their thoughts before piling on the next information to them.  The consistent style of minimal talking gives a comfortable atmosphere for the thought processing as well. After sitting through the film, I could get a vauge idea of what Amar Kanwar is trying to portray and I remembered leaving the film screening area with a heavy heart.

Subsequently, I walked around the exhibition, around the evidences section where many news articles, petitions with finger prints and photographs were put up. dsc_3241

The sense of reality hit me hard after seeing all these coupled with the film earlier.

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Proceeding to the seed room, I was amazed by the different types of grains shown in little brackets attached to the wall. As I walked around, I began to realise that in the recent past, Odisha had over 30,000 varieties of traditional paddy see with an assured stable yield of fifteen to twenty quintals of rice per acre but now Odisha only has 20 high yielding varieties of the paddy that dominate all rice cultivation due to the creation of adverse planting conditions and exploitation of the land by industries.

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The Sovereign forest attempts to reopen discussion and bring forth responses to these crime, politics, human rights and ecology involved in this case.  While it is not easy for a first timer like me to understand the exhibition fully, it is still considered successful since I can get a rough idea of what it is all about and that Amar Kanwar has managed to narrate the story telling through different mediums, ranging from film, to photography and to artifacts etc. Overall, it was a very thought evoking experience with a strong lasting impact on its audience.

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ROUTINE

Routine is a series of photographs documenting the passing of my grandfather through his daily routine. These lifeless remnants constantly seek for his impossible return, yet, it is as though he has never left us. The process of creating this series allowed me to reflect on how short amount of time we have with our beloved ones around us before they eventually leave.  It reminds us of the importance of cherishing them before it becomes too late.

 

The series consist of both black and white and coloured images. The black and white images are meant to portray him in the midst of carrying out his routine with an apparent lack of his presence while the coloured images are his favourite belongings that constantly remind us of his presence. I attempt to bring out the longing I feel for him through the usage of both mediums.

 

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Reflections:

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Photographs that were taken out/replaced/ had already been shot but decided not to put in/a different angle from the final one:

 

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Class commented that the beads were too close for the first draft.

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This photograph is too close and rigid (aka stiffly staged).

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This photograph has the similar problem of being too staged.

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Originally, I thought that this angle was not bad but it lacks the little tinge of “human presence” there, unlike the final photo.

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Decided that this will affect the flow of the final presentation by hindering the smooth flow of thought, I took out his picture.

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Due to the similar problem with the television shot, I chose to take it out.

Final Presentation Layout:

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To this living one, I hope you will never leave me behind.

Routine is a series of visual narrative to relay the deeply missed daily practice of my late grandfather. Although these lifeless remnants kept calling out for his impossible return, it was as if he had never left us.

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Comments on the draft from Prof Robert and the class:

  • Some of the photos felt rigid and staged. Could have zoomed out a little to create a more natural feel to the picture.
  • Take the photographs in colour first before editing the colour scheme of the photo to black and white.

1) Something that is not “NTU’ at all:

 

     Something not NTU at all

(In the morning)                                                    (At night)

 

Wild boar at hall of residence 9. People would not expect to see a wild boar in a school, let alone among the residences.  It may seem surprising to people outside NTU, at least that was the case for me before I came here.

2) Somebody not studying in NTU:

Cleaner uncle at NIE. Even though he is obviously not a person studying in NTU, I feel that they hold an important role in maintaining a conducive environment for all of us to study in.

3) Somebody studying in NTU:

Group of students discussing about a project at North Spine.

4) Useless image you see:

Ceiling of the EOS. It shows some design but you cannot make out what it is exactly. It could be a bridge linking to other areas for all you know so it does not tell us anything useful.

5) Useful image you see:

Useful image you see

AED Machine and Defibrillator. Useful for any emergency situations where anyone nearby suffer from myocardial infarction.

6) Nature:

Small forested area behind hall 9. I did not spot any man made pavements through the area and it seems to be safe from any human activities for now.

7) Urban nature:

Modern style plants in North Spine. It is a combination of urban structures and plants which are specially chosen with characteristics suitable for comfortable growth with lesser sunlight.

8) Urban:

Urban gives me the idea of a concrete jungle. This stairway, though useful, is situated in a confined area of concrete.

9) Singapore:

Majula Singapura Crest on path outside SIM Tech.

10) A place where art is shown:

Art Gallery at NIE.  If you actually zoom in, you can see that there is an upcoming exhibition held in the art gallery by Dr Iskandar Jalil on ‘ A master potter’s philosophy and process ’ from 17 Aug to 16 Sep.

11) A place where art is made:

ADM Building where new ideas and perspectives about art are created daily.

12) A photograph with a faculty:

NIE staff in the canteen.

13) EOS:

EOS where students learn more about geography and conduct fundamental research on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami and climate change in and around Southeast Asia, towards safer and more sustainable societies.