Home in London

A good meal whipped in 30mins!

Home now at Watson's apartment...so i have to show some food on my blog as he always does.

New York: In a closing chapter

The 6 weeks had been a blast, which is tiring but exhilarating. It will be my best summer ever.

The technique of film production aside, I have gained many lessons. I have learnt to appreciate film as the most powerful art form, the art of film as an expression in visual communication, gained inspirations to transform my creativity and knowledge into a visual language that can be appreciated by the masses. I also relish on the challenge of producing each film, from finding the cast and shoot location to directing the set and working on post-production -all in a completely new environment. I have some reservations about not being able to form a coherent crew but the challenge was enjoyable especially when we started to appreciate each other more towards the end. I particularly like the class that is never lacking in ideas and motivation and I have certainly learnt about the value of particapation in class such that we learn from each other. Most importantly, I got the chance to experience New York City in the midst of this!

Having experienced life as a student artist in New York, I have learnt to appreciate my goals in life. My career goal in finance has become stronger than ever as I would never look back in life to say I have never considered an second look on life. I really appreciate the chance to attend this course and have definitely taken with me a lot from it. Film has become an obsession for me now, and I would certainly pursue it when I see the opportunity. Meanwhile, I would get myself involved in film and TV at my current school. I would be happy if anyone would give me their views on pursuing art instead of the mainstream (or my mainstream).

And this sums up my time in New York. It is a full complete chapter in my life. To close this up, I quote from Uta Hagen again as I only got to appreciate her statement towards to end of the course.

'As an artist, the only thing you have to offer is the revelation of your soul.'

Life goes on...

I finally got past my screenwriting class! Today was to recite to the class the first 2-3 scenes from our screenplay, which is the final work for the class.

I spent one hour on it this afternoon to write it and actually got it done thanks to my lamest pal online! Here's the crux....It's so freakin lame...

KELVIN
Damn! I have to top the tank up! And my mom said she’s not gonna reimburse me!

TECK
Haha loser!

------

TECK
Malaysia! Here we come!

BOON
Malaysia, truly Asia (imitating the tourism ad for Malaysia)

KELVIN
Heh heh I hope there’re lotsa hot chicks in Malaysia,

Alex
Oh yeah! But they can’t be hotter than gum! Pun unintended!

KELVIN
Heh heh you’ll change your mind when you see…

(Car drives past a roadside store selling fried chicken)

After I recited the last line...I could not hear any laughter...so I said...wait you didnt get it...ok...I said 'there're lotsa hot chicks in Malaysia and then the car drives past a roadside store selling fried chicken' ....the reaction was the same...ominous silence....many smiles though....maybe they were tryin to supress their laughter =)

So, the course was wrapped up...my prof again sharing his jokes thru the class...2 of which he had told before...reminding us that he's the guy who never got out of college!

"So where do you go from this course?" He asks the class...it comes to my turn to answer.

"Life goes on..."

Chimney Head

Walking along Broadway....with David the chainsmoking redhead

...

"It's so hard to find a smoker..."

Then a fat lady, the size of a super-sized big MAC, walked by. David asked for a light and she deftly held out one at the instant.

The next moment was absolutely timeless!! David (remember chain-smoking) couldnt light his cigarette! Well...perhaps it was the wind...

So, the super-sized big MAC decided to help the mini redhead and held out a giant hand (upsize times 100) to block out the wind...looking at the effort she had to lift her hand...I thought she could juz ask David to stand closer to her...

So David tried again...the redhead getting red in the face...

Finally...the cigarette got lighted!

"Blow harder..!" said the super-sized MAC as the cigarette burnt, somehow I thought she was covering up David from my view...

We walk away and I had my moment of unrestrained laughter

Sunflower

My last film is to cast a sweet-looking girl...

I tried to ask a few girls...and in the end I got Alison. Well...David was surprised when I told him I'm casting Alison as a sweet-looking girl...

True enough... Alison totally twisted my story when she turned up in a black dress, sunglasses, and black gloves stretching up to the shoulder! She turned my character into a really dark and hideous temptress.

So, the original sweet flower girl became the evil and twisted woman holding a dead sunflower (I bought it too early in the morning and it started to wilt).

Wow...I actually dun mind the tranformation...it actually complements my story!

So, she changed my character and turn out that she really isnt a person who can play a sweetgirl =p

She threw the dead sunflower at me at the end of the shoot!
Ok....but Meghan (my DP) was kind enough to take the flower for me...but the sunflower was still unfortunate to the end. When we took a lift out of the apartment, we put the flower in a leftover beer bottle. The bottle couldnt take the weight of the flower and it collapsed and spilled. The rest went out of the lift but a sunflower is still a sunflower...I paid my last respect and lifted the bottle back up and leaned it against the wall of the lift to let it stand.

Well....you think this is the end of my sunflower story???
Not ever for as long as this moment of your life....

My pictures did not turn out well, so I had a reshoot..and of course I need to buy sunflowers again!

This time, I got 5 sunflowers!

(The same shop refused to sell me a single sunflower...'We always change the price' he says....when the previous guy had taken the effort to open up the bouquet and give me the one that i chose... 'You just always have a diufferent person behind the counter' I say)

Ok...So I had to get rid of the sunflowers again...I gave 3 away and sold one to my roommate. I asked for a dollar and then I said he can take it for free. In the end, he chose none of the options and gave me 50 cents.... ....

Ok...so the last sunflower landed into the hands of Alison again...
There was a problem on the shoot...I could not remember which hand she used to hold the flower...so I asked her.

"It's on my left hand."

She actually remembered! The poor sunflower actually means quite a lot to the character in the story you see...

This time again...I got back the sunflower. Kenny saw the sunflower during class and played gay with me for the flower...well I dont mind at all...at least I could get rid of it...

In the end...Kenny stopped being gay...and I was left with the sunflower again...

So, I had to carry the sunflower in my hand and walk the streets back to my hall...I tried to catch my reflection against the shopwindows and I thought I actually look quite good with the flower in my hand!

No way....in the end I met a friend at the lift lobby and I gave it to her...

I guess I dun really look good walking around with a sunflower in my hand, and definitely not with a sunflower peeking out of my backpack as I had done in the 4 hours of the first shoot....and I guess flowers are flowers are still for girls =p