Notthingham Shoot

AELEA story laboratory just shot the profile 'Come Study Here' video for the University of Notthingham. Froggie was directing.We were trying to recreate wonderful moments during university life often unseen on camera that would mirror what is to expected of the Notthingham experience.

It was a very tight schedule as there were many shots to be achieved over a short period of time. Technically, though time was limited,we choose not to go for the easy way out and opted to aim for very complex shots that will be more enticing to the viewer. Jib and dolly tracks, heavy equipment which creates a smooth moving motion for the camera were set up to lend some dynamics to shots giving the imagery life as opposed to all still and silent shot common of mere tripod camera shoots.

Many of the university students came out with bright smiles as being infront of a camera is an escape from a day of hard study. But then many of the talents realised that to evoke very simple everday emotion like a gentle smile or a hearty laugh is much harder than you think when you are in front of the camera and thus acting wasn't that easy as they expected it to be. As director, by hook or by crook I have to induce them into doing the emotions while under the glare of various lights and camera equipments.It wasn't easy as for one shot to be perfect, all the talent had to be good in the shot and the camera movement also had to be timed to capture the moment perfectly. All going well it took only a slight jerk of the camera or one student to look uncomposed to sound the dreaded words...one more time.

The most exciting bits of the shoot were as the basketball court when a different angle of the camera, it behind the transparent net board was odered...by myself. We mounted the camera and I was on a ten foot ladder to capture the moment. Everytime the ball slammed into the board it created such a bang and shook the board so much my heart skipped. But as with any shot, it took take after take and soon i was immune to the slams and also grew unwary of the dangers of my situation then if one of the basket ballers were to be caught in the heat of the game and forget I was there he could have hit the ladder and send me flying.

A different kind of shot from the basketball were slices of nature to highlight the university ample grounds of green and natural surrounds. A shot with a pigeon makes a serene scene that relays this fact perfectly and it is too beautiful visually but as man can't talk to birds or at least the men in this crew can't, it was difficult to get the bird to fly at exactly the right moment and the exact right location.We just had to keep trying. But when a difficult shot finally gets caught on camera the team gets this cheer of satisfaction that's hard to match.

That's a short writeup of our three days of stressful production fun at Notthingham.

Care to train up as a crew? AELEA do accepts hardworking trainees with an intention to learn well the craft of filmmaking so send me a word...but serious ones willing to work hard only.

AELEA at Movie Carnival, Berjaya Times Square

It has been a crazilly hectic week. On my birthday weekend, 22/23rd April, I spent the whole two days at berjaya times square as my production company AELEA story laboratory working in collaboration with F.E.G. (Film Equipment Gallery) set up a booth at the movie carnival by cinemaonline magazine and my partners in Berjaya Times Square.

The Movie Carnival was not an industry based event(an event for movie industry people) but for the people who support our industry, the movie goers who buys the ticket. So our presence at the carnival wasn't so much to drum up new business or find new collaborative deals but to serve as a booth where the public can interact with actual film equipments to see for themselves how a shot would be achieved on set. The exposure of our company to the public was just a bonus.

We allowed the public to actually operate a full jib and a track setup under close supervision by four trained production crew. Film equipments have many moving parts that could easilly snap a finger off someone...so we kept a close eye to avoid any eeeiiikkksss!!!! followed by gratuitous blood splatter though that be great advertising for some of the horror flicks coming our way.Anyway...back to topic, it would come to many a suprise I think that a rather complex setup is required to shoot a simple scene where a camera moves into a scene from behind some plants and rise above the heads of the actor before titling down to show the audience the scene from an upward view.However though many people passed by our booth...few actually had the inclination to touch and try out...many had eagerly interested eyes but kept their hands wrapped around themselves while peering inquisitively.

Aside from the shooting try out. My company AELEA story laboratory also ran a talent casting session. This is a 'golden opportuinity' for the public to have their profile picture taken and get their details recorded into AELEA database which will be accessed when a shoot; whether a movie, a commercial or a corporate video require talents.If your looks are suitable and you are selected from the database...there's your stepping stone to the screen! AELEA database of talents are also open for access by other production companies.To access...or to be part of the database gimme a call or reach me at aelea.com.my

But before we know it the two days was over...honestly,the movie carnival could have been better but it's a maiden effort with what I would consider a huge turnout so it was successful.And as for what initially seemed like signing up for a torturous two days of sitting and tending to a booth in berjaya times square worked out well and we had alot of fun both with casting and meeting the public to talking among other vendors who popped by with smiles and empty but fun conversations.

He Wanted! I didn't allow!!!

Furiously preparing easter eggs for tommorow's celebration? I doubt many of us are...guess easter isn't that marketed yet...it's a good thing to not become part of our rampant marketing culture but we really should hold at high esteem this important event in any christian calendar...

Now at Pixie's house, come over here to help her stay up and do work through the night as her final's next week.It's quite relaxing here...it's an old cottage like house,partially wooden, one storey.the market is only like 100 meters from her house...I ussually come here...go to market with her in the morning and then she'll teach me cooking, then lunch and time to go home...gives me a sense of domestic life in my lifestyle of modern craziness...her family is nice....

Her father is very funny ...

The other day, we were watching the scent of green papaya together...in the film there was a scene of a green papaya being cut revealing white seeds and flesh...her father remarked that this was false...our papayas have black seeds even when unriped...so after the movie at about midnite...we were to do an experiment...she has a papaya tree in the garden but her dad said unapologetically let's not waste our papaya..lets go take the papaya growing outside our neighbour's fence...next thing I know I found myself part of a three member party strecthing out a stick balancing at the side of a drain trying to pluck a green papaya from across a drain, a tree growing outside her nighbour's fence at night...after successfully getting the green papaya...her dad said...might as well pick the ripe ones too....but anyway...the green papaya's seed was white...all white.

....when I am working with her in her room overnight...her father is always peeping up on us at regular intervals to check that nothing's going on....

The other day we slept in the same room but DIFFERENT MATTRESSES altogether and FULLY CLOTHED,DOOR NOT LOCKED..her father freaked out...her mum told her...we chinese are conservative cannot like that one...her dad told her 'cannot stay together afterwards in the heat of the moment cannot control!!'...but the fact of the matter is there is no heat, no moment...she's having an ulcer...no kisses even... :p

So anyway she answered back to her dad, 'So you were like this towards mum when you were dating her?'....her dad immediately quiet down trying to change topic....then her mum who was around added...'he wanted...i didn't allow!' :P

Happy Easter everyone....celebrate it...

A GOOD FRIDAY

Was at church, the veneration of the cross service, a blessed wretched sinner as usual...blessed (i think I've been very in my journey thus far) wretched sinner ( I have not been the epitome of good) but I really want to try to be. Church was solemn but after I felt suprisingly happy...Salvation is there, now we just have to want it..

Everytime in church I feel sorry....I feel very small....sometimes, I honestly do not want to go to church for the reason of feeling unworthy...but my pixie tells me...that's silly...it is you who most need the Lord and the redemption offered by him...

It's very difficult to be a good Catholic today...there are just too many avenue to do wrong and yet I think we are a generation with the most abundance of excesses and convenience...things that we should be grateful for and at the same time wary that it doesn't blur our view off the actual essence of life. I do not kill and neither do I behave like a casanova but I still feel largely inadequate to my faith as a Catholic...