I was at Cherating in the past week for the film shoot of the tentatively-titled GIRL X (or GIRL IN THE WATER), a Danish-Malaysian co-production co-directed by my regular collaborator, Malaysian filmmaker Woo Ming Jin, and the Danish filmmaker Jeppe Ronde. (you might remember from here and here that I was doing some location scouting two weeks ago)
We even imported the Thai actress Sajee "FERN" Apiwong (last seen in Aditya Assarat's HI-SO) to do the main role. It was a short film, but it was a short film with sky-high ambition. After all, I wouldn't involve myself in anything less than awesome anyway.
Tuesday. 1st of June. Jeppe arrived in Malaysia at night.
Wednesday. 2nd of June. Ming Jin, Jeppe and I picked up Fern and her friend So from the airport before heading straight to Cherating.
After a looooong 4-hour car ride, we reached the location, and immediately we headed off to check out the spots.
![Ming Jin and Jeppe checking location](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/5814462694_8fcc78ed57.jpg)
![A hut](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3405/5814463846_45b2097a3d.jpg)
![Ming Jin and Jeppe checking the mangrove](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5114/5814466282_4fce8cb477.jpg)
The mangrove swamp looked rather beautiful in the evening.
![Mangrove forest during sun](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2407/5813898121_5aff0289b2.jpg)
Video
Thursday, 3rd of June. The call time was 6:30am. I looked outside the guest apartment we were staying in.
![Sunrise at Sanctuary Resort](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/5813937261_c753373833.jpg)
By 7am. We were preparing to shoot our first scene with Fern and Tony (who plays Fern's employer).
![Before shooting the first scene](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3609/5814507758_816138b0ea.jpg)
![Shooting the first scene!](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2706/5813939993_7364e57a7b.jpg)
When I saw Ming Jin prepping Fern...
![Ming Jin prepping Fern](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3147/5814509538_040edab845.jpg)
I cannot help but have a brief flashback to THE TIGER FACTORY shoot 14 months ago.
![Spraying water](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4403700175_16b5c4ed68.jpg)
I was so young then.
We couldn't get any audio guy to help us with the shoot, so I had to be the one doing the sound. I had never actually touched a boom mic in my life, so you can see that the expression on my face was really a grimace and not a smile.
![Me, Jeppe](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/5813942095_9f78bf2156.jpg)
Very joyful, me. (I would later complain that having me as the audio guy was akin to having Lionel Messi be a goalkeeper. Being that short, the ball will most certainly sail past him at most times!)
![I was the audio guy](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/5813944617_c09380b156.jpg)
We made Fern search for trash.
![Fern looking for trash](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/5813943325_b30fa42440.jpg)
Kenny, who was the cinematographer of my short film INHALATION, and also the sound dude/ production manager/ associate producer guy for my last short LAST FRAGMENTS OF WINTER, was the assistant cameraman in this production.
![Fern and Kenny the AC](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5021/5813946149_d218f3ff5d.jpg)
![Fern and Kenny](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/5813947193_9594576e92.jpg)
This is baby Ira. 7 months old.
She was the second lead of the film.
![Baby Ira](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/5814516902_4b54f0e566.jpg)
![Fern and Baby Ira](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/5814518188_948fa80dc7.jpg)
Saturday. 4th of June. We shot mostly in a mangrove forest.
We were doing a bonfire scene with Iwann, one of the locals in the Cherating area. 15 years old, but supremely photogenic and talented.
![Fern and Iwann](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2327/5814519668_5b887d53bb.jpg)
At night we visited Pak Mat, who owned a drink stall by the forest. He had a pet monkey.
![Pak Mat and his pet monkey](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/5814521014_4ef640fa2c.jpg)
He had a pet monkey that drank milk from a bottle.
![Pak Mat's pet monkey drinks milk](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/5814522294_b27008909b.jpg)
Sunday. 5th of June. My cousin Siang Woo was having a wedding.
I woke up with the rest of the gang at 4:30am and headed to the beach at 5am.
There was a boat scene with the rising sun.
I was stranded on another boat recording the sound of the sun.
Video
![Listening to the sound of the sun!](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5814575624_5236189d61.jpg)
I was alone on the boat for an hour. Watching the sunrise. My mind scattered to many different directions at once. I pondered the meaning of life. I thought about fascism. I thought about achieving utopia via totalitarian methods. I thought about crying for love in the center of the world.
I got off the boat.
Moments later, the rest of the cast and crew came back on their boat as well.
Another scene was shot.
![A familiar sight](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2085/5814523278_c76c179838.jpg)
![Girl in the water](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/5814524326_7128021bb1.jpg)
We then went to the middle of the sea for a scene. Ming Jin, being the only certified lifeguard around, jumped into the water with Fern.
![Ming Jin doing lifeguard stuff](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5116/5814007671_f6ac49dc51.jpg)
The life vest, alas, made him seasick.
I was on the boat, the constant bobbing overwhelmed me with nausea, I found myself too weak to grab hold of the boom mic sometimes. All my life, I never experienced seasick, how odd to finally experienced it.
... experiencing it three times in a single day.
We even imported the Thai actress Sajee "FERN" Apiwong (last seen in Aditya Assarat's HI-SO) to do the main role. It was a short film, but it was a short film with sky-high ambition. After all, I wouldn't involve myself in anything less than awesome anyway.
Tuesday. 1st of June. Jeppe arrived in Malaysia at night.
Wednesday. 2nd of June. Ming Jin, Jeppe and I picked up Fern and her friend So from the airport before heading straight to Cherating.
After a looooong 4-hour car ride, we reached the location, and immediately we headed off to check out the spots.
![Ming Jin and Jeppe checking location](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/5814462694_8fcc78ed57.jpg)
![A hut](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3405/5814463846_45b2097a3d.jpg)
![Ming Jin and Jeppe checking the mangrove](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5114/5814466282_4fce8cb477.jpg)
The mangrove swamp looked rather beautiful in the evening.
![Mangrove forest during sun](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2407/5813898121_5aff0289b2.jpg)
Video
Thursday, 3rd of June. The call time was 6:30am. I looked outside the guest apartment we were staying in.
![Sunrise at Sanctuary Resort](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/5813937261_c753373833.jpg)
By 7am. We were preparing to shoot our first scene with Fern and Tony (who plays Fern's employer).
![Before shooting the first scene](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3609/5814507758_816138b0ea.jpg)
![Shooting the first scene!](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2706/5813939993_7364e57a7b.jpg)
When I saw Ming Jin prepping Fern...
![Ming Jin prepping Fern](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3147/5814509538_040edab845.jpg)
I cannot help but have a brief flashback to THE TIGER FACTORY shoot 14 months ago.
![Spraying water](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4403700175_16b5c4ed68.jpg)
I was so young then.
We couldn't get any audio guy to help us with the shoot, so I had to be the one doing the sound. I had never actually touched a boom mic in my life, so you can see that the expression on my face was really a grimace and not a smile.
![Me, Jeppe](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/5813942095_9f78bf2156.jpg)
Very joyful, me. (I would later complain that having me as the audio guy was akin to having Lionel Messi be a goalkeeper. Being that short, the ball will most certainly sail past him at most times!)
![I was the audio guy](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/5813944617_c09380b156.jpg)
We made Fern search for trash.
![Fern looking for trash](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/5813943325_b30fa42440.jpg)
Kenny, who was the cinematographer of my short film INHALATION, and also the sound dude/ production manager/ associate producer guy for my last short LAST FRAGMENTS OF WINTER, was the assistant cameraman in this production.
![Fern and Kenny the AC](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5021/5813946149_d218f3ff5d.jpg)
![Fern and Kenny](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/5813947193_9594576e92.jpg)
This is baby Ira. 7 months old.
She was the second lead of the film.
![Baby Ira](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/5814516902_4b54f0e566.jpg)
![Fern and Baby Ira](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/5814518188_948fa80dc7.jpg)
Saturday. 4th of June. We shot mostly in a mangrove forest.
We were doing a bonfire scene with Iwann, one of the locals in the Cherating area. 15 years old, but supremely photogenic and talented.
![Fern and Iwann](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2327/5814519668_5b887d53bb.jpg)
At night we visited Pak Mat, who owned a drink stall by the forest. He had a pet monkey.
![Pak Mat and his pet monkey](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/5814521014_4ef640fa2c.jpg)
He had a pet monkey that drank milk from a bottle.
![Pak Mat's pet monkey drinks milk](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/5814522294_b27008909b.jpg)
Sunday. 5th of June. My cousin Siang Woo was having a wedding.
I woke up with the rest of the gang at 4:30am and headed to the beach at 5am.
There was a boat scene with the rising sun.
I was stranded on another boat recording the sound of the sun.
Video
![Listening to the sound of the sun!](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5814575624_5236189d61.jpg)
I was alone on the boat for an hour. Watching the sunrise. My mind scattered to many different directions at once. I pondered the meaning of life. I thought about fascism. I thought about achieving utopia via totalitarian methods. I thought about crying for love in the center of the world.
I got off the boat.
Moments later, the rest of the cast and crew came back on their boat as well.
Another scene was shot.
![A familiar sight](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2085/5814523278_c76c179838.jpg)
![Girl in the water](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/5814524326_7128021bb1.jpg)
We then went to the middle of the sea for a scene. Ming Jin, being the only certified lifeguard around, jumped into the water with Fern.
![Ming Jin doing lifeguard stuff](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5116/5814007671_f6ac49dc51.jpg)
The life vest, alas, made him seasick.
I was on the boat, the constant bobbing overwhelmed me with nausea, I found myself too weak to grab hold of the boom mic sometimes. All my life, I never experienced seasick, how odd to finally experienced it.
... experiencing it three times in a single day.