Embed Instagram Post Code Generator

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Film shoot at Kuala Selangor 2

Went back to Kuala Selangor to finish up my new (but still untitled) short film yesterday. Kimmy's scenes were done on Saturday (photos here), so I only needed to do the little girl, Erica/ Li Hui's scenes.

The shoot was much more relaxing because we only had to leave in the afternoon. We were about to return to the Malay house, but went the wrong way and found some really beautiful paddy fields instead. We decided that the place is so beautiful that we have to shoot a scene there. I wanted to pull off a Terence Malick DAYS OF HEAVEN-type shots.

(note: All these photos are taken by Miharu with her cellphone)


Paddy field at Kuala Selangor

Leading Erica past the paddy field
I decided to let Erica carry an orange balloon because that was the colour of my shirt. Well, not really, just that red balloons were overused in films (I used a lot of them in my student film GIRL DISCONNECTED too).

Lesly and Mei Fen
Lesly the cinematographer and Mei Fen. Mei Fen was my assistant director for CHICKEN RICE MYSTERY (she also had a cameo as a tranny), and some may recognize her as a model from DEAL OR NO DEAL or the BRAND'S Bird's Nest advertisement. She's less involved in the production this time (couldn't make it on Saturday), but came to help out on Monday.

Crossing the paddy field

Watching the paddy field

Getting some cutaway shots of the paddy field

Paddy field at Kuala Selangor is beautiful


After that, we went back to the wooden house to shoot a few scenes.

Demonstrating to Erica how to play with trash

Setting up a scene of Erica rummaging through trash

Erica doesn't want to rummage the trash


Done with the few scenes, we hurried off to the beach where a scene from THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA was shot. Ming Jin was lost, we got off the car and I asked a secondary school kid on a bicycle for directions, he wasn't too sure, then a guy sped by in a motorbike and the school kid asked him for help, turned out that the guy was the kid's dad. The guy was awesome and led us to the place.

Erica and parents
Erica with her parents

Broken buildings by the sea

Broken buildings by the sea 2

Preparing another scene on the broken building

Erica at an abandoned wooden building

Mei Fen and Erica

Me giving instructions to Erica

Miharu gropes Mei Fen's head
Miharu grabs hold of Mei Fen's head

Demonstrating a scene to Erica and the crew
Me demonstrating to Erica and the crew

Lying at the beach

Lying at the beach 2

Shooting the sleeping scene

Magic hour at the beach

Mei Fen
Mei Fen showing Erica where to sit

Erica watching the setting sun


Gonna start editing now. Think I can get a rough cut done before I return to Tokyo on Friday.