David Schmoeller with our local filmmakers-in-residence Ellery Ngiam, Victric Thng; local filmmakers Juan Foo and Ric Aw and visiting filmmakers Andrea Richards and Norwood Cheek




Tea with Grace and Victric

David's time in Singapore

On David's shoot


Workshop at Objectifs

entry by victric thng

Films with Style
Styling, Make-Up & Wardrobe for films

The session on last Wednesday, 14th March 2007 - Styling, Make-Up & Wardrobe for films, saw a great turnout of nearly 30 enthusiasts coming for the talk. Among them were aspiring filmmakers, professional cameramen, students and many others who were simply interested in the styling aspect for films.

I have invited Kenny Lohwey, both a professional stylist and a good friend of mine to come in and share with us about the work of stylist. Kenny is currently one of the most sought after Stylist in the local film industry. Working for more than a decade, Kenny has a huge body of work that he flashed out “stylishly” during the talk. We were all baffled by his portfolio.

Kenny gave us insights into the world of a stylist, what a stylist needs from the director and producer in order to be effective. Stylist is often taken for granted and expected to create magic during production. What we do not understand that Stylist needs a decent amount of time to prepare and make sure that all things coordinate well for the film. Kenny also emphasizes that, not only working closely with the director and producer, stylist also must work tightly with the art director, casting director, location manager and director-of-photography. He stresses that 3 things a Stylist must have in the beginning of a project are: Script, Budget and Timeline.

During the session, Kenny also gave us his little secret tips on make-up and how to look
great and cheat for camera.

The session was informal, casual and fun. It was more like a talk-show with me like a inquisitive host, asking plenty of questions ranging from practical ones like “how much does a Stylist charge?” to gossipy ones like “your worst nightmare director you ever worked with…”

It just all comes down to the vital understanding how a stylist work, and when you understand that, you will know what to give them so they can return their best for you and your film, simple as that but often overlooked and taken for granted. The work of a stylist is definitely not glamorous, their job is to make you glamorous while they hide in the shadow of your limelight. They really deserve greater respect.

My BIG thank you to Kenny Lohwey who is so kind and willing to come down and share with us his knowledge and experiences in styling for films.

I hope for those who came for this talk, will be enlightened and thereafter make films with “style”.


vt.
16th march 2007

Blog #3 - Grace Lee

This past Saturday, I led a documentary workshop at Objectifs. A group of 10 people came together.. ranging from a road engineer from Kuala Lumpur, a former photo editor from Time-Asia recently relocated from Hong Kong, a couple of media arts students, an administrative assistant, a professional photographer, a PhD candidate in history, an English as a Second Language instructor and a publicist from a film/entertainment company. Of course these are the labels people use to describe “what they do” for a living or how they spend most of their days.. but at heart, everyone who came on Saturday is a storyteller with things they want to say and put into the moving image + sound form. What’s exciting about documentaries for me is just how broad and expansive the medium is, and when people start talking about their ideas for the stories they want to tell, I get really excited.

Because there are so many classes focusing on the technical aspects of film production –I chose to focus on different approaches to documentary filmmaking by showing a lot of examples from filmmakers who have inspired me. These are artists who have tried to incorporate something other than the News/ “Voice of God” narrator approach to documentaries, which seems pretty obvious, but when you’re starting out, it’s easier to follow the models of what is constantly around us. I also emphasized the importance of putting together some sort of written treatment as a way to synthesize and organize one’s thoughts about the film they want to make.

At some point, a filmmaker, no matter what level, has to express this film idea to another person – whether it is a potential funder or sponsor, a subject whom they actually want to participate in the film, or a crew member. This treatment can also be an excellent reference, months or years down the line, when one inevitably gets lost amongst all the footage and all the twists and turns that have happened along the filmmaking process, to remember exactly why they wanted to make this film in the first place. The treatment is a kind of “note to oneself” in a way, as well or a kind of time capsule. It’s always fascinating for me to go back and look at these treatments I’ve written, before I’ve even shot a second of tape to see exactly what my intial motivation was to make the film. It’s that first little spark or inspiration that you hope a viewer down the line will experience in the same way that you did once before.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone who participated in the workshop for spending their Saturday afternoon with me. I look forward to seeing the fruits of your labor! I will also post or email to you the information regarding the call for entries for The Chinatown Project soon.

Grace

Blog #2 by Grace Lee

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for a week already. So much to see and do, and way too many things to eat...I’ll try to list some of the highlights here and then try to keep better track on this blog of my impressions during the residency.

Arrived very early on March 21, and in several hours time I found my way to the Objectifs office with the help of a fellow Grace Lee! Actually, Yuemin, one of the office staff told me when she picked me up from the hotel that her English name is Grace, but she barely uses it – only at Starbucks when she doesn’t want the barista to mispronounce her Chinese name.

We headed down to Objectifs on Liang Seah street via the MRT and as we surfaced up the escalator into the Bugis Junction food court, I was overwhelmed by the swirl of colors and smells around me. I realize that this is essentially just a shopping mall, but no food court in American looks like this! I basically try to stay away from shopping mall food if I can help it. Mental note: come back here and try everything; from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, to Indonesian crackers to Japanese soft serve ice cream, curry puffs, Yong Tau Foo, and on and on. Got settled at Objectifs, where I m et Yuni and Dawn, before heading back home to rest before my screening.

At the Singapore Art Museum a few hours later, had the Singapore premiere of The Grace Lee Project, plus a short film I made a few years ago called Barrier Device. The audience responded well, and a couple of Grace Lees even showed up. We made plans to meet up later during my residency…I’m looking forward to quizzing them about what it’s like to be a Grace Lee here.

My residency time is largely spent working on a draft of a feature film script and teaching a couple of workshops, but I am also here to explore and be inspired by the filmmaking scene here in Singapore.

Objectifs has been great about introducing me to filmmakers and I had already met a few people in my festival and other travels abroad. So far in week one, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing an old friend, documentarian Tan Pin Pin, and she introduced me to filmmakers Eva Tang and Jasmine Ng. Lillian Wang is another filmmaker who I got to know briefly when I was at film school at UCLA. I also met up with Gavin Lim and his producer Emily Moy, who made a short film called HELLO? that was at Slamdance a couple of months ago. It’s great to see them in tropical Singapore – way more pleasant than subzero snowy Park City, Utah. The Objectifs gals also invited me to a screening at The Picturehouse art house cinema – which was run by Oi Leng Lui, whom I met last year at the Pusan Film Festival.

Another event organized by Objectifs is the Digital Film Fiesta – where 12 filmmakers were commissioned to make short films on HD. Went to the awards ceremony, where fellow Objectifs artist in residence Victric Thng won first prize for “The Mole,” a whimsical mix of live action and animation that I really enjoyed. Some of the other entries were great as well – I really enjoyed Superdong and Flat Dreams by Eva Tang. It’s great to see such diversity here in form, genre, and content.

In my first week, I also met filmmakers Tania Sng (and was graciously invited by her to a special screening of CAGES, on which she was producer) and I also met up with producers Juan Foo from Shooting Gallery Asia and Kevin Lee from OneTon Cinema.

Pin Pin invited me to a benefit screening for a film called Pink Paddlers, by Jasmine Ng, that was commissioned to raise breast cancer awareness in Singapore. It was at the Grand Cathay theater and it’s about breast cancer survivors who participate in dragon boat racing, as a way to raise awareness as well as create community. The film is really well done – it’s funny, touching, inspiring, and educational…and very human.

One thing that strikes me most after a week in Singapore is how comfortable I am here. Particularly as an Asian American. Many Singaporeans – at least those closer in age to me – have many of the same cultural references ( largely American TV and movies) and I have a greater sense of camaraderie than, say, some of my peers that I’ve met from other Asian countries. Even though I am of Korean origin and speak the language and have spent quite a bit of time in Seoul, there is something, dare I say, uniquely Singapore, that I’m trying to put my finger on, that makes me feel more comfortable here. I’m sure language has a lot to do with it, and I have a ways to go before I will master Singlish,. But it’s an intriguing connection that could foster many creative collaborations for the future.

More to come…

WEDDING DAY IN SINGAPORE (Blog #3 by David Schmoeller)

It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon and I am sitting in the parlor of my hotel, under the soothing fan, just in view of the Aunty Tong’s painting in the restaurant next door. I’ve grown fond of the Aunty Tong’s painting, and the Royal Peacock hotel, and the clock is starting to tick down to the end of my Objectifs residency. I’m going to miss Aunty Tong – and all my new friends in Singapore.

Last week was my shoot and the start of the editing process of the Singapore segment of Wedding Day.


WEDDING DAY Production Report:

One of the handouts I give my students at UNLV – and which I also gave to my Staging for the Camera students at Objectifs, is a copy of a production report for a feature film I shot in Bucharest, Romania. It’s the Day One production report for THE SECRET KINGDOM.

The purpose of the Hollywood production report is to carefully gage and evaluate the state of production of any given project. It covers every single detail of any given day: when did the first shot of the day happen; at what minute did the first shot after lunch happen; how much film stock was shot, how much was printed, how much was wasted; how many scenes were covered; who was late; when did each cast member wrap, and so forth. It is a single sheet of paper that tells the studio or the network or the investor exactly how things are going. The Production Report is used to fix problems as they arise: is the director shooting too much film? Is the DP (or the director) taking too much time to get the first shot off for the day? Are there any equipment problems? And so on.

The production report for the Wedding Day Singapore segment, if there were one, would make the studio chiefs very happy. We filmed for two days, Tuesday and Thursday. We had no rain delays; we filmed every scene in the script with time left over; we didn’t get kicked out of any of our locations (which has happened to me more than once so I am always leery of it happening again); we were incredibly lucky on many counts.

I had an exceptionally professional crew, lead by Director of Photography Joel San Juan. I had been particularly impressed by Joel on the location scout the week before because of the way he conducted homself: taking pictures of each location, making diagram notes and taking compass readings to determine the direction of the sun.

The director-DP relationship, next to the director-actor relationship, is usually the critical bond (both might also be on par with the director-producer relationship, depending upon the project).

At any rate, Joel and I worked extremely well together and I’m so pleased with the results. Assisting Joel was Chia Jenn Hui as the sound mixer (who rescued us with some of his own personal equipment after we had problems with the sound rentals) and with Geraldine Koh Sheng Qi as script supervisor; Wong Zi “Husky” Heng, Edmund Low, Vicnan P as Lighting crew; Melvin Lee Wei Seng as still photographer and Arnold San Juan as all-around production assistant.

Since Wedding Day, like most student films in the US, is a no-budget shoot (we call them meal-and-a-reel deals – you get fed and you get a copy of the finished product – which hopefully will lead to the meaningful: “meal-and-a-reel…for-a-deal”), we had to shoot guerilla style: you show up at a public location and start shooting – and hope you finish your coverage before you are booted. Miraculously, at each location, we were able to shoot everything I had on my shot list – and were never chased away.

We even shot in the area around my lovely hotel, the Royal Peacock – and at some point, Lina approached and said someone from the hotel (she THINKS they were from the hotel), had come out and asked if we had permission to be shooting. I don’t know if she answered or not, but we just kept shooting – and quickly finished that location and moved on to the next.

I think one of the reasons we were mostly left alone is that one of the two or three actors in every scene was wearing a wedding dress. Most people assumed we were making some kind of Wedding video. My wonderful actors: Chan Huimin and Sara Yang, playing the bride and the bride’s best friend (and Fish Chaar as the groom), stayed in character at all times – so, it looked like we were, indeed, shooting a wedding video – and who wants to spoil a pretty brides’ wedding video?

Since it rained everyday of the first week of my residency – and sometimes it rained ALL day, I was expecting rain. I even built the rain into one or two of my scenes – so that we could, in fact, shoot in the rain - if it rained. The brides’ best friend carries an umbrella – and if it were to rain, I had planned on two scenes that could be shot in the rain. In fact, I was hoping that at least one scene WOULD be shot in the rain. As it happened, we wrapped the first day with no interruption due to rain. And just as we were wrapping the equipment into Joel’s van, it began to pour.

The second day was also rain free – and we finished all our scenes and all my shots. We even took our actors down to the Singapore River-Merllon Park area and rented a water-boat and filmed the bride & her best friend on the entire route through the amazing cityscape locations in that area – in case I can find a spot to add it to the story.

On Wednesday and Friday, I sat down with my editor Olivia Kang and captured the footage and began assembling the scenes. On Friday, Olivia was already cutting the scenes together. Local Singaporean director Tania Sng, whom I met at her shoot my second day in Singapore, dropped by and proved to be immensely helpful in helping me pick which performances worked better than others (since I don’t speak Mandarin). She showed Olivia how to mark the sections of each take that were the best with a single click of the keyboard and we quickly went through every scene and every take. Tania is going to take one last look at our final cut next Thursday after she returns from a shoot – the day before I leave. I’m so happy to have both Olivia and Tania helping me cut this section of Wedding Day. I can’t see how I could have possibly have done it without them.

As with the end of most long trips like this, I am starting to make the transition to my next leg of the journey. In this case, it’s pre-production on the final segment of Wedding Day, the story we shoot in Las Vegas in April. I have a major casting session on Sunday, a week from today – and have been on the internet making those arrangements.

I made my first short film 38 years ago – while I was a film student at the University of Texas at Austin. I was 21 years old.

I loved the process then and I love it now. It’s just the best!

March 11, 2007 – David Schmoeller

WEDDING DAY IN SINGAPORE (by David Schmoeller)

After a grueling 20 hours in the air, I was so happy to finally arrive in Singapore and to find Emmeline and Yuni waiting for me, even at such a late hour (past midnight). They checked me into the charming Royal Peacock Hotel and my residency had officially begun. I have spent half of my filmmaking career making movies overseas (Italy, Romania, Malta, etc.) where you arrive to work as a director and have to hit the ground running, despite your severe jetlag, It usually takes me about a week to get back on schedule. – though it gets harder as I get older.

But, the excitement (and ensuing adrenaline) of a new city helps you get through the transition. On Sunday, February 25, Yuni invited me to go to a local shoot with her and I was excited to see fellow filmmakers at work (Tania Sng, Ric Aw, Sun Koh and the ever-dynamic actor Sonny Pang). Even though they were just wrapping as we arrived, I did enjoy meeting the cast and crew and seeing their excitement as they talked about their feature film.

On Monday, February 26, I spent the day at Objectifs, familiarizing myself with logistics: the metro; pre-paid card for cell phone; and getting ready for the auditions that were set up for the following day. That late afternoon, I began location scouting in Chinatown – in the areas around my hotel. I really began to get excited. I finally met Yeo Lee Nah (Lina), my Assistant Director, with whom I had been working long-distance for the previous weeks from my home base in Las Vegas. She had done an AMAZING job of organizing EVERYTHING. I was much impressed and more than pleased at her professionalism and thoroughness. Lina had recruited Geraldine Koh Sheng Qi to handle the difficult task of translating the English script into Chinese. And fortunately, Geraldine was able to sit in on the auditions so that we could revise and finesse the translation. I had exactly the same issues with the French translation for the section of WEDDING DAY that I shot in Paris last month. So, I was familiar with the various issues that arise. On Tuesday, February 27, we had auditions all day long. Lina had done such an excellent job in gathering actors for the audition. And since I don’t speak Chinese, we had to work out a system whereby Lina would actually take on the role of director to give the actors “notes” to adjust their readings. Again, I had the same issues in Paris. I relied on my French Assistant Director, Andre, to help me gage and weigh the performances. I could tell if an actor was being too melodramatic – but there were subtleties in the readings I just couldn’t discern because I don’t speak French. After each take, Andre would evaluate the reading – for example, he would tell me: “she was more bitter than sad in that take. Do you want bitter or sad?” By the end of the day, Lina and I had our cast – and now we just had to work out rehearsal times, shooting days that worked for the actors, and other sundry details.

On Wednesday, February 28, since I had now mastered the metro (despite a shaky start where I got completely lost), I spent most of the day location scouting. Since my scenes can take place at just about any location (the bride in her wedding dress is hurrying to her wedding with her best friend), the process is about finding locations with strong visuals and good production value. My method to find suitable locations proved to be fairly simple, actually. I would go through my Singapore guide book – and more specifically, I would look through the various postcards at stores, and select a location that was particular exciting, visual or dramatic. I’ve really been struck by how hard everyone at Objectifs work: Emmeline and Dawn, Yuni, Yuemin and Caterina. It is a veritable beehive of activity – and the wide array of activities Objectifs is involved in – and contributes to - are quite remarkable. I’m very eager to see some of their up-and-coming screenings and sponsored events.

Today, March 1, Lina and I are going to scout the locations I have selected, figure out the shooting problems of each location, and lock them down where possible. We are also going to the equipment house to check out some rentals. And tonight, I have my first screening – THE SPIDER WILL KILL YOU, which was my student Thesis film - and a student Academy Award finalist (which I made 34 years ago, my god!) and TOURIST TRAP, 1978, my first feature which was inspired by SPIDER. TOURIST TRAP just screened at the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris to a large audience and I was so pleased with their appreciative reactions – for my first feature and for a feature that was made SO many years ago. It does not escape me that some times these older films, particular a horror film from the heydays of the horror films of the 70’s, might just take on a bit more notoriety and recognition than it deserves, but at my age, I’ll take any kind of praise I can get. Here’s hoping tonight’s audience appreciates the movies for what they are.

- David Schmoeller

entry by Victric

I stared at my computer screen for a good 30mins, wondering what should I write. Blogging is something very alien to me, and YES, I am not in touch with technology and trend, but somehow, in some strange ways, it does remind me of the class diary that we have to write during my primary school days.

Of course, I am very very very happy to be doing my residency with Objectifs. It gives me the opportunity to work on some experimental videos, which I felt I should engage in for a long time. I have this acute interest in experimental works. Works that is abstract but full of meaning. Works that touches you in many different levels. Works that awakens the subconscious.

I believe, there is a huge lack of experimental films in Singapore. There is not even a scene or platform for experimental works. Most of the time, whenever I watch a local short film, I cannot help but have this feeling that somehow I have seen this film somewhere before, worse still, from another local short film. It gives me the impression that there is this “Template” local filmmakers are using to recycle over and over again in their films. I rarely come across a local film that is adopting experimentalism.

We need to do experimental works, I strongly believe in that. We need to get experimental and be experimental. That is where and when the local film scene will grow. Many successful filmmakers started doing experimental works before they evolve into a narrative that echoes their own voice and signature style. And many good films derive their inspirations from experimental works as well. Local filmmakers, in my opinion, are just way too safe, not willing to take risks or explore untouched boundaries. And many young local filmmakers are simply too eager to make a name for themselves. I don’t know if that is good or bad, but I hope while focusing on certain narrative, they should not overlooked the need to be experimental.

I'd like to start a small movement for experimental works, if possible, with some help and support from different enthusiasts. I am no experimental filmmaker myself, but I am learning to be one. So, if you have any experimental film or video, and you like to share it with me, do send it to Objectifs, attention it to me. I’d like to take a look. Once I collected enough works, I may like to propose to Objectifs to do a experimental film screening or something.

I have just completed my first piece of experimental work, called “Requiem for a Somnambulist”. And hopefully, in the near future I can share it with you guys.

Let’s get alternative and think out of the box.


- Victric Thng

RESIDENCY ACTIVITIES IN MARCH

To register for workshops or screenings, please email info@objectifs.com.sg

1) Film Screening: Classic Cult Horror Special
The Spider Will Kill You/ Tourist Trap (1979) (Films by David Schmoeller)
Date: 1 March 2007, Thur
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Singapore Art Museum, Glass Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road
Admission is free by registration. To register, please email info@objectifs.com.sg or call 6339 3068.
Nominated for a Student Academy Award, “The Spider Will Kill You” (1974) was later made into the feature film “Tourist Trap”, which was made in 24 days and has since had a cult following and has devoted websites still talking about it.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director.

Tourist Trap Synopsis:
An eerie and deserted wax museum, Slauson’s Lost Oasis, is the site for spine-tingling terror where four unsuspecting young travelers are lured into a very deadly "Tourist Trap." Slauson is the reclusive and bizarre owner of the attraction, which is actually more like a macabre chamber of horrors. The grotesque and frightening mannequins in this sordid side-show are only the beginning of the murderous mayhem and nightmarish madness to come. Starring Chuck Connors and Jocelyn Jones.


2) Workshop: Staging for Camera
Date: 3 March 2007, Saturday
Time: 1.00-5.00pm
Venue: Objectifs
Instructor: David Schmoeller
This hands-on workshop teaches directing concepts and practical skills that will enhance a young director's craft. Topics include the psychology of camera placement (the psychology of the shot) / basic coverage versus stylized shooting / cheating for camera / matching problems & solutions / how to look at dailies & spot problems. The instructor will show the complete dailies of some of his movies and talk about both the completed and edited scenes to further explain the process of shooting, the shooting order, and then how it all cuts together.

3) Talk: Styling, Make-up and Wardrobe for Films
Date: 6 March 2007, Tuesday
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Objectifs
Instructor: Victric Thng
Admission is free by registration. To register, please email info@objectifs.com.sg or call 6339 3068.
Victric Thng invites guest speakers from the industry to share their expertise on styling, make-up and wardrobe for films and how the right approach can enhance the story. Samples of work will be shown by industry practitioners. Guests will bring samples of work they have done for other films.

4) Scriptwriting Workshop
Date: 10 March 2007, Saturday
1 session x 4 hr
Time: 1.00-5.00pm
Venue: Objectifs
Instructor: David Schmoeller
An intensive scriptwriting workshop where students will learn exercises and writing skills to help them move from the short film genre to feature film. The instructor will draw examples from indie films such as “Nepoleon Dynamite” which started out as the short film “Peluca”. The workshop will cover story structure, have writing exercises and provide reference scripts, and round off with the topics of copyright and festivals.

5) Film Screening: Puppetmaster (1989), Directed by David Schmoeller
Date: 13 March 2007, Tuesday
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Singapore Art Museum, Glass Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road
Admission is free by registration. To register, please email info@objectifs.com.sg or call 6339 3068.
Celebrated cult horror writer/director David Schmoeller’s “Puppetmaster” became a big hit on the video market after its modest but noticeable theatrical release.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director.

Synopsis:
A group of people are called to Bodega Bay Inn by their old friend Neil Gallagher, only to learn once they arrive that he is dead. All happen to be psychics who were befriended by Neil who was trying to find Ancient Egyptian techniques of imbuing objects with life. But then a handful of animated toys created by the legendary toymaker Andre Toulon, all with various lethal novelty attachments built into their bodies, slip out of Neil's coffin and start killing the guests. Starring Paul Le Matt


6) Film screening: The Grace Lee Project (2005) Directed by Grace Lee
Date: 21 March, Wed
1 session x 2 hr
Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm
Venue: Singapore Art Museum, Glass Hall, 71 Bras Basah Road
The screening is followed by a Q&A with the Director.
Admission is free by registration. To register, please email info@objectifs.com.sg or call 6339 3068.
Filmmaker Grace Lee won a Student Academy Award for her short film “Barrier Device” which starred Sandra Oh (of “Grey’s Anatomy” fame). In 2005, she made a feature documentary called “The Grace Lee Project” which went on to win the Rockerfeller Foundation Media Arts Grant, Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Digital Media and the Emerging Director Award at the Asian American International Film Festival. This will be the first time these two films are shown together in Singapore.

The Grace Lee Project Synopsis:
When award-winning Korean-American filmmaker Grace Lee was growing up in Missouri, she was the only Grace Lee she knew. In New York and California, however, everyone she met seemed to know “another Grace Lee”. But why did they assume that all Grace Lees were reserved, dutiful, piano playing bookworms? The filmmaker plunges into a clever, highly unscientific investigation into all those Grace Lees who break the mold – from a fiery social activist to a rebel who tried to burn down her high school! With wit and charm, this film puts a hilarious spin on the eternal question “what’s in a name?”

Reviews:
“Funny and offbeat. Told with humour and insight.” – Los Angeles Times
“Delightful! A funny but complex meditation on identity, ethnicity and cultural expectations.” – Variety

7) Documentary Filmmaking Workshop
Date: 31 March, Saturday
1 session x 4 hr
Time: 1-5pm
Venue: Objectifs
Instructor: Grace Lee
This intensive workshop will explore in detail documentary filmmaking topics to enhance a
filmmaker's development in this growing genre of filmmaking.