Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

2007-04-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

On David's shoot

Workshop at Objectifs

entry by victric thng

2007-04-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

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)

2007-03-14T02:46:00.000-07:00

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)

2007-03-01T01:39:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-27T02:36:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-25T23:15:00.000-08:00

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.

Greetings from Los Angeles

2007-02-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hello Objectifs community!

Happy Year of the Golden Pig! I'm really sorry to have missed this momentous occasion in Asia, but am looking forward to being in Singapore later this spring. Just thought I would say hello here and introduce myself as three weeks in Singapore already seems to be too short a stay...I hope I can hit the ground running as soon as I arrive. Coming from LA, I know I will already lose a day...

I'm Grace Lee and I will be the filmmaker in residence in late March and early April. I work in both fiction and documentary, and sometimes, like in the last film I made, the lines between fiction and reality are quite blurred. I have made several short films and am probably best known for a personal documentary I completed two years ago called THE GRACE LEE PROJECT which screened in many festivals, in several theaters in the US, and is currently screening on the Sundance channel. The film is a humorous look at an identity crisis (mine) and the worlds revolving around many different women who share my oh so common Asian American name: Grace Lee. The film looks at the stereotypes surrounding the name, and Asian Americans in general but as the movie has gotten a wider audience (it was most recently broadcast in S Korea), many people have told me that the concerns are almost universal. I know that there are several people in Singapore with this name, and while I'm at Objectifs, I hope to meet some of them. If anybody knows of a Grace Lee, please introduce me to them! Or at least let them know about www.gracelee.net

Most recently, I completed my first feature film AMERICAN ZOMBIE, which premiered in January at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and which will be going to the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas next. The film is about two filmmakers who team up to document a community of high-functioning zombies in Los Angeles, and their struggles to gain acceptance in the human community. It is a dark comedy and basically a deadpan (pun intended) look into life in 21st century America. Since it is also made by a documentary filmmaker named Grace Lee, I like to call it a personal horror film. You can read more about it and watch a trailer here. By the way, how popular is myspace in Singapore?

While at Objectifs, I will be working on another feature film script and hope to be inspired by the location and the people I meet. I also hope to do a small media project involving Grace Lees from Singapore, so like I said, if you know anyone who fits the bill, please introduce me! I will also run a documentary workshop while at Objectifs, and conduct a couple of seminars about contemporary Asian American feature filmmakers. A lot is going on in the Asian diasporic filmmaking community over here and I think there are some exciting trends happening on both sides of the Pacific.

I think that is it for now. Really glad to be part of this, and thanks to everyone at Objectifs for setting this up. In the mean time, if anyone wants to reach me, please do so at grace AT gracelee DOT net

See you soon,
Grace

from David Schmoeller

2007-02-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

I’m very excited about my residency at Objectifs and look forward to meeting everyone involved. Even though our time-frames at the lab are staggered, I look forward to meeting filmmaker-in-residence Victric Thng and to see his program at the March 27th screening.

Even though filmmaker-in-residence Grace Lee and I will not be in Singapore at the same time, I hope to meet her in Los Angeles at some point, as I have family there and visit often. I would like to see if I can possibly screen the films of both filmmakers in Las Vegas as part of the UNLV Short Film Archive screening series that I program.

I saw Aaron Wilson’s residency project at the Objectifs Films screening at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival and was much impressed. I also very much want to meet Royston Tan as I am a big fan of his work.

At the suggestion of Yuni Hadi and based on previous filmmaker-in-residence Aaron Wilson’s project (filmed in Australia and Singapore), for my artistic project at Objectifs, I wrote a short film script called WEDDING DAY that tells the story of three brides: one in Las Vegas, one in Paris and one in Singapore. Each bride is in her wedding dress when we first see them – and something unexpected (even calamitous) has happened to each.

I filmed the Paris segment while traveling through Paris on my way to the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival where I made a Media Rendez-vous presentation and collected new shorts packages for the archives. The Cinematheque Francaise in Paris had scheduled a TRIBUTE TO DAVID SCHMOELLER screening (PLEASE KILL MR. KINSKI, CRAWLSPACE and TOURIST TRAP) to coincide with my trip to Clermont so I decided to shoot this very ambitious section of WEDDING DAY during the day of the screening.

We managed to shoot scenes at the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame cathedral, a flower market, the sidewalk along the Seine river, in the metro, and at a cemetery – a very busy shoot). I will write a separate blog to describe this difficult but ultimately very successful shoot – and tell you about my amazing Parisian cast & crew!

The Singapore segment of WEDDING DAY will be shot during my Objectifs residency in March, 2007. The Las Vegas portion of the story will be shot in April-May, 2007 as part of the Master Directing class I teach for the Department of Film at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

At some point, I will try to make a link to the script available on-line as well as information on cast & crew in Paris (stills & dailies) – and the Singapore team when assembled.

Please feel free to participate in this blog – or email me at schmoeller@cox.net with questions, thoughts, anything at all.

I will be putting together my Singapore production team soon and I look forward to the staging and screenwriting classes I will teach at Objectifs and my two screenings at the Singapore Art Museum.

Until next time, I am filmmaker-in-residence

David Schmoeller

What's going on in Feb 2007

2007-01-21T18:40:00.000-08:00

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

Here are upcoming workshops/screenings hosted by Victric in FEB:

Workshop: Experimental Short Film Workshop
Date: 10 February 2007, Sat
1 session x 4 hr
Time: 1-5pm
Venue: Objectifs
Fee: $40
To register, please email info@objectifs.com.sg or call 6339 3068.
Adopting a found footage process, students will learn how to add a narrative to given video footages in an experimental manner. The instructor will also discuss the use of voice-over, music and text to enhance a short film.

Film Screening: Short Films by Victric Thng (2003-2006)
Date: 13 Feb 2007, Tues
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Objectifs
Admission is free by registration. To register, please email info@objectifs.com.sg or call 6339 3068.
Screening is followed by a discussion
Rising Singaporean filmmaker Victric Thng is known for his experimental take on seemingly ordinary situations. His observations of human relationship are so acute that his films have been globe-trotting to festivals. This showcase of films reflects his growth as a filmmaker. They include the films the award winning “Locust” and “Closer Apart”.

introducing Victric, David and Grace

2007-01-21T18:38:00.000-08:00

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

Objectifs is proud to announce our filmmakers-in-residence:
- Victric Thng, Singapore
- David Schmoeller, USA
- Grace Lee. USA

Victric Thng

A graduate of Temasek Polytechnic, Victric’s short films have been well received at both local and international film festivals. He is most known for his experimental narrative work.
“Lamentation” won 2nd prize at the SAE Digital Short Film Competition and was selected as a finalist for the Asian New Force Category in the Hong Kong Independent Film & Video Awards, while another short film “Locust” received the Renault Samsung Award at the Pusan Asian Short Film Festival 2004. In 2005, his film “Closer Apart” took 2nd Prize (Professional Category) at the Panasonic-MDA Digital Film Fiesta in Singapore. In 2006, Victric was selected to enter the prestigious Asian Film Academy in Pusan, Korea and was also a finalist for the Panasonic-MDA Digital Film Fiesta 2006 to shoot a short film on HD format.

Victric will be producing a series of experimental short films during his residency.

::::

David Schmoeller

David Schmoeller has written over fifty screenplays and directed nine feature films as well as programmes for television. He began his career as a young playwright and was awarded the Texas Good Neighbour Scholarship for studies in Mexico where he mentored under the legendary Luis Bunuel. David later returned to Texas to complete a Masters in Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas where his thesis film received an Academy Award Student Film Nomination in 1974. In 1994, Schmoeller founded The Directors’ Workshop, an organization that sponsors a variety of events and workshops exposing the work of professional directors such as Joel Schumacher and Ron Underwood. His recent feature film, “Mysterious Museum”, a children’s film, was shot in Romania and New Orleans. Currently David is an Assistant Professor of Film at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he is also founder and director of the UNLV Short Film Archive. His next feature. “Summer Love” is a teenage love story set in Cuba. David is also currently writing a book on directing.

David will be directing a short film during his residency.
::::

Grace Lee

A graduate from UCLA, Grace holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film Directing and Production. Her short film, “Barrier Device”, which starred Sandra Oh, received a Student Academy Award and a Directors Guild of America Student Award. 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. Grace is also a recipient of the Pusan Prize for “Smells Like Butter” from the Pusan Promotion Plan and has produced the independent feature film, “Alcatraz Avenue” directed by Tom Edgar in 2000. She has given several lectures and talks on independent producing and ethnocommunications at universities and art centres.

Grace will be developing a feature film script during her residency.

Time for an update

2006-12-16T03:04:00.000-08:00

Hello

time for an update, been kept bz with the Exhibition for the better part of last month. The pictures were taken down yesterday so I guess that marks the end of my exhibition. I've been spending the rest of my time now on completing my project. The prospect of many hours sitting in the dark, alone, hungry, resisting the call of nature does not sound like fun, but it has been a very spiritual journey, very much the way I had planned/expected it to be. Stefenny just messaged me that she will be going back to Indonesia very soon. That message reminded me that my own program will be coming to an end too. What a ride...

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

2006-12-10T23:41:00.000-08:00

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

This is my last week in Singapore. Next week I'm going back to Jakarta and start my daily life as usual. I finally finished my project. I wonder what people will say about it. Since some of my idea was rejected by my sources. My first idea was making photo essays about prisons in Singapore since the programs for inmates sound good here. But what can I say.

Anyway, the project would be on DVD (slideshow) and the other one is on print-out. Please don't hesitate to give your opinion if you see my works on wednesday or oneday. Actually, I'd never done something like this before on previous works or exhibition. But I have to try, even my basic is photojournalism.

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

2006-12-10T23:33:00.000-08:00

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

On first week I came, I really didn't know what should I do. But the photojournalism discussion was quit active. The participants were active on Q&A. We even continued on a cafe to have some beers. I thought it would be few people came to this workshop since photojournalism is not as popular as commercial photo in here. But I was wrong. I really hope that we can learn each other and got something from the discussion.

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

2006-12-10T22:56:00.000-08:00

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film

Dear friends,

On last 7th December, I became speaker on photojournalism workshop again at Objectifs in Singapore. Still nervous since on 28th November I also introduced photojournalism in Indonesia at Objectifs, and the participants were so active with questions and critics (which is good). However, plus haven’t got enough sleep for 5 days, since I moved to a bagpackers hostel (with my own request to the Objectifs) where mosquitoes and bugs made my whole body itches and got scratches, made me more nervous than before. I was afraid losing my concentration. Actually, I like the hostel (minus bug bites). People are so friendly and I had roommates from different countries that made me have friends to share and laugh.

It’s holiday season in Singapore and many students and young photographers who are on vacation. So the participants were not as much as the first one. However, after the workshop, we still continued our discussion to a café with beers and snacks until almost midnight. It was fun and very relaxing.

The next one is my project. At first, I was kind of upset since my letter to some prisons in Singapore for doing my project haven’t got any respond until now and also the other one, when I wanted to make photo essay about trishaw driver, they’ve also never responded it.. I really hope that they know I was waiting for the answer, even if it’s NO. Seemed like all Singaporeans rejected me. But I didn’t give up yet. The good thing is I already made some alternatives. So I started from them.

Thanks to my wayang puppet and some sources: Mr. Namasivayam and Mr. Sam who willing to be my subjects of photo stories I made, finally I finished my project. Even I had to change my theme many times and many rejections. The project I made is about Singapore from my point of view (the people, tourism, and trishaw driver) on montage/collage photos and some people that I chose because they really enjoy their life. Different with other people/sources that I met, they are very friendly and never suspicious with me. They trust me. That’s the important thing a photographer needs.

I also came to some activities like art class at Lasalle-Sia College of the Arts (thanks to Nama, his students and also the model), joined film class, watched horror movie (which I don’t like haha), and also attended a launching of Singaporean photographers website (cool, man!). I also went to a huge book store, art shops, library, etc. On the other word, I would like to thank Objectifs to show me Singapore, a live experience that I would never forget. And thanks for put me back to the previous hotel with the same room so I could say goodbye to the loyal creative bugs at the hostel and have sleep tight.

The bad thing is I supposed to come to JIFFest! Now, I have to wait for the next JIFFest. I also ran out my Indonesian cigarettes. It’s really bothering me. It hurts me a lot when I knew cigarettes here so really expensive. If I stay in Europe, I wouldn’t be hurt to buy 4-5 euros per package. But this is Singapore, man. We’re neighbor. SGD 10-12? If I quit smoking, how about the workers at cigarettes fabrics? Thanks to Emmeline who willing to buy me Indonesian cigarettes in Jakarta so I can smoke Indonesian cigarettes again on Wednesday. You’re savior!

Day 3 in studio, The count down continues......

2006-11-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

3rd day stright in the studio

the epson 4800 chugging away

mock up of the exhibition catalog

counting up to 800 prints

This is the count down...

2006-11-03T00:52:00.000-08:00

Next week Today will be the opening of my 2nd solo show. Invites... DONE ! Catalog... PRINTING ! Photos and framing... DONE ! Food... PLANNED !
The place will be at 16-17 Duxton Hill. Still need some help in setting up and also in delivering the food to the gallery. Help wanted, please email me at contact@rueyloon.com if you want part of this madness.

Next activity will be a talk at the gallery, but let me get my show up first and we'll organize one there.

I miss my bed.
Cheers

Australian Short Films: Are They Relevant?

2006-10-12T02:51:00.000-07:00

During his residency period, Aaron Wilson curated and screened a selection of shorts that provide an insight into modern Australian cinema at the Singapore Arts Museum.

Australian Short Films: Are They Relevant? @ SAM's Glass Hall

Heaven is a little higher....

2006-10-05T02:51:00.000-07:00

This might be heaven after all.

I've been through 3 cameras in formulating my idea for this project. First I broke my cable release, then I broke my Holga, and right after I got news of my selection, I broke my Bronica. As a stop gap, I'm using a seagull on loan from Objectifs. (no worries, I only used it for a small test shoot).

It is good to owe people, it feels good to have the support, the world becomes a smaller place when you know that there are people out there watching out for you. The good thing about owing people is that you get to thank them at the end of the day, or at the start.

Kay Chin, Kay Ngee, Epson - For my upcoming exhibition at Duxton Hill.
Objecfits, The Camera Workshop - For my residency program at Objectifs

Thanks, couldn't have done it without you guys, now all I need is a 6x9 ground glass :)

rueyloon
--------
supported by THE CAMERA WORKSHOP

Residency- new cycle

2006-10-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

Introducing our artists-in-residence for this quarter - Singapore-based photographer Ung Ruey Loon and Indonesian documentary photographer Stefanny Imelda.
Their residency activities and bios are listed on http://www.objectifs.com.sg/lab.htm

Catch a talk by Ruey Loon
Date: 12 October, Thur
Time: 7.30pm
Seminar topic: Approaching Photography as a Career
Level: Beginner
Fee: $10
Venue: Objectifs
To register, email info@objectifs.com.sg

On another note, here are Ellery and Aaron at the Objectifs office during the last week of the residency:

Hello World

2006-10-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hello World

I'm a photographer, never an engineer.

rueyloon

2006-09-28T23:53:00.000-07:00

During his residency, Aaron Wilson curated a screening of unusual Aussie shorts and had time to complete an HD short film! A work-in-progress screening of his short film, "2", was held at The Substation. "2" was shot in both Australia and Singapore.

3 For A Dollar - A Short Film by Ellery Ngiam

2006-09-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

During his residency, Singapore filmmaker Ellery Ngiam shot a short film called "3 For A Dollar". Supported by a mid-size crew, Ellery spent sleepless nights rehearsing, shooting and editing (at Objectifs).

3 Friends

2006-09-28T03:05:00.000-07:00

"3 Friends" screened at The Picturehouse, Cathay on 24 Sept to the public. The film was produced and co-directed by Mingmongkol Sonakul. The screening which was followed a lively Q&A, was made possible by Cathay and Red Films.

Filmmaking at its best

2006-09-28T02:40:00.000-07:00

All three film residents - Aaron, Ellery and Mingmongkol - at lunch hosted by Objectifs:

Mingmongkol's intimate discussion on the realities of low-budget feature filmmaking:

Mingmongkol's interview with Suzanne Jung on Channel News Asia's Primetime Morning. Catch it on Oct 5, 8.45AM as she speaks about independent filmmaking in Thailand and her new project "Alone":

fear of the camera

2006-08-15T04:23:00.001-07:00

I have been doing pre production for the past month on my new short film, 3 For A Dollar. Auditioning, gathering my crew and all. and as the pre production progresses, I find myself always in the same position as I have while I was preparing for my previous short films: the film gets bigger. Inevitably, as I gather friends to help out on the short film, our ambitions over take us and the film takes on a life of its own. It starts growing and growing, and eventually becomes a massive undetaking.

Before I started pre production on this film, I made a promise to myself that I will keep it small. Partly because I do not want to bankrupt myself again for another short film. But more importantly, I just wanted to make a film where it will just involve me, my actors and a camera. As I mentioned in my previous blog, this residency is about getting down to the basics. I did not want any of the baggage that comes with filmmaking. The big lights, the big sets, the big crew.

And I have to constantly remind myself of that.

I have to remind myself that short films are not about the most polished cinematography, or the most lavish sets or the most famous actors. It is about story telling. And the only tool I need to tell a story is the camera.

It is quite telling when most of my short films have been massive and expensive projects. I find myself almost afraid of using just the camera. I find myself having to embellish my filmmaking with ornaments and justify them with a big budget.

Well, with this residency, I hope to use just the camera and tell my stories. And at the end of the day, hope my films will be just as affective.

Ellery

PS: Aaron, here is a photo of Singapore's Char Kway Teow. Although if you want the real thing, you will have to go to Penang, Malaysia. That's where the best Char Kway Teow is.

G'day from chilly Melbourne

2006-07-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

My name is Aaron Wilson and I am very honoured to be attending the Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film in September 2006. My time at the residency will be an amazing opportunity to surround myself with talented and energetic individuals as I aim to creatively push myself in new and exciting directions.

The temperature outside is in single digits as i type this, late at night in the dead of winter (or early in the morning, depending on how you look at it). For me, this is the best time to think. There is a certain clarity that comes when everyone around me is asleep, something invigorating about the city at night, the lonely silences and the smell of the air. Winter in Melbourne also means film festival time here, and there are no less than four Singapore feature films screening at this year's fest. It is relevant that i mention this because they are popular films at this festival, no doubt due to the universality of their stories told with fresh perspectives in environments that are interesting to Australian audiences.

I grew up in rural Australia and now live Melbourne. Though since moving to the city, I have come to appreciate the uniqueness of the rural environment and am now fascinated by the rural textures and social milieu of my home town. I am drawn to the small details of daily life, the simple mundane things that most people do not notice, but which inform us so much about who we are and how we exist (on both an interpersonal and societal level). This sort of stuff is also universal; despite the apparent differences between the urban and rural environments, there exists a commonality of thought and emotion. This is what I like to explore in my films.

Righto, i guess i should tell you a bit about my preparation for the residency. I have returned today from a location reccy in rural Victoria, for the Australian part of my short film shoot. So what is my residency short film project about? Hmmm .... it's an evolving concept that is still largely stuck in my head, an experimental piece that shares themes with my feature film project. I guess I could summarise it something like this: "a film about two people in two countries who once shared a common experience." Whilst i am usually obsessed with planning for a shoot, this one will be different. For this project, I am interested in the evolution of thoughts, ideas and feelings when i arrive and spend time in Singapore, and how they will shape the film over the course of my time at the residency.

Before i finish up, i want to say hello to fellow residents Mingmongkol and Ellery ... I cannot wait to arrive in sunny Singapore and begin the exciting process of, as previous resident, Darlene Lin, put it, creative collaboration. Oh, and I'm dying to have real Char Kway Teow again, like you wouldn't believe.

See you very soon, Singapore.

- Aaron Wilson

Getting Down To Basics

2006-07-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

A little introduction of myself. My name is Ellery Ngiam, and I am the first local filmmaker resident for Objectifs' wonderful new Residency program.

I am really excited by the prospects and potential of the residency program. To be provided with this platform to create personal works and ultimately improve my craft.

Though I have been working as a writer/director in the industry for a couple of years, I think, for me, this residency will be about getting back to the basics. Creating works with only the bare minimum. None of that big sets, big crew, big casts, dealing with clients etc. It will just be about me, the camera and a few actors.

And so let this journey begin.

Cheers,
Ellery

Privileged Photographer

2006-07-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

My residency has come to an end but certainly not my project and my involvement with Objectifs. This residency was definitely more than just an opportunity for me to work on a photographic project.

The several photo-clinics and workshop I conducted over the past 3 months were great learning experiences for me as much as they were for the students. The formal discussions and coffeeshop-chats with them brought back memories of my first few years in photography. Despite their age, they were enthusiastic, experimental and daring. Qualities a photographer must have to survive! I was truly humbled and inspired.

It has also reminded me how important it is for an artist to purse his or her dreams despite failures, pressures from society, economic challenges and bureaucratic redtapes. Some people accuse us artists of being indulgent but remember this: we are in the business of reminding people how beautiful (or in some cases, how ugly) this world is, and the fact is people need to be reminded.

The power of pictures is tremendous and with that power the photographer have the responsibility of using the pictures fittingly and correctly to change mindsets and perceptions. The great thing about that is the photographer is the first person to ‘see’ things differently. Isn’t it such a privilege to be a photographer?

Well, it was definitely a privilege to be part of the residency program, the three months may have ended but I love my work 3000 times more.

Thank you all! -Ernest Goh

A preview of my residency project

(Watch this space for the announcement of my residency exhibition)

Introducing...

2006-07-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film It's July and 3 filmmakers have come on board as artists-in-residence for this quarter, July-Sept.

INTRODUCING:
Ellery Ngiam (Singapore)
Aaron Wilson (Australia)
Mingmongkol Sonakul (Thailand)

Check out our website to learn more about them! www.objectifs.com.sg (Go to Other Education)

Watch this space to follow the progress of their work.

WORKSHOP#2: Stretching Your Eye Muscles

2006-07-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

The workshop was held on 17 June, with participants Huiying, Ulla, Angie, Sam Kumar, Sam Chin and Justin setting out to complete two shooting assignments for the workshop. The two assignements, 'Shooting without looking through the viewfinder' and 'Shoot a creative self-portrait' were designed to help the participants expand their visual senses and make them 'see' more creatively. Here are their amazing pics!

Picture by Sam Chin

Picture by Justin

Picture by Sam Kumar

Picture by Ore Huiying

Picture by Ulla Gratton

Picture by Angie Kwok

Here are some ideas that were taught in the workshop:

We only make the pictures we know, it is hard to break from our preconceptions about how something should look photographed.

Challenge yourself to forget your preconceptions about how to photograph something. A photograph is nothing but an illusion of a literal description of how the camera saw a piece of time and space.

Realize that when the whole photograph worked it is an intuitive response to something visual, unexplainable in words

- Ernest Goh

Photo-Clinic: Talk to the Doc!

2006-06-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

The sharing of ideas, gripes and pictures are what photographers do best! (even better with beer)
Talking about pictures, ripping them apart, analyzing them and putting them back together again - the mutual learning is invaluable!

- Ernest Goh

2006-06-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

it was strange to be back in nyc so suddenly even after missing an early morning flight on sunday to spend an unexpectedly gained day in singapore before finally catching Cathay from Changi to New York (via Hong Kong and Vancouver).
three-weeks inhaled - but i wasn't quite ready to let out just yet and it
took a little over a week to finally dig my niches and grounds of familiarity as i was slowly reeling inward from travel withdrawal. where are my iced mochas every morning?

my experiences with objectifs were kinetic day in and day out - from river valley, to victoria street, to north bridge road, or towards bugis to get over to liang seah, beach road - lunching on the most sumptuous, fresh and eclectic plates along sidewalks and street corners intersecting with walkers, hawkers and gawkers alike -

life was a flutter with work and a little chaos here and there, and that's how i like things to be. here, back on home turf i'm settling into my little air conditioned nation of four walls, one door, a computer and scanner by my side. brought back 15 rolls of film from the labs a few days ago and have been scanning and reorganizing my images with much anticipation and pleasure...and upon rediscovering the lost places and faces i've encountered,

in all their glorious peaks of anonymity and splendor, i found myself recalling all the important people who made singapore and my experience with objectifs all the more intimate, soulful and adventurous.

i miss you all dearly and look forward to coming back to you soooooon...my heart is with your endeavors, ambitions, and unflinching contribution to life and life's work - always.

xo,
d

Expired Film - The product of the digital camera

2006-06-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg. These guys have been sitting in my refrigerator behind the Kaya spread and Oreo cookies for a long time. Hopefully they will see the light of day soon.

- Ernest Goh

Last Night in Singapore..

2006-06-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

All good things come to an end - we bade farewell to Darlene as her exhibition came to a close and her residency period in Singapore came to an end.

Here's wishing her all the best in her future photographic endeavours! Come back to visit us soon!

Objectifs' Artists-in-Residence - Darlene Lin and Ernest Goh

Singapore Portraits

2006-05-25T02:58:00.001-07:00

Darlene's exhibition is now up at Basheer Graphic Books Gallery!

Opening night

Installation in the exhibition setup

Exhibition will be up
May 24 - May 27
Thurs - Sat / 10am - 8pm
Sun / 10am - 5pm
at Basheer Graphic Books Gallery
Blk 231, Bain Street, #04-19, Bras Basah Complex (gallery entrance from bookstore)

progress meter

2006-05-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

images from two days of shoot @ Books Actually: 125 Telok Ayer St., Singapore - Darlene

the people:

karen wai and kenny leck of Books Actually

jie jie and adrian, my two wonderful assistants

the place:

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Night

2006-04-18T01:33:00.000-07:00

greetings from brooklyn,

Hi everyone, this is my first official post to kick-start a new journey with Objectifs and Objectifs Residency & Lab for Photography and Film 2006! words can't really begin to describe how grateful and excited I am to be granted this wonderful opportunity - to join the many talented and reknowned individuals at Objectifs and those who are committed to bringing new forces and new talents together, new encounters, and above all creative collaboration!

It's late, or rather, early. About 5:44am Eastern Standard Time. I had the day off from work yesterday and today is going to be another day of rest and freedom. Most of yesterday was spent photoshopping for about 5 solid hours in the afternoon with Bach on repeat for the entire session (i think i listened 'Air on a G string' about 30 times...he's perfect for an intense session of cloning and stamping i swear). At some point i felt a pang of hunger and looked up from the computer screen out the window -- a mix of spring and summer has finally arrived here in New York and suddenly the world was alive and green again. and at 6am, quite blue as well.

so let a lesson be learned: if one is to obsessively shoot off rolls of 35mm film with reckless abandonment, one must also be wise enough to avoid pile-ups of negs that need to be batch scanned and systematically organized in one sitting due to the fact that rarely is there ever an available scanner when one needs it most. otherwise it's loads of coffee and insomnia for you.

I have yet to learn this lesson. I'm also in dire need of some new hardware.

Hello, my name is Darlene Lin and I'll be your International Resident this Summer.

P.S. Shout out to Ernest Goh...Congrats to my fellow Local Resident!

Warning! Do not open!

2006-04-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

No, this contraption is not part of a bomb. For those of you who do not know what this is, it is a 4x5 film holder. So for all the ultra-curious beings(you know who you are ;) out there, please be kind and nice and DO NOT open it as it may contain precious unprocessed film! - Ernest Goh ;)

Photographers view the world in a different way

2006-04-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

An upside down image projects on the ground glass of a 4x5 camera. The camera which I will be using to complete my project during this residency. - Ernest Goh

Objectifs' First AIR

2006-04-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

I am proud to be selected as Objectifs' first Artist-In-Residence(AIR). This residency and lab programme is exactly the type of activity many envisioned Objectifs to organise when Dawn and Emm first proposed the idea of a photography and film school in Singapore. And they recently even celebrated Objectifs 3rd birthday! All these only signal one thing: More good things to come! I also want to thank CCS(read below if you dont know who these nice people are) for giving support to not only me but the many more Objectifs' AIR to come! So watch this space! - Ernest Goh

Introducing the residency and lab programme

2006-04-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

Objectifs is launching its inaugural Residency & Lab programme for photographers and filmmakers for the period of April 2006 to March 2007.

The primary focus of this programme is to provide artists with a supportive platform for project development and to create community access to the artists' process.

The Objectifs Residency & Lab is supported by Creative Community Singapore.

Creative Community Singapore (CCS) is a key initiative of the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA). CCS aims to to encourage Singaporeans from all walks of life to unleash their creative potential in the areas of arts, design and media. CCS seeks to fund bold, fresh projects that inspire creativity in others and promote community entrepreneurship, involving individuals, enterprises, agencies and community groups, with a common goal of strenghtening community bonding and identity. For more information, visit www.creativecommunity.sg.

More information on the residency at: http://www.objectifs.com.sg/lab.htm