Video for 3FOUR50

So I did this Video for a website called 3four50, a "Think Health" website. It's self explanatory really. Enjoy!!

Tengah Bulan, Hujung Tahun

It's the time of the year again, where any male blogreader of mine would probably vomit and regret ever following my blogs. It is a day I'd find myself hating being in London (among hundreds of other days). The date of the post might not say it cause I want this to be published as soon in the day as possible, Malaysian time.

It's 15th December 2009, The day Miss Fatin Humaizah turns 20 :)

Below is a little something that I have been holding off to do for quite a while,

The song illustrates perfectly how i feel - here without her. Sorry the chorus isn't written on screen like the verses. I tried having it on screen, but it seems to distract viewers from the "Humaizah Experience", how her smile is soo contagious!

Anyways this is what the chorus says:

When she's sear

The new year's here

And there is not a resolution

That I can't do

I see things clearly

When she's near me

When she's near me all the world is new.

And I do feel exactly that! That's why we need our 12 hours of Skype each day! :P

So on your birthday Sayang, I wish that everyone around you would spoil you for the day (you know I'd do that). Have a good one!

P/s: You what I'm gonna say :P

Pulp Fiction: Dead Nigger Storage, by Wei Sheng Loh

So Theo haven't got the chance to see this yet, so I guess I put this up here since he's following me



Eddie (the lecturer) told us to quit our day job and start looking for acting gigs already. I thought my acting was crap. Eddie didn't have any complaints about it, he thought it was technically competent; shots were well composed and lit, good editing.

P/S: Sorry for the 14 F**ks I said (yes, i counted), it was in the script!

Hello Hurricane

This is simply too beautiful to not post here:



Latest by Switchfoot

Tolong Saya Capub Kiamu!!!

Ya, pasti anda hairan, mengapakah saya berbahasa melayu dalam post kali ini. Ya, semestinya kerana saya tidak mahu matsalleh-matsalleh dikelas saya tahu yang saya sebenarnya telah selesai penggambaran Kiamu!!! cuti dahulu.

Walaupun saya tidak mahu mereka tahu (belum lagi), namun saya perlu mula menyebarkan hype! filem ini, terutamanya di Malaysia. Oleh itu, jika boleh, semua rakan-rakan (kecuali di United Kingdom) saya yang punyai blog / website atau apa-apa sahaja, yang ingin membantu saya mempromosikan filem ini - Sila maklumkan saya.

Saya akan membekalkan anda dengan kit promosi (so far hanya ada trailer 30saat, dan poster) untuk anda post kan di blog2 anda seperti mana saya post kan poster kiamu!!! yang outdated ini disebelah kanan blog ini.

Cakap Benar Tak Radikal Langsung!!

The Test that was a 100 years ago

There was a time, a while ago. where i was blogging about making animations using flash instead of stopmotion powerpoint. Sorry to dissapoint anyone but i STOPPED.

Why? because one; it didnt worked out as well as i hope despite the immense labor required to finish a 30 second clip of it

Two: the "least" expected happened - I got lazy.

So here is one test clip done, amongst thousands:



Lifeless, i know. Hence me stopping.

They Love London and Paris

So Fatin wanted this up on my blog, maybe she thought she looks cute in it.



So yeah, They like London and Paris. Aku x, aku malas bila pikir kna balik London, Paris plak bau hancing.

Budget for Kiamu!!!

I have checked and confirmed on the equipments that I shall rent for my latest production:


Panasonic DVX102B 3CCD camera + tripod x1, 6days : RM150 x 4 = RM900
Arri 800W Tungsten Redheads x3, 4days : (RM40 x 3) x 4 =RM480
8' Panasonic Director's Screen RM50 x 4 = RM200

Manpower x 9 = RM50 X9 =RM450

Total: RM900 + RM480 + RM200 + RM450 = RM2030

Xtermasuk duit untuk makan minum crew lagi.. haih, sah aku pokai after production.

P/S: Kira DVX tu dapat murah gile tu, standard camera saja sehari RM300 beb.

Sasputra new image: Gritty!

Well I've been working myself around a new production label for my films, I've been using SASPUTRA for a while now, The name is close to my heart but the image of the 3D logo spinning to face the screen is too safe, conventional, and tame.

I wanted something rough, something alternative, something that rhymes with rugged. So I've played around with what I could and came to this new image of SASPUTRA films:

Just as much as how bored I am with slow tracking shots, clean cut photography, 3D CGI stuff, colorful color scheme. This new production label complements it swell! The scruffy and unclean edges and the massive presence of noise reflects my soul as a young, revolting one. This version of black over white is the main one.



The alternate inverted version is for use in cases where and when necessary: especially for opening sequences, which usually is cast over black.

Kiamu!!! would be the first to be produced under this label. Which is why i think it's about time.

Kiamu!!!: The Short

Yes, I'm doing it. The hell with what people say, I am still friggin doing it! "Kiamu!!!: The Short" is now at the level of pre-production, and I am pretty sure a lot people would be happy it is, but not as many as the people who frowns upon the idea that I am actually planning to go with it.

I've been silent for a while, have been quite the busy bee these days. Mornings I am an under-appreciated intern who says no to nothing and nights I am a Director trying to convert his stories into MPEG-4

They keep telling me that what I'm doing is radical, and that its risky. I'm not doing any public demonstration or anything, I'm just telling the truth as I know. Telling the truth is far less radical than keeping it in a closet.

Busy

As the title suggest.

Have handed in one paper. Am now struggling making portfolios for these films:



Yes, two of them. So if you mind, I must get out of the net and start putting on my creative cap!

Peace

US products and US bounds

*This was written by a good friend of mine, Emir Anuar. He post it up for a while and retracted it from his blog to protect his relationships with people. I for one, find that it is a shame for this not to be up on the net, and I trust people around me would be open minded enough to accept another person's point of view*

US products and US bounds

I heard and read a lot of students urging to boycott US and Israeli products.

And it amazed me that some US bound students urged the same thing too.

Shouldn't the first thing they do is to drop the scholarship? It would be a hypocracy if they don't. The TAXPAYERS money is being used to finance the education in US universities. And where the money goes? What happen to to the boycott? Didn't you guys realized that by going to the US, you are making the government pay MILLIONS of ringgit to the country you are urging to boycott?

Seriously, it doesn't make sense. If I am wrong, give justifications. So don't go or stop being a hypocrite.

At least those people buying Big Mac are using their own money and it is about 100000times cheaper than an education there.

Please don't criticize without any negations or justifications.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

As for my personal view on this matter, I would say that I'm not against the idea of boycotting US products. I can really respect their cause, and see where they're coming from. But for a government sponsored student bound to the US to do such a thing - I have a great deal of 'APAKAH?' accepting that. I agree with Emir, that demonstrates a bit of hypocrisy.

I mean, it is obvious that these people, despite their beliefs, refuses to "drop the scholarship" because of their fear of loosing something important.

Ergo, my arguement is, if you yourself can relate to the fear of losing something out of this - You would actually be the person that'll be most empathethic of the situation that you yourself put the local McDonalds retailers into. Who by chance, could be a Malay Muslim as well.

The same goes to the Intel factory workers in Kulim, who now, are fearing for their jobs, and the incapability to provide their underprivileged family.

*I rarely...wait, NEVER post up anything political here, but this one caught my interest*

Too Much Time In Hands Tonight.

Classes has ended. True, it has. No more class till the beginning of the new term this autumn, where I'll return as a final year student ("Already?" I know!). But that doesn't mean its all play and relax for me, as I have a horrendously massive amount of work to hand in on the 23rd of April and the 5th of May. Then it'll be independence from the 2nd year BA Film Video and Interactive Arts learning frame. I guess in a way, I have slightly less to worry about compared to my other classmates, as I'm pretty much finished with my year end film - Fragility. The public premiere of Fragility went well, I'm pretty convinced that a lot of people liked it (self re-assuring moment).

Sesi berbahasa Melayu bermula:

Aku tau aku akan bunyi seakan-akan riak, angkuh, dan bodoh-sombong. Tapi, kalau anda-anda berada di tempat kejadian, anda akan setuju, dan faham bila aku kata:

"Fragility ditayang bersama-sama filem-filem sampah!"

Jangan salah faham, aku tak perasan bagus, aku tau kelemahan-kelemahan filem aku. Dan ada beberapa filem rakan sekelas aku yang aku benar-benar tabik! Namun tidak terlampau jika aku kata 80% dari filem yang ditayang malam itu benar-benar memalukan aku sebagai rakan sekelas. Filem yang siapa-siapa dengan camera boleh buat. KATA belajar buat film? Aku malu, sebagai tukang compile filem-filem itu kedalam DVD aku malu. Fragility diatur untuk ditayang nombor 10 dari 20 filem. Maka, dalam 'perjalanan' ke filem aku itu, aku perasan, seorang demi seorang ahli audience blah sebab SAKIT mata. SAKIT mata melihat keJAHILan budak-budak yang ambil degree filem buat filem. Aku duduk dibelakang seorang ilmuan filem masa screening itu, Patrick Philips. Dari riak wajahnya, aku tau dia sedang sakit hati, merasa dirinya seolah-olah sedang membuang masa. Yang aku paling marah, dia BLAH sebaik-baik filem aku bermula. Bila aku berharap dapat mendengar feedback beliau tentang filem aku.

Namun tidak semua sampah, dibawah merupakan filem-filem yang aku boleh respect:

Indistinct - James Clear Tournas

The Horror of Hang Wood - David Paul Irons

Together Forever - Mikel C.G.

Dracula - David O'gara

Fragility - Web Premiere

So last night was the Big Screening of Fragility. It went all right, despite the fact that.. well..forget it.

So here's the Web Premiere of Fragility.

Enjoy! - Seriously, I demand you to!

Fragility Feedbacks, so far.

" The usage of space is very well thought of, and the camera movements compliments it well too. Personally likes the consistent usage of focus shift of the piece, and the constant cutting between the conversation itself and the conversation off screen with shots of the girl. Good use of music and sound. Notices the change of light on Liang's face, referring it as a continuity error. Not really a fan of the tv static usage, being the depiction (personally) of the dream sequence a point of view of Lydia's character - using tv static, a very technological and electronic thing to represent something biological like memories. Likes Ching Yee's performance and thinks she's a very capable actress"

David Heinemann, Lecturer


"Love the style of the cinematography, the representation of space through cinematography and continuity was brilliant, interested and hopes to work with Anwari for my final year project. I really like his style!"

Navarro Aydemir


"Disagrees with David's opinions about the usage of static, and believes that the usage of static represents 'disturbance' and compliments well the situation - disturbance in her memory - her forgeting him. Likes the look of the film, especially it's depth of field"

James Clear Tournas, fellow filmmaker


"Finds the cast to be rather good, charismatic in a way. Likes the significant difference of depth of field between the dream sequence and the real world"

David Paul Irons, fellow filmmaker


"The film looks promisingly professional, not very keen of the whole idea in which the past events are hocked into the audience by the means of dialogue. The film, being fairly experimental, might have utilize other ways to represent the past events, something more expressive ,perhaps with mise-en-scene or such. The dialogue in the beginning draws the audiences' interest away early in the film. Otherwise, the dream sequence is wicked!"

Nicole Wirth, film critic


"The editing is superb, also notices the continuity error with light on liang's face. Finds the dialogue scene to be a bit long and dragging"

Siti Noor Fateha, senior filmmaker



"Ching Yee's performance is great!"

Suraya Hani, Media Student


"The early handheld scene to be novice-ly shot, likes Liang's performance and is the only science student to watch it and interpret the dream sequence as a struggle for memory, and likes the dream sequence."

Afida Liyana, Petronas Scholar


"Likes the effects in the dream sequence! Nothing like the Malay trash films"

Emir Anuar, Physics Whiz


"Find the acting to be a little stiff, resulting the feeling of dragging-ness early into the film, almost cried towards the end, almost got a heart attack from the sudden neuron buzz and strikes"

Elly Azreen, Law Student


"The acting seems to be a little stiff, was irritated by the high pitched sound, couldn't relate the content to the title, and a few medical mistakes"

Farhan Wilson, Medical Student

Rough Cut for Fragility Ready

I'm writing this as I export the rough cut of Fragility. I just finished editing it. Not done 100% yet though, I'll call it a rough cut if anything. Personally, what I'm trying with Fragility is something I've never done before, and it is unlikely to be my 'kind' of film. I thought that it'll be challenging and fun. Plus, when else should I experiment if not while I study right? Well I think I did ok (I guess) considering how unfamiliar I am to this type of film-making.

Sound was a bitch to edit in this. Not only in the dream sequence, but the conversation/ normal-action ones too! All because of that annoying thing that goes off occasionally in the location we were shooting, I have quite a hefty amount of footage with my voice cussing to it. This thing I'm talking about is a malfunctioning security alarm that beeps every 3 to 5 minutes. And I tell you, loads of it managed to get into my footage. Some I managed to wipe out with post production, some I wasn't so able to.

The dream sequence requires me a lot of imagination to edit its sound. I don't know if I can be proud of it or not. But heck, I am kinda proud of it anyway.

So yeah, class premiere coming!!!
*Freaks Out and Faints*

Fragility Premieres 23rd March

As the title suggest, 23rd for the class premiere and 30th for public premiere. Come to the public premiere guys! And see me embarrass myself in front of everyone!

Here's the promotional poster! Ching Yee looks good as the poster girl don't she?

Fragility

So I haven't been updating for a while. I thought that I might as well do now. So right now I am at a point of being hyped about my upcoming shoot. A short film for my graded final yeas assessment; Fragility. I don't know if some people might find the title cheesy or something, but I personally feel it's one of the best titles I've ever came up with. I always like the idea of having a short, dynamic, one-word title for my works. For me it's either one-word short or really long like exampled with: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. No, I haven't watched that yet if you have to ask. So down here is the rough edit of the first page of Fragility:

Fragility

by Anwari Ashraf

FADE IN:

INT.HOUSE.LIVING HALL.DAY

BILLY and JIMMY are carrying and arranging a few boxes. They both stop about the same time. They stand there silent, awkward.

BILLY
Coffee?

JIMMY
Yeah, Sure.

Billy walks into the kitchen.

INT.HOUSE.ROOM.DAY

LYDIA still lies on the bed. Still motionless, almost lifeless.

INT.HOUSE.LIVING HALL.DAY

Billy and Jimmy sits at the opposite sides of the table, with cups of coffee in front of both. There is a moment of silence for a while.

BILLY
Hey, listen. Thanks for coming down
to the hospital and back here for
all this. I really appreciate it.

JIMMY
No, please. It’s nothing.

They pause again.

JIMMY
So how long has it been?

BILLY
Sorry?

JIMMY
Lydia, Coma.

BILLY
Oh she’s no longer in her coma.
She’s awake. They call it PVS,
Persistent Vegetative State. It’s a
post- coma thing. She has awaken
from her coma, but there’s just
still no sign of awareness.

JIMMY
I see

BILLY
The Doctor said that it’s 50 - 50.
In some cases, people with her
condition would just wake up
spontaneously one day. Others
just...But not her, I know she’ll
wake up one day.

So yeah, that's about it. Do tell me if anyone is interested to have a read of the whole script. Give me your email and I'll happily attach it; with hopes of criticism. Because I for one, find criticism to be a rather good thing to listen to. Although it does hurt at times, and I might bitch around about it for a while. But it makes me stop and think what I'm doing wrong.

I'm not trying to prolong this post by writing this, but recent events just made me feel like saying a few things about criticism.

I mean I know it can get harsh and rather dents you in the heart. But take it easily, don't bitch back. It's not their fault, they're just honest, some might just launch the harpoon because they feel intimidated. Or to reassure a non-secured self-know-it-all. But when these kind of things happens its no reason to back out and give in. Feeling down doesn't help you at all. Bitching it through Facebook status or notes can be annoying to other people. Take it in, swallow it up, digest it, and get rid tomorrow through your 'Morning Glory'

I know that I'm in a art-driven industry. And that subjectivity of opinions is rather common, but if someone doesn't like what I try to deliver, I really want to know why. Because it might be a thing that I might have looked over before. If its not, its always refreshing to know that I didn't succeed to please everyone. I rather go through that than get self-indulged with my known success and obliviously uninterested on my unknown failures.

So yeah, I'll stop here.

A Compulsive Psycho-Analyst

Well I havent been updating coz ive been doing all sorts of things lately, it HAS been a rather hectic time for me.

This post has nothing to do with any of my previous works, or anything as equally substantial to that. Its about something I've been meaning to channel since weeks now;

Have you ever had the feeling that you know too much? Some that you actually don't even want to know and wished you didn't. Have you ever had that like 50 times in a row?

Well I do.

I get to know all these things I'm not supposed to through various means and mediums, mostly from the compulsive psycho-analysis that's becoming like a fetish that I somehow developed from my studies in film.

You see, general opinion would think that learning film is all about the technical stuff, (lights, camera, editing, directing, pre-production, production, post-production yadayadayada) and I believe most institution even really practise that kind of film learning.

But where I end up to study is all about the appreatiation of film arts, in which might be not too wrong to say as - About the existence of people, about the sensual, sensitive nature of being a human being. and this, if you ask me, requires a lot of psycho-analysis.

So as i go on with this new compulsion of mine, I find that I'm understanding more about people, and its annoying how perfectly close I am to precise. How do I know this?

Facial articulation, tone of voice, involuntary body languange and at a certain extent, I just know, I have no specific solid proof whatsoever but I just do.

And later, God has HIS own way to somehow prove me right (as I rarely disclose what I find), and I curse myself for this! And its never easy to disclose what I figured out - so it's agonizing!

So yeah, stay away from me, because I might read you like a book.