PGR . 004 > 30052000
events | BT's and Judge Jules's night out in M . Sia
events list | anthony pappa and cream in june 2000
rantings | exclusive interviews with BT and Judge Jules
studios | funkguru . dublab . groovetech
please send comments to > email@phonographic.com
Clubbers,
Thank you for all your feedbacks especialy those with regards to lack of updates. We can't help it, honestly. As an independent 'young' e-zine with no corporate sponsors to answer to, nobody can make us say what we don't believe to be true. We write what we want to and update whenever we feel our 'contents' are up to our 'mark'.
This is the honest and straightforward coverage that viewers can expect from PGR. We understand that our viewers always come first and rest assured, you deserve nothing less than that. This is our promise.
Contributors are also most welcome from all over the world. Email us your thoughts, views about the dance world.
Till then, indulge yourself in phonography.
www.phonographic.com
design | subliminal influence
music | sonus
editors | ben
contributors | reiko . phillip . sukisue
[About the studios]
We make movies.
nu(STUDIOS) is a newly formed filmmaking group under the management of the Centre for the Arts (CFA) in the National University of Singapore.
Our aims are threefold:
To harness the creative and artistic talents of our campus population in order to produce quality student films
To provide continuous training for our crew so as to improve the technical standards of our productions
To promote filmmaking and film appreciation amongst the general undergraduate population and to make this art form readily accessible to any student who is game to take up the challenge
HYPE is our first feature film. Previously, we also produced a short film Eye to I that was entered in the Singapore International Film Festival. Other activities that we organized include a Japanese film festival S P A C E, as well as talks by British filmmakers, Anthony Fabian and Joel Simon.
Visit us for more details at our official website
[Story]
What is HYPE?The first feature film produced by nu(STUDIOS), HYPE is a smart romantic, tragicomedy. The story is simple. But what you see is not what you get.
Dave meets Sandra, whose apparent perfection for him is highlighted by the string of laughable partners he had before.
Being the jaded advertising executive however, Dave believes that everything is hype. Even people. That we sell ourselves all the time, consciously or otherwise.
With his views coloured by the old advertising maxim “It’s too good to be true, “ he embarks on a trying journey to find the catch to Sandra.
But while everything and everyone proves to be just hype, Sandra is the only one left who provides much resistance to his theory.
[Cast Profiles]
Who are the stars?Adelina has participated in a myriad of professional projects involving not just acting, but also producing, directing and compering since 1996. However her first love is perhaps still the theatre, as evident in her most recent work this year – Shopping and Fucking, Joined at the Head and Misreadings. She has acted with numerous production companies including the Singapore Repertory Theatre, Toy Factory Ensemble, Dramabox and The Necessary Stage. She is also a founding member of Livid Room Productions.
In addition, Adelina has a wealth of experience in other mediums, namely, television, commercials and film. In particular, she starred in three other film projects, working with students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Formerly an undergraduate majoring in Theatre Studies and Psychology at NUS, she is currently (and has always been) pursuing a career in acting.
She continues to wear her signature boots almost everywhere.
Walter’s passion and flair for acting began when he first wrote, directed and acted in his Primary 3 skit for a school drama competition. His more recent notable accomplishments on stage include several lead roles in ACJC drama productions where he took on roles as diverse as King Henry V (in Henry V) and the Italian immigrant, Rodolpho (In A View from the Bridge).
As an alumni member, he returned to the school to act as Arthur Miller’s Proctor in The Crucible and Kenickie in the ACJC production of the hit Broadway musical, Grease!
Whilst in the Law faculty at NUS, he took on a more active role in ACTUS!, a faculty-based production house. His directorial debut was in the form of a play After the Rain and he later went on to direct and act in the Law 4 annual production, Twelfth Night: The Musical. His portrayal of Dave in Hype marks Walter’s first ever foray onto the big screen.
Currently, Walter is co-director of his church’s drama ministry and embarking on a legal career.
He remains the maker of the goofiest grins around.
Stella has been described as having immense energy and infectious enthusiasm; on the other hand, she has also been called (albeit with some fondness) “psycho Stella”. Indeed, she lives up to this moniker in her eagerness to try anything and everything that she is interested in with an almost manic fervour.
A go-getter, it is not surprising to find her having a finger in different pies simultaneously. She has acted in commercials and modelled, in addition to participating in both onstage and backstage work as a Theatre Studies and Philosophy major in NUS.
In addition, she has also made cameo appearances in several Mediacorp and Raintree Pictures productions. From being in charge of finance and logistics, to Human Resource, to co-starring in HYPE as an undergraduate; Stella has tried many hats of varying sizes and performed well in all so far.
Currently working in a financial planning firm, Stella, I expect is still alternating between terrorising people and attempting to endear herself to them simultaneously.
Alan is a strange guy. Busy and un-contactable most of the time, like every other Singaporean. And strange. He is unpredictable for one. And he has an unbelievable capacity to laugh, both at himself and others, this is what makes him more than just the average guy that Sean, the character he plays, is.
Much of Alan’s experience has been in stage and television; including plays such as Shakespeare in the Carpark, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, more recently in Romeo and Juliet, as well as appearances in Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, The Donny Lee Show and Making Love.
The last I heard from him, he was relief-teaching Literature to innocent secondary school children.
[Cast Interviews]
Dishing the Dirt
ADELINA and WALTER on what Sandra and Dave are:
“Sandra’s un-hyped, I supposed. She’s got all these fabulous things but she’s not hyping them up, and she seems so ordinary that Mr Hype here finds it difficult to believe her, to believe that such a person could exist at all because he’s too jaded.”
“This is a bit corny but I think there’s a bit of Dave in everybody. The great thing about Dave as a character is that he’s an ordinary guy but at the same time he is unique in his own special way.
And everybody can relate to some of the experiences he’s gone through, especially guys. He’s got this idea of a perfect ideal woman, which I think a lot of guys have as well. This idea that he has leads to quite a lot of problems for him.
But the great thing is that it’s a process of discovery for him as well, even though it’s painful and at the end of the movie, he moves on, and it’s something that is poignant and something to look out for, I guess.”
On whether they felt their characters could have been developed further:
WALTER
“I’d prefer to leave as that, actually. Because it’s good to keep the audience guessing about what is going on in Dave’s mind. Throughout the whole show we actually question what he really is thinking. And um, even more so, to question what Sandra is thinking. We see everything through Dave’s eyes. And we begin to question some of the things Sandra is and stands for in Dave’s life. Like I said, maybe he doesn’t move on, maybe he doesn’t learn anything, but I think the beauty of the movie is watching that and leaving the audience guessing as to what really happens after that.”
ADELINA
“Basically, I’m a believer that um sequels are never quite as good as the first because you’ve got this great story line, you’ve got the person to a certain point in the time of his life. And I think that’s about all you have to cover, it’s not some mission adventure, ’you know what I mean?
That happened to be an incident that was very important in that person’s life, which you as the audience may or may not identify with. And when the movie ends, the audience can, or may want to think about whether they are like that and whether they want to do something about it. But it shouldn’t be something that keeps going on, because then it would be so didactic!”
ADELINA on whether it was difficult playing Sandra:
“I can’t say whether it was easy or difficult because every character is a character, there are similarities to you and there are differences. And as obvious as that may sound, um, it’s these that you work out when you are conceptualising the role – where you decide on what part of yourself you want to use and what part you don’t want to use. And you want to use in the sense only to remind yourself how different you are from the characters so that you can put it away at the end of the day when you are done with the shoot.
And therefore, every character needs a lot of work. So I would say it is difficult in that way, but because it is coming from you, it’s easy.”
ALAN and STELLA on what HYPE is:
“Hype is making something to appear more than it really is. The packaging, the lights, colours, explosions; but it’s really nothing, emptiness.”
“Hype is about blowing something up bigger than it is. It’s a lot of ideas thrown together…in a concoction of…confusion.” [laughs]
ON WHAT SEAN and MAXINE are about:
“Sean is the rather annoying friend that you have, who’s always right somehow, yeah. He’s the guy that all the girls want to be friends with but don’t really want to date, that’s what I felt about him. He’s that kind of character. With all his strange wisdom, I suppose. He’s just the philosopher kind of guy. That was fun to play.
And Sean was an amalgamation of a couple of friends I have actually. There was very little of Sean that I could relate to myself. I just took bits of character quirks from people I know and put them together, that’s how I played Sean.
He’s a bit of a caricature, so I guess he was a bit easier to play. He doesn’t really have much depth.”
“Maxine’s purpose in the movie I think, was to serve as a background to the relationship between Dave and Sandra. The way I played Maxine, her character is rather shallow, I didn’t want her to have too strong a character, because that would create a lot of expectation that Dave would get back together with her. So I made her a very simple, whiny, attention seeker.”
ALAN on what now after HYPE and graduation:
“Well, now I’m moving on from bit role to bit role, I’m playing two very minor roles in Imaginart’s Romeo and Juliet, other than that, nothing, really. Haven’t quite figured out what I want to do with my life, but I will. I hope. Soon.”
STELLA on how much of Maxine is herself:
For Maxine, there was this part where she wasn’t happy with the relationship and she was not the kind that would wait and see how things go? She took action immediately. She broke up with Dave. Then after that, when she wanted him back, without much procrastination, she conspired with Bryan. That was what I thought, is kind of like me. I don’t really like to wait, I make my decisions very quickly.
STELLA on how HYPE is different from anything else she has done:
Hype is very different because in the past, when I was acting, I was acting. Back stage, back stage. Finance, finance. But this time, because of the situation presented, I had to jumble everything, finance, production manager and acting as well.
I don’t really like being a production manager. It’s a very suck-y kind of job, you piss people off, you have to breathe down people’s necks. I’d prefer to be an actress, you have better dynamics with your co-workers.
|
[Credits
and Acknowledgements] |
|
| CREW |
|
| Producers | Celeste Lim |
| Chung Lyn-Yi | |
| Director's Unit | |
| Director/Writer | Vincent Wong |
| Director of Photography | Lim Yang Cherng |
| Camera Operators | Hoong Sze Wei |
| Jonathan Kwek | |
| Sound Technicians | Bryan Tan |
| Mark Khaw | |
| Khoo Chong Gee | |
| Storyboardists | Lesley Tan |
| Rene Chong | |
| Continuity Supervisors | Angeline Ang |
| Agnes Ng | |
| Hiyu
Shin Yin |
|
| Art Department | |
| Art Direction | Alfred Tang |
| Lesley Tan | |
| Wardrobe/Make up/Props | Ho Li Sean |
| Ho Su Pei | |
| Jeannie Yip | |
| Tan
Yi Teng |
|
| Post Production | |
| Editors | Lesley Tan |
| Rene Chong | |
| Trailer | Hoong Sze Wei |
| Effects | Mark Khaw |
| Sound | Khoo Chong Gee |
| Foley | Jeannette Ng |
| Music Advisor | Chan Peishan |
| Music | Merrill Lee |
| Kenneth Lyen | |
| Publicity and Marketing | |
| Head | Chung Lyn-Yi |
| Design Team Liaison | Ho Su Pei |
| Designers | Ivan Ho |
| Mindy Tan | |
| Adrian Tan | |
| Tan Yue Fang | |
| Web publicity | Agnes Ng |
| Designers | Mo Zuke |
| Ooi Tjin Kai | |
| Jonathan Kwek | |
| Launch Party | Ho Li Sean |
| Programme Head | Jeannie Yip |
| Treasurer | Sum Hsueh Yin |
| Publicity | Tay Chui Ngoh |
| Tan Yi Teng | |
| Marketing | Theron |
| Tan Huili | |
| Soon Li-Hur | |
| Logistics and floor mgt | Alfred Tang |
| HYPE Ads | |
| Director | Hiyu Shin Yin |
| Director of Photography | Lim Yang Cherng |
| Actors | Bryan Tan |
| Alfred Tang | |
| Editor | Khoo Chong Gee |
| Production Managers | Chung Lyn-Yi |
| Stella Chew | |
| Welfare Manager | Hiyu Shin Yin |
| Cast Manager | Agnes Ng |
| Animal Wrangler | Chung Lyn-Yi |
| Drivers | Alfred Tang |
| Alvin Chiang | |
[Producer and Director Profiles]
DIRECTOR
Vincent Wong has always been actively interested in the arts. Formerly a Sociology and English Literature major, he is now doing his Honours in English Literature in NUS.
He was selected for mentorship under well-known local playwright Desmond Sim by the National Arts Council in the genre of drama, and has previously co-written the book for the musical 'Sayang' that was staged in May 2001 by Rainbow Theatre in association with the Rotary Club West and Oak3 Films. He has also written several drafts of a never-finished play titled 'Something To Eat' and is also the screenwriter.
Devoted to and passionate about the art of filmmaking, Vincent has had previous production experience, having worked with Oak3 Films on various projects such as tv dramas and documentaries. He has also helped out on the set of a recent local film by CheeK, 'Chicken Rice War', learning the art of screen direction. His experience in the various aspects of production, coupled with creative talent, allows him to project his vision well across to others.
He is currently working on several stage plays, including 'Something to Eat'; as well as his next screenplay.
PRODUCER
At the age of 16, Celeste Lim began her journey in the world of movie production. Her first role was that of a publicity assistant for a short movie, aplacetoplay, by Emoxis, an amateur group of talented filmmakers. Catching on very quickly, she went on to take various designations for following productions by Emoxis, such as sound recordist, editor, production manager, producer and screenwriter.
Celeste’s expertise lies in her organisational skills, as well as an open and creative mind inclined towards the art of movie making. Her experience in all the different aspects of movie-production served her well when it comes to planning the production of a movie, for she can understand the needs and constraints of the various departments, and most importantly, their strengths.
Currently a 3rd year Political Science and Sociology major in the National University of Singapore and the Chairperson of nu(STUDIOS), her involvement stems from her passion towards movie production, and the desire to play a part in facilitating the growth of the movie industry in Singapore, especially in raising awareness amongst youths about the potential of student-made films as a mass-media art-form.
PRODUCER
Chung Lyn-Yi is a talented DTP designer, and “in love with the written word”. Her skills and interest were put to good use during her junior college days working on school and external publications. She led two teams as Editor and Layout Director and crafted a more sleek and sophisticated look for the magazines, while not compromising on the quality of content. She also served an internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Technical Cooperation Directorate, working on design projects.
Now a 2nd year undergraduate in the faculty of the Arts and Social Sciences of the National University of Singapore, Lyn-Yi has chosen to further her expertise and skills in a just as challenging area, movie-making. She also helped define nu(STUDIOS)’ corporate image by designing our logo and name card.
Although still relatively new to movie-production, Lyn-Yi’s drive and enthusiasm have earned her the role of producer in HYPE. In addition, she also single-handedly headed the publicity and marketing team for this large-scale project. Her intelligence, passion and determination have definitely been a central force in holding people and things together through the relatively few ups and numerous downs of making a movie.
Through her effort, HYPE has become more than just a student project, but a strong partnership among like-minded individuals.
[Production notes]
The Shooting Serials
Official filming began on 29 November 2000 at a dance studio in The Substation. The majority of the crew was intrepid and interested but inexperienced, the van we had rented to transport the equipment was literally falling apart – with faulty brake lights, an un-closeable door… In one word, disrupting traffic before it could even take its first trip. And just like that, the production schedule was disrupted on the very first day.
In the weeks that followed, the crew settled into the new 24/7 routine – comprising largely of loading and unloading equipment, costumes and props, setting up and tearing down the set, adding to our ever increasing hand phone bills, sleeping in the day and waking up hungry at night.
The locations in the film were as eclectic as they come – ranging from obscure places in NUS (where we shot, mostly without permission), the workplace of a crew’s member, to a couple of residences and public places where curious by-standers got roped in as extras or chased away unceremoniously, depending on how desperate we were at the time.
Personal favours from friends, friends of friends, acquaintances and relatives were exhausted as every new day brought a fresh set of problems out of the oven. Indeed, friction and frayed tempers was no stranger to a set that involved so much uncertainty. Suitable locations (read: power points and secluded) had to be found, booked and re-booked, cast informed of last minute changes in the filming schedule, even the script re-worked numerous times to accommodate the cast’s schedules … and more.
Originally planned for completion by the end of December so that we could all go back to school and launch the film in March, filming stretched on.
Every weekend became a potential time to finish up on remnant scenes if only we could get everyone involved down on set. We even shot during the recess week… and just when we thought everything was completed, along came requests for re-shoots! In fact, the last shoot actually only ended in the first week of June.
Afterwards came the frantic finishing up of editing, rendering – getting the film ready for launch. Roping in every single remotely helpful member of the studios to help.
Truly. Every single person on and off the set of HYPE has a story to tell you.
Come listen to our HYPE story.
[Director’s Thoughts]
We Had A Dream...It was almost eleven months ago when I first sat down with the script supervisor, Anjeli, (Jel for short), and producers Lyn-Yi and Celeste to ponder over coffee what our exciting new movie should be about.
Many anecdotes were flung at each other during those humid August nights, in an effort to inspire and imagine. But the anecdote that struck me the hardest (and left a nasty bruise for weeks afterwards), had something to do with that most obscure of human physical oddities -- the third nipple.
This particular anecdote involved a girl whom Jel knew, who had been dating a guy for some weeks now, and who had been wearing a padded bra all along. All too soon, the relationship got serious and Jel was faced with a girl in crisis -- "What do I do," wailed the silly waif, "What if he finds out the truth and doesn't like me anymore?"
Another anecdote that struck me was of this chap, again, Jel's friend, who would brag about the most outrageous things. He bragged that he had a girlfriend. No one had ever met her. He bragged of his car, which he never drove. All this done, he confessed later in a fit of honesty, because he wanted his friends to like him.
I have known people like these two before. (Known someone with a third nipple, known someone who wore a padded bra, known someone who lied on her first date, or known someone who lied just to impress friends, you ask? Pick one, or all four. ;)
I remember thinking when I was told this story that heck, I've 'embellished' once or twice myself. Said something that wasn't all true, a half lie isn't a lie, embellishments are part and parcel of social life. Just to impress someone. Its all legitimate, everybody does it, no one doesn't do it.
That, in a nutshell, was how the idea for 'Hype' came about. The story came quickly. It would be about this guy, an advertising copywriter/executive, who was the biggest cynic ever coz he was the biggest expert on hype, who one day found the perfect girl, the girl of his dreams. Only his cynicism got the better of him. He would begin to suspect that she was simply too good to be true. He would consequently then bend over backwards in order to find, to coin a phrase, her third nipple.
Along the way, we would have parodies of ads and a satire of the ad industry. We had, we decided, a movie. It would be called 'Hype', and it was going to be a romantic comedy with a deliciously quirky backdrop.
CUT TO -- Eleven Months Later.
Its nearly time for our baby to be pulled by its feet out of the dark, dank and slightly dewy warmth of the editing studio into the cold hard real theatre, where hopefully it'll grow up, mature, become a sensible adult like the rest of us and then maybe someday marry and have kids of its own.
We hope you like this movie. We hope it'll inspire you to make movies of your very own. We hope. For our movie is nothing if not about dreams, truth, love, and above all, the art of shameless self-promotion...
[Movie trivia]
Random observations from here and there:Every member of the crew has a cameo part in the film except for 2, one cameraman and one of the continuity supervisors.
We had two big guys to push the van to do a moving shot because we could not afford camera-tracks.
We stayed up all night in a temporarily unoccupied house without the owner’s permission and moved the furniture around, taking pictures of the original décor so we could (hopefully) cover our tracks. The producer informed the owner afterwards though.
Some people in the crew were forgotten on various occasions and the van left without them. The director was not excluded from this “exciting” experience of abandonment.
Coffee Club Express became an unwitting sponsor when we used its dome-shaped plastic covers to double as boobs for a drag role.
At some point of time, the continuity supervisors became very bored and started doing corny clapper board commentary on the side. The evidence of this crime is still on tape, unfortunately.
Almost every member of the crew has another portfolio in post-production, for instance, the storyboard artists are also the editors and the publicity team is also crew-dominated.
A LOT of the props and clothes you see in the film belong to crew and cast, with Walter (the lead) coming out tops as the official lender of things, ranging from dogs to cars – yes, more than one car.
We had at least 3 production managers because the first quit even BEFORE production started and the others were holding other portfolios among cast and crew. So it became a matter of whoever having the least to do at one time becoming the production manager for the shoot.
The scene where Dave and Maxine are at the emergency ward was actually shot backstage at the University Cultural Centre – our favourite location because it had power points, it was secluded and we didn’t need permission.
[Synopsis]
What is HYPE?The first feature film produced by nu(STUDIOS), HYPE is a smart romantic, tragicomedy. The story is simple. But what you see is not what you get.
Dave meets Sandra, whose apparent perfection for him is highlighted by the string of laughable partners he had before.
Being the jaded advertising executive however, Dave believes that everything is hype. Even people. That we sell ourselves all the time, consciously or otherwise.
With his views coloured by the old advertising maxim "It's too good to be true, " he embarks on a trying journey to find the catch to Sandra.
But while everything and everyone proves to be just hype, Sandra is the only one left who provides much resistance to his theory.
[Trivia]
Overlooked and Overheard …1 Crew's 10 words worth
2 Production notes and Random musings from here and there[Ten-Words-Worth of HYPE - reflections from crew]
What is HYPE? (some of the more memorable quotable quotes )
1.Celeste (producer): HYPE is when people change appearances, but not their soul.
2.Lyn Yi (producer): Everything you have to see. Necessary philosophy synonymous with hope.
3.Li Sean (wardrobe and make up): Check again if it is too good to be true.
4.Rene (storyboard and editing): Look beyond what you see and what you have, buddies.
5.Agnes (cast manager and continuity): Take your pick. Good, bad and ugly experiences. All free.
6.Alfred (art director): Meandering search for passion in the face of great adversity
7.Shin (welfare manager and continuity): A lost dream for some but an aspiration for us.
8.Su (wardrobe and make up): Adventure, guts, confidence, optimism, jaded reality, appearances & lies. Shared.
9.Angeline (continuity): The expectation of everything from idealists who have nothing else
12.Bryan (sound): Noise, glitz, fluff, glam, bullshit, untruth, drama, crap, manufactured, packaged.
13.Vincent (director): Who do you want to be today? Watch this space.
15.Sze Wei (camera): Hype is the stuff that popcorn is made of.
17.Lesley (storyboard and editing): Don't repress it, 'cause you do it all the time…
19.Jon (camera): Chasing dreams in a muddy back-alley, wearing your Sunday best
[Trailers]
The 'Hype' trailer:
Size: 16,079 KB
Running TIme: 1:34 min
Requires Windows Media Player to view.Click here to begin.
[Advertisements]
Hype ads
Size: 44,658 KB
Running Time: 4:22 min
Requires Windows Media Player to viewClick here to begin.