Wong Kar Wai fan

I never knew i could appreciate "romantic" movies. at least thats what i told myself, until curiosity got the better of me and i rented "2046" from our friendly neighbourhood VideoEzy. Took me a long time to finally watch this movie, i mean, i'm in the middle of a "hongkong movie" fest. heh heh

i love the way it was made, the themes, the seemingly "unspoken" narratives, plot wise, i think it flowed very well. i can see why he took 5 years to make this.

since that, i've been renting all sorts of movies of the same types, hoping i can catch a glimpse, a strand of artistic thread for me to create a piece of work just like it, with dashes of my own strokes.

but wong kar wai still rocks. his partnership with christopher doyle (the cinematographer) is really great, i can see how they've broken rules in general movie-making and made the rules to bend in their favor.

ah, it's a bittersweet moment for me, watching movies like that and knowing that it'll take us YEARS to hit even that standard.

i know, i'm impatient.

The Future of StreetFighter!

Oh oh, the talking heads of Capcom have finally released this bombshell (at least for me)

"Capcom has confirmed the development of Street Fighter 4 at an event in London."

"Very little solid information about the game has been given; not even the platforms upon which the game will appear."

Here's the trailer/


thats it. i'm gonna buy this game when its out even if its gonna cost me a new system! ;p

Shift week

Exam @ SIM

Hah. I finished my exam on Fri! And it felt damn bloody good.
I just hope i'd pass the damn exam and NEVER EVER touch journalism again. Not that its a bad thing, i just don't like to write articles.


Event @ VivoCity : OMY launch

Shot & provided blue screen services for (the event organiser for the SPH "OMY" launch on sat. We were stuck in this really huge tent with no wind. It was really hot! tat aside, things went pretty smooth and we did leave in one piece at the end.

Gah, i'm too half arsed to type more. So i'll leave more storytelling for the next blog post! ;p

Exams and a dose of FIRE

Heya,

yup, i've finished doing my "recommended" time in class. I'm simply amazed at the content and how people can actually stomach the ass-kissing. I got so cheesed i went for dinner right in the middle of class.

Not to say the course was bad. In fact, the course content was cool. Helped me to understand and see issues from another perspective. What i didn't like, was the enviroment in which the content was presented in.

Needless to say, at the end of each class, there's an exam or HUGEASS project. this time, its an exam. So study away!

Hopefully i make it. If i do, its gonna be the last exam i ever sit for (likely. damn likely).

Boss is shifting house, so we got a LOAD of stuff in the office, like plasma screens, TONS of cables, new shelves, boxes, etc. So i've been essentially a labourer the past week.

Gonna be doing this blue screen job over at VivoCity this sat. People are gonna like walk up to it and pretend to be doing a live broadcast of some sort. Its gonna be cool! I hope the sun is kind to poor us! ;p

Waltzing, Sliding, Stealing, Pwning. Not good.

Keeping the regime !

I have the sudden irresistable urge to tell myself to keep MY REGIME up.

I've been slackin a lil and i know it!

So, its time to focus and have fun!

Speaking of fun, i watched Planet Terror tonight and it was .... retarded.

If any movie could be less coherent, this was it. In a nutshell, expect zombies.

Go catch it! & tell me who Machete is!

Cheers mateys!

The Proposal

Heya,

My friend Bernard proposed to his long time girlfriend Dorcas this weekend, well, some of us went in and helped him out a little. We had a rather dubious looking "hidden cam" and filmed the whole thing down.

Heres a short (summarized) version of what really happened....



Line of the week : "You haven't answered me yet."

Sony XDCam EX Launch

Ha!

I went to the Sony XDCam EX (PMW - EX1) launch at the Hilton Singapore yesterday. It was a "ok only la" event, cuz the presenters were boring! But the main aim, the camcorder was far from boring! Its great to see new technology being added in to help videographers obtain the optimum image, things like MF assist, Knee Points etc all help in getting that superb shot!

Here are some photos i took (edited also, with Videolifestyle.com's logo)

Wotakuism, a 2007 trend

Online Videos by Veoh.com


Are you a WOTAKU?

The Myth

Woot, i just watched this last night.
(i know, i'm a lil slow when it comes to catching the latest movies.)

This rawks man. I think that although it wasnt as technically / visually good as other films like House of Flying daggers, the raw (or lack of) emotion played by the characters were great. Yes, i'm an avid follower of the film theory that states "nothing ever goes unnoticed when making a film", so if there are grey areas or fine lines in the plot, they're meant to be there.

Kim Hee-sun is great! I love that Korean flowing robe kinda look. Hah. Even tho her name's "Ok-soo" in the movie. Sounds wonky huh. "Ok-Soo", like.. some kinda brand name or smth.

It was also cool to see Jackie Chan playing a serious role, really. Remember that flick where he played all the street fighter characters? So cheesy rite. It was refreshing to see him play 2 opposite sides of his character, one that was honorable and the other, realistic. His decision and the outcome of the movie also made me sit up too.

Anyhow, if u haven't watched this, then go to videoezy. ;p

BBGB E&D 2007

Hello Sirs, Mdms,



I'm finally done with a short version of the Enrolment & Dedication service! Woot! But kinda like ... 2 mths in the making. Still... here goes!

Its been a friggin MONTH

I was thinking.. hey.... i should blog. So here it is.

So what's new?

i've just been having a great time doing what i like for a living.. Videos.

Prestige +1
Resume +1

Shot National Day at the grandstand. Yeah! I had a really funny situation though. As all Singaporeans know, most people would wear either red or white as those are the colors of our flag. Somehow, i had enough sense to wear a yellow tee shirt. I stood out like a sore thumb. No wunder the policemen were giving me weird looks.

Anyhow, i still managed to get decent shots of the National Day Celebration. It's an experience for me though, really hard to get shots cuz you'd be "fighting" with the other camera crews, the policemen, the "rah rah" supporters etc. But thats all cool la. All in a days work. Hhahhaha

I've also shot the Family Day event for Children's Cancer foundation too! O, and if you haven't caught the videos i shot for the previous Hair for Hope event, here's a link to them. Also to add, my boss was the one that did the editing :P (I've been busy doing other things! Honest!) Just look at the bottom for both clips.



Interaction +1
I'm on facebook.
I'm clubbing a little more. (Where's my membership card? Sobs)

You know what? At times i wanna just do something! Like i'm hyper or smth. But gotta tone down cuz .... sometimes events can get reallly boring. I went for a party last week that turned out to be so "CHI CHI" that i "almost" returned to my "old, insecure" self. NEVER AGAIN, will i allow myself to be subjected to such ... situations that make me look shitty. Gotta make sure i keep the regime up!

Dating life -1
Remember that hole i was digging? Turns out it din work out at all. Either i was too pushy or she didn't have the guts. I'd say the latter! Hhahaha (or mebbe she was just fishing too? like me?)

Well, the door's still open but i've turned the chair around! So i guess i STILL have to keep on walking!

Gadgets +2
New 120 GB external hdd
New portable DVD player

But not enuf.... I'm actually thinking about that Quad Core computer that my boss built. Not entirely the best, but most certainly top range!

So there ya have it. One month of my life. Bang.

Guess wat?

Hahahahha, remember this?



Watching this made me laugh a short while ago. Heh.

14 days

Almost..

I've shot a little more videos (didn't manage to start editing though... i promise i'll start soon!), managed to grab a really nice lookin CD and returned back to the clubbing world.

Picking up new music trends
Its been a while since i've listened to Namie Amuro's music seriously. The last time was... back when she had her Genius 2000 album. Thats waaay back.. Her style's changed since then and she's taken a more "hip hop" flavor to her current music selections. This is the image from her new album, "Play".

By SupaShooter at 2007-07-11

Before i knew it, i was listening to Jap hip hop. I've been trying out styles like Teriyaki Boyz.. etc. (though i still dun really like most hip hop music.. only specific sub-genres) Oh, for info's sake, my "SupaShooter" online name was partly inspired by the "Teriyaki Boyz" song of the same name.. Which was used by Gantz (the really politically incorrect anime) for its opening Seq, partly cuz i love shooting videos too. Redundant info, i know. ;p

Loon & the Dragonflies
It was Loon's bday celebration on 15thJul, i had just finished shooting a wedding so i kinda rushed down after 12... He was .. red, saying the usual "I don't get drunk, i just puke." hahahaha

We ended up at dragonfly... some club @ St James, it was a "new" experience for me though. I digged the nice design concept of the place, but i din really like the live band sorta thing.

Annnyhow. Also went to MOS last sat... music was ok, crowd was ... not so "happening"..

Lets see what the following weeks will bring huh?

Oh, and that damned course at SIM is starting soon. Looks like i gotta be a good boy and start actually attending classes. crap.

2 weeks ago...

i was a lil more busy... why?

cuz i've been shooting videos back to back, just recently i shot some vids for the Children's Cancer Foundation.. on their Hair For Hope charity event, good event, great people (cute girls), and lotsa good hearts doing their part for the cancer kids.

I realise that childhood cancer is.. although rare, it can happen to just about anyone. Its very heartwarming to see so many people team up for such a gd cause.

That was only the good part.

Throughout the last 2 weeks, i was also confronted with "rotten" clients and their family. I was rather shocked when i was approached by family members of this particular bridegroom (i wun name ppl, so i hope thats cool.) telling me how i should edit the express highlights to their requirements. Here was my side of the story, we had discussed the details prior to the wedding day, so i already had plans laid out and shot the video according to those plans.. In a nutshell, i told the family members in a nice way that we already had plans, rather than understanding my point, they chose to just glare and tried to look exasperated at the situation.

Thats bad behavior. They should be spanked. To think that they were highly educated as well. "Pompous" is the word i'd use for em.

Yeah, so back to the good part, i also shot videos for the BB & GB companies that are under the St John's Chapel umbrella. Its a yearly event that commemorates the most important aspects of their ECAs. It was cool to see many of the kids grow up too. makes me feel old though. hahahaha

Videos would be up in a while. after i clear my 22 tapes of edits.

Breathe - Anna Nalick (Blake Jarrell Remix)

Dammit, this song is on loop on my mp3 player.

I'm kinda crazy about this track, and its not even hard trance. Just something about the lyrics i guess. Kinda leaves me with the impression of a mix between heartfelt emotion and that dash of nonchalance. Reminds me of the days i used to listen to Lene Marlin, hahaha.

Here's the video btw..
(the producers used some cheesy effects in the MTV... oh man.. wat a pity.)



Here's the lyrics of the track. I think it rocks.

2 AM and she calls me ’cause I’m still awake,
Can you help me unravel my latest mistake,
I don’t love him, winter just wasn’t my season
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites, you’re all here for the very same reason

‘Cause you can’t jump the track,we’re like cars on a cable
And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button girl,
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe, just breathe,
Woah breathe, just breathe

May he turn 21 on the base at Fort Bliss
Just a day, he sat down to the flask in his fist,
Ain’t been sober, since maybe October of last year.
Here in town you can tell he’s been down for a while,
But my God it’s so beautiful when the boy smiles,
Wanna hold him, maybe I’ll just sing about it.

Cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable,
And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table.
No one can find the rewind button boys,
So cradle your head in your hands,
And breathe, just breathe,
Woah breathe, just breathe

There’s a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout
‘Cause you’re just as far in as you’ll ever be out
These mistakes you’ve made, you’ll just make them again
If you only try turning around.

2 AM and I’m still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, its no longer
Inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you’ll use them, however you want to

Cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable,
And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button now
Sing it if you understand.
And breathe, just breathe
Woah breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe.

Line up everyone!

Ok, so the consecutive weekend shoots have started.

Gonna be shooting weddings, charity events, schools and all for the next few weeks.

In any case, i need to get out and do something else. Mebbe i'll sign up for a cooking course, or some shit. Like my long overdue driving lessons.

Gotta think abt that after July the 15th though.

;p

the right side up

i just had to add in the quirky title "the right side up".

My bro's back from "down under".

No pics, his hair is longer than usual. He looks like a live version of bruce banner. without the hulk ego.

I think i'm looking forward to more eating sprees now that he's back!

Heh heh

Jailhouse @ Bukit Timah

There's a new lifestyle club in Bukit Timah, located next to Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Maju Camp. Tacky, with all the pixel art people and smooth designs.

So i kinda signed up for a degree course that'll give me a paper and a little more pushing power to open doors, not that i really want to, but i think i need to. I've finished more than half already and i had to defer 2 courses so that i could indulge in my work as a videomaker. Here's the clause, "this course is suited for working individuals".

Apparently in this club's vocabulary, "working individuals" work 9 -5pm, have a 5 day work week, 21 days of leave, no overtime and the apparent ability to spring up with no pay leave.

Whats got me riled up is the style in which they are enforing their rules for this particular course i am going to take. i have to attend 12 / 16 classes or else i fail. for each class i miss, i end up giving up 5% of my total marks, hence increasing the chance to repeat course. Of course, if i have a valid reason or MC, i'm sure they'll accomdate. or so they say.

Project work is also now more ... streamlined. I now have to log in meeting dates, timing in / out(wtf, this is like NS all over again! do they want a falling-out parade as well?), commenting on work and project members... etc. heck, i might as well hire a secretary to do all that. make it a bombshell secretary at that. No doubt that is a good way to weed out slackers, but it also creates paths for potential backstabbers and distrust amongst project group members. Perhaps in their huge academic minds, they fail to take into caution the danger of the human heart. I've been at the receiving end of backstabs before and i can tell ya it wasn't pretty.

oh, did i forget to mention that this course is suited for working professionals?
Join the club, refreshment benefits to members only.

I quote an anonymous saying "Its the powerless who have to abide by the rules."

Right now, i'm sure i know where i stand. It sucks.

Chrysanthenum & Dandelion anyone?

Sat was a night of extremes. Friday was a night of lost plans.

What started out as a plan to hit Zouk for Marco V on Sat ended up in a quiet night eating food from Samy's Curry, reading books / mags from Book Cafe & having a bollywood time @ Mustafa centre.

i blame Marco V's less than trancey performance last year, which led us to like ... miss him out this year.

So yeah, we went to Samy's Curry. Great food, crap service. (and they had the papadums in a trash bin like thing. eep!)Only go there if you NEED indian food.

Then, due to Loon's hunger pangs, we ended up at The Book cafe (20 Martin Road, #01-02 Seng Kee Building)just outside of Mohammed Sultan Road.
Nice place to like sit down and unwind, for a short while. Had a pot of Chrysanthenum & Dandelion tea. They used fresh ingredients too, which kinda upped the attraction factor for me.

Then we (or rather me.)had the mad idea of going to Mustafa Centre to buy controllers for the PC so that i could play online games with the rest. Ian was playing with some dubious vibrating dog. Don't ask him about it. I found this neato Transformers toy that looks like a Sony Handycam, how cool is that?! I had half a mind to like buy it. Sounds interesting huh. But lazy me hasn't installed the controllers yet. So the gaming has to wait.

Bah, and the evil sibling of my PC has an illness. It hangs frequently, must've been battle fatigue. The mobo is gonna die i think.

On a sidenote, my videomaking tendencies are acting up. I need to make more vids.

Its all gone Pete Tong!

Its all gone Pete Tong!



Yeah, i was watching this movie earlier on, was rather restless la. Need to do something, anything. Which is also the reason why i'm blogging now.

In the guise of a superstar DJ "Frankie Wilde". Frankie's beef is that he's about to become deaf, but he's the top DJ! Not to mention he's also producing a music album too! Ouch. Very. Ouch.

I like it and i love the way the movie was made. Very polished yet gritty in style & flavor. Not for ppl below 16 though, there's alot of cussing in this one. Hhahaa



The business-oriented executives made for a gd laugh, but kinda sinks you down to reality and the way people bend over just to feed the desire of consumerism.

Just when u think it's gonna totally suck, Frankie pulls himself up and away from the drags his despair and works his way back to the DJ world. There's a twist, but i aint tellin! ;p

Just why they used the title " Its all gone Pete Tong" (yeah i know its a Cockney rhyming slang)eludes me, but what the heck...



Gotta get my act together mateys, or else its all gonna go Pete Tong!

Human Tetris

In japan, all TV shows are original, unlike SG ripoffs of "reality" shows and "PSC nites". Like this, the "human tetris", a quirky & funny take on the popular game. Teams have to contort, stretch, jump etc... to get through the trials.



i find this rather amusing, mebbe i could make it into a game too. Hhahahahahah

We have evolved!

Ok people, don't get offended. This is just satire. And i happen to find it funny, cuz its really about subculture and not really tied in with any political messages.

Check out the Zerg from Korea. Lol (the Koreans are real fans of Starcraft)



Yeah so... thats it la. Heh heh

Paper, work & madness

So i've shot 2 weddings the past week, they were fun and the people were nice.
There was one with 97 tables. The photo taking was mad, not to mention the editing for the video. Express Highlights are always a challenge for me due to the time involved and the lack of control with regards to the situations involving the bride & groom. But nontheless, they were fun and i had a good time taking their videos.

Early week, i was stuck in an army camp. Wouldn't name which one cuz i dun wan MSD to start knockin at my door. Anyhow, i was supposed to be deferred, but went in anyway due to the "pending" status as put by the army website. In short, i had to stay in 2 days just to get the deferment processed due to the efficiency of the SAF. When looking for someone to sign papers, i had to wait like 3 hrs per signature. When the time came for my paperwork to be processed, the office was closed for the night. In fact, more autonomy shld be given to the NS officers, this releases the need for ppl like us to seek multiple agencies for just one process.

Anyhow, i was missing for 2 days cuz i had a camera phone. So i had no access to my phone at all. Kudos to all the jokers who made fun of SAF with their camera phones which results in the inconvenience of normal ppl like us. I mean, the telcos are already giving ppl camera phones with pre-paid plans and etc. The free phones with each plan are also camera phones! Thats really funky ya knw? So in the future, where are we to find phones without cameras? Thats really bullshit. Blame the wannabe camera phone "filmmakers" (wtf, filmmakers using phones to make films. tacky but dumb) that take stuff in SAF thats supposed to be classified. If everyone minded their own business, life would be so much easier.

As an update to the treasure hunting, my 2 night stay at the army chalet got me to think things through. In fact, i'm less stressed to find the treasure, but more geared to get things right, if you know what i mean. The rock's still there, but i think i have less stress in trying to go round it. It kinda sucks but perhaps thats a good thing?

Will never know, so lets play ball. And the damn ball's on my court.

Keeping the regime going!

Admist the process of trying to improve myself, (yeah, i got bored and sick of my current state of affairs. hence the decision to finally stand up and start walking about instead of slobbing it out on the sofa.) I managed to find a treasure map.

Here's wat i did:
1) Made my wardrobe a lil more updated , meaning new t shirts, pseudo torn jeans. I need more work on the clothing dept but thats what i got at the moment. Oh, i intend to get new shoes btw.

2) Signed up for facials and tanning sessions. I don't dig the Oil of ULAY white skin look anymore, makes me feel old. It sucked and will suck again if i don't keep up my little regime.

3) A little more workout and a little less food intake. I used to be careless about the way i eat and when i eat. Double whammy and finally decided to tighten the reins a little. So, next time if u see me, say "No carbohydrates after 6pm dude."

4) Changed my hairstyle. Rather, i "zhnged" (the singlish equivalent of "modding") my hairstyle. Still short but a lil diff. No longer a patch of grass outta my head.

So by sheer chance, i found the spot and started to dig a little. Before long, i was knee deep within the soil. Suddenly, i realised i was trying to dig like a madman. Still no treasure chest. Hey, i haven't been digging long enough, of course there isn't a treasure chest.

So u see, here lies a grave flaw of mine. Impatience.

But i'm still digging, trying to search for that treasure chest with my new t shirts and pseudo torn jeans. At times, i don't know if thats the right spot or if its even true the treasure chest is there in the 1st place. Kinda fustrates me cuz i'm a sucker for instant results. (Which is bad, cuz i also believe in the saying "easy come, easy go" )

Frankly, i'm irritated by the fact that i can't do more than dig with a cheap shovel. My state of affairs would not allow me to get an excavator to really test things out, that costs too much. My insecurity and impatience constantly shout out to me that i should really get the hell outta the hole. But my hope and naivety, if you can call it that, constantly tell me "if you dig a little more, perhaps it'll be there? Finding the treasure would be really damn good." I really would love to know who's right in the end.. Even then, i must always remember it was by chance i found the treasure map.

I'm a little disheartened now cuz i think i've hit a rock and its hard to work around that. I gotta tell myself to "Keep the regime going!" Can't stop here folks. Gotta dig a lil more. Perhaps a lil more tomorrow...

2 weeks ago till now

I've went on a madhunt for Pirates of the carribean 2. Watched it the night before Pirates of the carribean 3. Sounds crazy but yeah, I've been a nut living in a shell. So, in a nutshell, i've been trying to watch some of the movies i've missed.

I was also present at a fren's bday party at Mcdonalds @ Tanglin Mall. No pics, no videos this time. Would you really want to see a "20 something" guy wearing the promo shrek ears?

Btw. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRIS.

We went to MOS after that and it (the progressions party) was damn good. Never listened to Yukun spin, but i guess it changes my outlook on local DJs. ;p

O, and we ate chicken wings at Hooters. The wings were great, esp the spicy "9/11" ones. The other "chicks" at Hooters weren't that hot. If u know what i mean. ;p

Cheers mateys!

The birds were restless....

Yoyo, i feel the lack of updates.

So, here's another video from my shoots. This one features Thomas, who was taking the field class of our videography course.

The video is titled "Happy Birds". Sounds corny, i know, but it beats BirdPark 1, 2 3 +++ since i think i'd be going back a few times. Hhahaha



Happy Birds is a short video showcasing the wonders of the inhabitants that crowd one of Singapore's best loved parks. The Singapore Bird Park. Watch out for the largest man-made waterfall as well as the myriad of birds that display their splendor. Some are playful, some are more reserved and some, just like to hang out in groups.

Pros and cons?

Here's a post i made on the Videolifestyle.com forum about wedding videography and certain rates.

Just thought i'd post it up here so that people can have an insight as to what goes on behind the curtains of "discounts" "freebies" and "freelancers".

This is in relation to the pricing rates that seems to have no regulation here in Singapore.

" In fact, it's the videographer's choice to set the prices.

Sometimes at prices above 2k, the company would provide 2 cam setups, which is ok imo. However, the pricing and number of cams does not equate to quality.

"Competition" has always been "intense" if you wish to put it that way. However, i think that it's not the pros that should be fighting amongst each other. Its very sad to see pros stooping to low levels and trying to enhance their own image and reputation via unorthodox methods.

In actual fact, the arena is wide enough for all of us. Enough customers to keep all the pros happy. Rather, we should be doing our best and providing quality work at reasonable prices. In a nutshell, to prove that we are and have the capability to differentiate ourselves from the "Freelancer" "Hobbyist" category, those that charge $600 as opposed to us who are above the $1k category. There are alot of freelancers producing wedding videos, some good, some bad. More bad, in my opinion, as many lack the neccessary fundamentals through good training. A very good example is Fabian Lim, he's had the proper training and look where he is today.

Some see weddings as a stepping stone to more galmourous outfits like TV production or filmmaking. Hard to beat that sentiment but in my opinion, wedding / event videography is a multi-disciplinary approach and i think it's a different cake from mainstream TV production. Those who've tried both sides should understand what i am saying. Both have their own merits and ultimately, it's what cake you choose. "

All in all, what i am saying is that everyone, from the production people to the customer, have to see what's being offered in front of their eyes and decide if that quality is worth the cost. I think that many are still being clouded by cheap marketing tactics and overall perception. These can't be helped, the only way is for us as professionals to improve our quality and abilities.

That way, our work will speak for us.

Another Video submission?

Yup, just sent in the Playbox Xtreme video also.

Hahaha

Playbox Xtreme!

This is a short commercial i did for fun with my boss. The whole aim of the video was to showcase advertising elements to primary school kids. Naturally, they loved it. Check out how much it costs!

Video Submission

Hey hey hey, i've just sent in the Cambodia video in low res to a local competition.

Dun hope for much though, but will be great to see it online other than here ;p

So thats what the eagle is.

Just found out that the eagle i took during the trip to Sungei Buloh was a red-backed sea eagle. Courtesy of the people from Videolifestyle.com.


A close up of the red backed sea eagle.


Some other shots from my sungei buloh trip ..





We should be going back there soon for another training session, but we'll leave than plan to later. hahahah

Eagle @ Sungei Buloh

This is really interesting, while at Sungei Buloh again for another training session, we chanced upon an eagle. This is really uncommon in Singapore. In fact, i have reason to believe that it had escaped from some zoo, or smuggler. The eagle was really friendly and didn't see to mind people near it at all. Do you think u can tell figure out which species of eagle this one belongs? Thats because i don't have an idea at all! The music was made by Sony Cinescore, i love that software!



Oh, and if you've noticed, i had shrunk down the screen size for the video cuz i think it looks better. (This was with the advice from my mentor. Good idea huh)
In any case, I hope you've had fun watching!

Cambodia Day 2 : Angkor Wat

Finally, here it is!




During our trip to Cambodia, we were able to visit the largest religious monument in the world. The AngKor Wat. A place filled with many intricate carvings, statues and rich history. However, the real flavor lies in the culture and the people who live there. Do watch out for the old lady chewing betel nuts and the japanese tourits who managed to climb up the steep stairways to the 3rd level of Angkor Wat!

Editing Editing

Hey ya,

Yup, i am now currently editing a version of Cambodia. In actual fact, this was shot sometime in October...

Well, to say the truth, i cant believe what i shot! Not that its good or anything, just that, well, i know i could have done better. ;p

But hey, we managed to get a commentary from the tour guide.. His name is Tim Thy, and is a really funny guy. He's quite jovial and all, but when i pointed my cam at him, he like... freezes and his commentary starts sounding like a robot.

It gets so boring that i have to turn on some trance music so that i can keep up!

I think i'll overlay some music when he's talking. Hhahaha.

Hope i can finish it quick!

Oh, and here's a frame from the videos.

Sungei Buloh

Well, i kinda went to Sungei Buloh about 3 weeks back...

Since then , i hadn't had the chance to edit a shot video of it. But finally i've done it! And here is the veeedieo!



A little known nature reserve just off Kranji reservoir in Singapore. This place is home to many birds, insects and reptiles. Not to mention the vast amount of flowers as well. This place never fails to amaze me and i'm always looking out for cool looking spiders and HUGE lizards / iguanas. Well, i sorta caught a huge iguana up close. Quite happy also that it was the season for spiders as they only "appear" in public during a specific portion of the year.

Knowledge is power!

Hhhahaha
I've just added a widget that shows if we are at risk from terrorism!

It never hurts to be prepared, so something visual is helpful!

Clink on the widget link to visit the website ;p

Impending contestant

Well, i might b joining a team to take part in the following contest.

http://www.canon.com.sg/DVtriathlon/

"The DVTriathlon competition takes place on Saturday, May 12, 2007, at iShop by Club 21 at Orchard Cineleisure."

Nothing is firmed up yet, cuz i'm not sure if all the members are game for it.

Well, its a Canon event tied up with Apple iMovieHD, apparently the main thing is that you will have to attend 2 seminars and edit the final contest video on iMovieHD.

Sounds like marketing fluff to me, but what the heck, i'm just going in to have a look! ;P

O, did i mention that the organisers also allow the use of ANY camcorder? Hhhahaha

Think i'll pull out my camcorders for this one..

I am older!

:Insert cheesy birthday tune:

Happy Birtday to me!

:end cheesy birthday tune:

Yes, its my birthday today, nothing really special cuz of the following reasons:

1) I'm sick

2) I've got lots of lunches, dinners n all to catch up with people! So i guess i owe em something!


Hhahaha

Anyway, cheers!

Thaipusam 07

A video i shot during this year's Thaipusam festival. Watch the devotees as they prepare themselves by cleansing not only their body, but also their minds and hearts as well. The devotees typically perice themselves with needles that form up a "kavadi", which is a portable altar that showcases peacock feathers and innate ornaments.



Some additional info on Thaipusam:
Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan (also Subramaniam), the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.

Batam Beach

This was a video done in 2005 when we went to Batam for some work. Did you know that Turi Beach has sand imported from Europe? Well, it is a rather nice place with a good looking 'olden days' kinda jetty. I like that kinda jetty style. So far i've only seen a similar looking one here in Singapore at Changi Boardwalk. You can see locals fishing from that point occasionally as well. The sunrise and sunsets are equally marvellous.



Some info about Batam:
The Batam island in the Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for a free trade zone as a part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located 20 km (12.5 miles) off the Singapore's south coast (about 1 hour free ride). The 415 km² (160 miles²) has a population of 700,000, most of whom are Malays (85%) and Chinese (14%).[citation needed] A few of indigenous Orang Laut tribes still live in the island.

Kusu Island

What is Kusu Island?

I'm sure some people in SG probably wouldn't know, but hey, it's a relatively nice quiet island near the more famous Sentosa.

The little known Kusu Island off the Singapore waters. It is a quiet place and is best known for it's one and only attraction. The temple. The temple pays homage to the a well-known chinese legend that speaks about the love of a couple. Every year, people pay homage at the site hoping to have their wishes granted. Sights like coin-throwing and joss sticks are common here in this quiet but busy place.



Some more info on Kusu Island:
Kusu Island is one of the Southern Islands in Singapore, located about 5.6 kilometres to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The name means "Tortoise Island" or "Turtle Island" in Chinese; the island is also known as Peak Island or Pulau Tembakul in Malay. From two tiny outcrops on a reef, the island was enlarged and transformed into an island holiday resort of 85,000 square metres.

The only downside is that overnight stay on the Island is prohibited.

2 Malacca Videos

Malacca is very rich in history. Watch us as we travel through Malacca, showcasing tourist attractions, the life of the people as well as interesting happenings along what is known as the "birthplace of Malaysia."




This is another version i did for my mentor and boss, Mr Derek Yeo
No, i did not reuse much footage, so you can see its almost an entirely different video. Just that its... Malacca.



Some additional info about Malacca:

Malacca (Jawi: ملاك; Malay: Melaka), dubbed as Negeri Bersejarah (Malay: historical state) or Negeri Hang Tuah (Hang Tuah state) is the third smallest state of Malaysia, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the east. The state's capital is Malacca Town.

Although Malacca was once one of the oldest Malay sultanates, the state has no Sultan today. Instead, the head of state is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or Governor.

Bird Park SG

Yeah, we had a training session at the Bird Park a few weeks ago. It's one of our best tourist spots with a man-made waterfall, in fact, it think its the biggest man-made waterfall in the region! This outing features one of our students and showcases what we do on a typical videography course.

This video was shot with a HDR-HC3 and edited with Sony Vegas. All in HD. Yeah, it was rather tiring watching the whole thing render, but hey, the results are worth it!

I duno whats up with the enoding as well, as Revver chose to keep it at 100MB (hah?)
But i guess that keeps quality high too.



More info on Jurong Bird Park :

The Jurong BirdPark (Malay term being Taman Burung Jurong), is a tourist attraction in Singapore. It is a landscaped park, built on the western slope of Jurong Hill. It is located within the Boon Lay Planning Area of the Jurong district and has an area of 202,000 square metres.

Batanic Gardens 2005

Yes, it has been that long.

This video was sitting in my archive doing absolutely nothing until i uploaded it on the web.

This is from a shoot i had in the Botanic Gardens. Of course, i was using older camcorders then. I was using the good old Canon XL1S. worth its weight in gold. The shoulder brace that came with it was a boon as well, absolutely loved it (until HDV came along).

The Botanic Gardens is one of Singapore's top tourist spots. Singapore can be classified as a clean and green city, but this places takes the green to an extreme in Singapore's context. In this small area just outside of Orchard Road, a haven of flora (& some insects. not to mention mosquitoes) awaits the tourist. Look out for the Orchid garden, that showcases the National Flower. (Why do we have a National Flower? )

Krabi Video

I'm going to start uploading some of my older videos (well, to showcase them... teehee)

Here's one that i shot while on a trip to the Krabi Islands. Krabi is just off Thailand. It doesn't have that much of a nightlife, but the trip around the islands was amazing! Do take note of the 5 Island Tour if you're there. We stayed in Sheraton Hotel and it had it's own private beach! I came back home with a rather good tan but the tan started wearing off after the 1st 2 weeks!



Some info about Krabi:

" Krabi (Thai: กระบี่) is a town (thesaban mueang) on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River into the Andaman Sea. As of 2005 the town has a population of 24,986. The town is the capital of Krabi Province and Krabi district. "

Dashing in!

Ah, my 1st post after a revamp of this lil blog site.

Well, onwards to my introduction ;p

This blog will feature some of the work that i do, as well as keeping in step with the situations involving myself.

- Current info -

Name : Alvin

Age : Getting older

Main Occupation : Professional Videomaker

Secondary Occupation : Trance-loving Otaku

Websites i am affliated with : (check the links portion man....)