27 May 2016
Four teams of aspiring filmmakers from LASALLE are featured in 20/20: The Temasek Short Film Project, an inaugural initiative from Temasek, a Singapore investment company, to nurture film talent in Singapore. Through the project, Temasek supported students with funding and mentorship to create short films inspired by real-life stories from Temasek’s non-profit philanthropic organisations.
The film, Dancer is based on the true story of a beneficiary of the EW Barker Endowment Fund, supported by Temasek. Teri Wong from BA(Hons) Film Programme shares candidly on her first-hand filmmaking process.
Image: Dancer, 2016, film still, 2016 © Courtesy 20/20 – The Temasek Short Film Project
Tip 1: It’s about teamwork
It is absolutely important to have a supportive team that is clear about the purpose of the film. A strong team is essential for collaboration. As we have not worked together prior to this project, all of us had no idea how our teammates were going to act on set and it was an eye-opener. Iqbal, the producer was the go-to person if we encountered any issues with production. Being deadline-oriented meant we could complete the film on time! Audrey, the director of photography, was the realist. She was ever ready to launch Plan B in case something went wrong.
Tip 2: Know your set
Art design is never an easy job. A few of us used to think that Art would not take much time and would not play an important role in a film. In this production, we learnt the importance of knowing the set. This applied not only to the Art Director but also myself as the director. The placement of props assisted with characterisation. Shiuan is the talented Production Designer. With a vision in mind, she communicated the protagonist’s (Ivan) character on-screen with suitable props and set-design. The location that was “best dressed” in my opinion would have to be Ivan’s bedroom.
Tip 3: Be confident of your script
The challenge was to come up with a good script that satisfied different stakeholders. It needed to be a script that we [the filmmakers] were proud and confident of. Scriptwriting is not easy and definitely takes time. Dione, our scriptwriter was meticulous and hardworking – she worked closely with our mentor, Li Lin and myself to ensure that our script progressed the right way. A good story is very important!
Cover image: Dancer, 2016, film still, 2016 © Courtesy 20/20 – The Temasek Short Film Project
