Update 04-01
Update of Day 04-01
Monday, 31 October 2005
10:20 PM
Well today was pretty eventful. Went to school to talk to Mdm Dharma about ideas. Very constructive discussion where we realized a lot of our flaws. Somewhat depressing. Then proceeded to buy props. I decided to listen to wise counsel and spend less on the vests and helmets, etc. Although I do admit we got a good price. First place we went they said $1,000 (Crazy), second place $140...Before we finally got 6 Vests for $400 and other random misc. for $300; leaving us with a sum of $1300++. I'll be getting the cheque on Wednesday although I hope they quit delaying it for so long. (Suspicious, ain’t it?) We had a long discussion today regarding script and I realize we have a few problems:
1) Lacks Asian/Eastern setting
2) Shrink maybe too out of point
3) Little Girl/Wife/Brother/Sister/Little Boy will be too random
4) Resembles 'Identity' too much
5) The middle part where everyone dies may appear corny or lame if not done properly
The warehouse is giving us a lot of trouble lately. I feel that our members are becoming increasingly incompetent. Only Ben Soh and Luke are committed. Everyone else is fucking around and not giving a shit about anything. Especially some arses I shall not name. This is not a bitch blog or a 'my life sucks' rant but some people are honestly too much. I depend on them so much but they're just screwing around. I really feel like giving up. Its horrible when I have to depend on myself or one or two people for everything. I know I cant blame them if they want their own life and I'm aware that I can't force people since they're doing me a favor, but these people promised me that they would do stuff which was never delivered. That pisses me off. If we cant pull this off, we're essentially screwed. I really hate being an amateur.
Update 03-01
Update of Day 03-01
Sunday, 30 October 2005
9:25 PMToday was rather eventful. Went to Alastair's church. We came back and watched Blair Witch Project. Found it totally overrated and not at all scary. Concept was definitely original although the actual shoot was very amateurish. Wonder where their $22,000 budget went to. Watched 6th Sense. Pretty good although it was not as scary as anticipated. Maybe I'm growing immune to it. Tomorrow I shall watch The Ring if I want to freak out. Also visiting Ali's warehouse and getting the vests. Anyhow, we finally managed to come up with a decent storyline, although it is filled with flaws of course. Please find it attached below. (Please ignore stupid character names)Please do let me know what you think. Comments, criticisms, feedback, everything is welcomed. buck_suck@hotmail.com
Long Synopsis (Incomplete)The film is essentially is psychological thriller-action film with a minute dash of horror. Emphasizing heavily the themes of appearance versus reality, the movie focuses on the horrific events which plague the life of SWAT lieutenant Chan Ka Chun. It starts out with Chan visiting psychiatrist, Dr. Wong who he is consulting after the recent loss of his daughter. Dr. Wong, a court-appointed shrink who has also recently lost his daughter, somehow feels obligated to help out Chan even though the case has already been closed. Maintaining that ‘the only distinction between good and evil is the justification of either’, Wong attempts to bring Chan back in time and undergo the horrific events of the day in order to ascertain what really happened. Flashbacks occur whereby the audience sees a thief searching through the insides of a house for valuables when suddenly Chan’s daughter appears. After a brief scuffle with Chan, he takes her hostage and the police are called. After hearing his demands for $2million dollars, Chan insists he goes in without negotiating, and in the subsequent firefight both the thief and his daughter are killed. Wong urges Chan on to ‘learn the truth’.
Shocked, saddened, and stunned by the loss of his daughter, Chan, a perfectionist by character, spirals out of control – Drinking, smoking, and not sleeping for days. He even tries suicide. Suddenly his phone rings and he is called to gear up for active duty. Learning that the criminals who orchestrated the robbery are hiding out at a nearby warehouse, Chan and his team are to support local law enforcement agents in the apprehension of the suspects; though being relatively new to the Force, Chan and his team are to provide a solely ‘supportive’ role and not an offensive one.
Once they get to the warehouse, it is strangely quiet and all the policemen are dead. Filled with the desire for vengeance, Chan orders them to enter the warehouse and a firefight with the thugs ensures. All enemy elements are eliminated with minimal losses. However, Chan hears strange noises and orders his team to split up and flush out any remaining enemy forces. Seeing strange visions and hallucinations of both the thief and his daughter, Chan grows increasingly frustrated. Despite killing several thugs lurking about, the thief somehow can never be shot or killed. Appearing mystically and accusing him of being evil, insane and losing his mind. Meanwhile, one by one, his SWAT team are slowly killed in gruesome ways by unknown forces and the little girl. Chan believes that his daughter is taking revenge on his team for killing her. (I.e. horror, frills, and other action parts galore here)
After a while, only Chan is left. By this time he has lost his mind and starts screaming ‘what the hell do you want from me?!?’ The thief makes an appearance again and they talk. Going back to reality, it is only then do we realize that Dr Wong is being manifested by the psychiatrist in Chan’s vision and that his random lines and appearances. When asked what the hell was killing his men, Wong, in his ‘thief form’ reveals that it was Chan who killed his men. (Plot twist! The audience thinks Chan is being treated for the loss of his daughter but it is actually for the death of his team) Chan, by this time in self-denial and shouting hysterically, claims that it was only for the sake of his daughter. It is at this moment in the warehouse, his daughter makes an appearance. So does she in real life. It is then where we learn that his daughter did not die at all, but was merely being used as justification of his hatred. (Flashbacks of him killing his SWAT men) Wong reveals that Chan actually has a split personality where the dominant one is good, dedicated, and orthodox, and his recessive traits are that of evil, greed, and anger; the two sides face a constant struggle for power over his body, where his evil side uses moral justifications such as vengeance in order to take control.
Chan still doesn’t believe it. In the warehouse, the thief walks closer and takes off his ski mask – He is none other than Chan himself! The criminal and SWAT characters are both Chan. (Flashbacks of ‘hostage situation’ where he turns on his own men but attempts to commit suicide in order to kill his bad side when he realizes it taking control. The shrink affirms this.)
Wong believes that Chan’s dominant personality is that of a loving father and a dedicated policeman and thus believes that by killing himself in his mind, he will be cured. Wong rationalizes with Chan by emphasizing that he too faced the same situation after his daughter died in a car crash a month ago. Gazing back and forth at his daughter, Chan is in a dilemma with both sides fighting for control. The doctor presses him on, focusing that his good side is the dominant one although he admits that if Chan confessed, he would still be put in a mental hospital. Suddenly, Chan stops deliberating with himself and asks strangely ‘Who said the thief was my recessive side?’
Wong realizes only too late the implications of that statement as Chan whips out a pistol and guns him down – Both in his mind and in real life. Taking up Wong’s picture of his daughter, he puts it in the corpse’s hand. After cleaning the prints off his gun, he puts it in Wong’s hand and fires – Making it seem like a suicide. He then leaves the room and joins his daughter where they live happily ever after. (Sort of)
Foreseeable problems: 1. The shrink will have to be played by an old character
2. Obtaining a little girl might be a problem (She may also be rather irrelevant)
3. There is no local flavor or ‘Eastern’ setting favored by Asian film festivals
a. The film comes across as somewhat unrealistic being set in Singapore and all
b. Being in English, it may seem too ‘Westernized’ for local tastes
4. The film lacks a clear movie title
5. We lack a clinic or white room for the Wong-Chan scene
6. The justification of why Chan kills is not exactly clear
7. The story seems rather long
8. We have not figured out how to choreograph the middle section (horror parts)
Update 02-02
Update of Day 02-02
Saturday, 29 October 2005
4:30 PMI just came back from Beach Rd & Salvation Army with Ben Soh. Purchased helmets (real ones), gloves, lanyards, dog tags, ski masks, etc. for $400. Managed to bargain down quite a bit. Andy, who usually gives us big discounts, wasn't there and his wife gave less discounts and freebies...But oh well... Went to A-Team at Peninsula Hotel where I was told that the Kevlar vest they were selling was REAL and cost $1,000++. Big disappointment there. Anyway, going to meet up with Kenneth from Chinatown tomorrow who will sell us 9 SWAT/FBI vests for $700. That leaves us with $900 budget money. I'm planning to save $400 for the entry fees so that leaves us with $500 for miscellaneous stuff. I hope it can last. It wouldn't be nice to ask the school for more cash. I hope we can claim transport cuz moving all the props back required taking a taxi.
Meeting Mdm Dharma tomorrow for the $2,000 cheque also. Hope there aren’t any hitches. Also home to meet up with the teachers to finish TOK video. Stuff we need from the school is as follows:
1) Camera (Media Productions)
2) Camera Stand (Media Productions)
3) Mics & DV tapes (Media Productions)
4) Trolley (Estate office)
5) Smoke Machine (Choir)
6) Boots (NCC Land)
7) Police Uniforms (NPCC)
8) Stretchers (Saint Johns)
9) Walkie Talkies (Media Resource team)
10) Lights (Have no idea)
Update 02-01
Update of Day 02-01
Saturday, 29th October 2005
8:00 AMA brief backtrack on what we've covered thus far:
After receiving $2,000 funding from the school, we have decided to embark upon the following projects:
1) A horror/thriller/action film
2) A sad drama/student type movie
3) Numerous smaller, random abstract/experimental projects
Obviously the funds will not last through all 3 projects but we shall try to make ends meet. This production log will serve the purpose of keeping all members of the Film Actors Guild informed and updated with regards to the latest happenings in pre, present, and post production. My comments, problems, and appeals will also be added onto after each day's update. All announcements will be made here, although I will contact each member personally if the need arises.
Problems we are currently facing:1) Lack of script
2) Lack of a number to Mediacorp to borrow equipment and props (Urgently needed)
3) Lack of a fixed schedule time
4) Lack of organizational personnel
Obviously 1 and 2 are of utmost priority and I shall be working on them today and tomorrow. Please keep informed of daily updates. Thank you.
This is yesterdays update: (Day 01-01)After school I followed Ben Soh and Luke to Holland V where we ate Subway & went back to Ben Soh's house. After playing a bit of FEAR ^_^ (Finally got the full version), we talked about storyline but have yet to establish a definite one. The body armor guy calls me and says he's willing to sell 9 vests at $600+ (originally $800). I'm supposing I'll agree because Kevlar vests are somewhat of a rarity. We shall be traveling to Beach Road and Salvation Army tomorrow to hook up with 'Andy', our Army supplier contact; maybe we'll even make a side trip to Sim Lim Square to check out camera supplies.
