Importance of scripts for broadcast

Thanks to a dinner in front of the Tv and influence from my mum I suddenly went back to watching a sappy drama for the first time in 10 years

醉後決定愛上你

I must Say, I've always had a thing for Rainie Yang (she just OMG so damn cute, yes haters... disagree but thats what I think) but what amused me the most about this whole show is the sheer entertainment that I got from their arguments and dialogue. A script makes or breaks the show. And I'm no expert but the general formula of a Sappy Drama Romantic Comedy normally is...

• Idea (Could be a lame one for all I care... The public and the trained always differ in opinion)
• Script ( A film as boring as a conversation between jurors could result in classics like '12Angry Men' )
• Pacing (To me its also known as editing. Cuz even leaving a love scene for too long is boring as hell)
• Music (Sound engineers will swear that it makes up 70% of the show. Some silent films were cool though)

Well that and a good set of actors with great chemistry so we can come back full circle on the sappy romantic comedy darma'ness of things

Ok... that was brief. My slip shot discussion on the makes of a sappy drama... This isn't a film blog after all, just a bunch of my thoughts.

I guess our local industry focuses more on media control and moral propaganda than sheer entertainment and creativity. And as much as we boast how Singapore has one of the best television broadcasts in South East Asia, the rest of SEA also faces the same political broadcast issues.

So perhaps we should stop complaining and accept that we have done a good job considering our limitations. That said. The challenge is always to rise above that and make something as boring as a political statement into widescreen entertainment, provided those stuck up control freaks at the top approve the scripts in the first place, (Being Singaporean myself I JUST HAD TO end with a complaint haha)

 

 Thanks to the show I've found my current favorite song. If anyone knows me, they know I don't listen to lyrics till I like the tune. The weird sounding manner of singing the chorus caught me and guess what. I really agree with the lyrics as well.

嚴爵 

又不是這樣就不孤獨

三立&台視偶像劇[醉後決定愛上你]插曲
作詞：黃婷
作曲：嚴爵

愛那麼多 傷害更多
做那麼多 寂寞更多
我以為你就是結果 以為溫柔就不痛
但 我 錯了

話都說了 心也縮了
靈魂掏了 夢也塌了
如果不能讓你懂得 不能讓你快樂
那麼我 放了

我還給你 自由
趁我現在還能夠 感同身 受
誰讓 最愛你的人是我

有愛又有什麼用處
又不是這樣就不孤獨
還是那麼輸
又在你的世界荒蕪
留下來也沒有前途
不如 我們曾 那麼 幸福

我在沉默 你在沉重
我在失落 你在失重
轉載來自 ※Mojim.com　魔鏡歌詞網 
我們不再習慣遷就 現在喜歡追究
最後我 懂了

我還給你 自由
趁我現在還能夠 感同身 受
誰讓 最愛你的人是我

有愛又有什麼用處
又不是這樣就不孤獨
還是那麼輸
留下來有什麼幫助
又不是這樣就不 孤獨
我們曾 那麼 幸福

淚在回憶掙扎 淚為遺憾蒸發
我許下的天堂 你不要的天堂
我～我無法承受 你紅了眼眶

有愛又有什麼用處
又不是這樣就不孤獨
還是那麼輸
留下來有什麼幫助
又不是這樣就不 孤獨
我們曾 那麼 幸福

I'll just translate the chorus (don't hang me if its wrong)

So what is the point even if we have love

It's not like that won't make us lonely

In the end its still a loss

How does staying behind help the situation?

It's not like that won't make us lonely

And we used to be so fortunate

Sometimes its just like that isn't it? Even if we try our best to love and even when we do get love in return. The kindest thing is actually letting go. Humph. Maybe, maybe not.

JJ

Know your rights as a creative professional in singapore

First off I'd like to apologise for the lack of updates lately. Crazy busy setting up a new company and all.

So today's post is on knowing your rights as a creative in Singapore.

When I was choosing my modules as an Undergrad, I had a game plan, that is, to complete my education as "holistically" for my potential career (and maybe even in starting a business) in the field of art and media. So even as an animator, I put my key interests on 

• Animation 2D/3D/Stop mo/Modelling (duh)
• Compositing and Visual effects (for added breadth) 
• Film Editing
• Script Writing
• Various histories
• Business LAW

My choices kind of made me a super all rounder which became more suited for business than a specialist. That said I don't think I ever regret any of those choices because stupid as I AM, it made me slightly less susceptible to being conned because I knew the law and bits of my rights and that is something which I feel is lacking in the local industry, therefor the abuse of wages, Intellectual property and the likes. Now when my friends come up to me and tell me about all the mal-practices that they are encountering, I cannot help but feel frustrated at their lack of knowledge in the field, yet I understand that they do things mostly based on guts and love for the job.

So I chanced upon this article on Facebook and I think it is worth spreading.

GOODSTUPH

Ever wondered what are your rights as a creative professional in Singapore? Find out more at this upcoming legal workshop!

D E T A I L S

1. Date: 19 June 2012 (Tuesday)
2. Venue: NTUC Centre, Level 7, One Marina Boulevard
3. Time: 6pm – 9.30pm (dinner from 6pm, to be seated by 6.50pm – registration starts at 6pm)

GOODSTUPH fans get to attend for free!

• RSVP to siewpeng_fung@ntuc.org.sg by 18 June 2012
• Include this in the subject title: RSVP to Legal Primer Workshop via GOODSTUPH

See you there! 

I have already RSVP'ed and strongly encourage all local Singaporean creatives to enroll for this seminar workshop as well.

For those who are reading this in hope of finding actual legal advise, I promise you that I will update my findings after I have attended the workshop, together with what little I know.

Till then keep fighting!

JJ

Avoid Negative influences

Been mad busy as usual.
Particularly madly busy due to the fact that I agreed to undertake a whole bunch of jobs left over when my buddy went overseas.

So I lack sleep, lack love and attention. To make matters worse, this season (not that we have any proper ones) is totally warm, sticky and sweaty here in Singapore. Like 30 degrees at night with a breeze? And my best friend got his leg smashed by a car 3 days ago.
YES. EMO. But I'll get over it

See how after hearing a whole bunch of negativity you either felt bad, sorry or even just irritated (this dude is having a great life and he's complaining?!!! when I was his age blah blah blah)

You can't or rather we should not be emotionless creatures and it is a fact that our subconscious governs our thoughts in many ways. If there's one thing that I've learnt after picking up the reading habit, it is to avoid negative people. Well its not so much being a heartless bastard and leaving your friends in the lurch. But choosing your friends and company wisely.

Spending an excessive amount of time healing wounds, both your own and the wounds of others, is counter productive. But lending a helping hand will give you joys that money will never be able to buy.

Learning how to see that fine line between aiding someone who is in real need and simply giving attention to those who do not appreciate or are too stubborn to listen to proper advice is an art in its own.


In the words of my current band of preference, Focus on your ability gain again what they want to steal.

Another statement lifted from the book go -giver is.

The only person who can waste your time is yourself.

Business and life inspirations

Having been down in the dumps for the past month, my buddy reached out to me and dragged me across the country borders to have a crazy good meal at the stroke of midnight... Quite nice but quite WTF at the same time haha.

So over the weekend I was 'convinced' to attend a motivational speakers talk. Of course I knew it was from a network marketing group so they would sell their products and of course I knew it was 3 hours long. But I wasn't prepared for was to spend 1.5~2 of those hours watching them give awards to themselves.... Not to mention he didn't call anyone else so I was alone cuz he was sitting at the front row. Thank God for another buddy who was part of the organization and he kept me company (and ran out for a quick meal mid way and back).

Well I wont say all is lost. There were several points that they covered.

Conscious thoughts. Sub conscious. Positive and negative influences. Emotional driven motivation and the likes.

But perhaps the most useful piece of advices that I got was.

1. Listen to your CD's
2. Spend a minimum of 15 mins a day on reading a good book
3. Find a mentor to teach you and inspire you (which can be the books)

These CD's are their training manuals. And my do they thrive on these bits of verbally drilling knowledge into their brains.

That we cannot do.

But what we can do is to commit ourselves to reading a good and proper book for just FIFTEEN minutes a day.

And my budd passed me one of his books, and now I wanna buy one haha..

The Go-Giver

http://www.thegogiver.com/

Perhaps it is quite a DUH statement to say. "Hey! read a good motivational book and be inspired" But honestly the first steps to commitment in anything is consistency.

If you believe that knowledge is power, then constant reading is truly the best way to improve your life. Just that bus or train ride to and fro from work will do. Sacrifice that little bit of that half arsed bus sleep and you can open yourself to so much more.

I really recommend the Go-Giver to someone interested in a short and light read. Apart from its 5 Laws, perhaps the biggest take away is that if you want to be successful in business, it is not your business strategy that needs to be changed; it is your life itself that needs to change. All it takes is just a little shift in perspective.

Here's a little segment from the book.

"The world certainly was designed with a sense of humour, wasn’t i? Inside every truth and every appearance, there’s a bit of opposite tucked inside."
"Just to keep things interesting.: Joe Mused out loud


Read the book and you'll understand more. Hur hur


JJ

Ten ten ten!

Haha I think I'm watching this video clip on a daily basis just to have a happy laugh.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150714890658411&ref=notif&notif_t=like

My nephew! at 18 months...

Totally reminded me of this video clip haha.
Got to love the Japanese

JJ

Ubuntu - Finding Peace

Here's something that I just read on Facebook

"An anthropologist studying the habits and customs of an African tribe found himself surrounded by children most days. So he decided to play a little game with them. He managed to get candy from the nearest town and put it all in a decorated basket. at the foot of a tree.

Then he called the children and suggested they play the game. When the anthropologist said "now", the children had to run to the tree and the first one to get there could have all the candy to him/herself.

So the children all lined up waiting for the signal. When the anthropologist said "now", all of the children took each other by the hand ran together towards the tree. They all arrived at the same time divided up the candy, sat down and began to happily munch away.

The anthropologist went over to them and asked why they had all run together when any one of them could have had the candy all to themselves.

The children responded: "Ubuntu. How could any one of us be happy if all the others were sad?"

Ubuntu is a philosophy of African tribes that can be summed up as "I am what I am because of who we all are."

Bishop Desmond Tutu gave this explanation in 2008 :

"One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."

This week has been Holy week and I've been to church more often then I would in a month! Maundy thurs, gd fri, easter. And thanks to that I'm not nearly as suicidal nor murderous as I should be.

As as some might know, I just broke up with my wife to be. It was an "Adult" decision of analysis rather than pure love. But hey. Marriage is not about just you and me (esp in an Asian context) its about life, religion, family, and extended family.

And of course I've been feeling like crap due to the lack of traction from all the work that I have put in (not to mention time spent away from building bonds with my now lost partner). Whereas my peers have some form of movement, all I'm feeling is a great sense of inertia. Of course I try to get closer to another prospective person whom I am charmed by her positiveness and above all... Of course even that isn't going anywhere near how I would like it to be.

What I can say is, my life isn't going any way that I like right now. But there are many less fortunate out there.

What I can offer is that if you feel alone you are not. For there is God. And if you feel that God is not answering, I hope that at least I can answer and say a nice warm hello to all you netizens out there.

How can I feel happy if the others are sad?

Here's a nice warm Virtual Hug People.

Good night

prelim update

Well I have been SUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPER outdated due to a madly haevy schedule and a trip to Japan.

Watching Google maps, and their online youtube prank on April fool's simple remind's me of how we should chill out and enjoy life more.

Yesterday night was filled with bittersweet endings. I just hope I made the right decisions. Well, as always, decisions are seldom a one person thing.

Quick shout outs to my bros' fellow film maker Christopher Yeo, and twins Mark and Matthew Lin, Happy birthday you jokers.

I'll be reviewing my photos and planning a photo book soon =)

JJ