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July 12, 2016

FILMMAKING TIPS

by Lim May Lee | Filed under Editorial. | Tagged next new wave, Tan Chui Mui.

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By LIM MAY LEE

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DESPITE having the advantage of fancy equipment and the Internet, young Malaysian filmma
enough, said acclaimed director Tan Chui Mui.

Tan spent the last few years travelling throughout South-East Asia, mentoring for film worksh

and Singapore, and upon arriving home, she was appalled to see how few new filmmakers th
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It made no sense, she said. Technology is better now. There is more attention and support
I met a few young ones, they complained that there are actually fewer
opportunities.
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A lack of community locally and regionally might be the root of the problem, she said.

When I first started, we didnt have expensive cameras, she said. We didnt have YouTube o

the word, either. What we had was a community.

Tan, who recently made headlines after accusing a local ad agency of plagiarising her work, s

filmmaking industry helped each other produce, direct, edit and even act in each others wor

These low-budget, communal projects turned into award-winning films, giving Tan and her fi

recognition at festivals like the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Asias biggest film fe

Regionally, a sense of community with the movers and shakers in South-East Asian cinema co
well.

Despite all the choices available online, the youth have gravitated towards American films, n
but lesser-known products of South-East Asian cinema, Tan said.
Thats such a waste. There are so many good films from Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore
should be exposed to.
Related story: Filmmaking workshop Next New Wave is back
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To help the youth towards their dreams of film glory, Tan had some key advice to give:

1 ITS OKAY IF YOU DONT HAVE MONEY

As long as there is support from the filmmaking community for their ideas, young filmmakers
start working on their projects, even if they dont have all their finances in place.

The money will come, said Tan, whose first feature-length film Love Conquers All was produc

helped win her awards that came with huge cash prizes, like the BIFF 2006 new director awar
(RM120,000).

I gave the prize money to my friend, (Malaysian director) Liew Seng Tat, to make his first film
festivals film director award, she said.
That film earned him a cool US$50,000 (RM200,000).

2 LEARN BY DOING

Some might think its a chicken and egg situation, but to Tan, its clear which comes first whe
filmmaking.
Just do it! she said with a laugh.

Thats exactly why she started the Next New Wave film workshop, which matches aspiring film

from across the region. The participants will be thrust straight into the deep end, having to pr
a week.

You learn about filmmaking by making films, so dont worry so much and just get started, s

3 APPRECIATE FILMS FROM OUR REGION

If you cant see whats around you, how can you create something different? said Tan.

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But its not just about getting creative inspiration. Learning more about South-East Asian film
practical ideas for aspiring Malaysian filmmakers.

We share many of the same problems across the region, she said. Watch how they can ma
budget, or around certain cultural limitations, and apply it to your own films.

4 BE AN ALL-ROUNDER

Noting that most of the applicants for the first Next New Wave workshop last year were for th
young film enthusiasts to also consider learning other disciplines.

The Next New Wave workshop looks for participants from all six major filmmaking disciplines
scriptwriting, editing, sound editing and production designing.

While most film schools focus on teaching students to be directors, Tan said the industry also
scriptwriters and producers.
In any case, those who understand the other disciplines well tend to make better directors.

Its important for directors to learn about things like sound and editing too, she said. It hel
with the rest of the crew exactly what you want, and how you want to achieve it.

5 DONT TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY

Tan saved her simplest but most crucial piece of advice for last whatever you do with film, m

One of the biggest mistakes Ive made was taking myself too seriously, especially after I star
And when I stopped having fun, it became harder and harder to go on making good films.

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About Lim May Lee

Literature grad-turned-journalist who loves our R.AGE team karaoke nights a little too much. While h
with a slightly twisted sense of humour, it has also given her a passion for writing on social issues.

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