Source: Lianhe Zaobao Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.

PUBLICATION SECTION/PAGE DATE JOURNALIST Lianhe Zaobao ZBNow pg 1 & 3 11 December

2013 Tang Hwa Kwee

Schools of Dreams The challenge for local filmmakers: gauging the audiences palate By Tang Hwa Kwee Movie is a term that is full of fantasy and exudes a certain degree of romanticism. A good movie can stir up strong emotions in us and linger for a very long time. Behind every touching scene in a movie is years of untold hardship put in by the filmmaker. As Gisli Snaer, 49, Head of LASALLE College of the Arts Puttnam School of Film, puts it: Making a good movie is like writing. One must constantly practise and persevere to achieve any progress. Increasing number of film courses every year In the past two decades, local institutions of higher learning have produced many distinguished filmmakers, such as Royston Tan and Boo Junfeng, as well as Anthony Chen who was in the limelight recently. Among them, Boo and Chen took the diploma course in FMS at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Boo enrolled at The Puttnam School of Film upon graduation from Ngee Ann Polytechnic while Tan graduated with a Diploma in Digital Film & Television (formerly known as Diploma in Moving Images) from Temasek Polytechnic. There is a trend of a growing number of applicants for such professional filmmaking courses every year compared to twenty years ago. However, these three schools share something in common a low admission rate. The FMS course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic used to enrol 100 students every year initially but the number has been reduced to 60 currently. At Temasek Polytechnic, the intake for its diploma course in Digital Film & Television is 80 this year and it may be increased to 90 next year. The three-year course at The Puttnam School of Film currently has an intake of only 83 students. We try to maintain our lecturer-student ratio to one to ten so that no student gets left out, explained Charles Maideen, 47, programme leader at Puttnam School of Film. Our lecturers and students have also developed a good teacher-student relationship. Even after school or during holidays, our students would take the initiative to look their lecturers up to discuss the short films that they are producing and seek their comments. Despite the small enrolment, the intake has almost doubled compared to eight years ago when the first intake was only 13. The number of applicants for filmmaking courses have been increasing every year. In addition to the change in mind-set among parents towards their childrens choice of filmmaking as their career, this trend seems to be partly attributable to the so-called Anthony Chen Effect. After Anthony Chens Ilo Ilo won the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year, the number of applicants for our course tripled, revealed Yvonne Tang, manager of the Diploma in Digital Film & Television programme at Temasek Polytechnic. This shows that Anthony Chens international success has inspired many young people to pursue their dreams in film.

The reality beyond the romantic view of filmmaking

The deans and lecturers of these three schools stressed that their courses go beyond the imparting of filmmaking skills. They also focus on the development of creativity, perseverance, critical thinking and teamwork. When interviewed, Anita Kuan, 46, Director of FMS at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said that the school focuses on the development of 4Ps, i.e. passion, perseverance, professionalism and portfolio. With technology being so advanced these days, any information can be found on the Internet, she said. In fact, students can learn recording, editing and other video production skills on their own through the Internet. Hence, in school, in addition to imparting technical knowledge, we also teach students how to deal with the ever-changing film and media industry. Andrew Millians, 41, a lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, agreed. Filmmaking sounds romantic and many young people fantasise about it. However, it is very hard work in reality. You can put in a lot but what you get in return may be very little. Some young people are not aware of this and we need to let them experience and understand this for themselves through internships, workshops, etc. so that they can ascertain if this is the path they want to follow. Andrew was Anthony Chens lecturer. He said that Anthony Chen is an example that illustrates the importance of perseverance to film students. Anthony was very clear about what he wanted even when he was still a student but this does not mean that he was closed to the views of others. He was a very diligent student who conscientiously completed all his work and his will to learn was very strong as well. Students produce a short film every semester. Film courses at polytechnics generally require students to produce a short film in their final year as their graduation work. However, the BA(Hons) in Film offered at The Puttnam School of Film is unique in that students must produce and submit a film that is three to five minutes long almost every semester. In other words, the students have the chance to produce at least five short films in their three-year course and put into practice what they learn in the classroom. In addition, The Puttnam School of Film also requires its students to undergo at least two internships so as to deepen their understanding of the film industry. Gisli revealed that many graduates of diploma courses in filmmaking at polytechnics would go for further studies at The Puttnam School of Film and one of them was Boo Junfeng. Charles who had taught Boo said that the latter was a very outstanding student, producing many works of high calibre. For example, his graduation work Tanjong Rhu was screened in Panorama, the international arthouse programme of the Berlin International Film Festival, and it won the Audience Award at the Torino GLBT Film Festival. Boo Junfeng had many stories to tell and he was always full of ideas, said Charles. Our students have heavy workloads but he would always hand in his work on time no matter how busy he was, and he always maintained a certain standard. This is because he knows how to manage time well and he never wastes a single minute. In addition to Boo, film director Jow Zhi Wei who also graduated from The Puttnam School of Film has also made great achievements after his graduation. His 19-minute film After the Winter was in the running for the Cinfondation Prize at the Cannes Festival in May this year and another of his short films Waiting was screened at the Busan International Film Festival in 2010. Yuni Hadi, one of the producers of Ilo Ilo, completed her Masters in Arts Management from LASALLE College of the Arts. In her telephone interview, she said: I had the opportunity to take

elective courses outside arts management, such as dance, theatre and photography. It helped to enhance my understanding of the different arts and this has been useful to me in my career. The Puttnam School of Film is a member of the International Association of Film and Television Schools (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinma et de Tlvision or CILECT). As Gisli pointed out, this allows The Puttnam School of Film to constantly compare itself with other film schools from around the world and use their methods of teaching as a reference, so as to ensure it can keep up with the continuous development of the film industry. Teaching students to produce works that resonate Ngee Ann Polytechnic may have been the first to offer a professional filmmaking course in Singapore when it started its Diploma in Film, Sound & Video in 1993 but Temasek Polytechnic had launched diploma courses in graphic design, including media design, since its founding in 1990. Temasek Polytechnic subsequently introduced courses in photography and film. In 2005, it launched its Diploma in Moving Images, which was renamed Diploma in Digital Film & Television last year. According to Tang, students at Temasek Polytechnic have to make a short film almost every semester, which is not unlike the practice at The Puttnam School of Film. There is a saying in Hollywood that one must make at least seven films before one can be considered a true filmmaker, she said. Our students get to make approximately five films when they are with us. It may not be seven but I suppose it is close enough. On the unique features of the Diploma in Digital Film & Television offered at Temasek Polytechnic, Zheng Changming, 49, a lecturer for the course, said that the course emphasizes on techniques in emotional narrative. Our teaching approach is to teach our students to produce works that resonate with one and all, while not forgetting our Asian roots. Local director Royston Tan graduated from Temasek Polytechnic in 1997. Zou Zhiyong, 44, who taught Tan photography, said that the latter was full of curiosity and would often ask questions in class. He remembered Royston Tan as a perfectionist who was very particular about the details of his works and would retake any scene that he was unhappy with until he was satisfied. The challenge to local filmmakers On the future direction of the local film industry, several of the people interviewed believed that development in this area is full of infinite possibilities. Many said that the Internet would gradually replace television, film and other traditional media, said Tang. It is the contrary in reality. The birth of the Internet means that filmmakers have another platform to publish their works. This is especially so for niche movies or short films. It is usually quite difficult for these works to make it on the big screen but through various new media on the Internet, fledgling directors can share their work with the vast masses more easily. Many in Singapore catch movies at the cinemas, said Gisli. This means that the local consumer market for movies is quite mature. The next challenge for local filmmakers is to gauge the audiences palate and overcome the competition from foreign movies. I believe there is room in the local market for movies other than Hollywood productions. The key is whether local filmmakers can provide their audience with the right kind of entertainment and stand out in a competitive environment. Other film courses in Singapore? Diploma and bachelor courses in filmmaking are also available at private schools in Singapore in addition to the three institutions mentioned above.

SAE Institute offers a one-year Diploma and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Digital Film Making, which are shorter than the general curriculum. Foo Chee Yong, 42, Head of Department (Film & Games) at SAE, said that the students get to learn video, audio, animation, game programming and many other skills in a short period of time and the prospects for graduates are very broad. Other schools that offer courses in or related to filmmaking include ITE College East, ITE College West, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Nanyang Polytechnic and Nanyang Technological University. Photo captions: Gisli (left), head of Puttnam School of Film, and Charles, programme leader, have their students make a short film almost every semester. Behind them are the posters of their students works. Students of Ngee Ann Polytechnics School of Film & Media Studies would make a short film for graduation. (Courtesy of Ngee Ann Polytechnic) (From left) Yvonne Tang, manager of the Diploma in Digital Film at Temasek Polytechnic, Zou Zhiyong and Zheng Changming hope to nurture students who can create works that resonate with their audience.