We, Team Stereo Pixels Studio, managed to submit our five minute short film to the KL 48 Hour Film Festival Drop Off at KL Tower tonight, at 10 minutes before the deadline.
We wanted to send it in one minute before, so we were actually nine minutes ahead of schedule.
Right now, I'm just bloody fucking tired, but with a smile on my face.
Our team got 'drama' as our random genre and I was apprehensive from the start. Drama is wide and vague. There is much to decide. And sure enough, we experienced drama as well.
We decided to spend the first 12 hours after the kickoff at 10pm Friday, to write a story. Shooting began at 3pm on Saturday, after everyone had lunch, and we wrapped at 9.30pm. That's six and a half hours for a five minute thing. It was smooth. Too smooth.
What first was a fun outing with friends soon turned into a battlezone as we hurried to edit, do some additional shots and get some elements for the thing. Rendering was and still is a bitch.
What I wanted - and received - was experience and exposure on the actual process and roles of production for films. I also wanted to know how it would be like working with actors, giving them motivation, and working with the DOP to plan shots, sometimes on the fly.
I also got experience as key grip and part-time boom operator. Trapped with a small space for some of the shots, I ended up with the actor in front of me and a camera in my hand with my ass pressed on the cold side of a washing machine.
We shot from all manner of uncomfortable places, which is why, I guess, some movies used sets. It was like, "Oooooohhh, this is why..."
Most importantly, it was great to work and share experience with the team. Without a great crew and cast, this thing would never have happened.
So, I would like to give my thanks to the team of Stereo Pixels Studio - Fareeq, Roy, Linda, Satpal and Sani. Fantastic people to work with.
In fact, even before the KL48HFP concluded for us, we are already planning some of our own short film projects. Satpal is shooting a mockumentary of sorts and we brainstormed an idea - while editing and rendering the short we were doing - that would be funny, controversial and make an honest woman out of Satpal, who is a virile young man.
Roy will do an adaptation of a short story. Maybe two.
Meanwhile, I have figured out my next short - Gadis Idaman or Dream Girl. Which I will write, shoot and edit by end of the year. I will take more than 48 hours, so the quality will be very polished indeed.
I would also like to give a shout out to the people who organised this thing around the world, especially the ones in KL. I'm definitely joining next year, regardless of whatever.
And finally, Thank God my leave for tomorrow was approved. I finally feel tired. To the bones.
