Wow ... where do I begin? As the subject suggests, much has happened since I last blogged and I shall now attempt to give you guys a personal update.
Singing at NO BLACK TIE:
Starting off at where I left off last ... my open mic gig with Mia Palencia's BEDROOM SINGERS event. The hype and buzz surrounding the gig was a lot more than I expected. I even got a really big picture of myself printed in the 'U buy U sell' section in NST (and all the related newspapers). Friends were calling me up after seeing that picture. Mia even wrote some really cool things about me. And as excited as I was about it - all the buzz got me quite nervous also lah. The fact that it was being held at NO BLACK TIE (for those not in the know - it is a well-known place where some really good and now successful local bands / singers have performed) made me even more nervous.
To add to that, I haven't been spending as much time as I'd like with my guitar singing and practicing my songs.
So, to put it in a nutshell. I think I bombed. My performance was not nearly as good as the last time I sang at the La Bodega gig. I was nervous and it showed to my detriment. One of my songs, I think was completely lost to the audience and it was a tough audience that night. I did manage to get some attention back to myself on my last song but then again - overall -
I wasn't happy with what I put up.
That being said, it does not deter me at all - I will push for another chance and when I get it, I'll kill it next time!
My Short:
My Short entitled, "Moving On" is now done. Its finished and I also handed it in for judging. According to the website, the results of whether I made it to the final 10 will be known on Feb 28th! So, I can't wait ...
But to give you guys a bit of an idea of what the entire process was like - I shall expound a little further.
It was hard work. With some low points ... wondering if I knew enough to do this. If my script was good enough. If 'I' was good enough. I had a wonderful crew though and that helped tremendously! Below you will read about each of the wonderful individuals who have helped me
(in no particular order) ...
My girlfriend, Anrie who helped me with everything and I mean everything. From the lowly work of just standing around to the extremely critical stuff like editing, conceptualising ... she helped me when I was feeling low. She took time out and settled the last bit of editing and VO's when I was in the hospital (had a minor op - removed a boil - disgusting subject matter - so nuff said). The Short would not have been finished on time if it were not for her.
Then there's Nick - my talented guy. He's my cameraman, editor, music man and at the end he also became my VO talent. He has given me so much of his time and creative input - this short is as much his as it is mine. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that just having him around with all his skills and time - is quite possibly the main backbone to the entire process. I provided the 'what' ie what I wanted. He gave me the 'means' to do it. I am looking forward to working a lot more with this guy.
Jeremy - who is a co-star as well as part of the crew. I asked Davina to come up with a name of a friend she could talk to. And his name was given to me. I called him up. And from the very first meeting we had together - I knew this guy would be a crazy amount of help. He decided almost out of the blue to be much more involved. Rather than just acting, he also helped with all the small stuff. He hung around everytime we had a shoot. He held the lights. He lent us his car. He went
out with Nick to buy materials. And most importantly, he gave me shitloads of his time. I will always owe him for that.
Davina- my main star. She jumped right into the project and shared everything with me. Her character was the most important as the audience will only be exposed to her journey. Visually, she is all the audience has. The personal feelings she shared with me and allowed me to probe into was instrumental to her character in the Short. She dropped every wall she had around her most intimate of emotions and laid it out for all to see on camera. And she trusted me. For that trust - I thank her with all my heart.
Colin!!! - My man. He took time out to come down from Cameron Highlands and spent 3 to 4 hours shooting his single scene. Taking time out takes on a whole new significance cause I know he has some personal issues currently. There's not much else I have to say. This man I met during my very first Play outside of school has stuck with me through the years and continues to help me whenever he can. What can I say? I will treasure this friendship to no end. :)
And then there is Dae Ren, Benson and Ken ...
Benson - took time out to go into the studio early on a Saturday morning to help with the VO and even composed a musical piece for the short. You da man!
Dae Ren - who allowed us to use one of his songs for the short and also took time out on a Saturday night to act in a very short scene in the movie. You da man!
Ken - who took time to provide some really cute and effective drawings for me - which I used in the intro. You da man!
So stay tuned - hopefully the next time you read about my short here, it'll be state that it made it to the final top 10!
New Car:
My Citroen has been sold. I now have a new Satria Neo. Its grey. 1.6 litre. Manual. Its cool. I love the car. When I take pics. I'll put it up.
New Lap Top:
I also have a new laptop. Which I'm using extensively for work.
CONCLUSION:
Life is good. :)
