Surreal: 40 works of art in 30 days

A surreal day- we went on location with Chin Yew, the founder of the '30 Day Artist' movement. We recorded him painting with acrylic on canvas and then grind chinese ink on an inkstone to draw a comic strip. These guys are famous for creating 40 works of art in 30 days.

I always thought artists required some time off in the woods to clear their minds and get some inspiration. Nowadays, it's all found on the internet! Chin Yew assures me that he still takes trips to go up north to experience the simpler life. He listens to conversations for the spark to get him going on his next piece of work.

I had a room like Chin Yew's when I was at college rushing artwork assignments and burning the midnight oil. His room was so cramped that I'm sure if I stretched out my leg, I would've broke a lamp! With all due respect, we creative folks need a cosy place to roll out that masterpiece. Large spaces make us feel alone but large spaces give videographers more room to maneuver! What a trip :)

Sze: where warmth meets beauty.

Later, she gave each of us one of her famous accessories! Talk about being appreciated! Thanks Sze :D :D

Today, we were treated cordially by Szee Yoong (owner of Sze Accessories) during her videography session. She prepared a nice breakfast spread for us! We were even told where to find the most delicious swiss rolls (Atria, a shop called Bon Bon's)

Recoring Sze crafting her gorgeous accessories was a breeze. Her beautiful home (she will be moving in with her fiance after their wedding), decorated in the modern contemporary style, inspired us to find the perfect angles.

Though it was a little hard for us to move around in her cosy workshop, we still managed to get pretty shots of Sze doing her research and then forming something from nothing.


Sze treated us warmly and we were inspired to do our best for her!


We experienced first hand how she delicately crafted her famous trinkets. It required a balance of meticulous and delicate manipulation of the tiniest strand of material and all the while her mind is working like a sculptor's, seeing her creation taking form in her hands.

Later, she gave each of us one of her famous accessories! Talk about being appreciated! Thanks Sze :D :D

Flows with the pros

Cecilia was really smooth on the dance floor and I had a hard time 'flowing' with her with our video camera on the tripod dolly.

Flowing with the pros.

The Martell Rising Personalities Award is back for 2009. We've already completed 10 up close interviews with this year's nominated personalities. We're in the midst of videography sessions on location to record the personalities at work in their element.

Today, we were at The Dance Point at Plaza Damas for videography of Cecelia Yong, the champion of the 'So You Think You Can Dance' season 2 competition on 8TV. She was really smooth on the dance floor and I had a hard time 'flowing' with her with our video camera on the tripod dolly.

Watch out for the video. We'll be uploading it sometime next month.

Cecilia looked youthful and nimble. Together with her partner Billy, they worked their magic on the dance floor. Both Cecilia and Billy were very accommodating with me when I asked them to repeat various moves (stunts) from their dance sequence. These 'stunts' were usually physically demanding but they obliged time and again.

Tomorrow we'll be with the founder of Sze Accessories. The adventure continues :)

Videographer's Journal: Run & gun with Justin Chan

Biography Videos. Another innovative product from WolFang Digital, is a delightful video that features YOU. One drawback about Biography videos is the limited time at our disposal to complete one. In our case, the interviews were quick because our client was had a tight schedule to work with. Videography sessions with luminaries like Justin Chan required that we not compromise on the quality of the video. This means less time for setting up and testing but the deliverable had to be top notch.

To counter this obvious disadvantage, we traveled with a small studio's worth of equipment and worked with a skeleton crew of 3.

The main challenge with this series of Biography Videos was the script- our objective was to let Justin speak freely, although within relaxed guidelines.

We had the privilege to visit rising star, Justin Chan in his home: a posh and contemporary two storied apartment in the centre of town. Appearing at ease and amicable, Justin made our job a breeze. He composed songs, played the guitar and even sang a few lines for us.

Justin told us that he has gotten a place of his own and would soon move out of his parent's home to accommodate his plans for a bigger audio production studio. Justin is apparently a family man with deep concerns for living up to his role as big brother to his siblings (Matthew and Jayde). While admiring his aspirations, we were taken aback by his congeniality. Most celebrities tend to be arrogant. Justin shares with us that having a humble attitude will take you to higher places.

I personally take this opportunity to congratulate Justin on his new company, BeanWorks Productions. I'm sure his future looks bright.

Xandria Ooi: TV Host, Emcee, Writer

Most of us know Xandria; she's a perky, bubbly, TV Host most noted for her debut in the Life Show. In her spare time, Xandria writes articles revolving around daily life and does her rounds as emcee for various high-profile events.

The first time I met Xandria, she struck as a very friendly lady but with a mind of her own. I've seen her emcee events where I happened to be official videographer. The lady tends to go off script... she once got a Managing Director of a prominent international corporation to come onto to stage to dance! It's all in the name of fun.

It became clear to us as we completed more projects that involved dynamic interviews with rising stars that strong family support plays a key role in the rise to fame and glory. Mrs. Ooi can always be spotted in the background, ready to jump in at short notice to give emotional support. She's camera-shy but when push gives way to shove, Susan is always there for Xandria.

After meeting Xandria's acquaintance on numerous occasions, our client, Martell VSOP called on us to produce a video biography of her. Co-incidentally, singer songwriter superstar Reshmonu would be appearing in on of Xandria's show. All the merrier! Here is the video biography that we produced for her.