Of Weddings

Having some skills in editing and handling a camera has paid off, somewhat literally.

I remembered the first time someone asked me to film their wedding, it was Moses and Yunhui. Oh, what FAITH (literally, again) they had. It was 2012, and I used my trusty Canon 550D and my Sirui tripod/ monopod to do the job. And yes, you read it right. A Canon 550D and a $100 tripod. I was inexperienced, and crazy. While the bride was walking down the aisle, one of the batteries died. Luckily, I replaced it just in time as she reached the groom. 

Then the second time came sometime after. In 2013, Pam asked me to help her with Jared and her pre-wedding. It was a simple shoot with them, and an interview. Plus a fun gimmick -- although it might come off as a little cheesy. However, come to think of it, I could have gotten to know them a little bit more before the shoot, as I think I made them a little awkward with some of the stuff I got them to do. TEE HEE... But by then, I had my handy Zoom H4n recorder. Woah, upgrade!

My very own cousin also asked me to help her with hers. Only problem was, I was less than prepared. Again, with my Canon 550D and $100 tripod, I came rather unprepared. It was an evening wedding, and as the sky went dark, so did the bride's face. In the end, with desperate colour correction, she looked like a little ghastly and somewhat orange-y. 

And that's when I realised, cannot la... I have to up my equipment and skills.

2014 was an unforgettable ride. Three different weddings in three different months. Plus one where I had to be bridesmaid/ camerawoman for the morning. I roped in Jabez (now an award-winning filmmaker) to help me as a 2nd camera operator-cum-glidecam operator, and the results were crazy. Crazy beautiful. In the last wedding, we even had a slider operator, Ben, and I was more than happy with the shots. We rented Manfrotto monopods, sliders, even LED Video lights for those "my-god-need-me-to-get-married-by-7am" weddings.

Our first time experimenting with Glidecam. The results were fantastic.

My cousin's wedding. Played with the slider for the first time.

My church friends' wedding. Slider + glidecam + monopod. Everything thrown in for a wonderful day.

Camerawoman by day, bridesmaid by night. This edit was voluntary as the camera people (also a friend) had no time to edit it and I felt so happy seeing the bride and groom loving the final product.

In 2015, things slowed down, thankfully, and I only did a pre-wedding video with Cooper and Sheila. It was no-frills, but with a great concept, it went well and it also went down well with the audience. 

We thought of doing this fun stuff on the beach very spontaneously and it worked!

As you may have noticed, most of the above are all friends who approached me to help them out. Of course la, I got day job one leh. And also I'm below market rate. But nonetheless, I am grateful for these opportunities to be part of an exhilarating ride and an important role in a special day of someone close. 

As the jobs increases, the equipment list start to increase too. As of now, I own a second-hand Canon 5D, 5 CF cards and 3 batteries, a Canon 24 - 105mm lens and just today, I finally bought myself a camera bag to store all the goodies for my next jobs.

Looking back though, you know what's funny? My first paid job was to do a photo montage for a man heading for divorce. He wanted to get his wife back and it was such a crazy thing to do. But powerful enough for him to believe in the video and powerful enough for me to agree.

So far, have I made much of a profit? Haha, not really. Am I good enough, or skilled enough? I really am not sure where I stand, although I do believe my editing skills, honed by my day job's requirements, add a lot of value to the final product. No matter what, it is always an exhilarating process, and just when magic happens, I'm glad I'm there to take it all in.

可能就这样了。

又有想回到听华语歌的念头，所以把梁静茹全部的歌曲都放进新手机里。

这一听，有一点回到过去的味道。

她的歌，陪了我过好多好多年轻的岁月。如今，我已经快二十八岁了。

我应该认老了吗？哈哈，我也不懂。心里还是有二十二岁的感觉吧！

其实，我也蛮惊讶我还记得她的歌词。我想，也就是这个原因，才让我还没真正失去能够读和写华文的本领吧。几天前，我的老板还叫我检查一个华文剧本。辛亏我还OK啦。。。还能明白故事在说什么。

我现在无话可说了。哈哈。。我的华语也够烂的。

Resilience

So tough a quality to have.

A Wonderful Evening At The Dancing Crab, Vivocity

After having been to Turf City's The Dancing Crab twice and falling in love with the concept and the freshness of the crabs, the boyfriend decided he wanted to have his 30th, 21st birthday at The Dancing Crab at Turf City. But, the place was always crowded. Every time we went we had to reserve seats ahead, and there was always a queue for the walk-ins. Even though Turf City isn't exactly the most accessible place for the non-drivers.

On searching their website one day, we discovered there was a new outlet at Vivocity. In fact, there's also another one at Orchard Central, but the Vivocity one looked more scenic considering it faces a body of water. Haha, not the sea. That teeny bit of water between Vivocity and Sentosa is too small to be considered the sea!

And so the boyfriend magnanimously decided to have it at the Vivocity one. Leading to cheers, and slightly better attendance. As a typical kiasu girlfriend, I asked his best friend to help book the place way in advance, fearing that it might be as crowded as Turf City's. They were really nice, and told his best friend that they would give us the sea-facing, I mean, water-facing part.

And they did! While the rest of the diners were upstairs, we had the whole space downstairs to ourselves. It was also just nice that there was a bar right next to us, so there are always waitresses lingering there. Yeap, we had a private party. Haha. It might also be because the Vivocity one is not yet as popular as the Turf City one, so not as many people. But yay for us :)

At first we were worried and tried to pair everyone up for the Combo Bag. But some of our friends decided to have the entrees, eg. lobster rolls, fish and chips (but the name on the menu was long and almost deceiving) so they ate individual meals. It was nice that there were stuff for non-crab lovers, although one of our friends exclaimed to them, "But this is The Dancing Crab, not The Dancing Fish eh".

The food arrived in about 10 minutes after our orders. That was super fast, considering I once waited 45 minutes for the one at Turf City. Everyone dug in and were complimenting the freshness of the seafood. The prawns were crazy fresh and even the breaded fish was so easily broken, unlike the kinds where you know it's been frozen. Even the best friend was digging up treasure from the sauces when everything visible was gobbled up.

A pair of our friends wanted some fries to have some more carbohydrates, and we all started stealing from their bowl of piping hot potato fries. Once you pop, you couldn't stop.

Our private party!

Before we dug in.

A shoutout also to Temptations Cake! They made this Stormtrooper cake possible for me. Even though there was a miscommunication in the morning, they dealt with it very professionally and even hand-delivered it over!

The damage for those who had the Combo Bag were about $50. Those who ate the entrees paid $22- $29. One of our friends had a UOB card and so we had a 15% discount. NO GST! So yea, bring your friends who has UOB cards over la.

I know I've never done any restaurant reviews ever in this humble blog of mine, but I have nothing but compliments for the two places that made the boyfriend's birthday memorable! Okay, maybe one complaint, why our crab smaller than the others? Hahaha... I think we had more prawns though, so it's okay lar.

An Incident

I was upset.

I asked you, why are you a man who won't buy me a flower?

You replied it was because you had principles.

I was convinced. But my friends weren't.

A man who doesn't let you win, who keep insisting his ways, will make you lose your voice, said they.

But... I started. I was...

No, listen to us. You cannot let him win, said they.

I was... I was convinced by his reason, I tried to slip in.

No no, you have to stand up for yourself and your voice.

But I-- but... You guys aren't-

We know you, and we don't want to see you on the losing end, said they.

- letting me finish.

Do you understand what we are saying? You need your opinions and you need to say them. Said they.

I...

I don't think they know you.

I don't think they sensed that I had already drowned in their opinions.

And, the flower?

Already withered in an egotistical world.

The Man From Nazareth

The man from Nazareth
He died for my sins
I stood before Him and saw
In his eyes, Heaven within

The man on that cross
Two thousand years ago he bled
Today I saw my heart
His payment still valid for my debt

The man who stands victorious
He is risen in magnificence
Jesus is his glorious name
He has beaten death at its game

How Did Jesus Turn Water Into Wine?

The modest water saw its Creator and blushed.

:)

Experience. It counts.

I know, I usually don't talk about work, and when I do, it's mostly complaining.

And that's why it is imperative that this blog is unsearchable when you key in my name in the vast world wide web. (Ding!)

But here's just a reflection piece about editing that, after 4 years and 9 months, that I am just beginning to grasp. What was interesting is, that it took another fresh face to make me see how far I've gone, and at the same time, how much more I need to learn.

So the story was, I had to take care of a new editor who had been doing mostly corporate jobs. It was a struggle, to see him not struggling. Hmmm... what do I mean by that?

Well, during the brief, I'd already have ideas of how the completed edit might look like, being familiar with the archival programmes already. That's what experience does to you. It was supposed to be a "reference" moodboard, where he had to put in scenes that showed the theme that we wanted. Eg, Family Love, so you're supposed to craft a sub-story from the main story with just scenes from family love. Does it sound easy? Because again, experience tells me it ain't. It is one of the hardest, trickiest thing to do. When the actual story could be about something else entirely and you had to make it look like it's about family love. That's really hard.

 Two hours later, when I was shown the cut done by the editor, I saw that clearly, the person has missed out on parts that he could have exploited in the cut. And that it was jarring, from moment to moment. That music piece too, was out of place. That was a very "eureka" moment, that somehow, over the past years, after having sat with my bosses for countless edits, that now I know where they were coming from. The edit. Just. Doesn't. Work.

I found it was pretty hard to let the news down to someone and tell him that, hey man, this isn't very good. I tried to ask some questions, like, "What do you think?", "What were you thinking when you put this part in", "Do you think it helped in the story?". And even harder, when the person's reply is "Yes, I think it's good because...." and you're thinking in your head, "Nooooooo, did you even hear what that Voiceover says? Why did you put this image for that VO? Siao ar?"

Flashback. I had been in that hotseat before, but usually I don't justify myself and instead, work on my bosses' notes with deep anger that only my boyfriend will know through my angry smses of "Three pages of notes!!! Wah laooooo eh." But once all that three pages of notes was done, and it was hard to admit, those torturous notes really made the edit better.

Present day. Had to sit in with my boss, and go step-by-step, shot by shot with the new editor. And it was finally done. You'd think after that, one can pick up and understand what we meant, right? Then came the next brief, and about four hours later.....

Insert cricket sounds. Insert similar scenario where he insists the edit has captured what the brief wants. Insert boss walking out in frustration and tense-filled edit room. Yikes.

In the end, because that assignment was urgent, I spent the evening in the office cutting the edit from scratch, with some help (more like hints) from the editor because he has told me about some scene dialogue, although he didn't find that they were useful, and I tracked them down and used them fully. Really also, because I have been doing these kind of reels for four years, I understood what was required.

So, experience. It counts.

And this darn experience, with all that late nights and crazy rushing, AND pages upon pages of notes, it's not easy to get. Not at all.

With all the people around me quitting their jobs and going for new ones, I'm currently one of those who has stayed really long at a job at 4 years and 9 months in this 21st century. I definitely have had urges to quit (so many), and the toughness of the job takes a toll at times, but it is these moments, these moments where I can see that hey, oh my, I'm an editor.

So, experience. It ain't easy to get, but it counts.

Playing With Colours

Learning how to do more in Photoshop :)

For Keeps

Breathe in. Breathe out.

There's so much to be done now

Look out, around 

Risks of a fallout

And we'll just keep dancing now 

To the rhythm of this life

To whatever it gives 

Anything nasty, anything nice

Let the sense of this flow overwhelm

Give a glimpse of the things that is to come 

And smell, through the cracks,

The real things that matter

Hold on, hold on,

They'll be the only things that will settle

When the dust falls

Remember what's important

The people that exist, the memories we keep

The rest of the green, don't take it as priorities,

By the time we want it back

It'll be nothing but a nasty crack

On shoot.

I haven't been on set for many, many months.

Today I dusted the cobwebs, and went on my first shoot, just as a runner and the data wrangler, for a simple corporate shoot. We went to quite a few places, which reminded me to be thankful for the years of studio shoots we had, did the menial-est stuff like crowd control with the blistering sun overhead, and had the most dangerous task, which is to find a secluded PowerPoint in the mall to copy and transfer footages. Which I found, in between the gents and ladies. Many times I would think I'm going to get busted by security, but the sound of hurried footsteps actually belonged to bladder-bursting customers/ workers. 

At the end of the day, I am exhausted. And dehydrated too. But wow, there is this fun of being on set that I had forgotten for a while. Seeing the DOP create the magic (although it was us who had to painstakingly do up the backdrop for one of the locations) and just watching a fluid, beautiful frame on the monitor, that's just pure joy and awe. And of course the footage had better be good, I'll be the one editing it back in the office.

Somehow, even though this job's tough like crazy, I don't know why, but there's still that magic.

Constant Communion

I ran.

I panted, my knees weren't lifting high enough. The destination was still far, and my legs were about to give way. The voice in my earphones started speaking, "Fifteen minutes, two kilometres." In the back of my mind was the thought, oh my, how the mighty has fallen. Fifteen minutes for a measly two kilometres? Just eight years ago, I did 2.4 kilometres in 12 minutes.

Well, maybe eight years is really that far away.

And as I continued, I wanted to stop very badly. That's the time where my focus starting going berserk, just darting between things that I never noticed before. My whole body, and how heavy it weighed. The phone in my hand, how it was suddenly a hindrance, and my earphones cables tugging my ears the wrong way. Everything was resistance.

But there's something so strangely exciting about this premise. Pounding heart, air gushing in and out my nose, muscles working in unison, and as I looked straight ahead, there was a voice that came. The voice was inside my head of course.

"Keep looking at me, keep going, don't give up, don't stop. Keep constant communion. Keep your focus. Constant communion with me. Constant communion."

Yes, okay... God, are you here?

"You see this road, it's tough right, nobody's around with you, and every step is harder, but if you stop, you're not getting nearer to the destination. And isn't it what you're facing, the rejections, the resistance from some of the people?"

Exactly what I had discussed this afternoon during my core group meeting with Sharlene and Angela.

"It's hard right? Giving up, it's so much easier isn't it?"

Yes, yes it is, when things look bleak. When there seems to be so much to be done, Lord.

"But you see, these are my people."

 Yes, Lord, these are your people.

"Don't let go of them. I will give you strength. I. Will. Give. You. Strength."

At this point, I was running towards a traffic light.

"Okay Lord. Constant communion, right?"

And I was nearly at the light, which was red. Just a few steps from the light, it turned green, and I picked up speed to run across the light. By now, I was feeling hungry. I hadn't eaten any dinner before I went out to run because I had a heavy lunch.

"Use My strength when you don't have any left."

Okay, Lord. I ran a little faster.

"Don't give up, keep your eyes on Me."

I was still tired, panting, hungry, but I kept running.

At the last kilometre, the fuel was running on empty. I was jogging behind a pedestrian who was taking his own sweet time. The voice in the earphones started again. "25 minutes,  pace 8.1 kilometres per hour." I had dwindled from 8.6 kilometres per hour to 8.1. 8.1!!!!

Oh my, how the mighty has fallen.

And as I looked ahead, finally separated from the pedestrian who could give a sloth a run for its money, it was a straight jogging path along the canal. And right at the end of the path, was the end point.

If I run faster, I can improve my timing, that's the thought going through my mind.

Why is it getting harder to run faster? But I am running faster, even though it's harder. Faster, faster.

Oh right, use His strength!

I looked right ahead, and I ran. I ran. I panted. I ran. I made each step wider. It was starting to be a sprint.

"Use My strength."

Okay. I'm using, I'm using. Nearly there, nearly there.

And just around 15 steps from the end goal, my sprint transformed into, well, a fast jog. Then a slow jog. Then, I touched the barrier and reached the end line.

I have reached my destination. I hadn't stopped at all. And even though the timing was, well, a disgrace actually, haha, but it was a sobering "what-do-you-expect-you-haven't-had-any-exercise-in-the-past-two-weeks!" reminder that I wouldn't have been able to make it, if not for that voice.

To make matters worse, I went to a bench and my stomach cramped up after 30 sit ups.

30!!!

Finally, I sat and rested. The passage on my bible app was on 2 Cor 11:22 to 30.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burnwith indignation?

30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 


How do I even dare to give up when Paul has been through all of the above? The point though is, that a constant communion, or a continual fellowship with Christ will just lead us to be better than our circumstances.

Look at Paul. Look at myself. WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES?

The Posture of Worship

Is worship a posture? Is it singing songs every Sunday? Is it a religious activity that we set aside time for every week, mostly on Sundays?

I believe it is all of the above and of course, more.

This life, is worship.

And I humbly pray, for the capacity to fulfil what it means to do that.

Tiger.

This one is a bit weirder. I think I didn't grasp the dimensions and shape properly.

Oh well, was still a good and fun "alone with my own thoughts and hello God" time.

Badly Drawn Tiger

I just sat here in front of my computer, and shaded this tiger for 2 hours.

Wah.

Okay after I uploaded it, I realised one side has less fur. Darn it.

Never mind.

I still like it.

I'll hold onto You.

If You've got the whole world in Your hands, I know You've got mine.

Hands

I like drawing hands.

Hands are interesting.

I am bioShocked.

I've had this game in my Steam account for the longest time. 

I played it, I was intrigued by the storyline, and then I stopped. At the point where Elizabeth became an old lady, it was a scary twist in the story.

Now, I'm just waiting for the time where I have the guts to run past those eerie-looking Boys of Silence. 

Never was a gamer girl, never will be.

Fighting in snow.

Old woman plotting revenge

You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine, just own the night, like the 4th of July

Whaaaatttt, you forgot to bring my false teeth out???

But this game is so worth it, though. (Especially when I bought it on sale.. teehee)

Standstill

I might have lost the will to write something more than 500 words.

Oh no....

Love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me.

The Camp.

 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
- Jeremiah 29:13

This is a new year.

Guys, it is 2015.

I have lost some memories of this blog, having not posted for 2 whole months. Typing on a phone is not at all satisfying- it does not produce the tiak tiak tiak sounds of a keyboard that soothes the writer.

Most start-of-the-year posts usually start with reflections. And I tried to do one, but I gave up because no tiak tiak on the iPad. 

Yesterday night I revisited the years spent on this blog. It seemed like a long journey of a person who grew up. Haha, I admit, I'm getting older. Less funny perhaps, more likely to eat lunch alone and be totally okay. 

2015 has 2 keywords for me. Self control, and people. What matters most in life? The money, a comfortable life, a great job, fame? Well, no. 

It's the people that matters.

This is quite a powerful revelation, one that scares me a bit. I hope that at the end of 2015, I can understand this and do this well.

This world. It's about the people.