tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197427792024-03-07T10:29:48.783-08:00Perantauan PicturesPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-32497028825680961212008-09-22T01:34:00.001-07:002008-09-22T01:34:01.699-07:00Cutting a trailer – 5:13<p>I’ve spent the last couple of days cutting the trailer for 5:13 with director, Arivind Abraham.</p> <p>The one thing that actually really annoys me about trailers, in general, is how much they tend to give away.  It’s at the point now where I actually AVOID trailers as much as possible.  Especially when it comes down to scary films – I want to go and see a film and jump at the scary parts.  I want to be surprised.  I don’t want to sit there and know what’s coming up.  I want to experience the film with the characters.</p> <p>Examples of decent marketing campaigns would be Taken and Cloverfield.  Taken’s trailers tended not to feature anything that happened outside the first 20 minutes of the film (for the most part, they featured just the phone conversation between Liam Neeson and the kidnappers).  Cloverfield was pretty much a teaser campaign – going into the cinema, I didn’t know what the ‘event’ was.</p> <p>I think it’s been several years since anybody’s gone to see a film solely for the special effects.  That might have washed a few years ago with Jurassic Park, but I think the audiences are (more than) aware that great visuals don’t guarantee a knock out film.  That’s sort of why I don’t understand it when film makers fill trailers with all of the killer moments from the film.  I mean, sometimes trailers are treated like a “3 minute version” of a film.  And that’s bad.</p> <p>So, going into the 5:13 trailer edit, the idea was to make the audience want to go see the movie.  We didn’t want to give away the story, we didn’t want to blow the “jumpy bits” in a trailer.  The goal was to present a minute-or-so teaser that leaves the audience wanting more.</p> <p>Trailer to follow soon. </p> Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083213296743122820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-35492620916258969492008-09-22T00:18:00.001-07:002008-09-22T11:39:24.426-07:00Post Production Updates<p>Youch, it’s been a while since I’ve posted here.  Last time would have been about half way through the S’kali edit.  So, yes, an update is long over due.</p> <p>We’ve been cutting the trailer for 5:13 over the weekend.  I was hoping to have some video blogs for you on the editing of the film, but there’s been all sorts of issues with codecs, editing software and formats, that it’s been a little bit crazy.  I’ll blog on this at some point in the near future, but I guess the down side of using the latest technology is that you’re often in uncharted waters – that’s certainly been the case here, with all sorts of issues early on in the edit, typically regarding brand new camera, the format they output to, incompatibility (or, at least, inconsistencies) between PCs and Macs, codecs, how editing software handles file formats…  You name it, we’ve come across it.  And of course, using the latest technology means that there’s very little documentation out there (even on the interweb).</p> <p>The end result is that we’re using a Sony Vegas suite now, and the edit is running smoothly at long last.  In fact, we’re about two scenes away from having the first rough cut of the film (minus sound treatment), which is pretty exciting.</p> <p>Sony Vegas itself is rather new (relatively speaking), and certainly not nearly as well known as, say, Final Cut, Adobe Premiere and Avid.  But, rather oddly, it’s the only suite that’s been capable of handling what we’re throwing at it.  It’s audio facilities, incidentally, outclass any editing suite I’ve come across, which – seeing as we’re working on a horror film, warrants its usage alone.  It’s also creeping its way up the Hollywood ladder at the moment.  For me, the way it has allowed me to cut in HD without the need for rendering, and to run with such a smooth frame rate on an external monitor, has been a treat.</p> <p>Anyway, the first cut of the trailer is doing the rounds with the 'higher-ups’ today.  So, we can hopefully bring that to you very soon.  It’s all rather exciting.</p> <p>Oh, and if you fancy a peek at the editing suite, it’s covered from head to toe (or, rather, door to window) in storyboard….</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/Alimaggs/SNdGxXNJepI/AAAAAAAAABI/LWei6JQOjHY/s1600-h/Editing%20Suite%20-%20August%204th%202008%202008-08-04%20007%5B8%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Editing Suite - August 4th 2008 2008-08-04 007" border="0" alt="Editing Suite - August 4th 2008 2008-08-04 007" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/Alimaggs/SNdG1Gwz5aI/AAAAAAAAABQ/6_Qkc9FVbiE/Editing%20Suite%20-%20August%204th%202008%202008-08-04%20007_thumb%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="351" height="355" /></a> </p> <p>I’ve booked a weekend on the crazy farm once I’m done with the edit…  Surrounding myself in pure blue horror can’t be healthy…</p> <p>Ali</p> Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083213296743122820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-35257864221569866242008-05-17T08:27:00.001-07:002008-05-17T09:36:26.864-07:00Some Pictures From The Set Of "5:13".Perantauan Entertainment & Befour Media are currently midway through the shoot of new horror movie "5:13". Filming has been progressing well and below are some shots from the rushes. Enjoy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwl5280aDw0dhapMMpVLRdQ1KVYzlqnS0rfL1Inb7a74ghcyPuHGMszMLGyYy74MUKE-EPXGlLQLyKO4sTwPr3iPwIqRd9S1yGFu3xkDAcMXdOs5tJk7IzXUVb0LGWeZf6FAPnw/s1600-h/screenshot_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwl5280aDw0dhapMMpVLRdQ1KVYzlqnS0rfL1Inb7a74ghcyPuHGMszMLGyYy74MUKE-EPXGlLQLyKO4sTwPr3iPwIqRd9S1yGFu3xkDAcMXdOs5tJk7IzXUVb0LGWeZf6FAPnw/s400/screenshot_01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201369469988848946" /></a><br /><br />Cast member Samantha Tan getting prepped for her scene.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqeRprNmZ1yC_0xilCax1X4R5FYAnuXZtixb_UFHsseKtGhApgq2wV11Zgy0JmJlsBxjLgHxZkNSFb4QPkQPkDVRAnO2swPDswWSkrICeOnISqy_cc27rpRlBuqiEcPEgNsVQcw/s1600-h/screenshot_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqeRprNmZ1yC_0xilCax1X4R5FYAnuXZtixb_UFHsseKtGhApgq2wV11Zgy0JmJlsBxjLgHxZkNSFb4QPkQPkDVRAnO2swPDswWSkrICeOnISqy_cc27rpRlBuqiEcPEgNsVQcw/s400/screenshot_02.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201369998269826370" /></a><br /><br />Cast Member Iki Putra.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-mCifQapnSTLS-Rw6teh83Qhr2a6RQemKo5WH9zlIy-SNuYbnKwu5KYX_UjCsBIu6VaJYvRwQKmdAHPn1XXZdpP8kddCbQK_u4dNGit5niiZzMq_3D6sHGg_Ixt1RRw6uLZpjA/s1600-h/screenshot_03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-mCifQapnSTLS-Rw6teh83Qhr2a6RQemKo5WH9zlIy-SNuYbnKwu5KYX_UjCsBIu6VaJYvRwQKmdAHPn1XXZdpP8kddCbQK_u4dNGit5niiZzMq_3D6sHGg_Ixt1RRw6uLZpjA/s400/screenshot_03.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201379361298531666" /></a><br /><br />Arshad contemplates.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzE-ihKjTQb8f1AOQObHA5gMKYXP5sKpgnrK5zdkeVkZsYKC8zVsTiNJ0ZlQ4DTqz06rbAXD9sDEaDx0cxjAa6m52hFx1vR3ANmzDRH7HuoWPvPhxnw2QRpWQg9ZAE208ip9UUQ/s1600-h/screenshot_04.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzE-ihKjTQb8f1AOQObHA5gMKYXP5sKpgnrK5zdkeVkZsYKC8zVsTiNJ0ZlQ4DTqz06rbAXD9sDEaDx0cxjAa6m52hFx1vR3ANmzDRH7HuoWPvPhxnw2QRpWQg9ZAE208ip9UUQ/s400/screenshot_04.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201385859584050530" /></a><br /><br />Vivien recovers.<br /><br />There'll be more pictures and hopefully some video blogs to come as well so keep dropping by.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Perantauan EntertainmentPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-79587975388458056062008-03-22T01:06:00.000-07:002008-03-22T06:09:05.906-07:00Leading Male Actor Required for New Horror Film "5:13"Perantauan Pictures and Befour Media UK, the team behind S'kali are now casting for their new feature-length horror/drama, written by Arivind Abraham and Keith Leong and to be directed by the former. Details as follows:<br /> <br />Title: 5:13<br />Genre: Horror/drama<br />Looking For: Male actor, playing age of 20-27 years, Malay/mixed race (or whose looks could pass for Malay/mixed race), slim/average build, very fluent English and excellent acting ability. Acting experience good but not essential. Professionalism and a great attitude are a must.<br /> <br />Shoot Dates: 5 May 2008 to 24 May 2008<br />Filming will comprise of night shoots between 2000hrs and 0500hrs, and the individual hired will be needed for 12 days within that date range. We are happy to negotiate whether these days are continuous or spread out, depending on your availability and our scheduling needs.<br /> <br />Fee: RM1,000 lump sum, to be paid at the end of the contract. Food, petty expenses and transportation will also be covered for the duration of the shoot.<br /> <br />To apply, please email your CV and headshot to perantauanpictures@gmail.com with "5:13 CASTING" as the subject.<br />No time-wasters please, we are auditioning for a main character with specific qualities so only individuals that fit the description above need apply.<br />- Hide quoted text -<br /> <br />Please note that shortlisted candidates will be required to submit a video clip as the director is currently based in London, however we will provide details for this later on and there is no need to do so until we have informed you that you are selected.<br /> <br />GOOD LUCK and we look forward to hearing from you!Perantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-69739181020426255872007-12-01T13:58:00.000-08:002007-12-02T01:06:36.128-08:00S'kali Opens The 2nd London Filmmakers Convention<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8v6RbUKfl4QJQj65QJ1id3KqBMVGWlT7JWPZAYeP5UkNH10CkUfqJ7lVohVbIW__zfR3tv2vdQe5tQzGpiK6DDibBA0R2oHtSEVCuZyOufk7z9ebGfFJ4KqdyYsS4D08Bvf_Aw/s1600-r/screenshot_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJOgordHjdwgyFgGcya011JeahEr0sxrd6K-owVEGt3lr009mzzGZzNvmBjsTZH8iWHl46Cufp6NIwMWV_-arI_UqcHJ_1m5tOyAbwWaRvjxxPuJvxFNTB3Uxslr77qVKdKQXPQ/s400/screenshot_01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139298890665305330" /></a><br /><br /><br />Perantauan Entertainment is pleased to announce that S'kali will be opening the 2nd London Filmmakers Convention on 07/12/2007. Whilst the organisers have misspelt the title of the film and writer/director Arivind Abraham's surname (they have promised to rectify it on their website) we are pleased nonetheless to finally have the film shown in London which is Arivind's second home and place of work.<br /><br />The screening is free and open to all members of the public.<br /><br />Here are the details:<br /><br />Location: Westbourne Studios, 242 Acklam Road, London W10 5JJ<br />Time: 1800hrs<br /><a href="http://www.westbournestudios.com/index.cfm?Object=Home&Mode=Index">Westbourne Studios Website</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.portobellofilmfestival.com/index.html">Festival Website</a><br /><br />Arivind Abraham will be there to introduce the film.<br /><br />So to all of you Malaysians who are in London at the moment, c'mon down if you did not have a chance to catch it when it was on back in KL. Also, you will be getting the see the movie uncensored unlike your mates who watched it back home!<br /><br />Perantauan EntertainmentPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-75076694979428049452007-09-09T01:24:00.000-07:002007-09-09T01:25:39.521-07:00One Year OnIt's been one year now since we premiered S'kali in KL and 2007 has proven to be a difficult and disappointing year somewhat for the team.<br /><br />We look forward to having some news for all of you soon.<br /><br />Perantauan EntertainmentPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-66803166953471492152007-08-06T13:20:00.000-07:002007-08-06T22:16:07.152-07:00S'kali Available as Digital Download on Firecracker Media<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6NaMZSL9LRKUtY3rgvvevlkw1_MlyTuQBAgkEQTxdOMURL7PpWqRXHg78QhzUTKhUu83MGpA4WudaqXH0yEcdYZbcE9xfFD2V4Sw9wsItoA7kM7Zgq3Jvwil2vEACVlMqRnrsw/s1600-h/screenshot_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6NaMZSL9LRKUtY3rgvvevlkw1_MlyTuQBAgkEQTxdOMURL7PpWqRXHg78QhzUTKhUu83MGpA4WudaqXH0yEcdYZbcE9xfFD2V4Sw9wsItoA7kM7Zgq3Jvwil2vEACVlMqRnrsw/s400/screenshot_01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095823030294352306" /></a><br />Hi all,<br /><br />We just wanted to announce that S'kali is now also available on demand from Firecracker Media. Also featured is a great interview with writer/director Arivind Abraham about the process of getting the movie on its feet.<br /><br />All this can be found:<a href=http:// www.firecracker-media.com>Here</a><br /><br />The interview can be found: <a href=http://www.firecracker-media.com/interviews/lets-stick-together-skali.shtml>Here</a><br /><br />And to our fans in Malaysia who can't purchase the digital downloads at Jaman and Firecracker due to licensing reasons, a HDDVD and regular DVD will soon be available on demand via Amazon.com. We are working very hard on getting a local DVD available as well, but it has proven to be very difficult for us being a small movie and all.<br /><br />Thank you all once again for the continuing support, and we promise, soon we will have an announcement about new projects!<br /><br />The S'kali TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-24355332124796785822007-07-30T12:43:00.000-07:002007-07-30T12:51:53.271-07:00S'kali Available as Digital Download on Jaman<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsNtiON0gy2oBTXrbMwq0FMaj9-AfYMq0mOKLWYyVb89s6urWX56XP77YdAdfA-JQohlfgg_3Pzq0yN9lGwELOh_vWBXrouSvos-cJikWgBAxK61NlrxwQAvM52mFhyphenhyphenfW2WPKig/s1600-h/S'kali+Poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsNtiON0gy2oBTXrbMwq0FMaj9-AfYMq0mOKLWYyVb89s6urWX56XP77YdAdfA-JQohlfgg_3Pzq0yN9lGwELOh_vWBXrouSvos-cJikWgBAxK61NlrxwQAvM52mFhyphenhyphenfW2WPKig/s400/S'kali+Poster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093079855165461922" /></a><br />Hi all!<br /><br />Would just like to inform everyone that S'kali is now available as a digital download from Jaman (http://www.jaman.com/). You can either rent the movie for $1.99 or purchase it for $4.99. Prices quoted are in USD.<br /><br />Just search for it under the genre of "Drama".<br /><br />So for all you guys who have been asking to see it and were not in Malaysia at the time of release, get downloading!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Arivind AbrahamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-25624887687312082852007-05-11T03:38:00.000-07:002007-05-11T03:41:28.115-07:00Popcorn & Soda<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7dQY74nbLgaZ57mTWTIYmwhyoJuGFFgpE_ks4Fisl05y-djnfVJ34felOWoR7L13sIE8SaS_osKjzqC9a7GjegIuQsEzW3-IWP3TCngtgTJEyab6BwWRiZkGMSzpBk3FW7N9eg/s1600-h/P&S.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7dQY74nbLgaZ57mTWTIYmwhyoJuGFFgpE_ks4Fisl05y-djnfVJ34felOWoR7L13sIE8SaS_osKjzqC9a7GjegIuQsEzW3-IWP3TCngtgTJEyab6BwWRiZkGMSzpBk3FW7N9eg/s400/P&S.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063251003660850546" /></a><br />Hey all, <span style="font-style: italic;">KLue</span> magazine is hosting a series of screenings called <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Popcorn & Soda</span> beginning this Sunday and every 2nd Sunday from then on..Check out the attached poster for all the screening dates and movies..<br /><br />Do come for all the screenings (especially the one on <span style="font-weight: bold;">June the 10th</span>) and support the event. Earlybirds get free popcorn & soda. Make a day (or a date) out of it..!Perantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-33137097960751349692007-03-30T21:04:00.000-07:002007-03-31T05:45:08.246-07:00S'kali @ Towson University, Maryland USAHi all,<br /><br />Last night, Towson Uni faculty and students had the opportunity to watch S'kali, followed by a post-screening Q&A with writer/director Arivind Abraham & cameraman Lim Benji. Attended by about 30 people, here are some pictures from the event.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4m1uZ4zgynOOJObJGcf6d6nXUHR86Qt-anErNisLJ0hiUAz3srQstdshGZwt-qfeKTrA7550bEt3s7CdUCyfp8iONeD92xiSPfcNnpVdD2BigdrTa5nfA42y1nv3ffxqEJU_oYA/s1600-h/IMG_3380.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4m1uZ4zgynOOJObJGcf6d6nXUHR86Qt-anErNisLJ0hiUAz3srQstdshGZwt-qfeKTrA7550bEt3s7CdUCyfp8iONeD92xiSPfcNnpVdD2BigdrTa5nfA42y1nv3ffxqEJU_oYA/s320/IMG_3380.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5047938826762083234" /></a><br /><br />Questions fielded included ones on racial politics and production methods.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_P9SyZe82ggAQUo2tpOI3BmXL8sTi8Xq-Lq-JeC7-I1-y-fXYML6tHZIGUZAFbGfh5NcSSJDmeNXWy9R0ZkU_u7XkKHkVdzAFWDZYaSTVq9y9eRvqx1bWwMiumUCrs_fhcMZDyw/s1600-h/IMG_3383.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_P9SyZe82ggAQUo2tpOI3BmXL8sTi8Xq-Lq-JeC7-I1-y-fXYML6tHZIGUZAFbGfh5NcSSJDmeNXWy9R0ZkU_u7XkKHkVdzAFWDZYaSTVq9y9eRvqx1bWwMiumUCrs_fhcMZDyw/s320/IMG_3383.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5047939101639990194" /></a><br /><br />Comments from the audience touched upon the way they liked the naturalistic feel of the actors, and the lighting in the cars.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxhd2u1xVTh6IVhbvZypvumnmbBUFJOe3I8KKJmZ2jvrgoUvVGfy1APx93Ix2ZerD162YO0wsoYQ2wkFiV7QkTuY0i9KflltRy7b99SW5zBiOOAxxtOSjFB5-oq0YbEjhlYEJGw/s1600-h/IMG_3386.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxhd2u1xVTh6IVhbvZypvumnmbBUFJOe3I8KKJmZ2jvrgoUvVGfy1APx93Ix2ZerD162YO0wsoYQ2wkFiV7QkTuY0i9KflltRy7b99SW5zBiOOAxxtOSjFB5-oq0YbEjhlYEJGw/s320/IMG_3386.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048068367270697922" /></a><br /><br />So all in all it was a good night, followed by dinner and drinks with some people in the audience who had some further questions!<br /><br />Perantauan EntertainmentPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-40355611035076357192007-03-16T12:54:00.000-07:002007-03-16T13:12:56.316-07:00Coming Soon.Hey All,<br /><br />So it has been a long time since we have posted anything on the blog. There have been reasons for this, one being most of us on the team have been very busy but also because we had nothing really significant to talk about. But we figured it would be a good time to post an update and have a little chat with you all.<br /><br />Perhaps it would be good to start with what we HOPE to be making this year. We stress the word HOPE as post-S'kali, things are still a little up in the air. But anyways, first off, here is the movie we HOPE to make maybe at the end of this year:<br /><br /><br /><br />Working Title: “Captain Bangla”<br /><br />TAGLINE: GO BANGLA GO!<br /><br />Captain Bangla tells the story of Khaled, a young Bangladeshi man who comes to Malaysia with the hope of finding a better life. Unfortunately the stories of an Asian utopia fail to be true, and in an ironic twist of fate Khaled finds himself working for another immigrant: his Indonesian boss in a fabric store in downtown KL.<br /><br />Alone and despondent, his only solace is the company of his neighbour-the strange, silent Sikh known as The Colonel-as well as the love he secretly harbours for the local girl who comes into the store ever so often.<br /><br />One night, Khaled stumbles upon a snatch theft taking place and inadvertently stops it. From that moment on he is convinced he has found his destiny, and decides to prowl the streets fighting crime as Captain Bangla, accompanied by his sidekick The Colonel.<br /><br />But Captain Bangla is no superhero, and soon he stumbles on a crime so big, it may just be the undoing of his destiny.<br /><br />An absurdly hilarious yet heart-warming tale that is more Don Quixote than Captain America, Captain Bangla is a story of courage, friendship and making a home in a foreign land.<br /><br /><br />So that's the movie we hope to be making very soon as a follow up to S'kali.<br /><br /><br />We've also been very busy pitching some ideas for telly which we hope to get greenlit, and allow us at Perantauan Entertainment to break into TV sometime this year as well. Here's a taste of some of the ideas we've been pitching:<br /><br />Drama:<br />THE OLD BOYS<br />CREATED BY KEITH LEONG<br />Three Boys: One School; Three Destinies: One Nation.<br /><br /><br /><br />Comedy:<br />Country Club (Working Title)<br />CREATED BY BAHIR YUESUFF<br />Step into the Kota Bangsawan Country Club, a world of glitz, glamour and utter chaos…<br /><br /><br />Let us stress that at this point of time, we do not know if any of these are going to get greenlit and we're just working our darndest to make it happen. We are however busy with work left on S'kali which includes getting our long-delayed DVD/VCD release off the ground, sorting out some internet distribution deals, and special one off screenings around the world like in Towson, Maryland USA this March, Cyprus sometime soon and some other dates being worked on.<br /><br />So there you go! That's stuff that we hope to have on our plate this year and if all goes well, it will be stuff you'll all get to watch come 2008!<br /><br />Perantauan EntertainmentPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-63279252545271320132007-03-16T12:38:00.000-07:002007-03-16T12:54:11.490-07:00Coming To America!Perantauan Entertainment are extremely excited that S'kali will be shown at Towson University, Maryland USA! The screening will take place on the 30th of March and is being organised by the Motion Picture Association of the uni.<br /><br />Writer/Director Arivind Abraham and Cameraman Lim Benji will be in attendance and will participate in a post-screening Q&A. Students on Towson's film degree have already had a chance to view S'kali as part of their World CInema module, and liked it enough to organise a bigger screening for the rest of the uni.<br /><br />We will most definitely get a post up letting you all know how the screening went down, including pictures from the screening itself.<br /><br />Perantauan EntertainmentPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1168096432353066082007-01-06T06:34:00.000-08:002007-01-06T07:13:52.413-08:00S'kali Screening in Athens<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">S'kali</span> was privileged to have an exclusive one-night-only screening at Hoxton in Gazi, Athens, thanks to Director of Photography Dimitri Kotselis who DJs at the venue and who took the time to organise the event. Despite playing to a Greek crowd unfamiliar with the many Malaysian references in the film, we were surprised to still receive good feedback from the 40-odd members of the invited audience.<br /><br />By a lucky twist of fate, media artist Christopher Malapitan also happened to walk in to the bar during the last half hour of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">S'kali</span> and expressed interest in having the film screened in Cyprus. We are now in discussions to arrange the event some time in the near future.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4141/1960/1600/116813/Screening%209.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4141/1960/1600/356246/White%20Screen%20Hoxton.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4141/1960/400/319450/White%20Screen%20Hoxton.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Arivind, </span><span style="font-size:85%;"> Dimitri </span><span style="font-size:85%;">and <span style="font-style: italic;">Hoxton </span>owner George preparing the white screen<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4141/1960/1600/176354/Screening%201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4141/1960/400/590696/Screening%201.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Dimitri double-checking the player and projector</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4141/1960/1600/116813/Screening%209.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4141/1960/400/734292/Screening%209.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Chatting with audiences after the show<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <div style="text-align: left;">The <span style="font-style: italic;">S'kali</span> Team<br /></div> </div>Perantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1163887356661870212006-11-18T13:44:00.000-08:002006-11-18T14:02:36.680-08:00NOW HIRING!Hi all,<br /><br />Perantauan is now beginning its first phase of hiring for our upcoming feature to be shot mid 2007. Here are the posts open for applications:<br /><br />1. Location Scout<br /><br />Must have own car at your disposal at ALL times.<br />Must have good knowledge of downtown KL and Klang Valley area.<br />Must be able to think outside the box.<br />Must have own digital camera.<br />Must have constant access to the internet.<br />Must have own handphone (who doesn't right?)<br /><br /><br /><br />2. PA to Associate Producer<br /><br />Must have own car at your disposal at ALL times.<br />Must be organised and self-motivated.<br />Must have good eye for detail with exceptional people skills.<br />Must be an all rounder. (Interests in producing, marketing, and the nitty - gritty business side of the film industry)<br />Must have constant access to the internet.<br />Must have own handphone (who doesn't right?)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />All roles are full time and paid.</span> Contract details to be discussed prior to hire.<br /><br />For both roles experience is of course great but above all,we want people who will be committed, punctual, driven and serious about the craft.<br /><br />Interviews will take place on the second week of December 2006.<br /><br />Please email all CV's to : perantauanpictures[AT]gmail.com<br />ATTN: Bahir Yeusuff<br />Subject: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Location Scout</span> OR <span style="font-weight:bold;">PA</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />PS: Good taste in music and movies is a plus.</span>Perantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1162024205919389742006-10-28T01:26:00.000-07:002006-10-28T14:43:42.290-07:00S'kali Available On Astro Box Office This November!Hi guys & gals,<br /><br />To those of you around the country who did not get to watch S'kali in the cinemas, you will now be able to watch it on Astro Box Office this November. Just check out all the details in your new Astro Guide for subscription instructions to purchase the film!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />The S'kali TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1159986173568009952006-10-04T11:17:00.000-07:002006-10-04T11:22:56.126-07:00What Next For S'kali?Well with the run at Cathay now over, what is coming up next for S'kali?<br /><br />Look out for our VCD/DVD release somewhere towards the end of the year, and of course the film will be on Astro around that time as well.<br /><br />Thanks to all of you who have supported the movie, it was great having you all along for the ride.<br /><br />Writer/Director Arivind Abraham is now busy co-writing a comedy with fellow screenwriter Keith Leong which he will be shooting sometime in the middle of next year.<br /><br />Love, Life & Friendship to you all.<br /><br />The S'kali TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1159523792043224462006-09-29T02:33:00.000-07:002006-09-29T02:56:32.090-07:00A Chat About How It LooksHi all,<br /><br />In almost all the reviews for the movie, both in the print and online media, including reviews by bloggers, there has been mention about the way S'kali looks in the cinema, particularly issues in regards to blurriness and pixellation. Some questioned as to if it was due to inexperience on our team, others if it was because of issues in regards to projection. In light of this I felt, that as writer/director of S'kali, I would write a post to explain the reasons for this. <br /><br />Like all other digital filmmaking teams in Malaysia, our first port of call once the shoot was over, when it came to talking about getting the movie into the cinema, was GSC. This is because at the time, GSC was not only the one chain with 3 E-Format screens, but in fact the only one with E-Format screens. What transpired in the end was that, for a variety of reasons, GSC would be unable to show the movie till sometime April/May 2007, if they decided they liked the movie enough to show it.<br /><br />By the time we were made aware of this, the momentum had begun and we were slowly getting the word out via the press and other avenues and thus there was an expectation that the movie would open in 2006. Also, we knew that if you leave a movie on the shelf too long, it can become a 'stale' product.<br /><br />At the same time whilst we had been talking to GSC, we had also been talking to Cathay and they were very interested in the movie and what we wanted to do with it. So when GSC did not work out, Cathay stepped up to the plate, moving up the installation of their E-Format screen from the end of the year to September just to get S'kali out. Now the thing was, Cathay's E-Format screen was only going to be able to screen the movie on DVD. Digibeta was not a possibility.<br /><br />Now most of the production team have seen S'kali in it's full HDV glory. It is sharp, clear and looks pretty good for something shot on digital film. As most people would know, HD-DVD is only beginning to emerge, so when one has to burn a DVD of a HDV movie, it means compressing it, which means a loss of quality. Now that loss is not that noticable when you pop the DVD in to watch on your TV, in fact it still looks pretty good. But once you blow it up via a projector, then yeah, things don't look so good anymore.<br /><br />So we were faced with the following decision:<br /><br />1. We could wait till 2007 and release the movie on more screens on digibeta but run the risk of the momentum dying. Also, there was no real guarantee that the movie would get shown anyways.<br /><br />OR<br /><br />2. We could make the compromise and get the movie out with Cathay who were really eager and supportive thus getting the word out because that was more important to us.<br /><br />And we stand by that decision. What was important was that people got to watch the movie, got to talk about it and that the name of the team and the company got out. It was the best decision because it led to us getting a significant chunk of money now for our next movie which is being shot middle of next year.<br /><br />But what is also important to glean from this is the implication E-Format holds for other emerging digital filmmakers in Malaysia who do not have huge budgets and will be gunning to get their movies in the cinema. We were lucky that the people at Cathay were willing to step up to the plate and get the movie shown. E-Format is our first step in what should a constant and unrelenting march towards proper digital projection where one pops a hard drive into the projector and screens the digital movie in full digital quality.<br /><br />This is vital as digital cinema is a cinema about innovation and Malaysian cinema from now on will be about digital cinema. Thus it is only right that we continue to push the boundaries not just when it comes to production, but also distribution and exhibition.<br /><br />Because to remain showing digital films on E-Format would be akin to screening 35mm films on video.<br /><br />Thanks for reading,<br />Arivind AbrahamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1159510708404242892006-09-28T23:16:00.000-07:002006-09-28T23:18:28.416-07:00Blogger ReviewsSo we've got some good reviews and some mediocre reviews in the printed and online press but what about within the blogger community? Here's just one review we happened to stumble upon:<br /><br />http://kopi-o-satu.blogspot.com/2006/09/movie-review-skali.html<br /><br />Love, Life & Friendship to all!<br /><br />The S'kali TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1159341716544704972006-09-27T00:14:00.000-07:002006-09-28T00:06:03.183-07:00NST on S'kaliToday's edition of The New Straits Times has carried a review on S'kali. You can check it out online at:<br /><br />http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Wednesday<br />/Features/20060926151547/Article/index_html<br /><br />Don't forget that the movie is still screening until the 4th of October at Cathay Cineleisure Damansara!Perantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1159338093478168512006-09-26T23:15:00.001-07:002006-09-26T23:32:17.616-07:00Showtimes For S'kali Up Till 4th OctoberHi all,<br /><br />Well here are the show times for the movie at Cathay Cineplex Damansara till our very last day on October 4th.<br /><br />Wed 27 Sep<br />2:25pm 4:05pm 5:50pm<br /><br />Thu 28 Sep<br />1:15pm 7:45pm<br /><br />Fri 29 Sep<br />1:15pm 7:45pm<br /><br />Sat 30 Sep<br />11:30am 1:10pm 7:40pm<br /><br />Sun 1 Oct<br />11:30am 1:10pm 7:40pm<br /><br />Mon 2 Oct<br />1:15pm 7:45pm<br /><br />Tue 3 Oct<br />1:15pm 7:45pm<br /><br />Wed 4 Oct<br />1:15pm 7:45pm<br /><br />Tickets can be booked online at www.cathaycineplexes.com.my<br /><br />All you have to do is register with the site which is free and easy to do!<br /><br />So to those of you who have not seen the movie, or would like to do so again, you've got one more week to go experience love, life and friendship!<br /><br />The S'kali TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1159165330795470292006-09-24T23:20:00.000-07:002006-09-24T23:22:10.816-07:00S'KALI ON FOR ANOTHER WEEK TILL OCTOBER 4TH!!NEWSFLASH!!<br /><br />S'KALI WILL BE PLAYING AT CATHAY CINELEISURE DAMANSARA FOR ANOTHER WEEK TILL OCTOBER 4TH SO GO CATCH IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!<br /><br />Love, life and friendship to you all.<br /><br />The S'kali TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1158914468894927702006-09-22T01:19:00.000-07:002006-09-22T01:41:08.926-07:00S'kali Premiere - 08/09/2006Hi all,<br />Well we should have gotten these pics up much earlier, but we've been so busy with the movie coming out that none of us got the time, till now. All pictures featured in this post were taken by photographer Kevin Han, whose work can be seen on http://www.kevinhan.net/v2/. Our sincere thanks to him.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4141/1960/1600/cast%26crew.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4141/1960/320/cast%26crew.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Our cast & crew. Sorely missed were those members of crew overseas: Dimitri Kotselis, Lim Benji, Luke Yerbury, Ali Maggs & Bella Drinkwater. <br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4141/1960/1600/cast%26standee5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4141/1960/320/cast%26standee5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The cast of S'kali<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4141/1960/1600/Bahir%26Arivindconfer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4141/1960/320/Bahir%26Arivindconfer.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />You can't stop Associate Producer Bahir Yeusuff and Writer/Director Arivind Abraham from hatching diabolical plans. In fact, Perantauan and Asa'ad are already hard at work on their next film, a comedy to be shot and released next year.<br /><br />We'll get more pictures up soon, we promise. Till then, S'kali is playing at Cathay Cineleisure Damansara till Wednesday, 27/09/06 so go catch it before it closes!<br /><br />Love, life & friendship to you all.<br /><br />The S'kali TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1158683152634325002006-09-19T09:21:00.000-07:002006-09-19T10:21:42.706-07:00A Super Long ReviewAn anonymous review emailed to us today- we <span style="font-style: italic;">honestly</span> haven't got a clue who, what or where this person is (all we know is that the email add is very interesting), but considering the <span style="font-style: italic;">stupendous</span> amount of effort he/she obviously put into analysing <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">S'kali</span> and writing this super long article, we figured it merited a place on our blog. Clearly we're also thrilled that he/she rated us 4 out of 5... thanks pal!<br /><br />Whether you agree or disagree with the opinions below, hope this makes those amongst you who haven't seen the film feel like seeing it... remember y<span style="font-weight: bold;">ou have only 8 days</span> before its run at Cathay Cineleisure ends, so hurry!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />The <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">S'kali</span> Team<br /><br />*warning- this review is <span style="font-style: italic;">VERY LONG</span><br /><br /><br />It’s rare that I find Malaysian-made films worthwhile,<br />be it inde or not. I really have to say it was a rare experience<br />to watch director Arivind’s S’Kali which had been generating<br />some interest or curiousity amongst us Malaysian filmmakers<br />for the past months. Obviously this is always the case with most<br /> inde films that reach our local screens rather than just minor<br />festivals because we’re always curious to know if it<br />would be any good, have a broader appeal… or just be<br />some plain dud with exaggerated marketing and<br />overrating-optimistic reviews… which the latter proves<br />to be unfortunately, painfully true.<br /><br />Now let me just say it for the front row seats. S’Kali<br />is fairly impressive and has surprisingly GOOD acting.<br />I seriously can’t remember when was the last time I<br />felt characters in a Malaysian film felt so rich…. Yes<br />I’m sick of those arty-farty pretentious<br />character-trash that seem to populate festivals.<br /><br />S’Kali has quite a basic premise and merely deals with<br />five close friends who are about to depart, either for<br />university, studying abroad or simply pursuing some<br />minor career. The fact is is that they can’t stick<br />together much longer despite their well-bonded circle<br />of friendship.<br /><br />I can’t imagine anyone who hasn’t gone through this or<br />at least has felt the force of reality overpowering<br />his/her youthful life. And eventually you’d just have<br />to face it and simply move on. This is what I feel<br />makes S’Kali work. In terms of originality, frankly,<br />this particular teen flick doesn’t have to be! The<br />simplicity of the premise alone is what would<br />contribute appeal. But S’Kali’s strength is really in<br />its characters. If they don’t work, any premise or<br />predicament won’t ever suffice because we couldn’t<br />care less for them. I certainly don’t give a rat’s ass<br />for any of those mute/silent/staring characters we<br />often see in those local heavy art movies.<br /><br />Arivind’s characters/cast are a sigh of relief!! They<br />really did it for me. It won’t be anything a hardcore<br />film buff hasn’t seen before but I swear these fellas<br />do a fine job of carrying/driving the picture through.<br /><br /><br />Apart from its premise, Arivind has wisely chosen to<br />further complicate things for his characters by simply<br />giving them distinctive attachments that they each<br />can’t let go of. You have the individual who can’t get<br />over drinking, another who’s petrified to fulfill his<br />dreams, the couple who isn’t sure what their parents<br />might think of them being together, etc. Ultimately,<br />they each contribute to the conflict and separation,<br />and Arivind skillfully unfolds each one of them. As<br />aforementioned, it’s not the originality, but the<br />mixture, and it’s overall pleasing to watch.<br /><br />Now admittedly, at times Arivind’s dialogue can be a<br />little too on-the-nose [writers get this] but I got<br />comfortable and didn’t mind it at all. I concede that<br />I’d normally nitpick at every moment of a local movie,<br />but S’Kali made me wanna listen and see more. Now<br />wasn’t that a surprise! On top of that, the film also<br />has marginally good songs by this band called FatBoy<br />and I still have the trailer song in my head as I’m<br />writing this.<br /><br />Where S’kali falls short is that it’s… well, TOO short<br />as it clocked in just over an hour and you can’t help<br />but think some viewers may go "That’s it?". Great<br />films [all the world over throughout the century] have<br />always had great characters, first established as<br />either interesting, appealing or sympathetic. Then a<br />crisis occurs that throws them all into the mix and<br />we’d be anxious to find what happens to them in the<br />resolution, seeing how they may or may not resolve it<br />which leads to something big. Whether it’s triumphant<br />or ultra-tragic, hi-tech, low-tech, it’s still<br />emotionally big and unforgettable. S’kali has all of<br />the above except a proper satisfying/active resolution<br />and it just breezes through the ending. I wished there<br />was some additional ‘act’ or more conflict but alas<br />it’s not here. While I wasn’t expecting anything so<br />gigantic [and it doesn’t need to be], again, you can’t<br />help but feel Arivind could have done more with the<br />material simply because his characters actually work!<br />Nevertheless, the transition or change of what they go<br />through unfolds almost masterfully given the short<br />duration.<br /><br />While I’d be glancing at my watch for certain<br />Malaysian flicks wondering when it’ll be over… S’Kali<br />was over before I knew it. I really digged Arivind’s<br />characters and I would have loved to see more<br />interaction between them on say… a sequel or<br />something. Wishful thinking, but that just shows how<br />much the flick can be fun. Yes folks that is very<br />unexpected for a local one and although there have<br />been acceptable ones throughout the years like Sepet,<br />S’Kali is quite different as it doesn’t want to hint<br />too much on artistry or indolence.<br /><br />So how does it compare to Yasmin’s flick? As in<br />‘Sepet’. Tough one. Well sort of. To kick it off, I<br />VERY MUCH prefer the characters of S’Kali to Sepet by<br />quite a long mile and I ain’t kiddin’. And yes, dare I<br />say it… S’Kali’s bunch has more life to each of them<br />and I feel they make those of Sepet look somewhat<br />stiff and dry by comparison. It also makes Sepet feel<br />draggy or slower. This is fairly strange to me because<br />Sepet has it the easy way as you only need two main<br />characters to drive the story and in the film medium<br />itself, when you have more characters, things are very<br />difficult to keep track of, let alone create a sense<br />of coherence - a critical flaw in Gubra btw, despite<br />the better performances. But anyway in S’Kali, you<br />have FIVE characters and it’s impressive when you find<br />Arivind is capable of crafting them together and all<br />things add up satisfyingly.<br /><br />Now I can’t compare it to Gubra because that one takes<br />on an entirely different structure and narrative. But<br />even then, S’kali’s characters are still BETTER.<br />Speaking of which, Yasmin makes a small poignant<br />cameo, along with a handful of other artists.<br /><br />Now on to technical technicalities. And some trivial<br />nitpicking you could say. As often mentioned in forums<br />[including it’s own website], S’Kali was shot in High<br />Definition! That’s pretty much [well almost] THREE<br />times the resolution of standard MiniDV, assuming that<br />all the settings of Arivind’s camcorder were set to<br />max, as in 1080p. This somewhat new format gives far<br />greater depth and definition to the overall video as<br />‘highlights’ don’t overexpose much while deep<br />shadow-detail is still preserved. This would also mean<br />killer video-filesizes to edit on! If you’re a<br />knowledgable video buff, you’d get all of what I’m<br />saying here. Now I’ve seen various MiniDV movies<br />projected on a movie hall in Midvalley and although<br />they seem kinda blown-up in resolution, it’s still<br />quite watchable. Which means if they project HD<br />footage, it would be better right? As in three times<br />better? Well not quite, which made me dumbfounded.<br /><br />As proven with the case of S’kali [as in when<br />projected on a big screen], it’s hard to distinquish<br />the added HD resolution from miniDV’s because the<br />square pixels look so notoriously large and blocky.<br />Either the editors outputted the whole movie on a much<br />smaller resolution [as opposed to its highest HD<br />glory] or the digital projector inside the Cathay<br />Cineleisure hall is one helluva dud. If the reason for<br />this happens to be the former, then that’s one BIG<br />mistake and quite a missed opportunity.<br /><br />When the movie began, the cinema hall’s screen opened<br />up to an almost 1:85 aspect ratio [real movie-buffs<br />know this], yet the film itself sits within a mere<br />1.33 frame [aka 4:3] so we see some black bars on the<br />SIDES throughout. What I don’t understand is why<br />couldn’t the film be shot in true 16:9 widescreen? It<br />was shot in HD which would have had that setting and<br />would have given the film a more cinematic look. Well<br />slightly, since that’s still a far cry from grand<br />Cinemascope [2.35 aspect ratio].<br /><br />On a side note, I felt the overall sound volume was a<br />little too loud. Not really an ear-bursting problem<br />but you’d really agree it gets a little too high on<br />the levels at times. And I don’t understand why it<br />never occurrs to editors [whether sound or mixers] to<br />lower the volume of car-doors closing. And S’Kali is<br />no exception. These particular sounds almost seem to<br />‘clip’ when it happens. But overall, I guess S’Kali’s<br />audio is still clear for the most part and not too<br />distracting. And thank God there’s no obvious<br />looping/ADR by the actors as is so obviously the case<br />with Bjarne Wong’s Legend of the Red Curse.<br /><br />There are however, brief moments where Arivind’s bunch<br />get together and start to have multiple conversations<br />that overlap each other. This is where it can be<br />difficult to hear specifically what they’re saying,<br />but you get the idea they’re just gossiping trivial<br />stuff. Good example would be the opening mamak scene<br />itself. Luckily we still have those funky subtitles<br />and unfortunately S’Kali is yet another movie where<br />the editors forgot [or just don’t know how] to add a<br />stroke of shadow around the subtitles. Meaning if the<br />text appears on a sparkling bright image, they’re<br />virtually invisible and that happens 35% of the time.<br /><br />Well in terms of shooting style, I wouldn’t say there<br />is anything remarkable which is still fine in case you<br />were curious if Arivind would try for a more fancy<br />style, given his talent. It’s simply the good old<br />shoot-straight form with no tricky, fancy business.<br />There are however, a few very good time-lapse shots<br />where multiple roads [filled with tiny shimmering<br />carlights] intersect, as if coming together than<br />separating. Good symbolism folks.<br /><br />As for the style of basic conversation scenes, I’m not<br />too sure if Arivind personally operated the camera,<br />let alone oversaw the framing of every shot because<br />things do look a little too up-close [or tight] for my<br />taste. Personally feel they could have been handled<br />better slightly but this is ONLY a minor quibble and<br />no big deal. I’m really quite impressed with all those<br />table/mamak scenes because as the average filmmaker<br />knows, they can be very deceptively simple to shoot.<br />Yet Arivind always maintains a sense of geography and<br />doesn’t jump his axis, so there’s hardly any confusion<br />as to who is where and who’s responding to who. I<br />guess casual readers won’t get what I’m trying to get<br />at here unless you’ve personally shot five characters<br />at a table scene.<br /><br />Lighting-wise, there appears to be some minor digital<br />diffussion around shots that frame the ever dull<br />overcast sky during day-scenes. My isn’t it so hard to<br />get interesting clouds or vivid sky blues? Night<br />scenes are typically orangy and blusih, mostly lit by<br />overhead street lights. Overall, acceptable stuff.<br /><br />Oh and one anecdote about S’Kali’s marketing… It<br />should have been better! The faceless poster’s tagline<br />"Love Life Friendship" simply is inadequate and<br />doesn’t specifically imply what the movie’s plot<br />really is and I doubt just by looking at it, will<br />spark any interest. The so-called trailer itself<br />doesn’t tell you anything and even FatBoy’s song isn’t<br />enough, though it just ‘might’ make you feel it’s<br />catchy. Hate to say it, but even Bjarne Wong’s<br />attrocious ‘Legend of the Red Curse’ [I’ll run to the<br />hills away from his next film ‘Possessed’] had a<br />better trailer because I at least [and the very damn<br />least] knew what that show was about. Yes the same can<br />be said about Julian Cheah’s ‘Hired Killer’. Trailer I<br />mean, if you happen to have somehow caught a glimpse<br />of it.<br /><br />But with all that said and done, the verdict is still<br />that S’Kali, is I feel REALLY a breath of fresh air to<br />the Malaysian filmmakers. Attention to all those local<br />Art-only-directors [yes even those so-called renowned<br />ones], THIS IS THE way to make movies!!! Characters we<br />like and care!! Not slow, draggy, sluggish, boring,<br />silent, muted, loser-like handicaps who only know how<br />to get it up the ass!<br /><br />S’Kali is my recommendation!<br /><br /><br />4 out of 5 starsPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1158173733815765792006-09-13T11:33:00.000-07:002006-09-13T11:58:30.450-07:00S'KALI NOW SHOWING!The team at Perantauan are THRILLED OUT OF THEIR SOCKS to announce that<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> S'kali</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">is NOW SHOWING at Cathay Cineleisure Damansara</span>!<br /><br />After the continuous uphill battle getting the movie funded, pre-produced, filmed, edited, censored, distributed, marketed and <span style="font-style: italic;">finally, FINALLY</span> screened, we would like to express our deepest gratitude and sincerest thanks to Cathay who have been nothing but supportive of us since the beginning. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">S'kali </span></span>is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">first digital movie to be screened in Cathay in Malaysia</span>, and we are extremely thankful that they went out of their way to speed up their digital set-up for us and offered invaluable advice and help with marketing, not to mention the attention and detail paid to the smooth running of the press premiere and special screenings.<br /><br />But most of all, we are thankful to Cathay for daring to take on the huge risk of supporting a little local first-time film produced by a first-time company, a first-time writer/director and a first-time cast and crew. We thank you for helping us get our humble feature onto the big screen.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>To the general public, we hope you will find the time to catch <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">S'kali</span> </span>during its run, if not to support us then to support the generosity of Cathay :) Please check the cinema listings section of your local newspaper for daily screening times-tickets can be obtained at Cathay Cineleisure Damansara counters, via the Cathay hotline 03-7727 8051 or online at www.cathaycineplexes.com.my (you'll have to register first though-it's free, don't worry)<br /><br />Thank you and love, life and friendship to you all!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />The <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">S'kali</span> TeamPerantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19742779.post-1158046570116740642006-09-12T00:28:00.000-07:002006-09-12T00:36:10.130-07:00What People Have To Say"For those who thought making a film was impossible, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">S'kali</span> shows that you can be young and still get your film unto the big screen. The film is set to inspire local, young filmmakers and realise their dream of getting their movies made." -<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rizal Johan</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Star</span>-<br /></span><br />"A promising effort by a young first-time director." -<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lim Chang Moh, Cinema Online-</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>"A film made with love—a love for KL, its creative young inhabitants and their idealistic pursuits." -<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Brian Yap, KLUE Magazine</span>-<br /><br />"<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">S'kali</span></span> isn't interested in seeming hip or clever but taps into the pathos and possibility of ordinary urban life ... I can't wait to see what they will do next." -<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Amir Muhammad, </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">filmmaker</span>-<br /><br /></span>Perantauan Pictureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382604475159128012noreply@blogger.com1