DEEPFOCUS

NASIB

2010-12-10T01:50:00.000-08:00

FILEM SAYA ADA DI DALAM 'TRAILER' PRODUKSI TERBARU AWARD WINNING DIR/PROD SIR RIDLEY SCOTT DAN AKAN DI TAYANGKAN DI SUNDANCE 2011 :)

FILEM ISLAM

2010-06-21T02:30:00.000-07:00

Pagi Sabtu, aku duduk merenung taman jagaan ku. Tidak seperti biasa, selalunya aku sudah berpeluh di tanah sekangkang kera itu. Hari ini aku seawalnya terlalu ingin membelek surat khabar mana tahu kalau2 ada perkhabaran indah yang Islam dan Melayu di Malaysia sudah mahu bersatu :) Hampa. langsung tiada. Aku mengecilkan mata bila Filem Islam di khabarkan di dalam dada berita. Sudah beberapa lama aku mencari apa itu Filem Islam. Ada juga aku cuba membuatnya tapi belum tepat mengena. Kawan2 yang banyak bercakap pun tidak tahu. Aku yang rajin bercakap juga tuli. Allah itu maha mengasihani. Suratkhabar yang penuh berita2 kejahatan ini cuba memberikan laluan.

Aku bergegas ke ILIM di bangi sampai di sana tak ada siapa2.... adakah aku seorang saja yg bersungguh mau tahu apa itu Filem Islam? atau pemikiran ini tak ada peminatnya. Kata En dan Puan Jaga.... majlisnya bermula malam dengan majlis makan2 dan besoknya selepas kenyang barulah bercakap. Kata mereka, ini hanya untuk jemputan sahaja!! Aku cuba memujuk dan bersungguh2 mendapatkan tempat. Kata aku ini majlis ilmu semua orang harus di berikan tempat. Mereka yang berjaga itupun menolong aku.

Besoknya Ahad setelah di janjikan seorang ustaz aku datang awal. Sebaiknya masuk aku disapa Direktor Kamal Ishak. kami duduk berdekatan. Aku mengeluarkan pen dan kertas, acara pun bermula. Segala ucapan dan pembentanggan membuatkan aku kusyuk melayan mimpi. Manisnya kalau ini terjadi. 'Filem' dengan sepenuh jiwanya akan memeluk Islam. Bunyinya agak aneh tetapi cantik... percayalah.

Antara yang berkongsi Ilmu dan aku menyukainya - Dr. Naim Hj. Ahmad, dan Sdr Syed Zulkifli Syed Masir, Tahniah teruskan dan panjangkan lagi idea dan pemahaman ini kepada semua. Petang itu selepas aku meninggalkan Bro Kamal I aku bergegas pulang tanpa minum petang. bukannya kerana aku tidak dahaga. Tetapi aku tidak sabar untuk bekerja di taman aku yang sekangkang kera.

SINEMASANASINI

2009-12-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

Sudah dekat akhir tahun, Semangat baru aku cari. Tahun hadapan aku akan mengintai apa mungkin cerdik-pandai itu mahu bermain RED, HD dan sanggup speed 35mm. Harap2 semangat mereka akan terus berkobar walaupun aku memberatkan bahu mereka dengan banyaknya angka2 harapan melebihi enam.

Tahun ini juga aku menyibukan diri sana sini. hadir itu ini. Datang dengan jasad atau hanya dengan hati.

Poster Rasmi Acara TAF yang di adakan di Ipoh

Aktiviti penyembuhan di Ipoh oleh dukun cool PyanHabib

Kata Kamal S 'The Healer' juga membawa penyakit hingga ke Copenhagen

Selama 2 minggu aku mengheret isteri mencari apa itu filem Islam. 'Laskar Pelangi' buat aku tersenyum.

Sekarang, sudah tertunda dari pertengahan tahun. Hajat aku bermain2 dengan imejan2 tempatan untuk produksi baru tahun hadapan, akan aku teruskan. Mahu berkolaborasi?

THE HEALER MENUMPANG TEPUNG DAN TAWAR

2009-10-12T07:39:00.001-07:00

Melayu berkursani - berpelikat meredah salju

Perasmian pameran seni visual di Galeri Shah Alam jatuh pada 13hb Oct 2009 bermula dari 4ptg dan berlanjutan sehingga 31hb Oct. Pameran ini akan di rasmikan oleh legenda seni catan negara Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal. Jemputlah datang. Insyaalah

JIKA MALAYSIA SEORANG MAKNUSIA, DIA TENTU SUDAH LAMA SARAT MENDERITA, DIA PERLU DIUBAT, TETAPI DENGAN CARA APA? OLEH DUKUN YANG MANA?

2009-09-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Tayangan sempena hari Merdeka, Puasa dan Hari Raya Aidilfitri 'The Healer-Penawar' filem kecik saya akan ditayangkan selama sebulan bertempat di Gallery Shah Alam bermula dari 09/09/09 di buka pada waktu pejabat 10am-4.30pm. Masuk adalah PERCUMA tetapi diingatkan kerusi tidak disediakan. Filem akan ditayangkan secara 'loop' berulang2 jadi anda berpeluang utk menonton lebih daripada sekali. itu pun kalau tak terlelap. Jemputlah datang.

Recce Shoot Pics yg bakal menyambut anda:

Siri 'The Healer (recce) - Penawar' : SATU

Siri 'The Healer (recce) - Penawar' : TARIVIRUS

Siri 'The Healer (recce) - Penawar' : PANCHORLUKA

PERJALANAN

2009-07-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

... Asal dari mana?... Sekarang dimana?... hendak kemana?...

SYNOPSIS - THE FRAGMENTED (Perpisahan)

Filem ini diinspirasikan daripada sebuah lukisan karya agung Edouard Manet yang bertajuk ‘The Execution of Maximilan’ (Hukuman Bunuh ke atas Maxmilian). Drama ini merakamkan keruntuhan sebuah keluarga selepas si ibu mengambil keputusan nekad meninggalkan suami dan anak perempuannya. Setelah peristiwa yang menghiris hati itu berlalu, si ayah dan si anak telah mencuba sedaya upaya untuk bangun dan meneruskan kehidupan mereka.

The film was inspired by Edouard Manet masterpiece entitled ‘The Execution of Maximilan’. This is a conceptual drama capturing the life of a broken home. The story begins when the mother decided to walk out of her marriage, hence deserting her husband and her daughter. After the incident the father and the daughter comes out from their devastation to reconcile and put the pieces of their life together.

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SYNOPSIS - PATHFINDERS (Pencarian)

Sebuah filem dokumentari yang mengupas erti kehidupan. Kisah yang dirakamkan di London ini memaparkan dua watak utama. Takdir telah menemukan mereka di alam persilatan dan tanpa disedar mereka juga berkongsi kisah hidup yang hampir sama.

Abdul Rahman, berumur didalam lingkungan 40an, adalah seorang mualaf berbangsa Yunani (Greek).Abdul Rahman telah menjelajah dunia untuk mempelajari pelbagai jenis seni pertahanan diri namun tetap tidak mendapat kepuasan yang dicarinya sehinggalah beliau menemui silat. Melalui silat Abdul Rahman telah bertemu Islam.

Zul adalah seorang anak Melayu yang dibesarkan di kotaraya London. Zul, berumur di dalam lingkungan 40an, baru berjinak dengan silat dan berada di bawah bimbingan Abdul Rahman. Walaupun usianya agak lanjut, Zul tetap meneruskan keazamannya untuk menguasai ilmu persilatan dan seterusnya mendekati akar budaya bangsanya. Zul juga berharap, silat akan membentuknya menjadi seorang insan yang lebih baik.

This is a humble documentary that celebrates the lives of two ordinary men in present day London. They met by chance through the world of Silat and unbeknown to them they led similar paths.

Abdul Rahman is a 40 years old Greek descendent and a Muslim convert. He has traveled the world and mastered various disciplines of martial arts, but none made him feel complete until he learned Silat. Through Silat he found Islam.

Zul was born in Malaysia but grew up in London. He is Abdul Rahman’s student and is still new to Silat. Despite being in his 40s, Zul is determined to master Silat in hope that it will reconnect him to his roots and culture. Through Silat, Zul sees that he can be a better man.

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SYNOPSIS - THE HEALER (Penawar)

Kisah dua jiwa yang lara, ditemukan ketika bergelumang mengharungi cubaan hidup di kotaraya London.

Luqman, seorang tukang urut Melayu, dan Shifa, seorang pelacur, tinggal berjiran. Setelah berkenalan mereka akhirnya jatuh cinta. Sejarah hitam, prinsip hidup dan keegoan menjadi batu penghalang pada mereka untuk mencurahkan rasa hati.

Kini mereka berada dipersimpangan dan satu keputusan harus diambil. Mahukah mereka terus bergelap di penjara takdir ataupun masing-masing membuka pintu hati mencari sinar kehidupan yang baru.

A poetic tragedy of two failing hearts disunited by the tests of life. Luqman, a Malay traditional masseur, lived next door to Shifa, the prostitute. Their friendship quickly blossomed as both developed feelings for each other. However their pasts, individual beliefs and consequences were holding them back from expressing their true feelings.

This is a story of unsettling love that is ruptured as it about to begin. They were caught in a dilemma. A decision has to be made, either retreat and imprison themselves in the darkness of fate or head for the light and succumb to their hearts’ will.

AKU RINDU

2009-06-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

Pada naif keujudan hitam dan putihnya

Pada lontaran gelombang dan getaran

Pada NUR sifat dan pembayangan

Pada pendedahan zarah dan penggulungan masa

Pada percaturan jiwa dan aturan rasa

Pada nada 2 asyik yg bercanda

Pada peniruan dan keaslian

Pada suara dan penyuaraan

Pada noktah kada' dan kadar

Pada yang hak dan penentuan

Pada percantuman dan percambahan

Itu lah cinta dan kecintaan

AKU ADA DI TANAH MELAYU

2009-05-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Assalamualaikum

Kawan2 aku menagih janji korang. Mana siapa yg nak belanja aku makan. Bila kasitau aku akan sampai :)

Kawan mu

Kamal Ariffin

TAYANGAN UMUM FILEM THE HEALER

2009-04-01T23:21:00.001-07:00

TAYANGAN FILEM THE HEALER (PENAWAR) LFS COVENT GARDEN, LONDON. UK. 2HB APRIL 2009, BERMULA PUKUL 6PTG. TEMPAT DUDUK ADALAH TERHAD SILA DATANG AWAL. SILA HUBUNGI SAYA DI ALAMAT EMAIL SEPERTI DI SEBELAH UNTUK MENDAPATKAN TIKET.

NAKED TOPSY TURVY went HAPPY GO LUCKY

2009-03-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

Seni khat dengan ehsan tuan tulis Lantera-Jiwa

Telah tertulis di sana, segala bantuan dan halangan aku terima dengan reda. Terima kasih sahabat2 dan juga kepada semua yang sanggup turun membantu, anda semua memang berhati mulia.

Gegak gempita daerah ini berdegup bergendangan menantikan apa mungkin ada sakit yang akan terubat atau degupan itu tergiang2 hanya di corong yang sememangnya kosong dan lohong.

THE HEALER: PENAWAR sudah siap 'versi chobaan' - versi directors cut kena tunggu director lega sebentar. Minggu hadapan insyaalah upacara pengubatan ini akan disempurnakan oleh saudara Mike Leigh dan rakan-rakannya di panggung 'A' Covent Garden. Doakan moga Allah terus kasihankan aku dan dipermudahkan jalan. Amiiiiiiiiiin

AKU SLUMDOG, KORDA DAN SPLICER EDITOR BATMAN

2009-02-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

Tahun lepas aku bertemu mereka inilah. Rezeki NAGRA dibawa ke AVID singgah di DTS DOLBY, sampai terlelap di Kingdom of Heaven berkongsi meja dengan Slumdog, Dipotong-dihubung editor Batman sebelum ditayangkan kepada Mike Leigh.

Dari pengalaman ini aku dilamar produksi filem Spain. Tapi Kerana The Healer dengan berat hati aku terpaksa menolak.

Kerana pengalaman itulah The Healar hendak jugak aku heret sampai ke puncak. Mungkin tinggi sangat kut, huh sungguh payah.

Filmmaker tak beruwang di studio daif bersama foley artist termurah

Iklas dia bekerja dengan hanya ini upahnya

Studio professional sound mix biasa di Soho

Studio professional sound mix mewah 'KINGDOM OF HEAVEN' Korda Theatre

THE HEALER

2009-02-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

MENCARI PENCINTA YANG MENYINTA DAN DICINTA MOGA HARAP BERJUMPA

Luarannya seperti biasa

Di dalamnya - masih berdarah lukanya

PERANG ILMU

2009-01-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Selamat tahun baru dan juga harapan selamat bagi yang belum. Aku dah lama nak menulis tetapi benda filem nie kurang, penabur yg meledak hanya rasa geram aku pada apa yang berlaku sekarang. Aku berusaha supaya blog ini hanya medan untuk aku bercerita tentang filem dan hanya filem. Tetapi aku lalai dan lupa dimana letak sebenarnya budi aku sebagai PENCERITA.

The Pathfinders 2008. Dir. Kamal Ariffin

Dan dengan nama tuhan yang maha pemurah lagi maha pengasih,

Kenapa tidak LAM ALIF menapak dalam petak berseni elok dan molek. Di bucu rentak di henti mencari ilham bunga yang meruntun berompon2 bercambah mekar ke langit. Di buai serunai mencari ruang yang di arak mara menuju ke tengah sambil liuk melentuk bukannya lalai tapi berhemah. Menunggu gendang-gendangngan melengkapkan rentak. Gong itulah makanannya, SENI KEDANG ATA LARAT itu cubitannya, AH TEGAK TAH TEGAK itu kelibatnya. BATU TIN TANGKA BUNUH itu merah jegilannya. Maka akan deraslah ia mengena. Kenapa tidak???.

Ramai orang marah, lalu mereka berarak.... ramai orang marah lalu mereka memboikot... tak salah teruskan. Tapi itu kata mula yang sifatnya HARUS..... dan WAJIB jatuhnya pula pada ILMU. Kenapa kita tak bersatu, politik kita pun bermain siku.

Email orang kita penuh di bom dengan perbandingan kebodohan kita dan kebijaksanaan mereka. Semua orang angguk dan semua orang marah dan semua orang keluar berarak lagi, Bila penat tersekat uratnya di tampal roti ranai dan berubah pula menikam kawan dengan politik turut menurut... kerana senang nak berdarah- musuh bisik... dan puas bagi yang pernah menghirup darah kawan dalam mangkuk agendanya kerana dengan lidah yang kelu darah kawan rasanya lebih manis dari musuh.

Kenapa kita tak ikut formula meraka itu... tolong menolong... bersatu... benda ini boleh bawak kedepan. Kita usahakan supaya ramai orang kita kearah ekonomi, kearah teknologi, Kearah apa saja yang bergigi. Baru hipotesis yang kita boleh mentakbir cara kita cara aman tanpa menggangu apa saja bangsa, sekarang masih bersifat teori hanya akan terbukti kalau kita berkuasa.

Kearah Ilmu. Tak ajaib... tak pula tak waras kalau kita berjaya. Yang penting kita kena bersatu..yang tak mahu tuu laa sebenarnya hantu.

Kita boleh buat apa saja kalau kita mahu kearah itu... dan jika kita ilmunya ampuh kita akan berkuasa.... dan bila kita berkuasa lebih afdallah kita, lebih serulah kita... lebih gegak gempita lah kita.... BILA KITA BERARAK, BILA KITA MEMBOIKOT... kerana yang berjaya hanya yang BERSATU, BERILMU dan BERKUASA.

Untuk orang SENI yang kononnya jisimnya sangat peka. (pesanan utk aku saja)

Mana musik dan lagu yang berjiwa?... bukan jiwa2

Mana filem ke jalan yang lurus?... bukan lurus mentafsir hiburan dan membina realiti dari kamus selari.

Mana apa saja seni yang mengangkat dan terangkat yang bakal terbangkan kita kedepan?

Jika tak ada maka ada-adakanlah... Bayangkanlah jika semua orang seni membulat berkarya beralur2 bertemu punca. Walau apa berat pun maka senang ia belayar membawa imej kita budaya kita semangat kita yang menjana kejayaan kita. Sebenarnya orang kita lebih hebat dari apa yang kita kutukkan kita. Sejarah hak kita patut kita tuliskan semula. Apakata jum mari kita mula.

SALAM EID UL ADHA TO EVERYONE

2008-12-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

Semoga pengorbanan anda menemui maksudnya.

Kamal

PRE-PRO-POST

2008-11-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Film maker tak berduit

Sebenarnya sudah kalah sebelum berjuang

Film maker tak berduit

Kata orang sudah menang sebelum berjuang

Film maker tak berduit

yang sebenarnya kalah kaaa menang..... rasanya tawar, payau , masam, masin, manis yang berperisa pahit.

Ya Q'dim Ya Daim Ya Ahad' Ya Wahid Ya Somad' aku memang sungguh tak layak dengan chobaan mu

2008-09-28T01:32:00.000-07:00

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI
MAAF ZAHIR BATIN
EID MUBARAK TO EVERYONE

2008-09-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

SELAMAT BERPUASA DAN SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI MERDEKA DAN HARI2 MEMERDEKAKAN DIRI DARI SEGALA NAFSUNAFSI

ANAK WAYANG

2008-08-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Awalan..

Terlampau teruk menghina dan terlampau dasyat memuji dengarnya. Dari apa yg aku baca kesian pun ada.... hairan pun ada. Aku yg jauh sungguh tak berpeluang nak tengok wayang ini. apakah benda anak ini...nak tengok juga.. wayang apa yg diwayangkan. macam mana yang dah di wayangkan... wayang jenis apa ka ini.... betul kaa wayang... atau hanya wayang???

Harap2 Halal Toyiba wayang ini...

17 Ogos 2008

ANAK HALAL

Dewan Malaysia London

Jam 2.00 petang

Akhiran....

Aku tak sampai pun ke Malaysia Hall ada aral yg melintang.... aku melencong. Tetapi aku berjaya juga tengok Anak ini di youtube (maaf ya).... nak mengkritik.... tak beranilah :)

MUNGKINKAH INI FILEM YAHUDI TERAKHIR AKU?

2008-08-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Melampau sungguh tajuk rencana ini. Melampau lagi teknologi yg kami gunakan. Dalam banyak2 produksi di London aku bagai tertarik pada yang ini. Bukan kerana Ini produksi Yahudi tapi kerana pergolakan budaya Yahudi traditional dan Yahudi liberal (moden) yg mana sekarang juga berlaku kepada apapun bangsa di dunia. Aku yg kurang bergaul dengan bangsa ini cuba untuk mendekati dan memahami mereka. Aku meneropong dengan mula kata... "ROLING"... atau dalam lenggok British... "TURN OVER" pekatkan?...

Melampau juga aku dalam apa juga keadaan... hujan dan panas tetap terpacak di bangku Odeon. Setelah hampir seminggu mata, jiwa dan minda aku menjamah segala hasil seni yg di jala ke London, Rindu aku pun agak terubat. Berjumpa dengan pengiat filem malaysia mendengar keluh resah mereka, mendengar kejayaan mereka, mendengar penerimaan filem Melayu yang dah berjaya menembusi pasaran asia dan selebihnya.... aku bangga, sekalung tahniah dan terima kasih kepada yg berusaha.

Aku ambil dari semangat ini lah maka aku pun korek..korek..korek... fail lama.

Renugan aku diperbetulkan oleh saudara Patrick seorang anak pengarah tersohor British

Sifat melampau aku kian terpancar pada kamera yg digunakan. Kamera WILD ARRI 2C dan ARRI BLIMP yg sudah dimuziumkan kini di bersihkan debunya dan di angkat ketaraf asalnya. Benda yg beratnya melampau ini duduk selesa di dalam kepompong besi BLIMP kebal menangkis serangan peluru dan bom. Ia bediri begitu segak merenung Yahudi itu berdrama.

Satu renungan dari posisi setara, satu pertembungan yang penuh jaringan pelbagai hala, maka berdiri dengan bebalnya figura besar menghalang pintu terbuka.

Satu renugan dari posisi terpencil merenung kearah tangga yg diduduki hati2 muda

Komposisi ini mengasyikkan dan haruslah di renungkan

Aku menajamkan lagi renugan aku melalui corong baru, Lebih mahal lebih anggun lebih berteknologi... tetapi walauapapun alasan pengampu teknologi... bagi aku hitam putihnya tetap sama.

MOVIECAM SUPER AMERICA antara pengasas teknologi kamera moden mengembalikan aku ke masa hadapan. Penangan TILT atas kebawah BLIMP yang menegangkan otot betul2 mencabar seperti juga cabaran ARRI Gearhead yg mudah dan meringankan tetapi senang terbabas kepada mereka yg terlampau berkira2.

Komposis renungan yang tajam duduk empok mengilap harta

Komposisi tutur bahasa pergerakan badan di belah ikon budaya dan mengasingkan jiwa2 yg mengharap.

Posisi kedamaian yg mengimpikan kegembiraan dari biasan cahaya di sebalik mesej dalam botol

Berehat dalam posisi merenung kearah kamera kerana aku pasti ini adalah filem Yahudi terakhir aku.

Macam bagus laa yaaa...sebagai pengarah perlulah bagi aku mencuba segala posisi dalam produksi... berada di posisi yang lain menambahkan kefahaman aku dan membuatkan aku lebih hormat pada proses dan hasil kerja secara berkumpulan. Aku sebenarnya adalah peneropong yg hampeh. Ini bukanlah kerja terbaik aku tapi aku tumpang gembira kerana dari hasil filem ini dikhabarkan pengarahnya di anugerahkan bakat pegarah muda.

BERHENTI SEKEJAP DARIPADA BERPRE-PRODUKSI

2008-07-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

Produksi 'HEALER' sekarang tengah rancak berjalan. Tapi aku pulak pegi jalan2. Sepatutnya aku sangat sibuk tapi aku pulak jadi penyibuk. Malaysian Film Week datang lagi, dulu aku terlepas sebab nak siapkan produksi gila- shoot 5 shorts dalam masa 5 hari, Pekara gila ini selalu berlaku kepada penjana emosi layar lebar yg tak berUANG. Mereka ini selalunya bergelumang peluh, air mata dan darah hanya untuk bercerita? Kelakarkan...Melampau betul mereka ini.

Aku dan Subsidi

Aku turun bukan sebab free aku turun bukan sebab aku free... aku turun sebab nak layan movieee

Aku dan Komedi

Saudara yg berbaju batik ini bukan orang politik.
Batiknya juga berbeza, berkubism tak berbunga.
Saudara ini senyumanya bukan sedikit,
Lebarnya saja berjela2.

Aku dan HISTORY

Aku peminat filem Melayu lama, Cho'baan mereka dulu lain, Karya mereka dulu juga lain, Usaha mereka juga lain.... kejayaan mereka juga jauhhhhhhhh lain. Aku yg tersangat bangga. Yang dikiri, ayah'nda HERO lagenda filem Melayu, Yang dikanan hanya anak'nda lelaki melayu

Aku dan hahahihi

Bilalah aku dapat bekerja dengan dia ini.... senyuman siapakah yg berkata2... yang kirikah? yang kanankah? atau yg di tengah?

PRODUCTION STILLS - THE PATHFINDERS

2008-05-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

The Fragmented was selected as a sample; a relation of film appreciation and painting in a workshop at National Gallery.

And for The Pathfinders is just another documentary

In reality it was colourful but I prefer only White, Green and Black

To direct a documentary I expected it to be different from fiction, because documentary is based more on reality; what you see is what you get. It is more realist than fictional. When I first wrote my treatment for this documentary I found that I was already giving it a direction which meant my planning and expectancy of the story to go like what I intended it to be. So is this truly a reality or a fantasy? A typical layman’s perception towards documentary is that it should be the truth and it happens in a real situation, however what they didn’t know is what they received is only a constructed truth.

In another perspective the definition of the word ‘documentary’ puts a curse on film directors to limit their creativity in their production. I believe the treatment should not only be raw and too realistic in order to embrace the concept of realism and the conceptual cinema language should not be abandoned in order to achieve the look.

Pezhmaan in action

Tijmen and his obsession

Too conceptual to digest... sampin telekung... apakabenda nie

Alejandro and the big boys toy

The wild bunch - GLOBALIZATION

Pezhmaan - Iran, Tijmen - Netherlands, Andres -Colombia, Aku - Tanah Melayu, Faith - UK and Alejandro - Mexico.

RECONNAISSANCE - PATH

2008-02-21T17:03:00.001-08:00

He who seeks does not find, but he who does not seek will be found.
Franz Kafka

The Path - the one that drives me forward, is the one that I've lost behind - This is the visual that provokes 'The Pathfinders' unfortunately fate took it away from me.

It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something.
Ornette Coleman

Now and then

Contemplating

.....Time

Destinations everywhere

.....life

The reason

The beginning

Of a beautiful place (kalb)

.... and fate bring me to 'The Healer' and again, on the mission to capture 'the smoky lines'.

There was a door to which I found no key: There was the veil through which I might not see.
Omar Khayyam

Say not, 'I have found the truth,' but rather, 'I have found a truth.'
Kahlil Gibran

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-01-04T12:10:00.001-08:00

DOCUMENTED, In search of reality.....I have found fantasy

This is not my new year resolution but just a note about my new production

I have heard a lot of people talking about reality in film!?....in what form of reality? even the medium itself is a fantasy. that is for sure.

I have started this production with a fantasy and then went out to capture the make belief reality. confusing? yes! I have been through a lot to discover this.

'TAK MELAYU HILANG DI LONDON' is what I am looking for but what I get is 'THE PATHFINDERS'.

This is a documentary about souls in search of a reason in life. A simple story i guess...

Some photographers take reality... and impose the domination of their own thought and spirit. Others come before reality more tenderly and a photograph to them is an instrument of love and revelation.
Ansel Adams

In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director.
Alfred Hitchcock

luckily I have only one god to caters all... and M. Nasir sang it pretty well

Merahnya tekadmu
Mewarnakan kalam
Memancarkan wajah-wajah
Yang berupa-rupa dalam kesatuan

Menyanyilah.. la..la..la..
Bersajaklah.. la.. la..la..'

... and here is what it has becoming after fragmented now reveal the pathfinders....

whats next?....
I will be looking at one Jews family in black and white, from an eyes of a Jewish director through my viewfinder.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY LONDON

2007-12-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

finally... The Fragmented goes online, This January 2008. guys please drop me your comments. My new docu 'The Pathfinders' will be posted soon

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/collection/transcriptions/film/thefragmented/default.htm

The broken frame

The space in between

A mirrored image

The conflict

The pondering

The lights

The framing

The capture

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

2007-09-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error. It is these mingled opposites which people our life, which make it pungent, intoxicating. We only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash.
Louis Aragon

Take a commonplace, clean it and polish it, light it so that it produces the same effect of youth and freshness and originality and spontaneity as it did originally, and you have done a poet's job. The rest is literature.
Jean Cocteau

For this film I wanted to test on what lights can contributes to the moods

Erik the gaffer for The Fragmented lit himself.... how bizarre?

In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.
Francis Bacon

The crew all ears to the gaffer who once lit the sets of ALIEN

You can't study the darkness by flooding it with light.
Edward Abbey

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

..... Under the Britannia's sun

Mr. Hassan Muthalib and his famous words "Kita Buat dia, Bukan Dia Buat Kita'" promoting a Malaysian Film in front of the Grand Odeon London to so called film makers

RECONNAISSANCE

2007-08-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

Went around London with Herman to look for the 'aura' of 'the fragmented'...

"Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen".
Robert Bresson

I saw an ego

I saw a view

I saw an open door

..... and then I found a story to be told

DANDELION

2007-08-08T05:14:00.001-07:00

You have to really be courageous about your instincts and your ideas. Otherwise you'll just knuckle under, and things that might have been memorable will be lost.
Francis Ford Coppola

Icon - Visual association and representation of the film

Coppola explained how he decided to incorporate different techniques to truly capture Patton’s nature. The most stunning was the opening speech in which Patton addressed the troops, but with no troops visible, the audience is made to feel they were the soldiers he was prodding on to victory.
Because of the opening sequence and the oddness of the script, Coppola was let go in failure. A few years later, while repairing a film editing machine on another movie set, he learned that his script for Patton was being dusted off and shot as written and while he was working on the script for The Godfather, Coppola was awarded an Oscar for Patton.

For some film makers blowing a dandelion in films might be clichéd, but I haven’t see it being used for quite some time. I am looking for an image that can be associated with my film and I have planted some strong moments as a sound image to represent the film such as; the teddy bear and the torned family photo but the image of a sad little girl delicately caressing and then blowing the dandelion as a symbol of hope has struck the audience to memorize the image that represents ’The Fragmented’.

Sample 1: Patton - Franklin J Schaffner (1970)

Sample 2: Jurassic Park - Steven Spielberg (1993)

These are the sample images that become an icon and are well know to represent their subjects. An image from a movie that gives greater impact and best know for when reference is made to the movie.

Sample 1: Patton is best know for the opening speech behind the striking big American flag in the backdrops. The idea as claimed by Coppola was his, and he lost his job defending it from being scrapped by the studio official.
Sample 2: In Jurassic park, the shot of water ripples in a cup made everybody screamed as the suspense and anticipation built up to the appearance of the gigantic flesh eating dinosaur.

When I wrote ‘The Fragmented’ the first thing that came to mind is the ending scene with this particular visual that kept me captivated and built my scene around it; a dandelion, how it represents delicateness, sincerity, naivety, romance, dream like and full of hope. From there ‘The Fragmented’ got its soul.

2007-07-29T04:51:00.000-07:00

CINEMA PARADISO

Build It and They Will Come

The Beautiful souls that help me to materialize THE FRAGMENTED

CAST
Father SIMON de CINTRA
Daughter SOPHIE KINGSLEY
Mother MICHAEL STONISOVA
Lover ERIK BOSTEDT

CREW
Writer / Editor / Director MOHD KAMAL ARIFFIN
Exercutive Producer LES BLAIR
Producer / Camera Operator KERRY O’ BRIEN
Director of Photography STUART WOLPERT
Camera Assistant / Focus Puller SASHA COLLINGTON
Gaffer / Grip ERIK BOSTEDT
1st Assistant Director ALVARO DURAN
Production Manager NIRA KAMAL
Location Recce HERMAN ISHAK
Still Photographer MANSOR MUHAMMAD
Music ANNE CHMELEWSKY
Titles Design RASHIDIN AMRI
Location SHARIN and MASTURA

...And all the support from my family and friends

2007-07-26T04:37:00.001-07:00

THE FRAGMENTED

A Film Material

I wanted to make a story of an event which is separated by rooms and borders. Each section is enriched with elements, representing the moods, actions and characters that ends with a dramatic twist. The final scene is not concluded but provocative that leaves the audience to imagine their own ending.

Idea based on:
The Execution of Maximilian
NG 3294
1867-8 / Edouard Manet
Highlight : Time based, mutilated fragment in juxtaposition montages, enrich the visual and sound to enhance emotion

I was moved by ‘The Execution of Maximilian’ Edouard Manet. The following describes the elements of my concentration:

I. Colour palettes
The tones that Manet had establish for this painting was subtle, non-dramatic but tragic. The color palette and strokes, pitched to provide the focus and attention solely on the subject matter without stealing any of its limelight. I like the somber tones on the painting, it is moody, lonely and quiet similar to the concept that I applied to my film. Instead of grayish-bluish colours, I used white and beige to achieve the same results. My film required a lot of emotions which did not only come from the actors’ performance alone rather the tones projected from the ambience have given it an uplift to achieve the moods required.

II. Composition
The theme has taken over the composition. It doesn’t require stressing the dynamic or dramatic composing. Manet wanted to express a realistic approach of realism in capturing a tragic moment like this. This is a brilliant approach as Manet used composition subtly by placing the character with a virtual space representing the character’s expression of thought and situation. The ’post effect’ of physically being separated into pieces enhanced and carried the intended separated room to a new dimension.

III. Style
This is realism, as in the story of my film, a situation that can happen anywhere and to anyone. As Manet tried to achieve in the painting, I have tried the same to maintain the sincerity throughout the movie by not pushing the story over the top or staging it too dramatically, instead letting it flow naturally. I have applied long takes to capture the emotions on screen to give the audience the first hand experience; uncut and uncensored.

IV. Theme
I concentrated on the element of ‘post effect’. I am more interested on the implication of the missing element; (the life, the power that was put away such as the pieces of the painting that were missing our cut out from the original painting) why did this happened?, what is the appreciation when did the newer composed images were put together? Would it depreciate its esthetic value or would it give new meaning and bring a whole new perspective to the painting? As with my film I tried to study the post effect of a situation (separation) with its implication and the ripples caused by the conclusion.

V. Story
I took the concept of execution, punishment, solace, perpetrator, villain, victim, hero and separation which I found in the painting and incorporated to the film by asking the same question to the audience to figure out who’s who based on the characters in the movie. (Maximilian, Napoleon III, The Firing Squad and one of the soldier who in the position of checking his gun against the characters of father, daughter, mother and the lover)

VI. Subject Matter
I liked the way the characters were staged in a space that enhanced their profiles. Character placement was thoughtfully considered and the fragments somehow (from my point of view) gave a visual separation that heightens the interest in the composition. I tried to achieve this in my film by placing my characters in their own individual room to suggest profile, moods and emotions. I even cropped out a character’s face (mother) to hide her disappointment, memories and her doubt in reflecting the decision that she had made.

This is a conceptual drama capturing the life of a broken home. It all happens on the day when the husband and wife’s divorce is final. This is an inner-emotion study on the Man as a husband and father. The Woman as a wife, mother and lover. The daughter who is wedged in the middle and the lover as a solace or perpetrator.

This story is told in a series of chronological events that are separated by rooms and borders visually and conceptually to represent the character’s relationship in real life. Each sections are enriched with elements, representing the moods, actions and characters that ends with a dramatic twist. The final scene is inconclusive but provocative and left to the audience to imagine their own ending.

A simple subject matter with a lot of weight, dragging a simple family story to become emotionally complicated.

Film references and Influences:

I. Andrei Arsenevich Tarkovsky - The Mirror (1974) I am interested on how he played with the theme of home and family, and how it was beautifully orchestrated

II. Sofia Coppola - The Virgin Suicide (1999) I was amazed by the visual stylization and the emotion of being delicate, naive and innocent

III. Mike Leigh - Vera Drake (2005) In this film, a soft character ‘Mother’ was the evil one resulted by her principal and the decisions she made.

The reference for music scores

This film was created with minimal dialogue and I wanted to enhanced the use of emotion supported by the use of sound and music. The following are the research and requirements for this film:

Music reference and inspiration
Al’Iktiroof / Haddad Alwi (philharmonic, Indonesia)
Beloved One / Ben Harper
In My Life Today / Lenny Kravitz
The Promise-extended / Tracy Chapman
Father and Son / Ronan Keating featuring Cat Steven

2007-07-26T01:19:00.001-07:00

ALL EYES ON FOUR EYES

Four Eyes was screened in LA as part of Los Angeles Film Festival. Supported by Mike Leigh, Micheal Mann and other big names; Tak Fujimoto (DOP) Roger Pratt (DOP) Ueli Steiger (DOP) Iain Smith (Producer) Luis Mandoki (Dir) Alain Tanner (Dir) Mark Goldblatt (Editor) Robert Leighton (Editor)

A repetition of time and space

The same concept from the beginning is reintroduced to emphasize Anita’s troubled journey when entering the woods as opposed to her heightened self revelation when leaving the woods. There will be a range from wide to close up shots intertwine with another by the use of foreground tree trunk as transition.

Any way the wind blows....the winds of change
This is the last scene where Anita walks out to the pavement away from the camera with the wind blowing quietly around her. Even though this is the conclusion scene, we don’t want to suggest the end but only provoke it and let the audience create their own resolution based on their own appreciation.
The winds can be the soul of the dead man or even the woods who will always be there to protect Anita. The woods provide her courage and graduate her on her self discovery as what she experiences in the woods .

Four Eyes - Anita walks out of the woods

2007-07-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

I LOVE STORYBOARD

FOUR EYES - Stbd Intro Sequences

The following will explain how I put my thoughts in every shot, how I instill mise-en-scene and give every shot a meaning. I have highlighted intriguing solutions that I made on the storyboard; as some were shot accordingly, some were improvised on the set based on factor of location, weather and time constraints and some were based on the director’s final decision which I applaud by looking at the final results.

Zoom out to establish

Conventional treatment for intro scene normally start with establishing shot to get an understanding of location and situation and continuing to zoom in to focus on the subject matter. For Four Eyes we wanted to establish the concept of trapping the characters to the coincidence that escalate to reactions of no escape. A cramp shot was used to reflect this mood that gave the audience a trapped feeling and was forced to work out the meaning of this close up montage, consequently coming to the understanding of the story when the camera went wide to establish the location and situation.

Composition and symbolism

The shot for Four Eyes introduction scene was created to summarize the story in a visual composition that deliberately projected the meaning. A continuous built up pace via editing was used to generate the mood of suspense to its dramatic moment. A close up subject in individual form introduced moods focusing on the characters.

Storyboard scene 1_4

The stuff that gets stuck and tangled in the hair
A continuous dramatic mood build up this suggestion that the main character (Anita) no longer cares about the bullying by the antagonist (the boys). This is established by the use of annoying elements that stick in Anita’s hair as a result of ignoring what the boys have done to her. The boys tease and throw sticks to her and she is now used to it. She bows her head down and continues on with life until the boys get more aggressive as suggested by the movement pace on (Storyboard scene 1_5) the boys march faster while she is still in her reserve pace (Storyboard scene 1_6) and the impact comes when she is pushed down and destructive falls down which later changes her life.

FOUR EYES - Stbd Pushing Sequences

The dividing room gives the dramatically internal explanation:
1. Anita was cornered to a cramp space and visually separated by an element assisted by the woods.

2. The boys determined to hurt Anita and visually push forth the separation border and eventually get to Anita.

Adding visual value by the use of Camera Lens:
A shot is being given life and statement. (Long lens and move far away from the actions) Camera suggests from the point of view of the woods, an element of saviour a force awakens to rescue the damsel in distress.

PLAYING DEAD AT 10 DEGREE CELCIUS

2007-07-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

FOUR EYES by Sasha Collington

The Idea for this movie is wicked and it has this surreal influence which works well with me. I think I can give my utmost on this because this was the genre that I love and this story can be layered with a lot of ideas than it seems. Given to producing this in black and white I think it will give more values to this kind of genre and I can see it has the potential to be a good movie. I would also like to explore and experiment on a lot of things and ‘Four Eyes‘ is the best bet.

I have taken the responsibility to create the storyboard for Four Eyes. When I first read the script, I knew that this is a movie that can be visually interesting. I volunteered myself to do the storyboard for the movie because I saw an opportunity to make a film that I am interested in. Although I am not in the director’s chair, this is a potential platform for me to demonstrate my conceptual direction on the storyboard. I have spent a lot of hours working on the storyboard with the director of photography and film director. Together we studied every shots to make each single shot worthy.

To me storyboard is an important stage of pre production. Directors like Hitchcock and Spielberg normally would emphasize on storyboarding, while some directors find it too rigid. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong to this matter because it all depends on the director’s preference. However, from my experience a storyboard plays a pivotal role in planning and preparing the set and helps to communicate with the rest of the production crews on what to achieve for the film. Storyboards would not be the infinite plan because the director may improvise it later on the set if required. By working on this task, I will be involved in the creative decision making process at an early stage.

MY GREY MOMENTS

2007-04-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

ONE COLD DAY - Metropolitan Experience

I came to London in winter. It was cold, lonely and foreign to me. I was too sentimental, alone in front of my computer searching for ideas. After a few outline on some weird ‘Lynchian’ ideas, finally I decided to write about what I experienced in the metropolitan city of London. I love surreal movies and I have done it before but now I want to try creating a story with conventional narrative structure but bundles with symbolisms and social critics. Thus ‘One Cold Day’ is materialised.

This is a story from a critical point of view on modernisation that results to materialistic and egocentric culture that now affect the society with or without realizing, silently killing the morality in men. The story captures from the point of view of an outsider who at first was impressed at the grand establishments of modernism but accidentally discovered the dark sides of it. A tourist who was the only witness of an incident even though the main character was present. The main character’s involvement with this incident remained unnoticed to him. London as a metropolitan city was used as general comments representing this cold modernised culture.

This idea is a resemblance on the theme from Citizen Kane - Orson Welles 1941. A story about a man who lost everything when he was blinded by his vision to get everything which was presented from the point of view of the observer.

Influences

I write this script not from the conventional method of scripting which is everything starts with a storyline, rather this script starts with the visuals and concepts that later leads to become a story.

I. To make a story about an ‘observer’ movie, the best reference that comes to mind is Alfred Hitchcock- Rear Window (1954) one of the most unusual and intimate journey into human emotions ever filmed!

II. Visually I was influenced by Sergio Leone on how he placed his character in a dramatic composition by implementing deep focus from foreground characters to the background. I want to achieve this in my movie by bringing it to a different level by having the foreground character creates a gesture which relates to the scene in the background.

III. Charlie Chaplin in his early black and white movies used ‘rooms’ concept to separate events and scenes. Therefore I want to establish the same concept by using the foreground characters as a separator between an event that happens significantly on his left and right space.

2006-11-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

hari ini is a D'day for me.. semalan check 120/100 doktor pun pelik kenapa yg bawah dah naik... tapi dia kata pass punya... risau giler... doc kat hkl tu kerek habis... kalau kantoi habis aaa... risau..risau

2006-11-02T22:54:00.001-08:00

darah dah naik 143 / 98 tinggi tuu kata doktor. bukan salah aku.. salah mamak.. sapa suruh taruk minyak kat nasi briani, kurma, ayam masak madu...

kita makan untuk bunuh kita??? semalam isteri aku tukar menu terpaksalah jadi kambing makan rumput.. adalag dekat 5 jenis sayur.. aku ni karnivor !!!!

2006-10-19T02:25:00.000-07:00

private contents

2006-10-19T01:29:00.000-07:00

private contents