Film Directors Workshop

On set Ebi Shankara and Eswari Gunasagar were gushing over this new show called ‘Karuvanam’ on Vasantham in early Dec, and I took a peek and was blown away. I had to meet one of the guys behind this. We chatted, and it’s not often that I get back so much from listening to this younger, serious filmmaker. He was so bent on not having his photo for this podcast that all he gave me was this blurry photo. I could have stolen one from the ether, but I’ll honour his direction.

Kumaran Sundaram is an award-winning Writer/Director with over a decade’s experience. After studying film, he directed and wrote acclaimed works like Oh Butterfly, which won a Global Tamil Series Excellence Award at Edison Awards 2024. His MMA-themed drama Achamillai Manamae (Fearless Heart) won Best Direction at the New York Film and TV Awards 2023 and was nominated at the UK’s Content Innovation Awards. Jillendru Oru Kalavaram (Happy Chaos), streaming on Netflix, garnered recognition. With credits on platforms like Viu and Discovery, he has produced programs internationally and aims to deliver life-changing stories, touching hearts one decisive moment at a time.

Recorded in late 2023, I had the privilege to talk to Djinn in a noisy cafe in Sim Lim Square, before she rushed off flying back to LA- hence the aggressive background noise cancelling-sorry. We owe Djinn and all those involved with the Movie, Perth- for pioneering Singapore indie films in 2004, when it was a lot more difficult to write, produce, direct and distribute a feature film. A great person to chat with. Lots to share.

In this episode, we're diving deep into the world of Singaporean filmmaker Djinn Ong, best known for her film Perth. Djinn takes us on a journey through her unconventional path into filmmaking, starting with her work at the Economic Development Board (EDB) to her experiences in the Hong Kong film industry and eventually into directing. From casting actors off the street to balancing the constraints of low-budget filmmaking, Djinn shares candid stories about working with actors like Sunny Pang, working with producer Juan Foo, her passion for telling authentic Singaporean stories, and the challenges of bringing independent films to life. Join us as Djinn reflects on her creative process, the evolving landscape of local cinema, and her thoughts on the future of filmmaking in Singapore and beyond. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring filmmakers and anyone interested in the intricacies of storytelling through film.

[00:00:17] How Djinn found the female lead for Perth

[00:01:56] Casting Sunny Pang

[00:04:28] Creating the Film 'Perth'

[00:05:51] Journey into Film Directing

[00:06:55] Djinn began in early EDB promoting Creative Industries i.e Film

[00:10:34] Writing a paper for the establishment of a Singapore Film Commission

[00:11:31] Djinn tries an Indiana Jones type job

[00:11:47] How Djinn got involved with Yonfan’s Bugis Street

[00:13:20] Transition to the US and Short Films

[00:17:29] Working in HongKong Film Industry

what's the last thing you did, like

[00:18:52] Not directing for a while

[00:19:33] Reflections on Directing and Storytelling

[00:20:53] Balancing Local and Global Storytelling

[00:22:57] Returning Home: Reconnecting with Local Cinema

[00:23:32] Character Development and Inspiration

[00:24:35] The Joys and Struggles of Low-Budget Filmmaking

[00:27:07] What Djinn looks for from a DP

[00:31:02] Casting Authentic Characters

[00:37:27] The Importance of a Good Production Team

[00:41:33] Impactful Small Sequences

[00:42:42] Exploring Global Cinema

[00:43:41] Asian American Productions 

[00:48:16] Challenges in Production

[00:54:46] Directing and Actor Performance

[01:05:22] Encouragement for Independent Filmmakers

I had the pleasure of talking to James Lee late last year, and this long podcast episode is the result. I can't tell you how much I learned in these 1.6 hours. James Lee is such a filmmaking dynamo. He's precise, generous in sharing and loaded with filmmaking stories and anecdotes.  I don't want to swing the overused word 'masterclass" here but  I can’t tell you how much I learned in these 1.6 hours.

James Lee, an esteemed filmmaker originating from Malaysia, made his mark in the world of theater before transitioning seamlessly into the forefront of indie digital video filmmaking.

Proficient in directing, producing, and acting, he has garnered international acclaim with awards at prominent film festivals in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Philippines, and Singapore. James became a focal point at the 9th Deauville Asian Film Festival in France, solidifying his status as a pioneer in digital filmmaking.

Noteworthy accolades include the prestigious Cannes Silver Lion Award in 2016 for his compelling work on "Last Day of School."

James Lee's influence extends beyond the screen, evident in his role as a speaker at TEDxKL in 2015, where he shared valuable insights into the evolving narrative landscape.

FDW is back!!! Huge apologies. But FDW will be back as regular as I can keep this up. A nice slate of new activities planned and new energy an vigour. Let me clear the backlogue first. I was worried that these were recorded some time back that its not relevant coz the subjects have went on to great things BUT I found the conversation still very interesting and even more so with some hindsight. Kindly enjoy Sunny when he just came back from hobnobbing with Forest Whitaker and Tom Hardy on the set of Havoc. 

1. 00:00:00 Just back from shooting in a Gareth Edwards Hollywood movie "Havoc" in UK

2. 00:00:24 How did Sunny Pang get into the industry in 1993

3. 00:03:31 1999 Sunny felt that he wanted to act more than doing ONLY stunts but after a lot of rejection, he became a bouncer in clubs.

4. 00:04:20 Sunny gets casted in 'Perth: The Geylang Massacre"

5. 00:06:19 Working with Lim Kay Tong in 'Perth'

6.  00:10:06 How disappointments affect his career

7.  00:12:47 How Perth was not seen as a commercial success

8.  00:14:04 Working with James Lee - a prominent Malaysian Director/Producer

9. 00:14:20 Working with his Sifu ?Aleelb Said - a HK/Indonesian Martial Arts Master Action Director working in Asia.

10. 00:15:16 Working with James Lee on "Call if you need me"  (2009)

11.  00:17:16 Meeting Timo Tjahjanto the first time for "Night Come for Us"

12.  00:18:07 Meeting "The Raid" Gareth Evans too.

13. 00:18:25  Then "Night Come for us" production stalled during prepro training.

14. 00:18:38 Then he was approached by Timo for "Headshot" since "Night Come for Us" stalled

15. 00:20:37 Screening of "Headshot" in Toronto International Film Festival

16. 00:21:50  Sunny recalls the first day of shoot for "Headshot"

17. 00:24:30 Learning to hustle as an actor

18. 00:26:52 Importance of being independent in getting jobs

19. 00:32:44 On Singapore's potential in the international arena

20. 00:37:13 Shooting for TV in Singapore - everything is too sanitised 

21. 00:41:55 Shooting 'Gareth Evans international action flick "Havoc"

22. 00:43:52 What Forest Whitaker said to him after a take on 'Havoc'

23. 00:45:09 Whats next for Sunny Pang (Nov 21)

24. 00:46:52 Working with different directors

25.  00:49:47 Working on dramatic scenes requiring more focus for Sunny Pang 

26. 00:51:37 Working with Indonesian Directors like Timo and Gareth  

27. 00:52:42 An actor needs to understand the script well before shooting

28. 00:53:49 On rehearsals

29. 00:54:18 Rehearsal Process with Malaysian Director Zahir Omar

30. 00:55:35 Was there lots of rehearsals for 'Havoc'?

31. 00:56:59  Next projects (Nov 21)

32. 01:00:48 His experience working with Anri Okita a Japanese AV star

33. 01:04:47 His take on crying or emotional scenes

34.  01:01:08 On acting, no actinga nd over acting

35. 01:11:19 Sunny Pang on Inspector Han one of his memorable popular roles

36. 01:12:10 Sunny Pang's management style with Ronin Action Group

37. 01:15:23 About the 'Macho Man' in asian cinema

38. 01:22:16 About being open in the industry

39. 01:26:27 How was Craft Services on 'Havoc'?