SAY WHAT? It doesn’t matter that the Singapore film industry revived more than twenty years ago. For sure, the industry is still very volatile and disconnected from its local audiences. According to statistics, the youths in Singapore are not passionate or pessimistic about local films. Just lukewarm. Even if they are interested about it, they’d only hope for it to get better in years to come. So, how can we “get better”? In this Singaporean Filmmaker’s Guide to Making a Local Film, we will show you EIGHT foolproof steps to producing an instant box office hit (with helpful excuses advice of Singaporeans!)

Point Number 1: Impact and Entertain

“We don’t want “arty-farty” movies.
Simply put, give us only action pact,
comedic and adventurous storylines!”

Point Number 2: Collaborate with International Stars!

“Front the face and talents of international stars!
There’s a reason why foreign talents are
so important in Singapore, you know!”

Point Number 3: Bombard streets with Movie Posters

“It’s not that we don’t watch local movies.
The publicity don’t reach us at all!”

Point Number 4: Keep Doing More Films

“Keep persisting in making more films,
it will pay off SOME day.
(Ten more years later, maybe?)”

Point Number 5: Less Local, More Universal Themes

“Bringing Singaporean issues on screens is
too predictable and boring.
We have no identity, so please stop harping on us!
(Psst, we dare you to do a Hollywood or Korean style movie!)”

Point Number 6: Blame MDA

“They are the problem why local films are not taking off!
(for approving censorship in foreign films
more readily than local ones)”

Point Number 7: Eliminate Local Film Critics

“They are not helping in raving/promoting our local films.
A badly produced foreign film can easily get a
higher rating than any local film!”

Point Number 8: Remain Status Quo

“Singaporeans are not open and mature with the issues,
or accepting of the singlish jokes brought up in films.
We are not proud of who we are
and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

EPILOGUE The contents in this book are extracted from responses of an online survey done with youths in Singapore. They are compiled in a humourous manner to pique readers’ interest on a topic that has been unfairly misunderstood and taken for granted. To address the unresolved disconnection between our local filmmakers and audiences, below is a honest reply from our fillmmakers, who have taken the step forward to seek your reconciliation and pride for our local films. If you ask… Why are our filmmakers so uncreative? When can we be proud of our films that are truly loved and well received internationally? Here’s your local filmmaker’s response… Do not compare us with Hollywood or anywhere else. We are not inclined to make blockbusters for a quick pot of gold. Our priority is to tell a story that we want to tell. So, please watch us and appreciate us as artiststrying to make good our National Cinema — indeed the world’s one and only Singapore Cinema. Then, will you start to love us for who we really are. That is all that really matters.

About the Collection of Opinions:

In the strips,stop motion of “mouths” were drawn mouthing each syllables of the 8 points to making a local film. As the readers read them, they are also encouraged to “mouth along”, emphasizing that they could have been one of those offering such comments to the industry. Readers should be able to laugh at themselves, or what was written.

The strips are resized to enlarge from the ratio of super 16mm films, typically used by budget/independent filmmakers. They are folded like an accordion inside the 12.5×12.5cm hardcovers, and can be pulled out into a long full strip. The mouths are drawn to harmonise with the style of the typeface, named Olivier.

The colors used are white, black and red – the color of Sinema, my proposed client for the book.