I can finally look normal again after three months of looking like a dorky teacher.
I’m still filming the kids’ drama. I’m still a teacher, but we’ve moved on to the later episodes where my character’s personal life outside of teaching comes into play. I have the chance to wear non-dorky clothes and look normal! Yay.
I realise I’ve never mentioned the title of this drama. So, here are a few details:
The title is SNAP, but it’s a Chinese drama. It will be shown on Sunday mornings on Channel 8, possibly starting on Sep 30. There are 14 episodes, each lasting 30 minutes and I’m in 12 episodes. I think.
This drama series has many directors, each taking charge of different episodes. I think it’ll be very interesting to watch because every episode is going to have a different flavour.
Today’s director is Martin, who is also the overall project manager and the person who normally helps me take photographs using my camera while I’m filming.
But since he’s the director today, he doesn’t have time to horse around with my camera, so I’m my own photographer today and Martin is my subject. Haha.
Martin has a tough job managing the kids today because they have a fun toy as a prop.
A wired laptop!
You know how kids get engrossed when they’re having fun.
It’s just them and their world.
Well, since this is a kids’ drama, the production is full of kids.
Here are two big ones.
On the left is Ler, who directs other episodes. He looks into the camera defiantly because… I don’t know. Because it’s fun?
I love working with creative people. They’re like boxes of chocolates, like, you know, you never know what you’re gonna get.
On the right is Melvin, the producer, and this is his house we’re filming in.
Tell you one secret.
Melvin’s house is so big that it’s used as the prop house for two different girls in the show (to save them the trouble of finding two separate houses to film in.) Of course, the audience won’t know it because different parts of the house are used for each girl.
But I know and I think it’s funny. Hahahaha!
Yeah, I know. I’m very easily amused.
For example, I amused myself playing around with my camera’s macro function while waiting for the crew to set up the lights around me.
I like photos with foreground/background compositions. Not this particular photo I’ve taken, of course. It’s a stupidly composed test shot just for illustration.
I couldn’t do very much because I only had my fingers to use as foreground, plus the crew started to look at me weird for taking photos of my own fingers.
I’ve learnt a lot from this shoot. Especially from my favourite girls, Jiaxuan and Almond.
They’ve taught me all sorts of cute games and riddles and stuff that girls do to amuse themselves.
Ah, but no fun and games for now because it’s back to work.
Then again, acting is fun and games.
Once, I was filming a scene in which my character was listening to a student’s sob story. It was a serious scene, even a little touching.
During one take, as I delivered my last line, and with the camera focused on my face looking at my student empathetically, and just before the director yelled “cut!” to wrap the scene, someone’s phone rang.
The music was the chorus of “Killing Me Softly”.
The song came at such an apt moment, at the exact time a real soundtrack might appear in a movie. But it was hilarious because of that and because the song ringing out turned our drama into comedy.
I tried to keep a straight face because the director hadn’t yelled “cut” but then the entire crew started laughing and I had to join in.
Moments like that make great NG footages. But, more specifically, they make working on a TV or movie set so magical and heartwarming.
I love watching NG footages because they allow me to experience the fun and the magic behind the scenes. But being an actress is even better! I get to enjoy these moments not only vicariously, but also in person!
I think all movies and TV shows should show NG footages at the end, don’t you?
Anyhow, in the next couple of weeks, I will be alternating between looking dorky and looking normal as I film the later episodes. I can’t wait for the show to wrap because it’s really very tiring being a teacher. But I think I’m gonna miss it, too.
People never know what they want, huh?
whn the date is confirmed, let us know k, so we can all tune in n watch u on tv! :)
Will that be released on DVD? :D
acting not easy right? anyway.. I am sure jiejie QY can do it .. not only do it .. but do it well!!!
keep up the good work ok?
Wow.. a TCS star in the making.. (I will definitely be your ardent fan.. who knows I may be the one in the crowd asking for your autograph ..lol).
Ya agree being a real teacher nowadays is not easy let alone a mock one…
Who never silent the HP? Never ganna scolding ah? :P
Being half a teacher is tiring enough, let alone a real one.
Daphne: Ok, sure! Thanks for your support! =)
modchip: Um… no. :P
misha: Nope, acting is not easy at all. Well, I’m not always good at it. Sometimes I’m good, sometimes I’m terrible. Hehe. But thanks for the encouragement!
Starstruck: No lah. I’m hardly a star in the making. This show isn’t going to make me famous or anything. I really look quite bad in it and I didn’t act very well because most of my lines are either too corny or too convoluted, making it very hard for me to play the character. Plus the scripts always come to us last minute, not much time to prepare. =(
DK: Hahaha. Once in a while, there will be one or two people forgetting to silent their phone. Sometimes even directors forget. And actors. Well, just about everyone. Most of the time, directors just jokingly scold them because human mistakes are allowed on a set once in a while. As long as the person doesn’t keep doing it. :P
Miss Loi: Oh yeah, teaching is VERY tiring. I worked as a home tutor before. It’s SO SO SO SO tiring. Hahaha. I don’t think I can ever do it long-term so I admire teachers and tutors a lot!
I wish more people would loosen up and take more candid photos during breaks in film shoots! And there are tons of breaks during film shoots… :)
Edric: I don’t know. Maybe not every has a camera. And many who have cameras don’t bring it around everywhere they go like we do. Hahaha.
But I can’t do very nice candid shots with my camera. Maybe I don’t know how to use it. Or maybe it’s a lousy dummy camera. Because I don’t use the auto flash (cos I hate the overexposed look it gives photos), I have to hold the camera very still or the picture will be blur. And when my subjects move, the photo is also blur. So I can’t capture the funniest moments, especially when I’m laughing myself. =P
Hi!!!
Hmmm… Could you upload some snippets of the show in YouTube? Hehehe, I would like to see you act… :D
Look bad as a teacher.. nah, u too modest lah, got assets flaunt it like they say. I think if u are my teacher, I may have a crush on the djorky teacher …lol
Macro fun right ?
Phew! Luckily can’t see my face.
always take photos of people without informing them…
like paparazzi… haha
Pubed: Hi, you must be a bot. How do you do?
modchip: Well, I’ll certainly upload snippets of some of my shows when I’m more free to figure out some file conversion issues. :P
Starstruck: Haha, maybe you’ll think differently if you see the show. In my blog, I only post the best looking photos, lol. But on TV you can see everything, the good and the bad. :(
…: Er… can you like choose a better name? lolol. Anyway, thanks for pointing out the macro feature to me. I did it once last year when I was going through my camera manual, then I never experimented with it again and totally forgot about the feature. :P
Take candid photos of course must take without informing wat. Inform people they will start posing, then the picture won’t be natural anymore and I think my blog will be boring if I only post pictures of people posing. You have to agree with that! :P
A very cool behind the scenes look!
I read this again. You know, I really like these behind the scenes looks you write.