photoshoot

At a photo shoot

- Sheylara 10 Comments

Hello! Logging in from a photo studio somewhere in Chinatown.

At a photo shoot

Am now waiting my turn to be made-up and styled. There’s a TV in the photography room showing a live feed of the makeup room, lol.

At a photo shoot

I’m going to be featured in a magazine next month (which is actually the March issue) but I won’t tell you which till it comes out!

A shoot is in progress now.

I’ve mosaiced the model away cos it’s kinda spoilerish if you get to see her before the magazine is out. Cos she’s the cover girl. I’m afraid my editors will kill me if I reveal anything. LOL.

At a photo shoot

Every inch of her body positioning is dictated by the photographer. So, like, she’d spend half an hour in virtually the same pose with very minor modifications. Like “right hand move an inch lower” kinda thing.

It was like that when I did the Gadget3 cover shoot.

So, like, sometimes, if you see models with wonky, unnatural poses, it’s not their fault.

(Just like if you see bad acting on TV or film, it’s not always the actor’s fault!)

At a photo shoot

Photos that are snapped get fed immediately onto a monitor so the editor and creative director and whoever can see and make comments and shortlist photos that would work.

It’s kind of a tedious process.

The model’s work looks easy, just standing there and moving where told. But it makes all your muscles really stiff and painful when you have to hold the same pose for ages.

I always wonder how art models can stand their jobs. And those live mannequins and statues. It’s nuts!

I think I’m in for a long wait.

Not that I mind all that much, really. I’ve got a book, Fluffy and Ms Cutie. (You need to be a regular reader to know all the names of my gadgets!)

Signing out for now.

Taking photos of yourself in the middle of nowhere

- Sheylara 8 Comments

I’ve decided to delete most of my scary studio makeup photos.

Because they’re really scary.

But some actually turned out quite decent, so those I kept.

Sheylara with studio makeup

If you don’t frequently take photos of yourself, you probably can’t imagine how one could look totally different in different shots of the same batch.

I took these shots at an industrial area roadside while waiting for the Goonfather to turn up with his shining chariot to pick me up.

Sheylara with studio makeup

This was right after I stepped out of the studio for my Gadget3 cover shoot.

It was quite windy, so I got some wind-swept hair shots.

Sheylara with studio makeup

Two years ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed of taking photos of myself in public like that. It’s like the ultimate in lunacy.

Sheylara with studio makeup

But I think the practice of taking photos of oneself in the middle of nowhere is now relatively accepted, even if not encouraged.

Sheylara with studio makeup

In any case, the road was quite deserted so there was no issue at all. Doh.

Here’s a photo of me with normal makeup, taken in the same week as the above shots, for comparison.

Sheylara with normal makeup

Okay, that’s all for today. I just received a new game today and I think I should play it so I can talk about it tomorrow!

It’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine!

OMG the movie is out too, isn’t it? I NEED TO WATCH!

How come no one give me free tickets for that movie? Haha.

Okay, sorry, talking about myself makes me bimbotic. I shall disappear now.

Bye!

My Gadget3 interview and behind-the-scenes photos

- Sheylara 6 Comments

I totally forgot all about this! I said I would post up my interview after the magazine is off the shelves, but it seems I’m a month late.

Gadget3

Gadget3

Gadget3

Click to enlarge interview page.

For those who can’t view graphics on my site for whatever reason, here’s the text version of the interview:

===================================================

An Xpert Opinion

One way that Microsoft is helping new players get comfortable with their online gaming service Xbox LIVE is the introduction of the Xbox Xperts. The first Xpert unveiled by Microsoft was the bubbly Sheylara, a gamer who made her name in the blogging community. We took her aside to ask her a few questions about being an Xpert.

What’s the role of an Xbox Xpert?

Think of us as something like community leaders. When new users join the world of Xbox LIVE, they might feel shy or not know what to do next or how to join in multiplayer games. So we’re there to welcome them, help them get settled, answer their questions and introduce them to the Xbox community.

What’s Newbie Nite?

Newbie Nite was something I came up with to ease new Xbox LIVE members into the multiplayer gaming scene. Many people join Xbox LIVE and face either of two problems immediately: They don’t have online friends to play games with, or they join a random multiplayer game and get thrashed by expert players who have been playing the game for ages. That can be quite unpleasant for some people and doesn’t give them a chance to experience everything that multiplayer gaming has to offer.

So, in Newbie Nites, I get a bunch of new members together and arrange gaming sessions for them. This allows them to make friends with people of the same gaming level. We have fun together online once or twice a week and it’s my hope that lasting friendships will form from these weekly sessions.

Do you feel like you’re a teacher, of sorts?

Haha, don’t call me a teacher! I think I’d prefer the word facilitator or, like I mentioned before, community leader. Sure, I’ve had to answer countless questions about Xbox and Xbox LIVE, but I don’t teach so much as share what I know. I like to think that, in the online world, we’re all sharing information and having fun together.

What’s the Xbox community like?

Like any other community, the Xbox community has all sorts of people in it. We have hardcore gamers and casual gamers. We have shy people and rowdy and fun-loving people. But, basically, it’s just a community of people who love gaming and who love gaming on the Xbox 360.

I’m also very heartened to report that most people in the Xbox community are very friendly and sociable. They love welcoming new gamers into the community because it means there are more people to play multiplayer games with.

Who are the new folks joining Xbox Live? What are they normally like?

They could be anyone, really. Some are people who have been playing on the Xbox for years and just recently decided to join Xbox LIVE. Some are people for whom an Xbox 360 was a birthday present, so they join Xbox LIVE as total newbies, maybe out of curiosity. Some of them learn about Xbox LIVE through the ads that Microsoft runs regularly through the media.

Most of the time, they’re pleased that there are Xbox Xperts onboard to welcome them and they do respond positively. In fact, I’ve made a lot of fast friendships with these new folks and we communicate regularly via Xbox LIVE messaging.

What’s it like to work with the new members? What are typical first impressions of the Xbox Live service?

It’s always a joy for me when I initiate contact with new members and they respond with a friendly message back. We don’t only talk about gaming and Xbox LIVE. Members also share with me about their lives, what they’ve been up to, and their other hobbies. It’s very rewarding for me when they treat me like a friend instead of some distant personality.

I think most of the really new users are surprised to have someone welcome them to Xbox LIVE and that encourages them to explore more. Some will feel overwhelmed initiatlly. That’s why the Xbox Xperts are in place to make sure they’re getting the full benefits of this service!

How does it feel to be an ambassador for the Xbox?

It feels great, of course. I feel truly honoured and touched. Yes, touched, because gaming is one of the most important facets of my life. I’ve been gaming since I was five. To be endorsing a product that is, basically, the very essence of me, means the world to me. It’s the most exciting and fulfilling thing that’s happened to me… so far! Having the honour of being a Gadget3 cover girl comes close! ;)

===================================================

Okay, that’s the end of the interview. Now, photos!

Gadget3 shoot
Larry (makeup artist) does my makeup while Sharon (stylist) does my nails.

Gadget3 shoot
Ash (hairstylist) blow-drying my hair, although I don’t know why he wet it in the first place.

Gadget3 shoot
Dressed for the cover. Larry touches up my makeup because the photographer said it wasn’t heavy enough.

Gadget3 shoot
Ash decides to tease my hair some more since I’m sitting there anyway.

Gadget3 shoot
Posing for the cover.

Gadget3 shoot
The cover shoot is an endless series of posing while different people come up to fix different things on me, like hair, makeup, clothes, prop, pose, etc.

Gadget3 shoot
Sometimes more than one person is fixing stuff at the same time.

Gadget3 shoot
Kelvin (photographer) shoots while Sharon stands by in case anything needs fixing.

Gadget3 cover
The final product of all that hard work!

Gadget3 shoot
Preparing for the next shoot (for feature spread). Hair and makeup have to be redone!

Gadget3 shoot
Group photo with the crew. If you find my face looking a little pasty here, it’s because makeup for professional lighting doesn’t show up well in compact cameras.

I have some photos I took of myself after this shoot, just to see how I look in my camera with the heavy professional makeup. Maybe I’ll post those up tomorrow.

I need to think about it because they look scary. Haha.

Sheylara with curls (rare photos)

- Sheylara 41 Comments

Sitting in the makeup seat in an SPH photo studio, I was horrified when the makeup-artist-cum-hairstylist announced, “I will give her curls.”

It wasn’t armageddon-degree horror, but close enough.

Not that I have anything against curly hair, but it’s just not me. And in this particular photoshoot, I was supposed to be me and not some generic model.

A bunch of people had been invited to be featured in a Christmas special (I think) for Digital Life and we were told to wear a black jacket with a white top and a black bottom.

But I didn’t know what the interview was going to be about because it was arranged for me by a third party and I just had to turn up. When I was there, I found out the theme was “corporate”, which added another degree of horror to my state of mind.

Things that are not me: Corporate, elegant, graceful, curly hair.

The adventurous me delighted in my new look, of course, but the me me felt fake and uncomfortable.

It’s fortunate that I have a split personality or I would have been traumatised beyond recovery a long time ago, since I do chance to get a funny new look every once in a while.

Well, I suppose I don’t look too bad like this. Just different. (And not me.)

I went home in this get-up (by MRT) feeling weird, knowing it was just pointless paranoia but still feeling it.

I would have felt more comfortable going home in a bunny suit complete with floppy ears and a bob tail.

I’m serious.

I can be crazy and nutty and psychotic but I can never be a graceful, mature lady.

I felt a little unnatural and awkward posing for the photographs because I never know how to behave when I’m dressed corporate or elegant.

They wanted me to look like a confident career woman, and cheerful. It was a tall order.

I know how to look cute and cheerful, though!!! But, of course, that was wrong for the theme.

I hope my photos turn out okay in the papers, I think tomorrow.

Acting the office slut

- Sheylara 30 Comments

The other day, I received a call inviting me to audition for the role of an office slut.

“Office slut? Hahaha…” I said.

“We have three roles, actually,” the producer said quickly. “The office slut is the leading role. Well, she’s not really an office slut. More like a sexy bombshell who attracts all the guys. There’s also a pretty bimbo and a smart accountant.”

When I got to the production office, I was given scripts and asked to read for all three roles. Although they had initially invited me to audition for the office slut aka hot mama role, both director and producer thought I was more suitable for pretty bimbo upon meeting me. They also considered me for smart accountant because they needed someone with good diction for that role.

A few days later, I got a call telling me I’ve got the leading role of the Hot Mama.

Huh?

I don’t have a sexy bone in my body, wat? I don’t even have cleavage. But I happily accepted the role. A job’s a job, y’know?

It was a three-day shoot for a corporate video. We were supposed to act out several funny skits to showcase a well-known company’s office equipment products. The video would be shown at an event for business associates.

Corporate videos are usually boring jobs. But this job was just awesome. The script was funny and fun to act in. The crew was friendly and jovial, the director had a great sense of humour and kidded around with us, the cast got along well. I was quite sorry when the three days ended.

Two of the actors were people i’ve worked with before.

There’s Peer, who was Master Chief at my Halo 3 jobs. He played the boss of this dysfunctional company we work at, and he was damn funny at it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of him because I only took out my camera on the third day and Peer wasn’t on set on that day. Sheesh.

There’s Fish, with whom I’ve worked countless times. Including the Halo 3 job! Yeah, he was there, too, as one of the marines.

Fish played the role of Handsome Guy. Isn’t he handsome? Incidentally, you can catch Fish in the latest Singaporean movie, Truth Be Told, starring Yvonne Lim. Go watch! Support local productions!

We rested in this room whenever we weren’t needed.

This meeting room had been turned into a holding area, makeup unit, dining room and rest lounge. We spent the time here joking with each other when it wasn’t our turn to be filmed.

Fish pretended to be a job interviewee.

I camwhored.

How fun.

One of my scenes involved a photoshoot in corporate clothes where I had to flirt with Fish’s character.

The role was really quite a stretch for me. Really lah! I look nothing like a hot mama and my clothes are wrong. But it was a rush job and we had to make do.

The result of the mock photoshoot:

Group shot! Me and Fish with the crew:

The other actors weren’t involved in this scene so they were resting in the holding area.

Here’s Judy (with Fish), who played the Pretty Bimbo:

And Janna (right), who played the Smart Accountant:

This was when they just arrived and haven’t gotten into costume yet.

We did this funny scene where we were all talking on the phone at the same time.

It was hilarious. In fact, the whole three days were hilarious. Comedy is so fun!

Director Zul is a superman. Apart from being the director and scriptwriter, he is also the DOP and cameraman.

For this scene, he took on one more role: soundman.

This is the first time I’ve seen anyone operate a camera and boom mike at the same time on a panning shot! It was amazing but so funny!

There was a lot of lighthearted banter between takes.

When the crew was busy setting up, Sani (who played the Office Secretary and my character’s main love interest) put on a straight face and asked the director, “Director, what’s my motivation for this scene?”

Which was funny because it’s a bit redundant to use motivations (an acting technique) for a short comic corporate video.

Laughter all around.

“Your motivation is to do a good take so I won’t fire your ass,” said Zul.

More laughter.

I’m paraphrasing the director, of course. I don’t remember his exact answer but it was funny like that.

Inspired thus, Sani decided to give an impromptu Acting 101 lecture. He put on this stupid accent and launched into his lecture to no one in particular.

Of course, he didn’t expect me to switch my camera to video-capturing mode. I captured a minute of his silliness before he realised that someone was videotaping him.

Hahaha!

Will post the video tomorrow. Watch out for it!